If there is one thing that Sony Ericsson has been able to utilise well in the mobile market over the last few years, it is the recognised Sony brand names, like Walkman and Cybershot. Say to someone that a particular handset is a Walkman phone and instantly it is understood that the phone will have a top notch media player. Other manufacturers have struggled against this brand awareness; for example although Xpress Music gets the message across, it just doesn’t have the same authority in the mind of the consumer as Walkman.
Being prefixed with the W, we know that the Sony Ericsson W705 is a Walkman phone. The handset is a slide design and will sit at the top of the mid range handsets. Not quite top of the range, but still packed with plenty of features.
There is plenty of memory available on the phone, which is ideal for adding your music collection. There is 120MB of onboard memory, which can be expanded with the addition of an M2 memory card. The handset will support up to an extra 4GB, offering room for plenty of tracks and photos. The Walkman player is simple to use, well designed, with a good layout. Music tracks are categorised by Artist, Album, Genre, composers and playlists. As well as standard playlists such as recently played or recently added, you can simply create your own playlists on the phone, or by using the Sony Ericsson Music Manager software which comes with the handset. One of the features included with the music player is Senseme. What this does is rate each music track added to the handset based on tempo and style. By selecting your preferred mood for the moment, the handset will prioritise music that fits that particular group. Another option is shake control. This allows you to control the music on your phone just by giving it a shake. A quick flick of the wrist to fast forward or rewind, or shake the phone to mix up your music and have it played back randomly.
Although the focus of this handset is the music player, all round it is a capable media device. Complimenting the Walkman function is a built in FM radio, with 20 preset stations so you can easily find your favourite station. The W705 has a 3.2 megapixel camera, with LED flash for low light level shots. The camera doubles up as a video recorder, and there is a front facing camera for video calls. With built in support for mobile blogging, or moblogging, you can easily get your pictures and video clips onto the web in minutes. The W705 does offer geotagging, but without built in GPS this is supplied by using network triangulation. This works fairly well, particularly in built up areas where network masts are more commonly available. A judge of your distance from three separate cell masts allows the handset to triangulate your current location, usually to within an accuracy of approximately 100 metres.
The W705 is a 3G handset, supporting HSDPA Mobile Broadband up to 3.6Mbps. With built in WiFi support, you can also connect to your home network or a free public access point for high speed uploading and web browsing. The built in net front web browser renders most websites well, and pages can be viewed in portrait or landscape mode, switched over automatically using the built in accelerometer.
Messaging is also well catered for with the SE W705. Alongside the standard SMS and MMS, the handset has a built in email client, so you can access your POP3 email whilst out and about.
The 240 x 320 pixel QVGA screen supports up to 256,000 colours and is very crisp and clear, and measures in at a more than acceptable 2.4 inches. The device itself measures up at 95mm x 47.5mm x 14.3mm and weighs in at a very pocket friendly 98g. Standby time is quoted at up to 400 hours with a maximum 10 hours talktime available from one single charge.
Overall the Sony Ericsson W705 is a solid handset, well balanced with a good set of features, and thanks to its mid market placing will be available with some fantastic free gift offers. For full specifications read our Sony Ericsson W705 Reviews and check out our amazing Sony Ericsson W705 Deals starting from just £22.50 a month.
Related Sony Ericsson W705 Links
- Compare the latest Sony Ericsson W705 deals
- Compare Sony Ericsson W705 pay as you go prices
- Read user Sony Ericsson W705 reviews
- Full list of Sony Ericsson W705 specs
- View gallery of Sony Ericsson W705 pictures
- Watch latest Sony Ericsson W705 video