The W205 from Sony Ericsson is a Walkman phone with all the features you would expect from the great brand of Sony Ericsson but can almost be described a trimmed down version and before you go thinking this a bad thing when I say trimmed down I also include the price in that statement.

The Sony Ericsson W205

What’s in the box?

Actually, not a lot! The box is not only tiny but also mostly empty.

• The W205 Handset
• Battery
• Mains Charger
• Manual and Warranty Card

Check out Matt’s Sony Ericsson W205 unboxing video for a closer look at the handset.

Sony Ericsson W205 specification:

• Network: GSM / GPRS 900/1800
• Display: TFT, 1,8-inch, the resolution of 128×260 pixels, 65 thousand colors
• Camera: 1.3 MP, 2.2-fold digital zoom, video recording
• Memory: built-5Mb, slot for memory cards Memory Stick Micro (M2) up to 2 GB
• Communications: Bluetooth, USB
• Audio: supported formats MP3/AAC, player Walkman, FM-radio with RDS, stereo headset
• Battery life: during a call up to 9 hours, standby up to 425 hours of music listening mode: up to 13.5 hours
• Dimensions: 92x47x16, 4 mm
• Weight: 96 g

General

Looks wise the W205 is not a bad looking device with all the standard Walkman styling seen on many other devices in the Sony Ericsson range. Build quality does leave a little to be desired the W205 does give away its low price tag in this respect, the slider feels very flimsy and the phone itself is very light and has a distinct plastic feel to it.

The front of the device has allot going for a modern day mobile phone but not so much for the Walkman series. The standard Walkman control circle is present for quick and easy playback controls which also doubles as menu navigation. To the right of this are a menu quick launch button, call control and cancel. On the left is a further quick launch button along with call control and a shortcut key. When open the W205 reveals a standard numeric keypad with a rubberised feel.

Sony Ericsson W205 front view

The left side of the device houses that large Sony Ericsson propitiatory connector and a two way volume rocker which as with other Sony Ericsson devices can also be used to check the status of things such as battery life and general information about the phone.

Sony Ericsson W205 left side

The right of the device is very bare indeed and located on this side the W205 is a solitary M2 memory card input which is housed under the plastic cover towards the top of the mobile phone.

Sony Ericsson W205 right side

The back of W205 has a matt black throughout and as well as this the 1.3 megapixel camera which is well places at the top of the device.

Sony Ericsson W205 back view

Highlights and Lowlights
+ Low Price
+ Battery Life
– Poor Camera Quality
– Limited Memory Support

Review

The W205 from Sony Ericsson further increases the already staggeringly large mobile phone collection other wise and more affectionately referred to as the Walkman range.

Style wise the W205 is what I would refer to as practical and functional, it is certainly not award winning but is not a phone you will be desperate to keep hidden away under the table the whole time. As I mentioned earlier the build quality does give the phones low value away somewhat, the slider feels very strange in that it is not spring loaded as with many others and often you will find yourself having to manually slide it as often it only moves a small amount at a time which sounds like a very strange and obscure criticism but it is something which you will certainly notice when using the phone. The keypad has a rubber feel to it and although the keys are not technically individual they are fairly sized and should not cause a problem even for the biggest of hands.

The navigational menu is the standard Sony Ericsson menu which will be familiar to all of you with previous experience with Sony Ericsson devices or indeed anyone who has read a previous Sony Ericsson mobile review. Navigation is done using the four way playback control control which is simple enough however given the small screen size space is certainly at a premium when browsing a list such as contacts or music.

The W205 is capable of basic web browsing however with no 3G connectivity and given the screen size it can become more of a challenge and seems more trouble than it’s worth.

The W205 despite its price does have the capability to be as good as its more expensive and greater featured older cousins however it just feels like at certain points it is being held back. One of the most important factors when it comes to a modern MP3 player is storage, and more importantly large storage. And this is the first sticking point for the W205 it does support additional memory support via M2 memory card however only supports up to 2GB of memory which by today’s standards is below par and especially for those MP3 and music enthusiasts. That said as given the price the W205 is likely to be targeted at the less die hard music fan and more for those looking for a cheaper option than a dedicated high spec MP3 player while combining it with a fairly well featured Sony Ericsson mobile phone.

The device does come shipped with a set of standard Sony Ericsson in ear headphones which are not always ideal however also included is the adapter required for you to use any headphones with 3.5mm head phone jack, connection to the W205 through the head phone adapter is done via Sony Ericsson’s unnecessarily large and somewhat clumsy and poorly place propitiatory connector. The phones in built speakers are not great quality but this is something that does improve considerably when using the W205 with headphones. Navigating your way through the W205’s music menus is similar to that on other Walkman devices, if unfamiliar with these is basically involves scrolling through your tracks by either artist, song, titles etc. Although navigation is not what you would describe as difficult it is not perfect and could I feel be slightly improved to make it a little more user friendly.

The W205 features an FM radio and the ever helpful track ID is also present.

Camera wise the W205 did disappoint me somewhat, there is no forward facing camera meaning no video calls and the main camera is the now rare sight of a 1.3 Megapixel camera which is not the best quality I have seen even at this resolution, not helped by the W205’s small screen and disappointing resolution. The Camera does come with a few features such as night mode, scene mode and a few effects however none really bring the W205 up to speed with other mobiles of a similar price on the market today and with no flash or focus of any kind the camera becomes more of an after thought from Sony as appose to a feature at the forefront of their thinking. The W205 is also capable of taking short video clips which performs better than I expected given the phones problems with still images. Playback of either photos or video on the W205 is not what I would describe as a pleasure and dare I say for fear of sounding like a broken record this is due mainly to the devices small screen.

In terms of features the W205 doesn’t do badly given its low price, the phone has bluetooth connectivity allowing for quick and easy transfer of files and also offers the the generic organiser type functions including the basic calculator, notes and calender however besides this the W205 does lack the more current features many have come to expect from a modern day mobile phone but this is something that can be forgiven of a device with a low price tag.
Practicality wise the W205 is Size: 92 x 47 x 16.4 mm and weights 96 grams, battery life is quoted at a talk time of up to 9 hours and around 425 hours standby, for music playback the W205 can be expected to last approximately 13 and ½ hours which given its small size I found somewhat impressive.

Conclusion

Overall the W205 came as a bit of a reappointment, it just seems like Sony Ericsson have held back and yes of course price will have paid a big part in this however I fell that they should have equipped it with fully functioning features rather than going for volume and letting quality fall short. That said I do commend Sony Ericsson on their attempts in cutting down packaging and presenting the W205 in a stylish and modern way. While not a bad phone the W205 does leave a bit to be desired but for the average user who has little need for more high end connectivity etc. the W205 with its low cost should be ideal.

Review by: Nick