Sony Ericsson W980

The handset we're about to preview here hasn’t been launched in the country yet, but we managed to get hold of a prototype. Yes, the Sony Ericsson W980 Walkman Series handset was ours to test, and without wasting any more time, here’s what I can tell you about the device.

Form Factor
The W980 has a sleek and stylish flip design, but it does tend to look a bit girly when you open it. The front cover’s glossy finish may not attract fingerprints too much, but scratch it even mildly and you’ve got yourself an eyesore of a scar. But I will say this – the W980 is still one heck of a sturdy handset. In case you’re wondering how I know, well, I’m not telling!
The W980 has an external display for the audio player with a set of soft touch controls (with Haptic feedback built in) for navigating the player’s menus and music. SE calls this technology "Walkman on Top" for obvious reasons. According to the company this display supports 256K colors with 176 x 176 pixel resolution. I figured it would at least display Album Art or visualizations, but it didn't (though it has its own standard visualization). Then again, this was a prototype.

There’s a key on the side under the volume/zoom keys that will switch the display to a simpler one with just the date and time and also activate the FM radio. There’s also a lock for the soft touch keys. SE’s proprietary connector port is located on the other side. What I liked about the external display is the accelerometer that allows the screensaver to rotate as you turn the phone. It doesn’t have any relevance to the functioning, but hey, it’s pretty darn cool.

The W980’s internal display is 2.2 inches with a 240 x 32 pixel resolution. The keypad is large and extremely easy to use. It has a five-way nav-pad with plenty of shortcut keys all around. I liked the round keys, although that’s what makes the phone look a bit feminine. That and the sheer glossy finish of course.

The best part is the light sensor located just above the keypad on the right. It adjusts the screen and keypad to suite the surroundings according to the amount of light present. But on the whole, the W980 looks chic and can easily pass as a fashion phone.