Sony Ericsson W380 Review

Message me!

Like the phone book this is something most will be familiar with, but it’s worth giving it a brief overview anyway. The handset supports SMS and MMS. One of the best features of Sony Ericsson handsets is the ability to include little emoticons in your SMS, which are displayed as actual emoticons and not just their constituent symbols; it adds a splash of fun to the proceedings. Predictive text is provided by T9 and it’s as good as they come with an extensive dictionary and the ability to add your own words.

The message settings option provides various options that allow the user to edit things like the service centre number, validity period, and whether to accept advertisements and anonymous MMS, amongst other things.

Conclusion

I liked this handset. I really did. It’s uncomplicated and to the point, and I think it’s all the better for that. The W380i is not intended to be a feature rich handset that goes tow to toe with the big boys. For those looking for a simple, no frills handset that has a bit more under the bonnet than the ultra low-end like the J110, the W380 fits the bill nicely. It might not have everything, but it offers enough to keep you interested. Even for those of us more accustomed to dining at the higher-end of the table the W380 still has plenty to offer in the shape of a secondary handset, either as a backup to one’s main handset or as a ‘going out’ handset.

In terms of design I can’t really fault the handset. It’s understated and elegant, with just a whisper of a tech look to it. It is both fun and serious looking at the same and would look quite at home in either a child’s hand or a business man’s pocket.

The camera is a little disappointing because it feels as if it has been included because it had to be rather than as a valued feature integral to the success of the handset. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting a 5 mega pixel job here, but Sony Ericsson could have tried a little harder to make the camera feel like more than a necessary evil. The lack of video recording is somewhat annoying, but I don’t think it represents a serious flaw with the handset.

What disappoints me most with this handset is the price. In the UK the W380i is currently retailing for around £80 on PAYG and £160 SIM free. For the feature set the W380i sports I think those are rather hefty prices, especially when you consider that a K800i is currently around the £60 mark on PAYG. If the price comes down, or is in fact cheaper in other countries, then the W380i could be a nice little bargain, but I think the price would have to come down to nearer the £100 level for a SIM free unit for that.

Apart from that I would recommend the W380i, either as a first handset for a child, or a handset for those looking for simplicity with a punch, or those who are just looking for something stylish to compliment their main handset.