The Sony Ericsson W660i arrives as a stylish entry into the walkman phone family but it has to be said that it does not strive to break any new ground. The W660i retains the candybar form seen on the W610i and the W800 but it has a much more refined and fashionable feel. Soft curves and intricate patterns are the order of the day as Sony Ericsson attempt to straddle the divide between fashion and feature handsets. Below the 2” TFT display the W660i has an elegantly styled keypad. There are six keys that control various functions on the handset and a directional navigation key. These controls, although stylish, are not exactly suited to those of us with larger hands and they are slightly awkward. To make up for this Sony Ericsson has done away with the liliputian keypad that was present on the W610i (and the W880) and they have gone for a more traditional approach, styling the keys in a similar way to the K800i.
Thankfully the W660i is not just a pretty face; it also has a great roster of features. 3G compatibility enables you to use video calling, audio streaming and gives you rapid internet browsing. Disappointingly internal memory comes in at a mere 16MB but the W660i comes with a 512MB memory card which softens the blow. One thing that must be mentioned is the quality of the display, or lack of it. Although the display is legible in direct sunlight, the resolution is not the greatest. It’s a minor fault albeit a somewhat distracting one. The obligatory two megapixel camera also makes a muted appearance and it is surprisingly capable. But, being a Walkman phone, it's the sound that will sell it.
Fortunately the onboard MP3 player is as excellent as you would expect. It features the music recognition software that has been popular in previous models as well as FM radio, should you get bored of the tracks you've downloaded. The W660i is equipped with walkman 2.0 music player software which is the same as the W850i. It supports all the major file formats and finding and playing tracks is incredibly easy. Also the headphones that are provided with the W660i are of a higher standard than the usual headsets that are bundled with phones. It even has some clever design touches and looks good next to the handset.
In conclusion the W660i is yet another hit walkman phone. For a mid range handset it has a number of design flourishes that more expensive mobiles should be envious of. It's as noisy as a rock star and as foxy as a supermodel. You won't be disappointed. It looks just as good in red! |
