|
Save yourself the hassle. Just a horrible phone to use.
Way too many difficulties. I thought this would be an easy to use phone with many features and attractive too.
The walkman part I've never figured out. If you aren't careful you can accidentally go online and run up your bill, you have to push button that are so small even my fingers couldn't do it without my fingernails.
Learning to use it is rocket science. Many AT&T people have told me they hear that all the time.
Hopefully they will never be back in stock here.
A little ridiculous, don't you think. When he got put on the line, I immediately got the impression that his only goal was to superficially appease me and get me off the phone. To make a long story short, I was refused a swap at many Rogers Wireless stores. I sent the phone in and it was promptly returned to me with the keypad replaced. All in a little over 6 months.Lo and behold, that replacement began doing the same thing - sliding diagonally, slightly, to the left.
While not an issue with the phone function, I was not satisfied with the quality of the phone. For some odd reason, this issue (broken memory card cover) was not repairable and so, I received my first refurbished replacement phone. She offered to upgrade my phone and while I was reluctant, since the w580i was the reason I switched to Rogers, she convinced me that my history with the w580i was too horrible to take another chance with it. This involved cracked keys, which I found were to be a common issue with this model. The phone, upon first inspection, was poorly constructed. Again, I sent it in.The third repair occurred on November 28 2008.
It was the epitome of 'girliness' and the beginning of 7 months of pure utter drama.On July 21st 2008, I switched over to Rogers and received my Sony Ericsson w580i. The softkeys were becoming detached from the frame of the phone. I re-iterated my history of issues with the phone and the brand new replacement that I had in my hand. I still have a phone that does not allow me to use a memory card.On February 26th 2009, I call in to Sony Ericsson again to see if there's anything they can do.
Next issue came about on February 3 2009. She seemed determine not to let me off the phone until we had found a suitable resolution for me. The next issue arrived on November 20th 2008. While still at the repair shop, I called Sony Ericsson customer support yet again. If the intent of the phone was to be 'useless', then it fulfilled the description exceptionally well. The phone was missing the spring inside the memory card slot and so, I was unable to use the memory card with it (it wouldn't stay down). I was a loyal Telus customer for 6 years and never had any issues with the phones that I received while on 2 3-year contracts with them.
Discouraged, I called into Rogers again and explained my problem to a very sympathetic CSR who tried her best to solve my problem. She suggested that I go to a Rogers Wireless store and request a swap. Defective, once more. Instead of sending my phone in for the 6th time, which I was determined not to do - as this was getting beyond ridiculous - I was offered a swap by the Sony Ericsson CSR. I received a brand new replacement on February 23rd 2009.
The first supervisor I spoke to at Sony Ericsson was C****. The slider phone stopped sliding vertically upwards and instead, began sliding diagonally, slightly, to the left. I barely used the phone for anything other than phone calls and texting. Can you believe there was a problem with that phone too. What drew me to Rogers was the Sony Ericsson w580i - in pink, of course. This counts as the fifth repair as it is the fifth time I have sent my phone off. So, I sent it in again and the service center again determined my phone was defective and sent me another refurbished replacement.So, if you have been keeping track, that has been 4 repairs and 2 replacements so far.
So, I call in to Sony Ericsson customer support yet again. The CSR pretty much laughed me off the phone, telling me that all I need is a workable phone - why does it matter if it's new or refurbished. However, as local number portability came about, I began researching other service providers. So, where does that leave me. I wasted countless time trying to actively solve my problem and was late to work twice. I finally got the e-mail from the repair center and the day after, February 18th 2009, printed everything off and sent the phone off. Hopefully, this replacement will be an improvement. To make a long story short, I had to call in multiple times before I got the necessary documentation.
The first issue came about on September 22nd 2008. She spoke with tech support and after concluding that there was nothing they could do for me, she transferred me to Customer Relations.I then spoke with the most helpful CSR from either party that I have ever spoken with. I call Sony Ericsson customer support and request to speak with a supervisor after I am told over and over again by customer service representatives (CSRs) that my only option was to send it in for repairs again. He very hurriedly suggested a swap, for a new or like new model, and then got me off the phone without even mentioning a reference number, RMA, or other details essential to the solution. He informed me that my only choice was to send it in for repair (which would have been my 6th repair) and then laughed me off the phone. I was offered the Sony Ericsson w760a.
I have had the w580i for 1 year, 2 months now and I have enjoyed using the phone and most of its features. Fortunately, there is a workaround by pushing hard on the area between the navigation keys and the LCD screen (where there is either the 'W' logo or the at&t logo), then the keys will work.The bottom line though is that this phone has some serious quality flaws and therefore I do not recommend purchasing this model anymore. I had to send in the phone twice for warranty repairs.
One of them (the ear speaker died) was probably isolated to my unit. Another search revealed this to also be a common flaw also. However, during that time I have experienced several quality issues.
Now, the left soft keys (select/back) have stopped working. But I also had my keypad crack twice. The cracked keypad seems to be a common issue with this model, just search online about it.
My warranty has run out, so Sony Ericsson will not fix this. I give it 2-stars since the phone is still a very nice slider design with excellent software/interface.
I don't pay for texting service, so it's not a huge hassle, but if you text, I can't imagine it would be much fun.When I enter an phone number in the address book, it doesn't put hyphens between the area code, prefix, and last four digits. I listen to the radio a lot, more than MP3s and really thought this feature would be cool. When I enter text, I still have to look--er, squint--at the keypad. The pink IS pretty, and has little red "jewels" between the number keys (other color models have different color jewels).
The sound quality is EXCELLENT on this wire unit and the ear buds very comfy. The phone is very lightweight and slim. It's OK for me because I have small hands, but I don't think a man would enjoy using the small, non-descript keys. It takes a day to find out how to set the patterns in all the menus.The keypad is a bit on the small side, and feel like dry plastic. This phone is pretty (I got the PINK one), lightweight, has lots of whiz-bang menu selections, but doesn't wow or impress me as much as the Samsung A737 or Samsung A747 models which I bought for my children.
Which side to open. It doesn't have a flap, can't open with a fingernail, so I use an unfolded paper clip or other similar-sized object to pry it open. It took me a while to figure out how to open the little, flat plastic door. The letters on the keys are hard to see being so small. That's not fatal, but a pet peeve, and makes it difficult for me to figure out the numbers as they come up.The M2 Memory Stick is not common, but Sony Ericsson uses it.
Buying one with more memory will not be cheap. I bought this phone because it had Walkman FM radio, too. You need the wired earphones to have FM service. If you like radio, it's just one more thing to carry around.
It also works as "handsfree" phone device if you don't want to do Bluetooth.The display, although narrow, is bright and sharp. The sound is good, and it interfaces well with my Bluetooth earpiece and Palm device. The speaker phone option works well and is clear to hear.
If you like effects, it has 16 settings for flashing light patterns customized for every caller. The slider is a little unusual to work at first, but works very nicely. They supply a 512MB one.
The access slot is on the top. I dropped it a few times but the case didn't scratch or crack. Sony Ericsson phone support is SUPER, too.
Well, if you don't take care of it like a newborn baby, it's going to look like **** and ipso facto, it was a poor decision to buy the phone for its looks.SE: 9/10 Shine: 1/10Keypad: People always complain about the keypads of the Sony Ericsson and the LG Shine and say how small they are and how difficult it is to text with them. With something plastic, eg. Due to the difference in the way that the phones slide, it isn't really accurate to say that one feels more durable than the other. My only caveat with the SE is that there's no dedicated end call button like my old Nokia. One thing that is not usually noted is that the Shine actually has VERY little metal in its body; it's only the battery cover and some of the front. Sony Ericsson, a drop will do no more than give a few scratches.
The Sony Ericsson, as one may predict, does not scratch easily. you just got a lemon (or are trying to reason yourself out of the fact that buying a shine was actually a poor decision). The SE's reception and sound quality it top notch. If you drop the shine, you will certainly damage the screen, and/or scratch the body, and/or break the phone. Regarding the cracking keys on the SE, I performed a test to see if this rumor was true.
There was something that looked like a small scratch on the front screen on the SE, but nothing a wipe could clean off. Speaking of which, with the LG Shine, you cannot wipe the phone with any shirt; it will scratch if the fabric of the cloth/shirt is rough. Background: Over the past two months, I have spent a great deal of time debating between whether to get the Sony Ericsson W580i or the LG Shine CU720. Read the features at each phone's respective website; I won't waste your time here. Texting with both is very easy (albeit not as easy as texting on a RAZR). The LG shine doesn't really feel that much more durable than the SE. The joystick on the Shine takes no practice to nail.
The SE, with no joystick, as imagined, is also very easy to use. Over a period of 2 days, I had the phone off and during my spare time (which is a lot since it's summer), I've been clicking away at the keys (with a good amount of pressure I might add), and the keys exhibit no sign of cracking. Since the durability was one of my biggest concern in getting the phone, I did a test of each phone upon cracking open the box: I opened and closed each phone 300 times. The numbered menus in the Shine are very easy to use.
Rather than the claimed "3-4 day charge" that many people on this forum and others are claiming, I have found that the phone will last over a week (11-13 days). SE: 9/10 Shine: 6/10Fingerprints/Scratchability: The claims that the Shine is a fingerprint magnet could not be more true. SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10Reception/Sound Quality: I live in Northern California in a well populated city, and everywhere I go, I get 5 bars with the SE and from 3 to 4 bars with the Shine. The LG Shine is the most basic of phones.
My OTHER sister, who also got a Sony Ericsson, also gets great battery life with hers. Walking around with the Shine put in my side jeans pocket for a day, the Shine went in looking stellar and came back looking pretty poor. Results: The LG Shine's slider remained the same; the SE's slider got smoother after the test. The Shine frequently echoes what the other person says, and a background static seems to be present in all calls. The LG Shine's keypad is like a smaller version of the RAZR. The papers that the LG Shine comes with claims that battery life is around 3 hours of talk time, up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time, is standard marketing bull ****: through a test of 10 different charges with three different batteries, the phone has lasted no more than 3 days before it required a charging. Regarding the slider mechanism, the LG Shine's "snaps" when you open and close it, whereas the SE's slider is not as snappy. The Shine is all looks.SE: 10/10 Shine: 2/10 (absolutely pitiful for a phone be so lackluster in features)Other concerns and notes: - The speaker on the SE kills that one which is on the Shine- Both phones have ringtones are loud enough to be heard- Both phones can [be modified to] receive games and , but with the SE, you have more options.
Why. SE:10/10 Shine: 5/10Features: SE wins hands down. After making numerous threads at various forums regarding this question, reading countless reviews, watching many videos, looking at hundreds of pictures, and mapping out the pros and cons of each one multiple times, I have settled on the Sony Ericsson W580i. The SE is a plastic phone; the LG shine is a plastic phone with metallic components. Those that say they had short battery life. It is very easy to use, and is not too small.
Same jeans, same walk, and the SE still looked great after. Clearly the cracking keys is an issue with older phones (which you could potentially still buy if the reseller of your phone has old stock). Most of these complainers are complaining from hearsay (they repeat what they read/hear from others, not from their own experience). The Shine cannot stand to be touched at all. The LG Shine, which is said to have poor battery life, disappoints: its battery life is indeed very short. SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10Navigation: Those that say navigation on the Shine is difficult are clearly retarded: physically or mentally. Battery Life: The claim that Sony Ericsson has poor battery life, in short, is complete bull ****.
The SE's keypad is not as responsive as the Shine's, meaning the click down are not as solid, and that the row of numbers are connected so that one press on a number slightly depresses the row, but nonetheless, it is very solid. The back plate had obviously been rubbed on, the front plate exhibited small, but noticeable scratches. First, to address the keypad. I have 6'2" and have large hands and I can still manage to comfortable use the phones' keypads. Since my family just got a family plan with ATT (3 lines/550 minutes shared) and one of my sisters got the Shine, I was able to do a comparison between the phones. To ensure that I didn't receive a lemon shine, I tested a friend's shine and sure enough, it was the same. I have found the number of signal bars that you get has a big impact on the call quality (as it should). The size of the keypad is very usable for texting and other usage.
No complaints whatsoever here. The problem of cracking keypads is also a huge concern for potential buyers of the SE. SE: 10/10 Shine: 3/10Durability: People say the LG Shine has a stronger build than the Sony Ericsson, but if you actually compare the two, you find that you cannot actually compare the two. Even with 3 bars (in a tunnel), the call was still strong. I'm sure you could prevent the Shine from getting scratched by getting a screen protector and/or case, but the hassle of one is not something that I'd want to deal with (not to mention such protection would take away the "beauty" of the Shine). A BIG reason people get the Shine is because it looks good. My friend told me they didn't notice the static (he probably got use to the poor call quality). The only thing its got over the SE is 3G.
|
