K800i (left), W810i (centre), K750i (right)
The phone being replaced in the K750i. It's done fine service for what is well over a year, maybe getting up towards two I can't be sure. It's 2 Megapixel camera and MP3 capability combined with memory stick duo slot for expandability of memory made it tick all the right boxes and proved a big step from my previous phones. Lugging it around the world has taken its toll on the poor thing, however, and it's looking tatty and the joystick is wearing out.
I bombed straight into a Carphone Warehouse in London last weekend and asked what they could offer me. I should in hindsight have examined the options a little more thoroughly but I'd briefly seen a couple of phones which replaced my K750i and decided I'd be happy with either. As it is I've now got both. Let me explain.
I was offered an Orange tariff and with it the W810i which is a specific Walkman model. I was happy to stick with this phone and network until I called O2 who promptly offered me a far superior deal and a better phone which would have cost me an extra £70 or so with Orange. I'm now the owner instead of the K800i and the W810i will soon be returned. Until it is though, I've the chance for some comparison.
Size-wise the W810i is all but identical to my existing phone using essentially the same case. There are improvement of course. As a walkman it comes complete with a gig memory stick duo and the mp3 playing software, not to mention the funky Sony Walkman branding. Although I've not used it extensively, there are clearly extra features for listening to music and grouping tracks. The most significant improvement in features over the K750i is the quality of the speakers. The K750i always sounded slightly tinny and with limited volume. In stark contrast the W810i gives off a good sound at even the lowest volumes and turned up the full richness of the audio can be appreciated; quite some feat from a small mobile phone speaker. The earphones provided are clearly for the music lover as they're quality 'in-ear' type that gives excellent bass and range overall. The other models offer the standard Sony Ericsson earphones which suffice but are by no means special. Navigation-wise this model opts for 4 buttons for navigation around a central button which was a joystick on the K750i but here is a basic select or play button.
Onto the latest phone which, as I'll be keeping it I've been getting to know rather more intimately. This is a completely different kettle of fish from the other two models being somewhat larger, offering a longer LCD screen and featuring a second camera for 3G purposes. I haven't yet delved any depth into its features such as the 3G which I do want to look into more before potentially running up a significant bill. However as regards other features, the real selling point here is the 3.2 megapixel camera. This is the same resolution as the first compact digital camera I bought not so many years ago. So proud are Sony with the camera that they've given it the Cybershot branding. But how does it fair in practice? The first think to note well above and beyond that of the K750i is the speed of operation. The focus is faster and the processing speed, that lag from pressing the shutter button to the camera taking the photo is reduced from near eternity to a fraction of a second. The picture quality isn't comparable. An extra megapixel and a bit it may be, but the benefits of the resolution and more advanced features are immediate. The pictures look crisp on the camera's LCD and don't fair badly on a full-sized PC screen either. It also features a sliding lens cover which I noticed that W810i lacked. For keeping the lens clean and in good shape, even on such a small device I think a cover is a must. The general build quality is good. It's solid and made of a hard rubber/soft plastic material which gives off a feeling of quality that's superior to the standard plastic finish of the other models.
It's early days still but I think I'll be happy with the camera I've ended up with. I would have probably been happy with either but as having a decent camera takes priority over better MP3 playback it's the right choice. I'll get around to reviewing the new phone in more detail at a later date.
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