Key features
- HSDPA (3.6 Mbps), EDGE, Bluetooth (with A2DP)
- SensMeâ„¢ and Shake control features
- Slim sliding construction
- Media Center, Walkman 3.0
- Dedicated Call and End keys
- Fast photo browser
- Ample 2.4" display
- Powerful loudspeaker
- FM radio with RDS
- 1GB or 2GB M2 card included, M2 USB card reader
Main disadvantages
- Comes at an overpriced price tag
- Wobbly slider
- 2 MP camera with neither autofocus, nor flash
- Only 40 MB internal memory
- Video recording in QVGA resolution at 15fps
- Irrelevant gaming/photo keys
- No skins for the Walkman player
Sony Ericsson W910 comes in a nice compact black-and-orange box with all the necessary gear to get you started - charger, USB data cable, stereo headset, 1GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) (in our case, you may get yours with 2GB card), plus the usual papers and installation CDs. A tiny piece of hardware will make your face broaden into a grin. For the first time, a compact Sony Ericsson USB 2.0 M2 card reader with a status LED and a strap is included in the retail box. We ran a quick test on it comparing performance to a regular card reader on USB 2.0. The standard reader transferred 113 tracks totaling 492 MB in 4:30 min, while the Sony Ericsson USB 2.0 M2 card reader executed the task in almost the same time - 4:20 min. So, you get the same transfer rate and the compact dimensions are an added gain.
Interface: old looks with a twist
The user interface in W910 has the well known Sony Ericsson feature phone style, spiced up with a few novelties. Besides the optimized Media Center and Flash Lite theme support, we have the debut of the Walkman 3.0 player with Shake control and the brand new SensMe feature. The auto rotate capability gives handling the phone extra flavor. As most previous models, the W910 comes with a dedicated Flight mode. When turning on the phone, you may opt to start it directly into Flight mode. The Sony Ericsson W910 cannot work in Flight mode unless a SIM card is inserted.
In active stand-by mode the screen displays information about the network signal, battery strength, current date and time, plus the next alarm due. Pressing the navigation key in any of the four directions can start a user-programmed feature or application. The main menu itself is a 4 x 3 grid of animated icons, each of which can be directly accessed by pressing its corresponding alphanumeric key. All sub-menus are in list view with tiny icons on the left side. Response is fast in every submenu and application.
Screenshots of Sony Ericsson W910 Walkman Screenshots of Sony Ericsson W910 Walkman Screenshots of Sony Ericsson W910 Walkman
Standby view • the main menu • a listed sub menu
Like Sony Ericsson K850 and T650, the W910 supports Flash Lite themes. All the preinstalled themes are Flash-based, Walkman being the default one. Flash themes are gradually gaining ground in Sony Ericsson handsets, which is a welcome effort. They are much more dynamic and attractive, with changes in the phone appearance affecting not only the color scheme and wallpaper, but also the menu icons and layout. Our favorite so far is the Under Water theme, which is the default one in T650, where home screen animations nicely overflow the keypad, changing its lighting in a very intriguing way. We installed it on W910 but again, as in K850, we found no keypad effects so this must be a feature reserved to T650 only. Flash theme support most probably has some limitations from one handset to the other. This is a minor issue, but a more fluent adoption of flash themes would be a benefit.
Multimedia: The Better Part in SonyEricsson Mobile Phones
The high-end Sony Ericsson W910 features the Walkman 3.0 player with Shake control and SensMe feature. The player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC +, WAV, WMA, M4A and MIDI file formats and sports the MegaBass equalizer preset. The player can naturally be set to run in the background. If you are not willing to use the media player step-by-step interface, you can directly play a file through the file manager with its classic flat structure. It's a shame Sony Ericsson W910 doesn't offer additional player skins. On one hand, they are developing lovely flash themes, a few new ones found in each new release with revamped menus and effects, and on the other, the player doesn't get a single spare Walkman outfit for the weekends. And all that in a music-oriented phone.