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(More customer reviews)UPDATE: I've had the w760a for nearly two years now (started using it in September 2008). For a while I kept seeing more and more glitches popping up with it (calls not staying remembered in the phone memory, random shut-offs, calls going to voice-mail before ever ringing). Based on other reviews I've read, these are common glitches and not limited to just me.
However, I installed a software update from the Sony Ericsson website in October 2009 and most, but not all, of the glitches have since gone away.
One major glitch remains: calls from numbers not stored in my address book (i.e. calls from anyone that I don't know, or new phone numbers), don't stay remembered in the calls log. As such, if I miss a call from a new number, that's it: I can't call them back. I don't have their number.
Similarly, when I dial new numbers, they don't stay remembered in my call log.
This is a pretty annoying glitch and makes having this phone almost akin to having a 1970s landline that doesn't have caller i.d. or a screen.
But the phone's good overall. It has excellent call quality and a number of nice perks, such as a built-in FM radio, a scheduler and tasks feature, a decent camera (3.2MP), and a sturdy design.
I wish the interface were slightly faster and perkier to respond to commands (the w760a's predecessor, the w580, was much quicker in this regard), but this phone is definitely sturdier than most on the market.
If you're looking for a reliable, sturdy phone with landline call quality and a few extra features, the Sony Ericsson w760a is a good bet. I wouldn't recommend it if you're a phone-internet user, or an obsessive texter, but if you just want to make calls and a few texts here or there, this is an excellent choice.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have AT&T wireless and got the Sony w760 as a replacement for my Sony w580i, which I had been using for about five months, before the speaker got messed up.
At first I thought it was great to be upgraded to the latest phone (even though the w580i was itself a pretty new phone), but I soon saw the flaws.
First, while the w760 is mostly the same interface and also of a very similar design to the w580i, there have been small changes, most of them are NOT for the better. The phone itself is slightly larger than the w580 which isn't a huge deal, unless you really like smaller phones. But the plastic and metal on it feel cheaper, thinner and tackier; I think the w580 is a much classier-looking phone than this w760. That said, I can tell now that the w760 is probably much sturdier and less plasticky-fragile.
My biggest gripe is with the added graphics. The menus and colors and themes produce less legible text and numbers (and they're less attractive) on the w760 and the fancy transitions and effects slow down commands and make the w760 a much slower phone for everyday operations, such as writing text messages, browsing through your address book, or accessing the main menu.
Some problems from the w580i have carried over to this one. I don't like how phone numbers aren't "formatted" American-style (with dashes in-between the numbers: 123-456-7890) in the address book, when you receive a call or when you type a number on the screen. Instead, you just get a 10-digit string of numbers, with no spaces or dashes, which makes it difficult to read and recognize numbers easily in the small chunks that we're used to.
The battery life is also not as long as I'd like, though it's not terrible by any means. With my old Nokia, I'd charge the phone maybe once a week at most, whereas with this Sony I have to charge it once every three days. I use the phone for on average 1000 minutes a month, or 30 minutes a day, along with listening to the radio two or three hours a week.
That said, call quality is excellent. It's about as close to a regular landline that I've ever heard and slightly improves on the quality of the w580i. Voices sound natural and the volume can be adjusted easily. Some other great features includes the "tasks" scheduler as well as a built-in FM radio.
This is an excellent phone if you're a music-lover as it carries MP3s, has a great speaker, and various features of that kind. It also has a 3.2 megapixel camera (the w580i had only 2 megapixels) which is good for taking quick photos or even video.
Some improvements include 3G capability (which I don't use) and also the AT&T GPS features which gives you directions and maps (but you pay a data fee to use it).
If the user interface were cleaner and faster this phone would be awesome. As it stands, it's adequate for my simple needs (calls and texts).
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Sony Ericsson W760a Phone, Black (AT&T)Packed with entertainment features and great innovations to take music and gaming interaction to the next level, the Sony Ericsson w760a for AT&T can quickly download video, music and more over AT&T's lightning quick HSPDA 3G network. Additionally, this GPS-enabled phone can access the AT&T Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions as well as its Video Share serve, which enables you to send video of yourself to another compatible phone while making a voice call.
This Walkman phone includes the innovative "shake to shuffle" feature, which randomly chooses another song stored on your phone with just a flick of the wrist. This phone is also great for gaming, thanks to that built-in motion sensor that enables you to tilt the phone to control gameplay. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth 2.0 for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, Memory Stick Micro (M2) expansion, access to personal email and instant messaging services, and up to 3.5 hours of talk time.
AT&T Service Options This AT&T phone can handle high-speed data connectivity via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband data network, which is available in most major metropolitan areas. The AT&T 3G network uses the dual-band UMTS 850/1900 MHz network, and this phone is also compatible with 2100 MHz 3G networks (found in international territories). The AT&T 3G network provides download speeds ranging from 700 Kbps to 1.7 Mbps, and upload speeds ranging from 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps. This makes it possible to enjoy a variety of feature-rich wireless multimedia services, and it gives you the advantage of offering simultaneous voice and data services. (For use outside the United States, an AT&T international data plan is recommended.)
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the AT&T EDGE network, which offers availability in more than 13,000 US cities and along some 40,000 miles of major highways. Providing average data speeds between 75-135Kbps, it's fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services, including video and music clips, full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go. You'll also enjoy quad-band GSM connectivity, which allows you to make calls in more than 190 countries and access data applications in the more than 135 countries where AT&T offers international data roaming.
With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Video Share service, which enables you to send a live, one-way video stream to another compatible phone during a standard voice call. The service also allows you to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call. (Customers must be in an area served by the company's 3G network and have a Video Share-enabled phone.) A majority of users in the architecture, engineering and construction industries rated the ability to share live video through Video Share highly, according to research commissioned by AT&T. Video Share lets you see progress on a job site or review the day's work without having to drive from an office or other site to do so.
You can take advantage of the AT&T Navigator GPS software and service, a full-featured premium navigation application that includes audible turn-by-turn directions, real-time traffic updates and re-routing options, and 3D moving maps (additional charges applicable). AT&T Navigator offers several other features to make your commute more enjoyable and reliable, including mobile access to Yellowpages.com. Additionally, AT&T Navigator is the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.
With 3G connectivity, you'll be able to access AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) service and the Internet while on the go. Cellular Video features content from CNN, The Weather Channel, iFilm, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and much more. And you get access to AT&T Mobile Music, which enables you to buy tracks while on the, access the Napster and eMusic subscription music services, stream music video, discover what's playing with Music ID song-recognition software, and find out what's hot with The Buzz music news portal. (A MEdia Max subscription bundle is recommended for accessing AT&T's Internet, video, and music services.)
The phone has a built-in web browser for MEdia Net downloads and mobile web browsing. AT&T's MEdia Net service enables you to receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more.
Phone Features The slider-style w760a features a top face with a 2.2-inch, 262K-color LCD screen (240 x 320-pixel resolution), five-way navigator (with music play/pause button in the center) and standard send/end and soft navigation keys. The phone slides smoothly up to reveal the alpha-numeric keypad. The phone has a 32 MB internal memory, which can be expanded via optional Memory Stick Micro (M2) media (up to 4 GB in size). The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contact entries with space for up to 7 numbers per entry and support for picture and ringer ID.
This Walkman phone offers a full-function digital audio player that's compatible with MP3 and AAC files, and it includes Sony Ericsson's innovative "shake to shuffle" feature. With Shake Control activated, just flick your wrist and a vibration lets you know that the track has been changed--a new song from your current playlist is randomly selected and automatically played. Playback settings also include an equalizer, playlists, stereo widening, and shuffle and loop modes. This Walkman phone features MegaBass enhancement for added depth of sound, a flight mode that lets you keep listening to tunes with the phone's network connectivity turned off, and the PlayNow feature that enables you to download new music tones directly to the phone.
Sony Ericsson's SensMe technology is used to incorporate mood analysis into the track details, which allows you to create playlists that suit your mood. Select SensMe in the downloadable Sony Ericsson Media Manager software, and it will mood-analyze all MP3 files on the computer. When you transfer music from a CD or a PC to your phone using Media Manager, the tracks will automatically be analysed. Instead of selecting tracks for your next playlist, just select your mood.
With the W760, gaming is more fun than ever. The integrated accelerometer allows you to shake or tilt the W760a to simulate motion while playing video games, and dedicated A and B gaming buttons also allow extra control and interactivity. The intuitive Media User Interface rotates depending on how you're holding the phone, so you can see everything you need at a glance. Auto rotate works for photos, videos and games.
This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.
The built-in 3.2 megapixel camera captures stills and video--and playback of video or still pictures is only limited to the memory card size (or capped at 20 seconds for sending via MMS). You can choose from four resolution sizes and two quality settings for still photos, and it also features white balance and brightness adjustments, digital zoom (up to 3.2x), night mode, panorama, and multi-shot mode. It provides support for PictBridge technology so you can print your photos without the need of a PC (either using USB or Bluetooth). Video clips can be shot at up to QVGA resolution (320 x 240 pixels) at 30 frames per second (fps).
The phone also ships with a built-in email client with support for POP3 and IMAP4 protocols, while the included Access NetFront Web Browser allows you to surf full HTML web sites. It also supports RSS feeds, allowing you to use your phone to view up-to-the-minute news and other content from selected Web sites and blogs. Just subscribe to the feed and let it come to you. Support is built in for sending and receiving text, video, graphics and sound via messages. T9 text entry, a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit--a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.
Other features include:
Flight mode allows you to safely use the non-wireless functions of this phone (such as music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight
Instant messaging via AOL, Windows Live, Yahoo!
Organizational tools: calendar, calculator, alarm clock, tasks, timer, notes, stopwatch
USB mass storage capabilities
Polyphonic and MP3 ringtones, vibrating alert
Speakerphone
Voice dialing and voice commands
Built-in FM radio
Vital Statistics The Sony Ericsson w760a weighs 3.6 ounces and measures 4.05 x 1.9 x 0.6 inches. Its 930 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as AT&T's 850/1900 MHz 3G frequencies (UMTS/HSDPA).
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