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The W995- king of the Walkmans. It was announced a few months ago and released just recently. As you may have noticed, we’ve already done a review of the handset. Thing is, it was written based on a prototype of the W995 and that’s why we’ve decided to write a “final impressions” piece after having used a retail version of the phone. We’re quite happy, actually and here’s why…
First off here’s a list of what we like and don’t like about the phone:
Neat stuff
- Aluminium housing adds an undeniable “sexy” factor to the phone’s looks
- The kickstand has proven useful on numerous occasions
- The large-ish 2.6″ screen is nothing short of brilliant
- Playback keys on the side can be used while the phone is locked
- The 3.5 mm jack at the top enables you to plug in any pair of headphones on the fly
- Finally some nice stereo speakers on a Walkman phone
- 8.1 megapixel camera is more than welcome
- Did I mention it has face and smile detection, along with an LED flash?
- 7 preloaded games and 9 additional applications
- Included 8 gigabyte M2 card
- Wi-Fi and aGPS
- Cool themes
Small annoyances
- The kickstand could have felt sturdier
- Volume rocker needs some getting used to
- Keypad keys exhibit various amounts of feedback
- M2 card slot is under the back cover
- Rather small softkeys
Let me just start by saying that the W995 is a fantastic media phone, despite the lack of a larger (preferably touch-enabled) screen. It’s got smarts, but it also definitely has looks. The W995 is by no means covered in aluminium – there are only 2 plates that cover most of the back and the front. Despite that, the phone is still lighter than, say a C905. The slider mechanism is also tighter and doesn’t allow any wobbling at all. The brushed look of the material is especially prominent here. Describing the phone side-by-side is, in my opinion, redundant.
What most amazed me about its looks is that when you opend the kickstand, put it on a table horizontally and launch the Walkman player, the W995 looks exactly like a mini-stereo system with its brightly-lit (naturally, in orange) keys at the top and the front, the large screen on the front and the stereo speakers on the side. Believe me, whenever you want to listen to music or watch a video, you’ll want to set the W995 on its kickstand somewhere. Fact is, the kickstand clicks into place, which saves you the hassle of adjusting it manually in accordance with the surface.
The speakers themselves are pretty powerful and of very high quality. I doubt many would want them to be even louder. They make for a pleasurable video viewing experience – along with the screen! Speaking of watching videos – the phone may not support DivX (or XviD for that matter), but it comes with this really neat software which can convert any of your .avi, .mp4, .mov or .wmv films into a format that can be played on the phone – automatically as you transfer the videos. This makes for a very effortless experience, I might say. Video playback on the phone itself is also something I can’t criticize.
Now, the audio output quality of the phone is superb. Its camera may not be able to replace a standalone point-and-shoot, but I am positive you won’t be using your mp3 player that often once you get a hold of the W995. No, seriously – it is that good. Of, course we have the usual SensMe and shake control gimmicks included in the Walkman v3 music player, but there’s also the Clear Stereo and Clear Bass audio enhancement technologies. I don’t know how they did it, but the phone sure sounds better than other Walkmans with the same music features (read W715). The keys on the side that control the audio playback are also a nice touch and often useful, as you don’t need to unlock the phone or have the music player on the screen in order to use these. They way they light up in orange is also something I should mention (yes, really).
Also worth mentioning is the fact that the phone ships with an 8 gigabyte M2 card. Neat, huh? Well, in that case, you shouldn’t be surprised that the W995 also comes with high-quality noise-cancelling headphones, which, by the way, are super.
The phone’s camera pack 8.1 megapixels, an LED flash and autofocus – quite surprising for a Walkman phone, no? Well, get this, it also has face and smile recognition and BestPic, which enables you to take multiple photos in rapid succession. The quality of the images itself could have been better, but I’m sure it’ll get sorted out in future software updates. To be more precise, the colours are spot-on, but the details could have been better. I also think I see some purple fringing in some of the photos. Here are the samples:
The phone records QVGA videos at 30fps. The audio quality is good, but it’s more than obvious that Sony Ericsson should have bumped up the video resolution.
I feel that commenting on the user interface is a tad unnecessary. It’s the same as on every other recent A2 feature phone from Sony Ericsson. There’s one difference, though – the settings menu is not tabbed any longer. This enables it to have one more sub-menu – the electronic user guide. You could say that’s both bad and good. The themes that come preloaded are also pretty nice. They employ nigh-hypnotizing animations and a very modernistic style.
Speaking of preloaded content, there are 7 pretty fun games that come with the phone and 9 more applications (excluding the ones from the organizer).
The software itself is as stable as can be. I’ve had no problems whatsoever. Bravo, SE!
Finally, I’d like to comment on the additional connectivity options. First off, we have your usual Bluetooth connectivity with the A2DP profile. The assisted GPS is also a feature worth noting – it enables geo-tagging for photos, turn-by-turn navigation, Google maps and assists in the sporty Tracker app. Then we have a DLNA-certified Wi-Fi (b & g) chip on-board. Connecting to a wireless network is easy as pie and the speed and range are also pretty adequate.
All in all, I am very satisfied with this phone. It’s a great all-rounder and given the already falling prices, it would be a good buy for anyone searching for a phone that has quality music… and a kickstand!
For a more detailed analysis, please refer to our full review.
The “impressions” articles are the sort that only describe certain features of a phone that are instrumental in defining the handset’s image. In this notion, these articles are shorter than both reviews and previews. They may also serve the purpose of building upon a previous review.
Tags: impressions, review, w995
beautiful photographs there man!
makes the phone that much more delicious
beautiful photographs there man!
makes the phone that much more delicious
Alot of people this days dont give a fuck about java phones anymore,w995 would have been a block buster if it were to be a smart phone….,SE only smart phone this years is satio…, and it does not have 3.5mm jack port. Quote me, i ‘KELLY’ said….,SE can never produce an all rounder…, stop! decieving people.SE is going down.., and they will go down well.We are patiently waiting for its final burial.
Alot of people this days dont give a fuck about java phones anymore,w995 would have been a block buster if it were to be a smart phone….,SE only smart phone this years is satio…, and it does not have 3.5mm jack port. Quote me, i ‘KELLY’ said….,SE can never produce an all rounder…, stop! decieving people.SE is going down.., and they will go down well.We are patiently waiting for its final burial.
lol this phpne should be a non smart but I have one and it’s really great
If you like smartphones with 3.5mm audio jack and powerful engine you will love the X2 I am sure of that ;)
lol this phpne should be a non smart but I have one and it’s really great
If you like smartphones with 3.5mm audio jack and powerful engine you will love the X2 I am sure of that ;)
FYI, in my country (Indonesia) there’s famous Mobile Phone Tabloid that for their latest issue (for this 2 weeks) made a review for this SE W995. They mentioned with Tagline like this : “Sony ericsson W995: Walkman Serba Bisa Berkamera Prima – Akses Menu & Fitur TErasa Lambat”
Meaning: “SE W995: All Rounder Walkman with Great Camera – Accessing Menu & Feature is Laggy / kinda Slow”
Can you clarify for this matter as I’m sure that most of SE’s Feature Phone is the best and Fastest UI.
FYI, in my country (Indonesia) there’s famous Mobile Phone Tabloid that for their latest issue (for this 2 weeks) made a review for this SE W995. They mentioned with Tagline like this : “Sony ericsson W995: Walkman Serba Bisa Berkamera Prima – Akses Menu & Fitur TErasa Lambat”
Meaning: “SE W995: All Rounder Walkman with Great Camera – Accessing Menu & Feature is Laggy / kinda Slow”
Can you clarify for this matter as I’m sure that most of SE’s Feature Phone is the best and Fastest UI.
By far it has the fastest UI of all SE feature phones.
By far it has the fastest UI of all SE feature phones.
@ kelly:
One more post like that and you’re out. Deceiving people? Really?
@ kelly:
One more post like that and you’re out. Deceiving people? Really?
I have to agree with kelly, dumbphones aren’t going anywhere anymore as much as the they think the teen population wants it. The only way they’ll get far is through smartphones.
I have to agree with kelly, dumbphones aren’t going anywhere anymore as much as the they think the teen population wants it. The only way they’ll get far is through smartphones.
Mine came 2 weeks ago.
I’m rather satisfied with it but it’s coming much too late, 2 years after N95.
Pictures are OK outdoor, but crappy indoor.
Mine came 2 weeks ago.
I’m rather satisfied with it but it’s coming much too late, 2 years after N95.
Pictures are OK outdoor, but crappy indoor.
awesome phone.. se rules! i want sony ericsson to be back in business.. they can be no.1 and they also know it.. come on put 3.5mm jack on all your phones, microusb charger, micro sd cards and expand your range like nokia.. bring more business series phones and all in one phones.. i love SE..
awesome phone.. se rules! i want sony ericsson to be back in business.. they can be no.1 and they also know it.. come on put 3.5mm jack on all your phones, microusb charger, micro sd cards and expand your range like nokia.. bring more business series phones and all in one phones.. i love SE..
Smart phone is not for everyone, at least me. WHY I NEED SMART PHONE WHEN THIS DUMB SERVED ME PLENTIFUL OF THINGS that some smart unable to do.
I totally agreed with this review final unit bring me load of impressions and also accept some annoyance too.
It’s just small point to get little used to it.
And love those pics very nice taken guys.
Smart phone is not for everyone, at least me. WHY I NEED SMART PHONE WHEN THIS DUMB SERVED ME PLENTIFUL OF THINGS that some smart unable to do.
I totally agreed with this review final unit bring me load of impressions and also accept some annoyance too.
It’s just small point to get little used to it.
And love those pics very nice taken guys.
Hello, you have mentioned that there is smile detection on the W995….but the review by gsmarena.com says that the W995 has no smile shutter. So I’m confused as I really like this phone. So could you please confirm if the retail unit of the W995 has smile shutter or not ? Thank you very much.
Hello, you have mentioned that there is smile detection on the W995….but the review by gsmarena.com says that the W995 has no smile shutter. So I’m confused as I really like this phone. So could you please confirm if the retail unit of the W995 has smile shutter or not ? Thank you very much.
I believe it has smile shutter. That’s what I remember (phone’s not with me any more).
BTW, photo samples added.
I believe it has smile shutter. That’s what I remember (phone’s not with me any more).
BTW, photo samples added.
Definitely, Yes w995 got smile detection for final unit.
GSMArena just early prototype, I mentioned that preview not review.
Definitely, Yes w995 got smile detection for final unit.
GSMArena just early prototype, I mentioned that preview not review.
Nice review there dude!
i think w995 is gonna be my next phone
Nice review there dude!
i think w995 is gonna be my next phone
Is this faster than W980i when navigating menus? Please reply.
Would appreciate.
Is this faster than W980i when navigating menus? Please reply.
Would appreciate.
@Kelly: you realy don’t know anything about phones and about SE, your comment proofs that. It’s a music and multi-media oriented phone, so don’t need the symbian OS, it would thake forever to load. Even it’s not being a smartphone, this phone rocks. It is so much better than nokia shitty smartphones. And symbian would just fuck this phone and the sony audio technologie’s wouldn’t even been supported, and also the dnla, but i’m not sure of that last one.
Anyway, great phone, but wat’s the actual price?
@Kelly: you realy don’t know anything about phones and about SE, your comment proofs that. It’s a music and multi-media oriented phone, so don’t need the symbian OS, it would thake forever to load. Even it’s not being a smartphone, this phone rocks. It is so much better than nokia shitty smartphones. And symbian would just fuck this phone and the sony audio technologie’s wouldn’t even been supported, and also the dnla, but i’m not sure of that last one.
Anyway, great phone, but wat’s the actual price?
To be honest, I don’t really give a d*** about smile or face detection. I’d rather they put in a xenon flash.
Other than that, I’m still dissapointed by SE’s decision to remove the tabbed Settings menu – tabbed menus are SO much more convenient – a trademark of SE’s UI. I really hope they bring it back.
It is good to hear that they’ve sovled the flimsy kick stand issue, though. Glad to know that it clicks into position.
And what’s the big deal about smart phones? How many people out there who uses a smart phone really takes advantage of it being a smart phone? How many users actually use the document reader, pdf reader, download apps etc etc? For those that do, the Xperia (and other non-SE smart phones) are out there to cater to this crowd.
To be honest, I don’t really give a d*** about smile or face detection. I’d rather they put in a xenon flash.
Other than that, I’m still dissapointed by SE’s decision to remove the tabbed Settings menu – tabbed menus are SO much more convenient – a trademark of SE’s UI. I really hope they bring it back.
It is good to hear that they’ve sovled the flimsy kick stand issue, though. Glad to know that it clicks into position.
And what’s the big deal about smart phones? How many people out there who uses a smart phone really takes advantage of it being a smart phone? How many users actually use the document reader, pdf reader, download apps etc etc? For those that do, the Xperia (and other non-SE smart phones) are out there to cater to this crowd.
IMO. I still prefer java phones like this…
IMO. I still prefer java phones like this…
@ flippy80 This is just a prototype version. So that’s why it responds slowly, because it isnt the full version yet. You should wait for the retail version and see if there are changes.
@ flippy80 This is just a prototype version. So that’s why it responds slowly, because it isnt the full version yet. You should wait for the retail version and see if there are changes.
Looks nice… Kid Cudi!
Looks nice… Kid Cudi!
@ luve:
Yeah, as far as I can remember it is faster than the W980. No lag at all.
But try the W995 at a phone shop just in case to see whether the speed pleases you.
@ luve:
Yeah, as far as I can remember it is faster than the W980. No lag at all.
But try the W995 at a phone shop just in case to see whether the speed pleases you.
I’ve just got the W995 today and it is truly f***ing amazing, espcially the music player.
I thought about waiting for the Satio, but have decided against it as it has a touch screen, that my K850i had, and that phone (which I (thankfully) traded in today) was to be truly blunt, an absolute lemon.
I had two replacement K850i handsets because the screen kept freezing, and the third handset was now starting to act funny, so I decided enough was enough.
Yet I really wanted to like the K850i, after the K800i was so good, but I feel that whilst it had a good MP3 player, 5 MP camera and fast HDSPA connectivity, it wasn’t developed fully enough.
I’d like to be wrong, but touch-screen mobiles are not the future – not yet anyway.
I also decided against the C905, because I have heard of software issues regarding this phone.
Thankfully, with the W995, I’ve now gone from a lemon to a peach!
I’ve just got the W995 today and it is truly f***ing amazing, espcially the music player.
I thought about waiting for the Satio, but have decided against it as it has a touch screen, that my K850i had, and that phone (which I (thankfully) traded in today) was to be truly blunt, an absolute lemon.
I had two replacement K850i handsets because the screen kept freezing, and the third handset was now starting to act funny, so I decided enough was enough.
Yet I really wanted to like the K850i, after the K800i was so good, but I feel that whilst it had a good MP3 player, 5 MP camera and fast HDSPA connectivity, it wasn’t developed fully enough.
I’d like to be wrong, but touch-screen mobiles are not the future – not yet anyway.
I also decided against the C905, because I have heard of software issues regarding this phone.
Thankfully, with the W995, I’ve now gone from a lemon to a peach!
i dont wan smart phone
it is smart enough for me
i dont wan smart phone
it is smart enough for me
SE P1i is best so far. Tried this one also but not for me.
SE P1i is best so far. Tried this one also but not for me.
Wooooooooooooow Awsome !!
….Why the heck did they put getsure gaming on yari and not this ?
it have bigger screen .. and more resoloution !
^^if i like smartphones i would’ve buy Aino .. some reason i hate touch-phones
..Nice photo’s in there man ! .. and the kickstand look so great !
never get tired of lookin’ at the picture
Freakin’ Awsome !
Wooooooooooooow Awsome !!
….Why the heck did they put getsure gaming on yari and not this ?
it have bigger screen .. and more resoloution !
^^if i like smartphones i would’ve buy Aino .. some reason i hate touch-phones
..Nice photo’s in there man ! .. and the kickstand look so great !
never get tired of lookin’ at the picture
Freakin’ Awsome !