Sony Ericsson W902 review: Cyber-Walkman-shot

Connectivity

The W902 offers the full range of connectivity options. Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G are all on board, so there is virtually no spot on earth where you will be unable to connect.

In addition, you've got the fastest data transfer around, provided that a HSDPA-enabled network is available. By the way the compatible UMTS frequency is only 2100Mhz and, unlike the C902, Sony Ericsson W902 is not reported to have localized versions.

Besides the network-based connectivity, Sony Ericsson W902 offers the usual Bluetooth v2.0 and USB options. There is also support for the A2DP profile allowing listening to music on a stereo Bluetooth headset. Last, but not least, there is also the M2 card slot which might just turn out to be one of the quickest means of transferring data on some occasions.

The Sony Ericsson W902 supports local and remote synchronization of contacts and calendar events. The local one is with Outlook and a PC, while the remote synchronization works with remote servers.

The USB connectivity has four modes. The first one is File transfers, which is self-explanatory. Then comes the USB Internet in case you need to use the phone as a modem.

The third one is the Media transfer, which directly connects to Windows media player, and gives full access to tracks placed on your phone, synchronization, play or sorting into playlists. The last one is for direct printing of images.

Browsing: screen size is the limit

Sony Ericsson W902 web browser in action

Sony Ericsson W902 has an Access NetFront browser v3.4 featuring the extended custom home screen, also available in many previous Sony Ericsson handsets (like G705, C905 and T700, which we recently reviewed). Plenty of shortcuts arranged in a tree structure are listed on the homescreen, right under a search and an address bar.

They grant access to free content, such as clips, tracks and games on the Sony Ericsson site, including a step-by-step guide for setting up email accounts or internet connections. The appearance of the home screen changes in varying lively colors each time you start the browser too.

The extended home screen is a nice touch to latest Sony Ericsson phones

Elaborate web pages are rendered well and there are lots of configurable settings too. The dedicated full screen mode is replaced by the auto-rotate feature, which actually opens it in full-screen landscape mode. View modes include Text only, Pan and Zoom, and Zoom page. The Panning/scrolling speed is up to standard.

The different view modes of the browser

The Sony Ericsson W902 web browser offers a virtual mouse pointer, which is a real pleasure to work with.

A virtual mouse pointer appears on the screen while browsing the web

Another interesting and practical feature is the "Find on page" option. It searches the loaded web page and the first match is immediately listed as soon as you type a letter.

The "Find on page" feature is very useful

If are still not satisfied with this browser, you can always count on the superb OperaMini.

Tasks & more

The Sony Ericsson W902 offers a wide range of time-management features. There is an Organizer icon in the main menu and it contains several applications: File manager, Alarms, Video call, Calendar, Tasks, Notes, Synchronization, Timer, Stopwatch, Light, Calculator, and Code memo.

The traditional Organizer apps

The Calendar offers monthly and weekly views. When you add a birth date in the phonebook, the phone prompts adding it to the calendar. Tasks can be two types: simple Tasks and Phone calls. Notes are written similar to messages; the T9 dictionary can be used here as well.

The Calendar • Setting up an appointment

Alarms are part of the main menu. There are five alarm slots available. Each one offers a lot of options - you can choose to repeat the alarm on chosen days of the week or everyday. Text and a picture can be added to the alarm. Furthermore, the alarm behavior can be defined in case the time it is due to go off comes while the phone is in silent mode.

Alarms

The Voice recorder has no limit to recording length, making the free memory available the only restriction. The Calculator is the regular Sony Ericsson one. The stopwatch and countdown timer are also the well known basic applications.

Voice recorder • Calculator • Stopwatch • Timer

The LED light on the back of the phone can also be used as a torch, thanks to the Light application. The LED can be on continually or for a period of one minute only. It can also blink out an SOS signal.

The LED light on the back can also be used as a torch