Sony Ericsson roundup: W902, W595, W302 preview

Sony Ericsson W595 at a glance

Sony Ericsson W595 boasts quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA. The slider also packs a 3 megapixel camera, which sadly lacks autofocus. The display is a 2.2" 262K-color QVGA unit.

The usual suspects - Bluetooth (with A2DP), USB (Sony Ericsson's proprietary port) and FM radio with RDS are all on board. A 2GB M2 memory card comes in the retail package to top the 40MB of built-in memory.

Sony Ericsson W595 official images

The color versions of the Sony Ericsson W595 are Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black. The handset will be released in Q4 of 2008.

Sony Ericsson W595 360-degree spin

Design and construction

Expected to succeed the W580, the W595 has the same slider form factor and superior looks. The rubbery surface on the back and sides, and the metallic accents really boost the handling and the visuals of the device. The slanting top and bottom also remind of the good old W580 and are much to our liking.

Sony Ericsson W595

Measuring 100 x 47 x 14 mm and weighing 104 g the W595 is quite pocketable. The 2.2" 262K-color QVGA display takes most of the front panel and it does score a point for the Sony Ericsson W595. It has a really sharp and lively picture with great contrast and brightness levels.

A 2.2" 262K-color QVGA display is mounted on the W595

The keys below the display are just the same as the W902 in terms of functionality but this time they are much larger and thus more comfortable to use.

The keys below the display are large enough and easy to use

The keypad is revealed by sliding the Sony Ericsson W595 open. We did find it generally comfortable to use although it is somewhat lacking in terms of press feedback. The keys are large enough with sufficient spacing between each two and that makes it easy to type without looking at the keypad at all. The keys also seem durable, so the W580 notorious cracking keypad issues seem unlikely with the W595.

The keypad deserves a good general mark

The Walkman key on Sony Ericsson W595 is on the right side and grants access to the same features as with the W902 - accessing the Walkman player and using the Shake control. The key is however a bit smaller than we would have liked it to be. It is in fact rather hard to press but you can probably get used to it.

The Walkman key needs getting used to

Sony Ericsson W595 is equipped with stereo speakers that are placed at the sloping top and bottom. This layout is rather useful if you listen to music with the phone laid on a flat surface. Thankfully, the Sony Ericsson logo on the back of the W595 is embedded, so resting the phone on a table will cause no wobbling.

The stereo speakers are on either side of the device

The three megapixel camera lens is located at the back. Unlike the W902, the W595 lacks a flash to help with night-time shooting. Now, add the fixed focus and you get the idea that photography wasn't high on the company's list of priorities with this phone.

The 3 megapixel camera is at the back - no flash this time

Opening the battery cover of the W595 reveals the 950 mAh BST-33 Li-Po battery. It is quoted at 9 hours of talk time and 385 hours of stand-by time, which is basically the same as the Sony Ericsson W902.

The BST-33 Li-Po battery delivers very good performance

The other thing of interest under the Sony Ericsson's W595 back panel is the M2 card slot, which is used for expanding the 40 MB of built-in memory. The 2 GB card that ships with the handset will probably be enough for most users but the rest can freely go for higher capacity cards.

The general build quality of the Sony Ericsson W595 is great. The handset feels great in hand and there were no creaking sounds whatsoever. The rubberized surface also provides one of the best grips we have seen in a mobile phone - the W595 just sticks to your hand.

Sony Ericsson W595 literally sticks to your hand