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Combining a high-performance digital audio player, high-megapixel digital camera and ultra-fast mobile communicator in one package, the Sony Ericsson W995a Walkman Phone will keep you easily connected to family and friends wherever you roam as well as keep you entertained with your favorite tunes and YouTube video. This slider style phone offers a gorgeous, brightly colorful 2.6-inch display that's great for watching videos streamed from YouTube via a special application as well as reviewing photos snapped by the 8.1-megapixel camera, which includes a flash and face recognition technology. 
Enjoy your favorite music and video on the go with the Sony Ericsson W995a, which includes the Walkman 3.0 digital media player application. | 
Other features include Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, and Memory Stick Micro (M2) expansion (an 8 GB M2 card is included). | 
The W995a has an 8.1-megapixel imager that works just like a standard digital camera--hold it horizontally with the screen acting as your viewfinder. | The clear and intuitive Walkman digital audio player interface makes it easy to navigate your mobile music collection, and with the innovative Shake function you can simply flick your wrist to randomly select a new song from your library. The W995a comes with an 8 GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card, which can store thousands of songs. The phone's integrated aGPS location feature not only enables you to find your way from point to point with the preloaded Google Maps application, but you can also geotag photos with the precise location where they were shot. Other features include Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, integrated stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, preloaded fitness application (with step counter), web browser with RSS feeds, access to personal email and instant messaging, and up to 9 hours of talk time on GSM networks (4 hours using 3G networks). Unlocked Phone
This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides quad-band connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). It does not come with a SIM card, and it requires that you provide a SIM card for usage with your selected service provider. Additionally, this phone can be paired with 850/1900/2100 MHz UMTS/HSDPA 3G networks. When paired with a compatible 3G network, you'll enjoy a high-speed connection offering a variety of feature-rich wireless services--from data connectivity to your office to multimedia streaming, and take advantage of simultaneous voice and data services. In areas in the U.S. not served by a 3G network or in foreign territories, you'll continue to receive data service via EDGE network (depending on network compatibility). Phone Features
The Sony Ericsson W995a slider phone sports all the controls you'll need for accessing the features and functions of the Walkman 3.0 player, which supports a variety of audio formats as well as access to audio books and podcasts. The auto-rotating 2.6-inch display (320 x 240 pixels, 16.7 million color depth) is complemented by a circular toggle navigator, soft navigation keys, a control button to access shortcuts, and standard send/end keys. The right side of the phone includes music player controls and a volume rocker as well as a dedicated camera key, while the left side features a Walkman player shortcut key. The face smoothly slides up to reveal a standard alpha-numeric keypad. The phone has an internal 118 MB memory that's complemented by the included 8 GB Memory Stick Micro (M2) card, which you can swap out and replace with additional optional M2 media for even more expansion. The internal phonebook can store up to 1000 contacts with support for multiple numbers per entry as well as caller groups and photo/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 also features a flight mode that lets you keep listening to tunes with the phone's network connectivity turned off. The W995a is also the first Sony Ericsson phone to include the new Media Go PC application, which enables effortless and automatic transfer of any audio, photos and videos between your phone and computer via drag and drop. It features include: - Automatic sync: Sync your music playlists automatically to keep the phone updated with your new music
- Auto convert: Media Go gives you the best quality playback of multi-media content on a mobile phone. There's no need to use extra applications to be able to bring your media with you.
- Podcasts: Apart from adding your own favorites, the directory is there to help you to find the new and exciting content.
- Audio CD Ripping: Use Media Go to burn your CDs and bring your music and audio books with you
With the TrackID service, you can identify any song that you can hear by just recording a snippet of sound using the microphone. After sending the file for recognition, you'll have the name, artist and album sent to your phone. It also includes a built-in FM radio with RDS, which displays the name of the currently playing song (when tuned to compatible radio stations). 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 Sony Media Go 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. Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. This phone also offers integrated Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g), enabling seamless connectivity with wireless networks at work, at home, and on the roam via Wi-Fi hotspots at airports and coffee shops. Take dazzling pictures with the 8.1-megapixel camera with 16x digital zoom, which can be used just like you would with a standard digital camera by holding it horizontally with the screen acting as your viewfinder. And with the phone's GPS capabilities, you can tag your photos with information on where it was taken. The Face Detection and Auto Focus capability enables the camera to detect and focus on the face of your subject rather than the background, so that you can take sharp and high quality pictures of your friends. The phone also incorporates the latest in lighting technology--Photo Flash--giving you better quality pictures even in low-light conditions. An image stabilizer compensates for those small movements, reducing the chance that your photo comes out blurred. The BestPic function gives you nine chances to capture the precise moment you want. As well as your shot, the phones take four images as you press the button, and another four afterwards. Pick the one you want, trash the rest. Select the Photo Fix function to improve pictures that you think can be better. In a one-click operation, brightness, light and contrast are adjusted to give you the best possible picture. The phone also provides support for PictBridge technology so you can print your photos without the need of a PC. In addition to still photos, the phone can also capture video clips, with videos for messaging capped at 20 seconds and those meant for saving to your PC running for as long as you have available space. 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. Other features include: - Walk Mate step counter stays activated throughout the day. It keeps track of how many steps you've walked and how many steps you have left to reach your daily average health goal.
- Watch your favorite YouTube clips and even upload captured video to your YouTube account.
- DLNA support, allowing you to connect wirelessly to other electronic devices via Wi-Fi.
- Exchange ActiveSync: Stay seamlessly synchronized with your Microsoft Exchange email server.
- USB mass storage capabilities
- Synchronise and share phone content with your PC
- Organizer tools: Calendar, alarm clock, calculator, notes, stopwatch, tasks, timer
Vital Statistics
The Sony Ericsson W995a weighs 3.99 ounces and measures 3.82 x 1.93 x 0.59 inches. Its 950 mAh lithium-polymer battery is rated at up to 9 hours of GSM talk time (4 hours of 3G talk time), up to 370 hours (15.4 days) of standby time and up to 20 hours of music playback. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as 850/1900/2100 MHz 3G frequencies (UMTS/HSPA).
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 SE W995 |
| Review Date: July 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: ckyalo, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| For the last W series phones, it has more features then they put in the documentation. If only it was touchscreen.... Very good phone.. if u looking for an all in one device: Camera, Phone, Internet, Email.. this is it... 8GB Memory card.. i think u need a 16GB or 32GB if u can.... its alot of fun |
disappointing performance and features
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| Review Date: February 24, 2010 |
| Reviewer: insoc, Miami, Florida United States |
| I have been a Sony Ericsson cell phones fan since 2004. Last year (December 2009) after much thought I decided to buy this model being this the top of the line of the "old school" SE phones and by "old school" I am talking about the W,K,C and such series and not the newest models like the AINO or SATIO. Anyway I ended up giving this phone to my sister and I bought instead a iPhone 3GS much to my dismay. Why? Because the [...] application in the W995a just can't compare to the iPhone application. Even tough the W995a screen is way smaller than the iPhone one the video resolution is terrible, really terrible and almost unsee-able. When I made a comparison with the youtube iPhone application the difference was abysmal. The other big problem is with the camera. I mean, this is a phone not a professional camera but come on, it says 8.1 mega and the photos are worse than your regular 2 mega camera. Even the iPhone with just 3.2 mega takes better pictures. I think is the lens quality (very bad) that makes the W995a such a lousy "camera phone". Don't get me wrong: this is Sony Ericsson at it's best and as always the conversation audio quality is great, reception is great but when you come to other features like web browsing and reading emails this phone really fails in comparison with any smartphone, from HCT to Nokia to Apple. Even tough the screen is bigger than other phones the text is also big so you don't really use the bigger screen and the small font is unreadable. In conclusion: This is one of the best phones available but as that is VERY EXPENSIVE because in other features like web browsing, reading emails (it can't read any office or pdf attachment) and almost other applications it fails in comparison with other phones, specially with a iPhone. It really is a shame because this is the end of a love relationship with Sony Ericsson I have had since 2004 and I never thought I was going to get a iPhone but this phone didn't meet my expectations at all. As the title says, the phone really disappointed me. One last issue: the keypad is awfully small and very very hard to use. Other SE phones down on the range offers better keypads. The walkman function of the W995a is great I have to say and the 8g memory stick is great. I know this review seems like a contradiction but it is because its hard to say only bad thing about a phone made by a brand you have been in love with for so many years. |
Not a smartphone, yet pretty smart
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| Review Date: February 2, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Haris Hadzic, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Not a smartphone, yet pretty smart
After my Nokia E51 came to an end, I started looking for a replacement that would best suite my needs. Taught by previous experiences, my aim was a larger screen unlocked phone equipped with GPS device, intuitive user interface, decent sync, email and tethering capabilities, W-LAN and a modern media player.
After days of research, my choice came down to two models: Nokia N86 and Sony Ericsson W995a. Both feature excellent characteristics, and seem to perfectly meet my needs. At the end, the design weighted in favor of the SE.
The phone comes in three flavors: Red, Progressive Black and Brushed Metal. I bought mine from Amazon, and they only had the Progressive Black Model. Note that my model's name is W995a, which means that it supports frequencies across Americas, but rest reassured, it works in Europe and Asia as well on all networks, GSM and 3G.
When you take it out of the box, it smells good, feels new and geeky :) Once you get to play with it, it feels solid in hand, and the sliding mechanism is excellent. The phone comes with an USB cable, wall charger, headphones, battery, printed and electronic documentation, and a generous 8GB memory card. Note that some operators in certain countries give you a set of plug-in stereo speakers, but those don't come standard.
It's a slide form factor quad-band phone with 2.6" display, 8.1 MP camera, kickstand, secondary video call camera, Sony Walkman with dedicated buttons, 3.5mm audio jack (thank you, Sony Ericsson, it was about the time) W-LAN, and loads of other features.
At first, I found its buttons rather uncomfortable, for they are fairly flat and wide, and you need to operate them with you fingernails. The upper command buttons feel odd too, especially answer and hangup ones, for they are located at the very edge of the device. But it did not take me long to accommodate.
The display is fairly large, showing crisp and clear images, and allowing various sizes of text to be displayed correctly. Its resolution of 320x240 pixels isn't exactly the top of the class, neither is the color range of mere 256k. However, I ran a test with a .jpg image taken with my Nikon camera on Sony Ericsson W995 and Nokia E51, featuring 16M colors. Surprisingly enough, comparing side-by-side the two models, the W995 display proved to have more vibrant colors, and the overall impression of the image was by far better Nokia's one.
The phone comes with its own default animated and beautiful theme that goes great with its design. If you prefer the classic Sony Ericsson looks, you can switch back at any time, though the selection of themes that comes pre-installed is poor.
Experience of browsing through menus, writing messages and making calls is ok, even though the interface sometimes lacks responsiveness due to animated themes and quantity of contents.
Furthermore, W995 comes with tons of apps and features you easily get used to and never want to leave behind. For example, pedometer, accelerometer, shake control, location service, and many great solutions that exploit this hardware make this device a very versatile must-have multi purpose pocket device you always want to carry around. Less known goodies of this products are the camera flash that can be used either as torch or as SOS signaling device, and the USB battery charging capability. The last one is particularly useful when you say tether it with a computer to go online. This normally drains your battery very quickly, but in the case of W-series, your battery is being recharged instead of consumed. And when you press the +/- volume button in standby mode, it displays a clock with some basic information across the entire screen. Additionally, the phone comes filled with cool games that are great for killing time on airports :) and a coupon for a free download of 100 Sony production songs.
What I particularly liked about this phone is the ease of tethering with any major OS platforms out there. I've tested it on a Mac (Snow Leopard 10.6) and Windows XP Professional, and it worked like a charm. With W995, using your phone as a GSM or 3G modem is no longer a nightmare. The functionality is built right in, and when you connect it to any computer via an USB cable, you get prompted to choose amongst the fallowing: use your phone as modem, mass storage, file transfer, sync or PC suite.
Viewing / listening to media content is an amazing experience. The interface is easy and intuitive thanks to dedicated buttons, and the sound quality is unprecedented. However, getting your contents to your phone is another pair of shoes.
While the PC suite is an excellent peace of work, the software for Mac looks and feels poor. It all seems like sugar and cream for you PC guys out there, but what about us, the Mac users? Well, it's not that we're not taken into consideration, far from that. However, serious improvements are yet to be made issuing Mac-Sony Ericsson friendship. What you get on the Sony Ericsson web site is an iSync plugin (available only recently), allowing you to sync your contacts, tasks, and calendars between W995 and your Mac. And MediaSync, which is, or should be, the equivalent of MediaGo. The truth is, it allows you to transfer music and podcasts, but not the videos. Kind of sad. The good side is that it works well with iTunes library, and manages your music and podcasts flawlessly. Yet transferring videos between a Mac and your W995 still remains an issue. There are ways around, but they don't always work.
On the iSync level, things are not shining either. With the older version of iSync plugin, the synchronizing process was fairly time consuming since it was not incremental. That means that every time you want to synchronize your contacts, tasks and calendars, it completely replaces the entire content. This was soon fixed by an updated plugin, so now it takes far less time. Furthermore, it crippled my address book since the two databases are still far from compatible.
However, this all shows that Sony Ericsson is still pioneering in the Mac compatibility field, and hopefully these issues will be addressed in the upcoming versions of firmware. What I do like about the Sony Ericsson bluetooth syncing is that you can enable it to always accept demands from known devices. That way you no longer have to frenetically look for your device (pocket? desk? handbag? quick!), each time iSync starts. Just make sure it's within the bluetooth range, and you're in sync, with no annoying dialogues around.
Another annoying thing about this product is the lack of support for certain character formats. So when you receive an email written in say croatian keyboard layout, instead of the actual content, it displays a "unknown character set" message. So it's clear to see that W995 is still pretty much an unfinished product, from the firmware developing standpoint.
And now to camera! I had no special demands on my phone's camera, so I completely forgot about it. But when I got to play with it, I found that it's not bad at all. In fact, it's a 8,1MP camera with autofocus, flash, face and smile recognition, and loads of other features from the k-series! And the picture quality is awesome! Holy cow! The down side is that the picture quality suffers dramatically in low light conditions: the colors fade or go crazy, contours mix up, and a huge amount of noise takes away all the pleasure. So you can either try to save it in an image editing software or just be honest and conclude that the pic sucks. Up to you :)
So the bottom line is: shot on sun, and keep the good impression. Another interesting thing about the camera is a dedicated shutter button. Very nice feature. However, it can also be a problem at times. You see, when you want to take a picture, first you need to press the shutter button halfway down, to allow the autofocus to find objects you presumably want to sharpen up. The process takes up to 5 seconds, after which you get this annoying beep, meaning: Now you can press the button all the way down. Yeah, right. Your object is by than far away from the frame, the kids are no longer smiling, and the dog just knocked off chasing his tale. This can be particularly annoying when asking someone to take a picture of you.
Last but not the least: the build quality. Though the phone is solid and feels expensive, my recommendation is to pay attention to scratches and bruises. The chassis is extremely sensitive to scratches, and I recommend buying a screen cover and a some kind of protective case right away. The Sony Ericsson logo is subject to damage as well as the "W995" sign, since both are no other but stickers and tend to peel off with the time.
All in all, an excellent phone, but the competition in its price range is stiff. Some software issues remain loose ends, but they'll probably get ironed up.
the GOOD:
-features (big)
-camera (despite all the odds)
-3.5 audio jack
-unprecedented media experience
-usb charged battery
-intuitive interface
-DLNA (haven't tested it though)
-sliding mechanism
-attention to details
the BAD
-poor Mac compatibility
-poor build quality of the chassis
-lack of character support for many languages in default email app
-kickstand feels clumsy
-WLAN doesn't work in some hotspots
-lack of search storage capability
-browsing through address book feels like the year 2000
-other small imperfections in firmware |
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| Review Date: January 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Alejandro Castellanos, Guatemala |
| It's a great phone, solid, beautiful, user friendly, great software, large screen and very clear even when exposed to direct sunlight. |
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| Review Date: December 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ben, New York City |
| The W995 is probably the best Sony Ericsson phone Ive used to date. I was considering higher end smartphones like the Sony X1 and Nokia N900 but couldnt bring myself to paying the high premium price. With the rate technology is going nowadays it would be worthless in 6 months, or the price would drop considerably. I got the W995 for a good deal and feel it was a good compromise. Physically the device looks very sleek. Build quality is very good with the brushed metal finish, definitely feels more sturdy than your average plastic phone. The screen is very nice as with most Sony phones Ive seen, very bright and vibrant display. Also I just learned that it is made out of scratch resistant material which is another plus. The biggest difference Ive noticed on the W995 compared to past phones Ive used is how snappy and fast the UI feels, especially things like browsing the internet over WiFi which is usually a chore on such a small device. Whether its the menus, GPS, scrolling on pages or turning the phone to landscape view (using the accelerometer) everything responds instantly. One cool thing I use the phone for (why I wanted WiFi in a small device in the first place) is to use it as a remote to wirelessly control my Logitech Squeezebox and it does it perfectly. Out of all the phones Ive owned, the SE UI remains my favorite because it is fast and to the point. The phone also includes an 8.1 megapixel camera, walkman with standard 3.5mm audio jack and 8GB memory card. Finally, Sony includes a 3.5mm jack on the phone which I dont know why they didnt do it sooner.. after all it is called a walkman phone. The camera also takes pretty decent photos, still some noise when indoors (or low lighting conditions) but much better than previous models. It wouldve been nice if it had the xenon flash over the LED, like on the C905. But the camera is not my first priority and its adequate for my uses. Ive found that as long as the subject is properly lit the phone will take good pictures. Using the phone for all the tasks mentioned above the battery has held up OK. Almost depleted at the end of the day but thats under heavy usage since its my new toy. For normal usage I think it could last 2-3 days before a charge. Guess Im just used to older SE phones which could last up to week, but they also did not have as many features as the W995. Overall, feature and quality wise the W995 is one of the best phones Ive used and probably the best non-smartphone. |
Nothing flashy, but does its job.
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| Review Date: November 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Saucy, |
This was my first phone, so i can't really give you any comparisons to other phones.
pros
-Durable as a rock. The phone fell out of my pocket while i was on my bike and i dragged it while attached to my earphone. other than few scratches works like new.
-Excellent battery life. better than all mp3 players ive had.
-Excellent music player - with up to 16 gigs what more do you want.
-8.1 mega pixel camera.
-Powerful external lights and speaker.
cons
-Lack of apps
-Lack of carriers in the US.
-For an 8.1 pixel cam the pictures don't look that good.
-Hard to find accessories. (cases, earhpones...)
-Lack of high earphone volume.
If you have an option go for the silver, the black looks way too bland. |
Love it
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| Review Date: November 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Rahul Agrawal, Nutley, NJ United States |
| Small, sleek and slick. 8 MP camera takes really good shots during day, night time shots are ok. walkman and speaker is great quality. I have ATT service and it works much better than tmobile I had earlier. 8GB memory card is a awesome for pictures, movies and songs. |
3 things that made this phone miss my 5 Star rating
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| Review Date: October 27, 2009 |
| Reviewer: kits from VA, NoVA United States |
I am using this phone for over a month now and am very very pleased with it. It would have got 5-Star rating if not for the 3 design flaws with the phone.
1. Kick Stand design can't be any worse. It is not firmly stuck in closed position. If Sony Ericsson couldn't get it right they should have skipped this hardware. It would have saved them money and made the phone feel more solid.
2. Battery cover - like others said in the review doesn't feel firm. You can feel slight movement when you press fingers around the Sony Ericsson name on the back. It feels little annoying to see a well built phone choke on battery cover design. I first thought I got a bad phone and thought of exchanging it but after reading reviews here and other forums it looks like a pretty common not with just this phone but several SE phones. I put a paper folded above the battery and it solved this problem.
3. The Call Button and End Call buttons are not positioned ergonomically. They are located little too far from the D-pad and it hurts the fingers to reach them from center.
Good things about the phone:
1. Looks way better than in pictures and is getting lot of compliments from everyone who sees the phone.
2. Feels solid and super sexy. Easily the best slider phone I've seen.
3. Bright screen and very readable even in bright sunlight.
4. Came with lot of games, applications, and 8GB Memory Stick Micro.
5. GPS reception, AT&T 3G connection, WiFi connection - all are very good.
6. First time I saw a 3.5mm audio output which is a great plus for me as I have several good headphones I can use.
7. To compliment the 3.5mm audio output, this phone easily replaces my Zune 8GB during my workout sessions. Sounds just as good.
8. The flash themes are very very good looking.
9. Battery felt average the first few weeks but seem to have improved greatly after few weeks. I am heavy user of browser, office outlook emails, calendar, and songs listener and the phone easily lasts the entire day even after I talk on average over 60+ minutes.
10. Works with my office Exchange Server to sync Outlook Email and Calendar as well as my Google mail.
Amazon has the best price for this phone.
TIP for W995a owners: Install Opera Mini 5 beta. The browsing experience is excellent with small fonts. |
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| Review Date: October 24, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Bassam El-azzeh, |
The phone works great!
Very nice build quality and great camera.
Easy to use and an outstanding music phone as well.
I highly recommend this phone!! |
Love the W995
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| Review Date: October 21, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Taylor, Texas |
I love the thin/slim design.
I love the large screen and great graphics! This works especially well for web and gps.
Much improved over previous SonyEricsson sliders I've seen or used.
The only drawback is the poor battery life - esecially when using wifi, bluetooth, and internet capabilities. When using these options, I usually have to charge each night. I guess I guess I was spoiled when I was using a phone without these options since I only needed to recharge my phone every 3 or 4 days.
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