Sony Ericsson intros K660, W380 and W890 handsets
By Donald Melanson 
posted Nov 6th 2007 4:31PM
posted Nov 6th 2007 4:31PM
Right on cue, Sony Ericsson's busted out a trio of new handsets today, including it's latest K-series model, the K660, and a pair of new Walkman phones: theW380 and W890 . As we knew yesterday, the K660 is a HSDPA handset whose big selling point is its proficiency at web browsing, including a landscape mode, among other web-friendly features. The W380 clamshell phone, on the other hand, drops the 3G, but provides plenty of the usual Walkman-related features, including gesture control, and SE's trademark Track ID, while the W890 ups things considerably with HSDPA connectivity and a better-than-the-norm 3.2 megapixel camera. Hit up the read link below for complete specs on each handset, and look for them all to be available in the first quarter of next year.
Sweet!
Baah, the Sony Ericsson W380 image is so deceiving. I thought it was going to be a big touch screen but turn out to be a damn flip phone!
Agreed, they made this ordinary flip phone look like one of their cool, OLED devices. wtf kind of photo is that anyways? I thought it was the back of the phone for chrissake...
it is the back of the phone, when closed..
exactly what i thought!
3.2 meg camera for a phone?! they are putting everything in their phones...next they can install a taser into it sometime soon
3megs isn't that big...well I dunno about America but in Europe that's not big.
The w890 looks like my old w810's younger, hipper brother. Intentional?
And no HSDPA 850/1900 on anything but the modem. Boo-urns.
Judging by the dimensions provided by SE on this phone and the W810i, its 4mm taller, 0.5mm wider and 10mm flatter.
Wow, sony is really introducing some great looking products recently . . I hope they work as well as they look, but I'm sure either way these are going to sell tons.
Who likes ericssons? I've always felt they lack originality in their designs. Candy bar designs are stale.Their relatively small screens "look" cheap, but they do have some nice features. Mainly music and camera if you're looking for an all in one device.
I like them! I love the simplicity of design and the solid feeling. I recently picked up a w810i (free with activation) to replace my 4-year-old t610 (which was still functioning as it did when new).
Candy Bar designs are stale? What do you prefer? I like being able to just pick up my phone and start talking without fiddling around with hinges or sliders, but then I've always had a "candy bar" phone (a couple of Nokias, a t68i, and the t610) since upgrading from my first cellphone, the Motorola StarTAC.
Yeah I agree totally with the first shuyin. They look cheap and are overpriced. I liked NOKIAs but recently my friend have had to bring them back a lot
SE phones are far better than many nokias, in my opinion. configurable shortcut buttons and a shortcut menu thats fully customisable is extremely helpful. I dont think I have to use any more than 3 button presses to get anywhere on my phone that i have to access regularly.
the interface is as fast as you can push the buttons, and on some models the camera is excellent. The camera in my W810i has autofocus, which makes for some great quality pictures (considering its a camera-phone).
I think their phones are great handsets. Complaining about not having SD slots or being bland is people just looking for something to complain about - in most countries the phones come with the memory stick from the factory, and their designs are some of the better looking phones on the market. Of course thats a fairly subjective subject, but the phones definitely arent designed with 'bland' in mind. Take a look at Nokias if you want to see a boring handset. The W580i, W910i and now the W380i all have fairly unique design features to them compared to similarly priced models on the market. The other way you can look at it is their candy bars are designed people that want 'just a phone' for practicality reasons, which seems to be something that gets over looked pretty regularly in a mad rush to make the best selling phone (see: moto RAZR)
I have had a Sony Ericsson W900 now for 18 months. I guess they must be going backward in the numbering scheme or something?
http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=gb&lc=en&ver=&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10333
Er no. Some manufacturers uses the front number to denote the class of the models in their product line. For example Nokia's 7xxx series is their fashion line but that doesn't mean it has more features than a 6xxx model (business line).
Jon Sony Ericsson uses the initial letter to designate the product line... W=Walkman the numbers normally increment W200 W300 ... W800 W900 etc.
I have had a W900i for 18 months and now they come out with a W890. And from the looks of it, it has less features than my W900. So maybe they just entered a timewarp, or the US marketplace is just that far behind the rest of the world with mobile phones.
See for yourself:
http://www.sonyericsson.com/spg.jsp?cc=gb&lc=en&ver=&template=pip1&zone=pp&pid=10333
Lexx,
Well, yes, the world IS that far ahead of the US, something that is frequently lamented here on Engadget. But more importantly, whereas the leading letter does signify the product line, the 800 series specifies a form factor as well--the "candybars." What fascinates me is that the W900i that you have is a slider, which seems to be the step from the W500 line (check out the SE W580i, which is also listed on the website you linked to), but then the W960i is like a squashed candybar reminiscent of a smartphone's proportions.
Maybe the W900 line is like the "premier" Walkman line? The W890i, you'll notice, is NOT listed on the site. It really is a new phone in the W800 series.
I have not looked at the actual specs, but I *instantly* ignore Sony phones (and also cameras) due to lack of support for SD cards. I understand pushing your own tech, etc but at least for me the features they may (or may not) isn't worth re-buying storage.
Its funny no one has screamed "OMGOMGOMG IPHONE RIPOFF OMG" yet...
Because none of them are iPhone rip offs...
Sony Ericsson has been in the biz for a lot longer than Apple anyway. BTW, that W890 is only 9.9mm thick! Wow.
OMG! Not even in the same league of an iPhone. Don't even say S-E in the same sentence with iPhone.
Well it has more fuctions than an Iphone. Way more.
Does anybody know a phone with a really good camera (2mp+) and a qwerty keyboard?
How can it have only a QVGA (quarter of vga) resolution screen and still be "usable for web browsing". I have an iPhone and it's half VGA and barely usable for browsing.
Once phones start getting SVGA or better screens (at least in terms of pixel width), that's when phones will be "usable" for casual web browsing on the go.
I'd also find browsing with a WAP connection on the iPhone when not within the range of a wireless network to be 'barely usable' as well. I say, 'yes' to the HSDPA found on the K660.
My Sony-Eeccison cell phone, has been nothing but a headack, even after being replace. Asker your server provider for advice, or do your oun homework.
I bought a but a headack, even the first one was replace. I'ld ask your serice pro vider for advice, or do your own homework on the web.Sony-Ericsson cell phone that has been nothing
Huh?
I bought a but a headack, even the first one was replace. I'ld ask your serice pro vider for advice, or do your own homework on the web.Sony-Ericsson cell phone that has been nothing
No standard headphone jack, no deal.
I must say that the W890 is sooo sweet, I'm trying it out right now... Crisp screen with a resolution that feels perfect for the size of the phone... the metal feels cold against my skin... :-)