Sony Ericsson W705 Review

Introduction:

If we ask how many of you are into listening to music on their phones, we figure quite many shouts and raised hands are to follow. But the question is rather “Do you like Sony Ericsson´s music phones”? Hm, the enthusiasm seems to have subsided a bit, doesn´t it? While top of the range phones (such as the Sony Ericsson W980, the W995 and the W902) come loaded with extra features such as high-end cameras or quality sound, more affordable devices (the Sony Ericsson W595 and the W580, which we have reviewed as well) are somewhat simpler. You need as much as just take a quick look at the Sony Ericsson W705 to find out it´s a something quite different, featuring the manufacturer´s new design language (looks pretty much like the W995) and display that´s larger than those on previous makes in the same price range. It also supports Wi-Fi and the manufacturer claims it´s at par with their best devices in terms of audio quality. But, we´ll get to that later.

Let´s see what´s inside the box:

Design:

Display itself measures healthy 2.4 inches, has QVGA resolution and delivers great image quality even in direct sunlight. Though just 0.2 inches larger than the W595, its compact body makes screen look huge. Despite its rectangular shape, we do like the phone, because it is made in the spirit of high-end devices, like the W995 for an instance. The metal front side, fine-spun bronze-gold colored elements and back covered with rubber-like material all make for an appealing mix.



You can compare the Sony Ericsson W705 with many other phones using ourSize Visualization Tool.

The sliding mechanism and almost all buttons deserve an A+. The keys around the D-Pad and those on the numeric keypad are slightly embossed, large enough and feel easily discernible when touched. The only buttons we find a bit uncomfortable to use are the sound rocker and camera shutter, both onto the right hand side of the phone, because they are somewhat small and harder to press.



The back cover locking mechanism deserves praise, since you don´t need to put your shoulder to the wheel and overexert yourself to get it open, something that doesn´t apply when trying to reach the M2 expansion card slot though.