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If you aren't careful you can accidentally go online and run up your bill, you have to push button that are so small even my fingers couldn't do it without my fingernails. Just a horrible phone to use.
Save yourself the hassle. Many AT&T people have told me they hear that all the time.
I thought this would be an easy to use phone with many features and attractive too. The walkman part I've never figured out.
Hopefully they will never be back in stock here. Way too many difficulties.
Learning to use it is rocket science.
For some odd reason, this issue (broken memory card cover) was not repairable and so, I received my first refurbished replacement phone. Again, I sent it in.The third repair occurred on November 28 2008. So, where does that leave me. While still at the repair shop, I called Sony Ericsson customer support yet again. The first supervisor I spoke to at Sony Ericsson was C****.
The next issue arrived on November 20th 2008. A little ridiculous, don't you think. This counts as the fifth repair as it is the fifth time I have sent my phone off. This involved cracked keys, which I found were to be a common issue with this model. I was offered the Sony Ericsson w760a.
I received a brand new replacement on February 23rd 2009. Hopefully, this replacement will be an improvement. I wasted countless time trying to actively solve my problem and was late to work twice. Defective, once more. I barely used the phone for anything other than phone calls and texting. What drew me to Rogers was the Sony Ericsson w580i - in pink, of course. To make a long story short, I was refused a swap at many Rogers Wireless stores. The slider phone stopped sliding vertically upwards and instead, began sliding diagonally, slightly, to the left.
While not an issue with the phone function, I was not satisfied with the quality of the phone. Discouraged, I called into Rogers again and explained my problem to a very sympathetic CSR who tried her best to solve my problem. So, I sent it in again and the service center again determined my phone was defective and sent me another refurbished replacement.So, if you have been keeping track, that has been 4 repairs and 2 replacements so far. The phone was missing the spring inside the memory card slot and so, I was unable to use the memory card with it (it wouldn't stay down).
I was a loyal Telus customer for 6 years and never had any issues with the phones that I received while on 2 3-year contracts with them. Can you believe there was a problem with that phone too. She offered to upgrade my phone and while I was reluctant, since the w580i was the reason I switched to Rogers, she convinced me that my history with the w580i was too horrible to take another chance with it. The phone, upon first inspection, was poorly constructed. Next issue came about on February 3 2009.
However, as local number portability came about, I began researching other service providers. I finally got the e-mail from the repair center and the day after, February 18th 2009, printed everything off and sent the phone off. The first issue came about on September 22nd 2008. I sent the phone in and it was promptly returned to me with the keypad replaced. The CSR pretty much laughed me off the phone, telling me that all I need is a workable phone - why does it matter if it's new or refurbished.
I still have a phone that does not allow me to use a memory card.On February 26th 2009, I call in to Sony Ericsson again to see if there's anything they can do. It was the epitome of 'girliness' and the beginning of 7 months of pure utter drama.On July 21st 2008, I switched over to Rogers and received my Sony Ericsson w580i. I re-iterated my history of issues with the phone and the brand new replacement that I had in my hand. To make a long story short, I had to call in multiple times before I got the necessary documentation. She suggested that I go to a Rogers Wireless store and request a swap.
She seemed determine not to let me off the phone until we had found a suitable resolution for me. He very hurriedly suggested a swap, for a new or like new model, and then got me off the phone without even mentioning a reference number, RMA, or other details essential to the solution. So, I call in to Sony Ericsson customer support yet again. She spoke with tech support and after concluding that there was nothing they could do for me, she transferred me to Customer Relations.I then spoke with the most helpful CSR from either party that I have ever spoken with. I call Sony Ericsson customer support and request to speak with a supervisor after I am told over and over again by customer service representatives (CSRs) that my only option was to send it in for repairs again. He informed me that my only choice was to send it in for repair (which would have been my 6th repair) and then laughed me off the phone.
If the intent of the phone was to be 'useless', then it fulfilled the description exceptionally well. Instead of sending my phone in for the 6th time, which I was determined not to do - as this was getting beyond ridiculous - I was offered a swap by the Sony Ericsson CSR. When he got put on the line, I immediately got the impression that his only goal was to superficially appease me and get me off the phone. The softkeys were becoming detached from the frame of the phone. All in a little over 6 months.Lo and behold, that replacement began doing the same thing - sliding diagonally, slightly, to the left.
But I also had my keypad crack twice. My warranty has run out, so Sony Ericsson will not fix this. However, during that time I have experienced several quality issues.
Now, the left soft keys (select/back) have stopped working. Fortunately, there is a workaround by pushing hard on the area between the navigation keys and the LCD screen (where there is either the 'W' logo or the at&t logo), then the keys will work.The bottom line though is that this phone has some serious quality flaws and therefore I do not recommend purchasing this model anymore. Another search revealed this to also be a common flaw also.
I have had the w580i for 1 year, 2 months now and I have enjoyed using the phone and most of its features. I had to send in the phone twice for warranty repairs. I give it 2-stars since the phone is still a very nice slider design with excellent software/interface.
One of them (the ear speaker died) was probably isolated to my unit. The cracked keypad seems to be a common issue with this model, just search online about it.
The speaker phone option works well and is clear to hear. It doesn't have a flap, can't open with a fingernail, so I use an unfolded paper clip or other similar-sized object to pry it open. It takes a day to find out how to set the patterns in all the menus.The keypad is a bit on the small side, and feel like dry plastic. It's OK for me because I have small hands, but I don't think a man would enjoy using the small, non-descript keys. The slider is a little unusual to work at first, but works very nicely. That's not fatal, but a pet peeve, and makes it difficult for me to figure out the numbers as they come up.The M2 Memory Stick is not common, but Sony Ericsson uses it.
I bought this phone because it had Walkman FM radio, too. When I enter text, I still have to look--er, squint--at the keypad. It took me a while to figure out how to open the little, flat plastic door. It also works as "handsfree" phone device if you don't want to do Bluetooth.The display, although narrow, is bright and sharp. The sound quality is EXCELLENT on this wire unit and the ear buds very comfy. I don't pay for texting service, so it's not a huge hassle, but if you text, I can't imagine it would be much fun.When I enter an phone number in the address book, it doesn't put hyphens between the area code, prefix, and last four digits. This phone is pretty (I got the PINK one), lightweight, has lots of whiz-bang menu selections, but doesn't wow or impress me as much as the Samsung A737 or Samsung A747 models which I bought for my children. I listen to the radio a lot, more than MP3s and really thought this feature would be cool.
The pink IS pretty, and has little red "jewels" between the number keys (other color models have different color jewels). You need the wired earphones to have FM service. Which side to open. The sound is good, and it interfaces well with my Bluetooth earpiece and Palm device. Buying one with more memory will not be cheap.
I dropped it a few times but the case didn't scratch or crack. Sony Ericsson phone support is SUPER, too. The phone is very lightweight and slim. If you like effects, it has 16 settings for flashing light patterns customized for every caller. If you like radio, it's just one more thing to carry around.
The access slot is on the top. The letters on the keys are hard to see being so small. They supply a 512MB one.
The joystick on the Shine takes no practice to nail. The Sony Ericsson, as one may predict, does not scratch easily. The SE, with no joystick, as imagined, is also very easy to use. Even with 3 bars (in a tunnel), the call was still strong. Regarding the cracking keys on the SE, I performed a test to see if this rumor was true. With something plastic, eg.
Over a period of 2 days, I had the phone off and during my spare time (which is a lot since it's summer), I've been clicking away at the keys (with a good amount of pressure I might add), and the keys exhibit no sign of cracking. you just got a lemon (or are trying to reason yourself out of the fact that buying a shine was actually a poor decision). The SE is a plastic phone; the LG shine is a plastic phone with metallic components. The Shine is all looks.SE: 10/10 Shine: 2/10 (absolutely pitiful for a phone be so lackluster in features)Other concerns and notes: - The speaker on the SE kills that one which is on the Shine- Both phones have ringtones are loud enough to be heard- Both phones can [be modified to] receive games and , but with the SE, you have more options. The back plate had obviously been rubbed on, the front plate exhibited small, but noticeable scratches. SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10Reception/Sound Quality: I live in Northern California in a well populated city, and everywhere I go, I get 5 bars with the SE and from 3 to 4 bars with the Shine. I have 6'2" and have large hands and I can still manage to comfortable use the phones' keypads.
To ensure that I didn't receive a lemon shine, I tested a friend's shine and sure enough, it was the same. My friend told me they didn't notice the static (he probably got use to the poor call quality). The Shine cannot stand to be touched at all. Since the durability was one of my biggest concern in getting the phone, I did a test of each phone upon cracking open the box: I opened and closed each phone 300 times. Due to the difference in the way that the phones slide, it isn't really accurate to say that one feels more durable than the other. I'm sure you could prevent the Shine from getting scratched by getting a screen protector and/or case, but the hassle of one is not something that I'd want to deal with (not to mention such protection would take away the "beauty" of the Shine). Sony Ericsson, a drop will do no more than give a few scratches.
Regarding the slider mechanism, the LG Shine's "snaps" when you open and close it, whereas the SE's slider is not as snappy. The LG Shine's keypad is like a smaller version of the RAZR. Battery Life: The claim that Sony Ericsson has poor battery life, in short, is complete bull ****. SE: 9/10 Shine: 6/10Fingerprints/Scratchability: The claims that the Shine is a fingerprint magnet could not be more true. SE: 10/10 Shine: 3/10Durability: People say the LG Shine has a stronger build than the Sony Ericsson, but if you actually compare the two, you find that you cannot actually compare the two. One thing that is not usually noted is that the Shine actually has VERY little metal in its body; it's only the battery cover and some of the front.
The numbered menus in the Shine are very easy to use. Rather than the claimed "3-4 day charge" that many people on this forum and others are claiming, I have found that the phone will last over a week (11-13 days). Background: Over the past two months, I have spent a great deal of time debating between whether to get the Sony Ericsson W580i or the LG Shine CU720. Texting with both is very easy (albeit not as easy as texting on a RAZR). I have found the number of signal bars that you get has a big impact on the call quality (as it should). The SE's reception and sound quality it top notch. Clearly the cracking keys is an issue with older phones (which you could potentially still buy if the reseller of your phone has old stock). The LG Shine is the most basic of phones.
A BIG reason people get the Shine is because it looks good. There was something that looked like a small scratch on the front screen on the SE, but nothing a wipe could clean off. If you drop the shine, you will certainly damage the screen, and/or scratch the body, and/or break the phone. After making numerous threads at various forums regarding this question, reading countless reviews, watching many videos, looking at hundreds of pictures, and mapping out the pros and cons of each one multiple times, I have settled on the Sony Ericsson W580i.
Read the features at each phone's respective website; I won't waste your time here. The Shine frequently echoes what the other person says, and a background static seems to be present in all calls. My OTHER sister, who also got a Sony Ericsson, also gets great battery life with hers. Results: The LG Shine's slider remained the same; the SE's slider got smoother after the test.
Since my family just got a family plan with ATT (3 lines/550 minutes shared) and one of my sisters got the Shine, I was able to do a comparison between the phones. The SE's keypad is not as responsive as the Shine's, meaning the click down are not as solid, and that the row of numbers are connected so that one press on a number slightly depresses the row, but nonetheless, it is very solid. Why. The only thing its got over the SE is 3G. First, to address the keypad.
The problem of cracking keypads is also a huge concern for potential buyers of the SE. Those that say they had short battery life. The papers that the LG Shine comes with claims that battery life is around 3 hours of talk time, up to 240 hours (10 days) of standby time, is standard marketing bull ****: through a test of 10 different charges with three different batteries, the phone has lasted no more than 3 days before it required a charging. The size of the keypad is very usable for texting and other usage.
My only caveat with the SE is that there's no dedicated end call button like my old Nokia. It is very easy to use, and is not too small. Well, if you don't take care of it like a newborn baby, it's going to look like **** and ipso facto, it was a poor decision to buy the phone for its looks.SE: 9/10 Shine: 1/10Keypad: People always complain about the keypads of the Sony Ericsson and the LG Shine and say how small they are and how difficult it is to text with them. Most of these complainers are complaining from hearsay (they repeat what they read/hear from others, not from their own experience). SE:10/10 Shine: 5/10Features: SE wins hands down. Same jeans, same walk, and the SE still looked great after. No complaints whatsoever here. The LG Shine, which is said to have poor battery life, disappoints: its battery life is indeed very short.
SE: 9/10 Shine: 9/10Navigation: Those that say navigation on the Shine is difficult are clearly retarded: physically or mentally. Speaking of which, with the LG Shine, you cannot wipe the phone with any shirt; it will scratch if the fabric of the cloth/shirt is rough. The LG shine doesn't really feel that much more durable than the SE. Walking around with the Shine put in my side jeans pocket for a day, the Shine went in looking stellar and came back looking pretty poor.
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