Posted by Mia in 
Strange things take place in the kingdom of Sony Ericsson. Having developed a good platform, the company washes everything on its way in search of gold nuggets. If you want to buy an inexpensive, but functional Sony Ericsson of clamshell format, you will inevitably find yourself in the fork of choice – W710i or Z710i? Let’s discuss everything together.
Design
The first thing that the manufacturer has changed, separating device into “music” and “normal” is a color solution. This is perhaps the weakest point of Z710i. Walkman was painted in the standard for the brand colors: gray, white and orange. Version Z tries to look stern, but without wearing expensive “clothes”.
When you look at Sony Ericsson Z710i, you want to compare it with a luxury Korean car, especially for the domestic market. Yes, they are made good, sometimes even cute, but in the background of the Europeans they seem to be a rattle. In other words Z710i was born as a Walkman, and plastic surgery wasn’t very successful. If we consider Z version separately from W, the image becomes less dark, but it is not still colorful to call Z710i a beautiful phone. It is difficult even to say that the model is not to the point: antenna, chrome, blue backlighting of the keyboard, or all together.
The hallmark antenna-arc in Sony Ericsson Z710i looks absolutely ridiculous. Imagine Maybach 62 with spoiler “dream watermelon Baron”, and you will feel the comic structure.
You will get used to design features, but I don’t think that it will be interesting for you to get used to the screaming colors. How I love the orange color, however, it is very eccentric for everyday devices such as mobile phone. But perhaps this is a matter of taste.
Display
Almost all the rest, the model Z and W are similar to each other that will not prevent us through this maze. External displays are identical, both phones have 1.5 inches (128×128 pixels), which look very solid, especially considering the amount of shell – 88×48x24, 5mm.
Small screen and monochrome models are distinguished by the fact that in Z series supports 4 shades of gray, and W has the same, but with an orange backlight.
The internal display does not produce such a favorable impression as the front one; its dimensions are quite standard – 1.9 inch (176×220 pixels). The TFT-display shows up to 262 thousand colors.
Display has ideal contrast and sharp, with excellent viewing angles. The quality of the screen is comparable with the older models of the company, and in their price range if not given something supernatural, then, at least, nothing inferior to the best representatives of the market.
Keyboard
On other side of the external display there are keys to work with MP3-player in the closed position. Actually the huge display is enough to work with the player. The left side is a place for keys which activate the camera (in the closed position it does not work) and paired “rocker” to adjust the volume.
When the phone is closed, the “minus” shows planned for the current affairs events, and if you click the plus sign, then the important information is displayed by phone: profile, your contacts, and battery power in percentage ( convenient and accurate).
On the right end there are keys which are responsible for locking the phone when it is closed.
With characteristic click, opening the phone, we’ll see buttons – big and small. All of them separately or together are already familiar.
Standard handsets there, took their place, two soft keys, an excellent job with their roles. Below there is a key “return” and “C”. The entire keyboard is made in typical Sony Ericsson style. And only navigational key somehow gets out of the context, W710i, definitely looks more organic. Numeric keys are medium in size, but due to the division into three blocks and a clear course to work with text, or simply dial the number comfortably.
MP3-player
With all the similarities and differences, consumers are interested in one thing – music features. Engineers went to indirect ploys that artificially divided the model. So in Z710i there is no profile A2DP, which puts an end to stereo Bluetooth-headsets.
Thus, the player is simplified, but not fatal.
Yes, a little about the FM-radio. With it we understand what praise for the quality of reception and ease of use is.
The main difference will be the headset. In W710i there is a stereo headset HPM-65, while Z710i has only HPM-60. During the test, I stepped on the Headset HPM-70, which fell out from somebody’s pocket, as the number of citizens in a narrow street, I did my best to return it to its rightful owner but I couldn’t. Since both models have a standard connector Fast Port so we tested with the headset of Z710i.
The output will not be comforting for the Walkman, with a good headset Z710i is not inferior to his brother in terms of musical sound and plays a couple of specific functions.
Multimedia
In this regard, telephones Z and W differ only by a lack of the first section of Fitness and all that is associated with it. Otherwise, as you know, there are no changes. Both phones support EDGE, Bluetooth (2.0, EDR, but without A2DP in Z version), Infrared, Java, themes, radio, powerful organizer and other functions of a modern phone. Both devices also have the support of Memory Stick Micro (M2) card.
Here lies the second major difference in W710i it has only 64MB. Hot-swappable memory card is not provided; it is implemented in the “warm” form. When changing the memory card you have to remove the battery cover.
Internal memory is 10 MB. As before, the device provides a convenient work with files of phone card, or simultaneously with all together.
Another distinctive feature of Sony Ericsson phones has become a function of multitasking. Player, games, calculator – all these and many other applications can run together.
Organizer and work with contacts are made on a solid top five.
Camera
Cameras in phones differ only in the presence of the mirror at Z version. All other features are standard for phones of this class. CMOS, 2 megapixel, autofocus and the lack of an acceptable quality of images, 2.5-fold-digital zoom. Maximum resolution of the image is 1600×1200 pixels, the average size photo is about 400 Kb. It has standard settings like white balance, and a few simple effects.
Video can be recorded in high quality and for MMS which means the resolution at 176×144 and 128×96 pixels, respectively.
Conclusion
As you can see, the differences between W710i and Z710i are cosmetic, just for a marketing purpose. Today the difference between a Walkman and Z is about 2000 rubles. For this money you can still easily buy a 512MB memory card and a good headset like HPM-70. This is in case you need something not orange, but the extent of solid music phone. Our sample even though it was an engineering one, worked very steadily.
710i is equipped with a Li-Pol battery with capacity of 900 mAh that’s just supports the work of up to 3 days in the active mode without problems, but if you choose the mode with disabled GPRS-module, then up to 5 days.
As a result, we have two absolutely equivalent apparatus. Choose with eyes, most of the major differences can be easily compensated.
