Sony Ericsson W715 for Music Lover

The Sony Ericsson W715 is the latest Walkman handset to arrive with A-GPS satellite location technology embedded. Its look, build and features may look strikingly similar to the ably-equipped, W705, but the Sony Ericsson W715 has one distinct advantage over its range-mate: location, or, to be exact, location finding.

The Sony Ericsson W705, announced last year, packs an award winning audio experience into a classy slide form factor. Comprising a smooth brushed metal finish on the front and matt black plastic on the back, the W705 certainly excels in the
looks department. And as a member of the Walkman family, the W705 takes music seriously too. Alongside the latest Walkman Player 3.0, the W705 supports a host of different audio file formats including MP3 and AAC. The new W705 also features
premium Sony Ericsson music features such as TrackID, Shake control and SensMe playlist. Expandable memory gives plenty of storage space and stereo FM radio boosts your listening opt elegance to its Walkman sliderphone line-up, reworking the angular brushed aluminium gorgeousness of the candybar W880i and W890i into a slimline slide-down format.

Sony Ericsson's regular package of Google Maps mapping, search and route finding software is present again, but Find & Go provides another online-based mapping and route-finding option. This offers a broadly similar set of search and route-finding
options to Google Maps in its basic service, but users can upgrade to the complete Find & Go service that delivers full Sat Nav functionality, including voice guided turn-by-turn instructions for driving or walking, and 3D map views onscreen.

It's not all about looks though - the W715 has the latest high-grade Walkman music player software onboard, with a 4GB memory card in-box, and packs Wi-Fi and high-speed HSPA 3G mobile download and upload capability. Along with video calling
from a front-facing camera above the display and other multimedia stuff, there's a 3.2-megapixel camera included too.

In the UK, the W715 is available solely as an exclusive on Vodafone deals, which could be an issue for some potential buyers who like the W705 but prefer having GPS as well. We thought the W705 was a decent enough mid-range Walkman phone, but the addition of A-GPS satellite location finding makes the W715 an even more attractive proposition. If camerawork is your priority, this won't be for you, but its Walkman music phone credentials are certainly up to the high standards we've come to expect.

A classy design and ample set of mid-range functions, along with its Wi-Fi and HSPA connectivity give this plenty of pocket punch for a non-smartphone handset.

Author: jasperplmltd