5stars
56ratings4stars
22ratings3stars
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Good value100% agree
Long battery life88% agree
Small form factor71% agree
84 reviews
Sony W518a is a really good basic phone
I bought this phone to replace an identical one damaged in the swimming pool...I know, I know. The phone has very good voice quality and maintains signal in some areas my phone previous to my original Sony W518a did not. The phone is just the right size to carry in your pants pocket without feeling bulky. Aside from being a good basic phone it also sports a simple but adequate MP3 player and FM radio. I like being able to listen to the MP3 music without headphones at times when headphones are inconvenient. The speaker quality could be a little better, but hey, it's a cell phone. I feel the gesture control is a little too sensitive and thus do not normally use it.
I cannot comment on the GPS or web features, as I did not want the additional cost of a data plan on this phone.
Overall it's a really good basic phone for the money if you purchase it with a calling plan/agreement (like my original one) or pick up a gently-used one on ebay (like my replacement for the original non-swimming W518a).Read full review...
Lotsa features. Good reception.
Pros:
The Sony Ericsson w518a is a great all around phone. It gets good reception (After all, it is a phone, right?) The Sony Ericsson w518a had a wonderful user interface, as does every Sony phone I have used. The text input, notebook, alarm, calendar, contacts features are awesome. Every phone has these features, but Sony consistently overachieves in design. This is a good phone to use on the Internet, the bookmarking features are great, and the phone is capable of tethering.
Cons:
There are only a few features that I do not like. I really dislike the lock/unlock key on the side. I always keep it locked. If not, the phone turns on the media player and makes noise every time you touch the front of it while it is closed. I do not like the gesture feature either. If I try to use it, I accidentally hang up on people, reset my alarm and oversleep, etc. Both of these problems are eliminated if you keep the key locked. The last thing about the phone I do not like is the keypad. The keys are flush to the phone and have no raised area, which coupled with the very slim thickness of the phone makes my hands sore when using the buttons for an extended period of time.
Basically, the Sony Ericsson w518a is a great phone with good reception for people who do a lot of socialising on the NetRead full review...
If you don't want a smart phone but want a phone with a lot of features.
I had this phone before.When the charger failed,I looked at at&t for a replacement. The Pantec 3 was the only choice and I felt was a step down from what I had before.Pluses 3.2 mg pic camera,fm radio for pbs,small size,memory card,bluetooth.negetives charger,needs screen cover to protect it from the keys,some times the songs go off when the bluetooth is running in the car. Update,I bought another phone because the phone looked brand new and cost about the price of a charger.This phone is not made anymore and there not making phones like this anymore,to my knowledge.Read full review...
Sweet phone, nice features, buttons can be difficult.
I really like this phone overall. I love the Walkman music, the conversation messaging, the overall layout and look of the phone. I don't like the two soft keys, they are basically "lines" not actual keys to punch, can be rather annoying. Also the main menu buttons, green and red phone symbol, etc. is also annoying. These are like crescent moon keys and can be difficult to punch. The point of these keys is to serve basic function, and instead they just look super sleek but not ideal to press. I also which the screen view on the front is rather small. Also I wish it was easier to hit display when the phone is closed. You hit a small side button. If you touch the other side buttons and it will scroll across the screen "slide the key lock button on the phone to unlock these keys" slowly, rather unnecessary. The buttons on the front of the phone for the walkman are also tricky to use, they aren't real buttons again and are difficult to press. I like everything else, just wish the buttons weren't so lame. Who cares what it looks like when you can barely press the buttons.Read full review...
A very decent phone...
My biggest problem with the phone is the fact that I had an LG for four years and I'm having to 'relearn' several different things i.e. texting, menus, etc. This phone has many more capabilities than I needed but Smartphones are the 'thing' and I don't require all those capabilities, even though this one will do many of them. The only reason I replaced the LG was reception quality/dropped calls. They were happening with more and more frequency so that had to stop. I've had the Sony Ericsson for a week now, traveling the same roads, and more, and have yet to lose a call. So the positive is the range. The negs are more personal.
I like to leave my phone on a silent setting and use the vibrating notice. This feature is very weak. In its holster, I don't feel it getting a call. Also, with my ears, its somewhat more uncomfortable to use than the LG. I don't know why... They're both hard-plastic and fairly smooth surfaces so I can't understand why one should be different than the other, but they are but I'm sure I'll adapt and that aspect will be fine in time.
Learning the menus and such will come with practice. Symbol/punctuation entry is different so that's taking some getting used to but capital/lower case selection is easier, as is spacing between words.
And while I one two cameras and always have one or the other nearby, my daughter had a Sony several years ago and the photo quality is impressive. So while that was not a big factor in the decision, I am hoping this phone will be the same.
Two other perks that I like are the radio features. It does have an FM receiver and the one time I've used it, it worked fine. The other that I read about in a downloaded manual but never saw mentioned in any of the online/eBay descriptions is the XM satellite capability. I'm sure you need a 'download' plan as well as an XM subscription but it's nice to have that feature. The Walkman media player is nice but I already have an iPod I carry everywhere so...
Bottom line, for a basic flip phone, while they're still 'out there', this should do you just fine. And getting one for half the price that the carriers charge, without having to re-subscribe to a two-year plan, on eBay is very, very nice.Read full review...
Classy easy phone
I needed a new phone but just a phone with a camera was about all I needed. I really liked the looks and ease of this phone. It is quite small and thin and yet the keys aren't too small like some are. It also has a 3.2 megapixel camera for sending in messages and such. You can get on the internet if you have too which is also a plus. I highly recommend this phone for people who don't want or need all the bells and whistles of the new phones.Read full review...
W518a
I used to own a Walkman W518a..I got at an AT&T store as a free upgrade..I loved it alot. I wear hearing aids and had no trouble whatsoever using it with them. The call quality was the best out of any phone I've owned. I could hear very well on the Walkman compared to other cell phones. I heard the company discontinued them and was sad to hear that. I'd love to have another one because since then I have not been able to find a free upgrade phone that works with my hearing aid. I need a powerful phone where I can hear the person on the other end very well and it won't cause my ear to hurt while using it. The only thing I didn't care for was the size of the numbers and letters on the keypad. I never liked texting because of that. Everything else was great.
I accidently broke the flip on it and it's now unrepairable. I can still use it but I prefer to have the flip on it so the keypad is protected from dirt..etc. Another thing that accidently happened approx 10 months after I got it,is that I dropped it while getting out of my car and didn't realize I had done that. 15 minutes or so had passed before I went back to my car and checked to see if it was there.
When I got to my car there was my phone laying in a huge puddle..because it had poured rain and was still raining when I went back to look. I took it inside and took the back off and the battery out and gently used a hair dryer on all of it and then left the battery out..the back off..the flip open..etc until late the next day. I thought it was ruined for good but when I put it all back together it worked like a charm..I never had any problem with it. At the time the flip broke,which was last month,I was due for a new free upgrade anyway.
Sadly, I recently used it and wish I had waited awhile longer..I'm not happy with the new free phone I got. :(Read full review...
great phone
The phone is awesome. I love the mp3 and it takes very good pictures. The video quality is great for youtube uploads, but it wont replace a camcorder. You can even edit your videos right on the phone.
On the downside, you have to buy Sony earphones for the mp3 player or pay for an adapter to plug normal ones in. The memory card is an m2 which costs a bit more than an sd card and harder to find.
Great reception and sound as a phone I recommend it to anyone. It's not an Iphone but its a great phone, mp3, video and camera. After I got one for my kid, I wanted one too so I bought a used one to save $$$Read full review...
Sturdy, great sound and features, long battery, and a great price.
I LOVE THIS PHONE because:
1. it's small and fits in my pockets
2. it's easy to flip open and answer with one hand even while juggling heavy things with the other hand
3. you can hold it against your shoulder and it doesn't slip off like non-flip phones do
4. I can have my music with me
5. it's easy to text on, even while driving (yeah I know you're not supposed to do this, but...
6. I can check my email
7. you can drop it and it's super sturdy
8. its easy to add contacts to address book
9. it has a nice alarm with snooze and you can set more than one alarm for different activities at different times of the day
10. it charges really fast
11. I talk on the phone all day and as long as I charge it before I go to bed, the battery lasts from 8am to 10pm
12. bluetooth compatible
13. you can plug in your earbuds, stick it in your pocket and walk, jog, whatever
14. easy to hear people talking, and they always hear me -- no distortion and it doesn't make your voice sound muffled like the iPhone or Androids. (my best friend has an iPhone and we talk a lot -- but the sound is horrible, I have to strain to hear her muffled voice, the same with my friends who have Androids. (BTW, I'm a medical transcriptionist so my hearing is super sensitive - I can hear and understand the fastest, mumbled doctors but I can't understand people on iPhones. Go figure.)
NEGATIVES:
1. You can't surf or facebook
2. Your ear gets hot if you're on a call that lasts more than 20 minutes
3. it does take photos but they're not great.
I have recommended this phone to friends who needed an inexpensive phone right away and the love it too.
I don't want an iPhone. I want a small, sturdy phone and this one is great.
BTW, I'm not a teen who needs nonstop texting and facebook and all of that. I do text a lot, and I like using my thumb because I'm a big multi-tasker and don't want to give up my other precious hand that could be doing something else!! LOLRead full review...
Good phone, but not great, not for texting.
This phone purchased as replacement for like model. Original phone served well, but, with several strange quirks. So far this one has been ok.
The phone is very rugged, has physically held up better than the old Razor before it. Only drawbacks have been speaker and battery life. Speaker was always weak but deteriorated to jibberish.
When bill arrived it was always interesting to see what it had managed to buy, call, or otherwise cost me during the previous month. Cured that by blocking all but phone functions with ATT. Even at that, on the last bill I was charged for a ring tone that was ordered by that blocked phone.
Could it be ATT? Naw, never?Read full review...