Sony Ericsson W350 Specs Pricing & Features Unveiled

Design and Build

The Sony Ericsson W350 boasts a unique and sleek design that was ahead of its time. Measuring just 104 x 43 x 10.5 mm and weighing a mere 80 g, it was incredibly compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around in your pocket. The flip design added a layer of protection to the keypad, which many users found appealing. Available in a variety of colors such as Electric Black, Ice Blue, and Turbo Red, among others, the device catered to a wide range of style preferences. The use of Mini-SIM was standard for the period, and the phone provided a convenient flip cover to safeguard the keypad.

Display

Featuring a 1.9-inch TFT display capable of showing 256K colors, the screen offered decent visuals with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. Although modest by today's standards, this display size and quality were considered adequate for the phone's functionalities at the time. The display's pixel density stood at around 148 pixels per inch, which provided a reasonable level of clarity for viewing texts and images.

Camera

The Sony Ericsson W350 came equipped with a single 1.3 MP camera. While it did not support video recording, the camera was capable of capturing basic photos, serving well for quick snaps. This was a standard feature among feature phones of that era, providing users with the ability to take simple, everyday photographs.

Audio and Entertainment

The W350 was a part of the Walkman series, which was renowned for its audio capabilities. It supported MP3 and AAC ringtones and included a loudspeaker for playing music aloud. Unfortunately, the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack was a downside, but the device supported Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, allowing wireless audio streaming to compatible devices. The phone also featured a stereo FM radio with RDS support, enhancing its music-playing capabilities.

Memory and Storage

Internal storage was limited to 14MB, but there was a Memory Stick Micro (M2) card slot, allowing for expansion up to 4 GB. Initially, the phone came with a 512 MB card included, which was sufficient for storing a reasonable number of songs, photos, and applications. The phonebook could store up to 1000 entries, each with 20 fields, and it supported photo call, which was a useful feature for recognizing contacts at a glance.

Connectivity

Connectivity options for the Sony Ericsson W350 were limited compared to modern smartphones. The device was compatible with GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 networks, had Class 10 GPRS, and EDGE technology. There was no support for WLAN or GPS positioning, but the phone did offer USB 2.0 for wired connections and data transfer.

Software and Features

The W350 ran on a basic feature phone operating system. Despite its simplicity, it supported a range of messaging options including SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, and Instant Messaging. It had a WAP 2.0/xHTML browser and supported Java MIDP 2.0 for running Java-based applications and games. The device integrated RSS reader functionality, catering to users who wanted to keep up with news and updates.

Battery

The phone was powered by a removable Li-Po 780 mAh battery (BST-36). It offered a standby time of up to 300 hours and a talk time of up to 7 hours, which was fairly long-lasting for the time. Music lovers would appreciate the up to 15 hours of music play on a single charge, embodying the Walkman spirit of extended music enjoyment.

Market Release and Discontinuation

Announced in January 2008 and released in May of the same year, the Sony Ericsson W350 was on the market for a limited period before being discontinued. Priced at around 70 EUR, it positioned itself as an affordable mid-range device that focused heavily on music and style.

Conclusion

The Sony Ericsson W350 was a distinctive feature phone that capitalized on the popularity of the Walkman brand. It offered basic mobile phone functionalities with a strong emphasis on music playback. Its compact design, coupled with expandable storage and a dedicated music player interface, made it a practical choice for users who prioritized music on-the-go. Although it lacked some advanced features like video recording and high-speed internet, the W350 maintained a significant fanbase due to its stylish aesthetics and robust build quality.