Sony Ericsson W395 ‘an absolute steal’

Another music-focused handset has hit the market in the form of the Sony Ericsson W395 and one expert has suggested this particular device may prove to be "an absolute steal".

Joining the manufacturer’s line of Walkman models, Cnet’s Frank Lewis explained the firm has once again put out a gadget that incorporates features like an integrated player, dedicated buttons and an easy-to-use track library system.

However, one particular area which may be of interest to some is the pricing of the W395, which starts at around £48 on some pay-as-you-go packages and goes up to about £110 for those who want the sim-free option.

When it comes to contracts, the article added the gadget can be picked up free on certain tariffs that will set the user back around £20 per month – making it "one of the cheaper handsets in the current Walkman range".

Despite this, Mr Lewis said the Sony Ericsson W395 is a well-built model that fails to do what many devices in its category do in opting for cheaper, more "plasticky" cases, while the sliding mechanism "looks the business".

The mobile is equipped with a two-megapixel camera, FM tuner with RDS support, a two-inch display and 10 MB of on-board memory expandable to 4 GB with a compatible card and in size.

Other functions that are singled out for praise include the handset’s stereo speakers which are "up there with the best built-in speakers we’ve heard on a mobile" and although the camera is described as "quite poor", Mr Lewis concludes the W395 "offers excellent call quality".

Those looking for a higher spec Sony Ericsson device may be more interested in the manufacturer’s multimedia-focused Satio and Aino models.