Best Smart Phones in Market

Budget priced phones need not necessarily skimp entirely on features. Such is definitely the case with the Sony Ericsson W395, a nice-looking Walkman handset that doesn’t entirely strip itself bare.

Despite being one of the cheaper phones in the Walkman line, the W395 doesn’t compromise on the music player feature. It comes with Sony’s excellent media UI, with a five-band equalizer and stereo widening. More notably, it boasts very good onboard stereo speakers (a bit flat, but very loud), although it uses proprietary headphone connectors. To make that latter decision less disappointing, Sony did bundle a good set of ear buds with the phone.

Physically, it bears a strikingly appealing design. With a metallic finish and sturdy build quality, the chassis inspires more confidence than similarly-priced music phones from Nokia. The 2-inch screen only manages a low 220 x 176 pixels, despite being sharp and bright, making it a less-than-ideal display. Keypad may be a little too small for comfort, as well, but it’s very responsive.

As a phone, the W395 manages good voice calls, with loud and clear sound. Same goes with the high-volume speakerphone capability. Battery life is decent, lasting a good two days or more of regular use.

Like the LCD, the camera is another casualty of the phone’s budget price. The 2 megapixel optics set isn’t good at all, managing shots that look quite bad when transferred to a PC (plenty of digital noise and blue fringing). There’s no 3G either, so the music capabilities, along with a few basic apps, are all you get.

Overall, though, you get a slight more than you pay for with the Sony Ericsson W395. Sure, it doesn’t bring much to the table; but the music capabilities are excellent for any phone in this price range (around $150, depending on where you buy).