Sony Ericsson W710i review

Matthew Haigh

The real trick up the W710i's sleeve is the exercise options. It has a built-in pedometer which runs all the time recording how many steps you take each day.

We review the Sony W710i - a Walkman phone in a rugged clamshell case with a host of extras for fitness fans

The W710i is the latest in its range of Sony Ericsson’s Walkman branded phones, this particular one being in a ruggedised clamshell format.

As you’d expect from a Walkman phone, music is well catered for. A set of dedicated buttons on the outside of the phone let you control the player without opening the phone and if you don’t like the standard stereo earphones you can plug your favourite pair into the 3.5mm socket in the headphone cable. In addition to playing MP3s, an RDS radio is also available.

The real trick up the W710i’s sleeve is the exercise options. It has a built-in pedometer which runs all the time recording how many steps you take each day. You can enter your personal details (such as age, weight and how long your stride is) to allow the phone to calculate your approximate calorie burn during a walk or run, and also to tell you how far you’ve walked.

Advanced features include a lap timer, and a pacing function that tells you if you are running faster or slower than a range you’ve chosen. With the provided armband holder you can easily carry the phone on your arm when out running, which is an ideal position to both be able to control the music player and have it register your steps.

There is a 2 megapixel camera on the outside of the phone which takes competent pictures and video clips, though this doesn’t have a flash and is not in the same league as Sony's Cybershot phones.

There is a surprising number of internet capable applications for a standard (non-PDA) handset; POP3 and IMAP email, blog management, an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader to download news headlines from a wide range of websites and, of course, a web browser.

The rest of the phone is well executed, in a very familiar Sony Ericsson way. The case feels solid, with a positive action on the clamshell opening and a tactile rubber surround to the large external secondary display. The main display is bright and colourful, and easily viewable in most lighting conditions. Additional storage for music and photos is available using Sony’s Memory Stick Micro (M2).

Finally, a comprehensive PC software suite supports the phone. This handles Outlook contact and calendar synchronisation, a music application called Disc2Phone lets you convert your CDs to be played on the phone and Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition manages your photographs.