w880i review, primera parte

w(880)iiiii! my w880i is in da hauz na! tito humphrey brought it with them from NY. please see my previous post (w880i on the way to mommah) to explain why my phone ended up in NY. hehehe!

when i opened the box, hanipis! i fell in love with it the first moment i saw its brushed stainless steel face plate. homaygad! astig!!!! when i held it in my hand, it feels perfect! suddenly, the pain of spending vanished, replaced by a sense of pride that i got a really nice phone! wehehe! so thin, so cool-looking, so solid in feel. this is exactly how i felt during my first meeting with my 8890. hehehe!

ok, maybe i underestimated the features of w880i, because when i was playing around with it today at work, i found myself wondering... "what will this button/option do?"... it sure surprised me to see that even though it's not listed as one of the high-end phones in the market, everything in there was more than what an average user, just-about-right-geeky electronics-fanatic will love.

i haven't tested the features extensively... i've only used it for normal voice calls, text messaging, and other "normal" setting up stuff. i still need to do several things to really test it to the limit... sign up for data plan to be able to use the internet browsing features... populate my 1GB (free/bundled) memory stick with music and pics... take pictures, videos... use a bluetooth headset... in short, i've only used the basic functions of the phone. i've decided to test that first, since if that sucks, i'll send it back for a replacement right away.

so here is my initial take on the w880i... i will give MY personal observations on features that strike me the most. after all, most phones have the same stuff, like calendar, alarm clock, stop watch, timer, calculator, etc.

i will give a more detailed review later when i've tested everything... =)

raves:

• form factor, definitely. =) it is really very thin. thinner than the KRZR... actually, maybe it is as thin as the KRZR, WHEN FLIPPED OPEN. hehehe! downside of this thinness is you can't prop it against your shoulder when trying to talk on the unit with no hands. well, yeah, you can still do it, but you will risk dropping it, or breaking your neck (ok, maybe just a stiff neck). also, it is wide enough to give you a solid grip-feel when holding it. unlike some phones that are too narrow that they make you hold it slanted, this is as solid as solid can get. when i grasp it, the base of my middle finger and of my thumb rests comfortably on the sides of the phone, making me feel i'm securely holding it. the length is just about right.
• the stainless steel face plate is wayyy cool! i feel like my phone will transform anytime. hehehe! it's not too flashy to make it look cheap. it is actually low-profile because it is brushed finish, making it look elegant. the numeric buttons are flashy, but they are small, so it makes them standout for the "illusion" of ease of use. the back of the phone is of matted rubber finish. it looks like suede, but it feels like rubber. does that make sense?
• the screen's brightness can be adjusted. the keypad lights up when the phone is on standby mode. pretty much like 8890 that lights up the keypad too. controls are laid out very well. i still need to get used to the space character being on the # button. hehe! buttons are tiny, but they are very nice. they actually feel like the nokia buttons, you can feel when you've pressed it hard enough to register.
• the in-call volume is decent. i thought i was going to have problems with it, because people are saying it is low. it is just right for me. there's an option to adjust it when you are on a call. the ringer volume is decent as well. not as earth shattering as nokia, but is comparable with KRZR, maybe even better. =)
• fast. menu is fast, button-press-to-screen response is fast, startup is fast. i will have to retest it when i have a full memory though.
• menu is well laid out. you can navigate through them without looking at the user manual. all it takes is some common sense. and some cellphone-operation background/experiences. hehe!
• you can set an option for your ringer to be increasing in volume. this is useful in semi-crowded places when you cannot pocket it and use the vibrate option. the ring tone will start with a soft volume, and grows louder until you answer the call.
• i just took a quick peek into the camera and video features, i saw there's an option to use effects like B&W, sepia, and negative. you can adjust the brightness, use a timer, add in date and time, change the shutter sound, or use night mode. in short para din syang digicam talaga, only less manual controls, and no preset scene modes besides the night mode. mostly ganon din sa video, plus the option to save as a high-res video or just picture message, and option to turn the mic on or off.

rants:

• no option to delete all contacts on sim card. if you want to clear your sim card, you have to delete the contacts there one by one. does any SE user know if there is a way around this? =)
• the port for the charger/data transfer cable was exposed. although almost all candybar phones are like that, i just wished they put in a rubber cover to protect it against dust.
• limited themes, and less than impressive concepts in their packaged graphics. maybe for the K-series they have better graphics, but on this one, i'm not so impressed. i will just import my pics here and use them as wallpapers, start up screens, screensavers...

that's it for now. =) geez, i feel like i'm testing out my zeni and ka noni at the same time! so many features packed in this small package, i don't know where to start tinkering! hehehe!