need a new cell phone - thoughts on the w810i?

[LordSnailz]

Been putting off getting a new cell phone for the longest time, mainly cause I like but lately it's been getting really static-ky ... prob. cause I've dropped it one too many times.

I've been eye-ing the w810i ... any thoughts on the phone? Or any other suggestions? I don't need any fancy stuff on it ... just something small and that it's not a flip phone. budget around $100.

 

[lightpants]

I have had mine for about a year - best phone I have ever owned. I used to change phones every 6 months or so. I still look for my next phone, but I have not found anything better.

 

[AnyMal]

Rock-solid phone with great features to boot. If you can find one in good condition for ~$100.00 you won't regret it.

 

[Sphexi]

I've had mine since June something. Very nice phone, Rogers gave me a 1GB memory card with it, then Sony sent out a 4GB for free as part of a promo. I got a de-branded firmware from online so it doesn't have any of the Rogers software on it, and I can use MP3s as ringtones now. Cost me $10 for that. Also, you can go to lasyk.net and get software/ringtones/themes and all sorts of goodies for the phone.

The only thing I've noticed is that sometimes the buttons lose their tactile response, as in I press them, but they don't "click", and I don't feel them press, almost as if they're already stuck pushed in, but they're not. It's a weird feeling, and if I hold them a second or two or push them a few times it starts clicking again. Not sure if it's just my phone or not, but at this point I've modded it enough that I don't want to deal with the warranty and have them deny it because of that.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Nice, but getting old.

SE has introduced a lot of newer stuff since the W810: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson-phones-19.php

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Nice, but getting old.

SE has introduced a lot of newer stuff since the W810: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson-phones-19.php

True enough, I kind of like the K790 myself. Trying to get my wife to upgrade to it

 

[Tyrant222]

Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The w610i is basically a slimmer w810i. The w580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

So if you need quadband phone, look at the w610i or the w580i.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

 

[Tyrant222]

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted. And ya, where did I say the 810 was not quad.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted.

W810i - International version
W810c - for Mainland China

General Network GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900

I count four bands in there?

 

[Tyrant222]

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted. And ya, where did I say the 810 was not quad.

THIS IS WRONG. NO SHIT THE 810 IS QUAD.

Please reread my original post. I said if you need quad, look at the 610 or the 580, these phones have all the features of the 810 however they are much slimmer. Does this make sense to you?

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted. And ya, where did I say the 810 was not quad.

THIS IS WRONG. NO SHIT THE 810 IS QUAD.

Settle down there bucko. SE has at least 20-30 phones that support the 850 band at the moment, 5-10 that are currently released or soon to be released in the North American market. If you don't mind an overseas model then there's a much better selection.

 

[Tyrant222]

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted. And ya, where did I say the 810 was not quad.

THIS IS WRONG. NO SHIT THE 810 IS QUAD.

Settle down there bucko. SE has at least 20-30 phones that support the 850 band at the moment, 5-10 that are currently released or soon to be released in the North American market. If you don't mind an overseas model then there's a much better selection.

So, you want to be useful maybe and recommend one? btw the 610 and 580 are newer than the 810 and are well priced thats why I recommend.

 

[ViviTheMage]

love my w810i.

I have been changing the housing on it for a while...looks rather neat to mix them haha.

OEM WHITE, OEM DARK BLUE, OEM ORANGE, OEM RED.

about 20$ a housing, but I like em!

lots of features in the phone too.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Tyrant222

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: Tyrant222
Well if you need the 850 band, for ATT, then your limited. Sony Ericsson mostly make triband phones.

The 610i is basically a slimmer 810i. The 580i is another nice one. Its a slider but its also pretty slim, slim as the 610.

Uhh, most of them are quad-band, especially the 810i. AT&T carried it for over a year, only recently did they discontinue it. It definitely supports 850, as does most of SE's phones.

Im sorry, but thats wrong, look at the link posted. And ya, where did I say the 810 was not quad.

THIS IS WRONG. NO SHIT THE 810 IS QUAD.

Settle down there bucko. SE has at least 20-30 phones that support the 850 band at the moment, 5-10 that are currently released or soon to be released in the North American market. If you don't mind an overseas model then there's a much better selection.

So, you want to be useful maybe and recommend one?

Already did, the 810i. He was asking about it from people who have it, which I do, so I gave my thoughts on it. He should definitely buy one.

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
love my w810i.

I have been changing the housing on it for a while...looks rather neat to mix them haha.

OEM WHITE, OEM DARK BLUE, OEM ORANGE, OEM RED.

about 20$ a housing, but I like em!

lots of features in the phone too.

Does that come with new buttons, or just the casing?

 

[Spineshank]

I owned one till i screwed up the speaker. Replaced it and then that speaker died in a month. Went out and got a BB Pearl then. Ive since switched from AT&T anyhow since their service seemed to be getting crappier by the day in my area.

 

[ViviTheMage]

It isnt a casing, its a housing...you remove everything down to the mechanics.

generally the set comes with the torx tools and all houses and new buttons.

btw : I use mine on T-Mobile

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Gnrslash4life
I owned one till i screwed up the speaker. Replaced it and then that speaker died in a month. Went out and got a BB Pearl then. Ive since switched from AT&T anyhow since their service seemed to be getting crappier by the day in my area.

If it started happening after the Alpha tag changed from Cingular to AT&T on the screen, then yeah, there's a reason for it. They messed up the PLMN list on the OTA updates from May through early August, didn't realize that it was basically limiting people from using other networks (almost half of them it seems), now the newest version of it is corrected.

Originally posted by: ViviTheMage
It isnt a casing, its a housing...you remove everything down to the mechanics.

generally the set comes with the torx tools and all houses and new buttons.

btw : I use mine on T-Mobile

And where would I get this wonderous thing?

 

[krunchykrome]

It's a pretty old phone. If you're going to spend $100 on a phone, I'd go with a RAZR. I had a RAZR for 2 years, and it was a great phone.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
It's a pretty old phone. If you're going to spend $100 on a phone, I'd go with a RAZR. I had a RAZR for 2 years, and it was a great phone.

Only if it's an international Razr, the ones sold in the States have a 1 out of 4 chance of being crap.

 

[ViviTheMage]

oodles of them on EBAY :

http://search.ebay.com/search/...10i+housing&category0=

just make sure you get a good quality one. My orange one was 10$ shipped from china..and I dropped the phone and nicked some paint off, but no biggy, I had other housings to put on!

This one is actually my favorite, it has like a velvetty touch..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...Item&item=150152869629

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
It's a pretty old phone. If you're going to spend $100 on a phone, I'd go with a RAZR. I had a RAZR for 2 years, and it was a great phone.

Only if it's an international Razr, the ones sold in the States have a 1 out of 4 chance of being crap.

agreed, I hated all 4 RAZRS I had...

My GF loves hers though.

 

[LordSnailz]

well it seems like everyone around here has a razr so that's why I'm trying to avoid, and I don't see too many people with the w810i and it looks pretty cool.

thanks guys, guess I'll pick one off craigslist

 

[JohnAn2112]

I had one for a while and I loved it. The only reason why I'm no longer using it is because I upgraded to an iPhone.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
well it seems like everyone around here has a razr so that's why I'm trying to avoid, and I don't see too many people with the w810i and it looks pretty cool.

thanks guys, guess I'll pick one off craigslist

Check out Howardforums.com and Lasyk.net, both awesome sites. There's information in the SE forums on HF as to how to debrand (not unlock) a 810, complete with instructions on manually programming in the GPRS/SMS/MMS settings. You might see a post or two of mine in there too, from when I did mine back in June. I'm really happy with it, although now I want the wireless FM transmitter showing on SE's site, but I can't find it to buy anywhere yet ....the one downside is that there's no standard headset plug, you HAVE to use SE's proprietary cord, but it accepts any standard 1/8" headphones, or in my case a cheap $20 FM transmitter for the car. I just put the phone on the dash and hang the cord over the rearview, so the mic is up in front of me, and I have a $20 handsfree solution with the car radio working as the speakers