Connectivity and Net-Based Services
When it comes to connectivity this baby is loaded. It supports 3G technology with HSDPA, EDGE/GPRS, and WAP. For PC connectivity SE’s proprietary USB is available, and thanks to USB V2.0, transfer is quick. The W890 also has Bluetooth with an A2DP profile. The SE browser is the same as in all other handsets and allows landscape and portrait modes as well as full-screen viewing.
Other Internet options include SE’s 'Play Now' feature (not yet accessible in India), TrackID, and 'Plus' for downloading extra applications, wallpapers, themes etc. The W890 can be used as a Bluetooth enabled remote for your PC. The handset can also be used with an external GPS unit.
Media
From its media gallery menu (no auto screen rotation feature as in the W910 or K850), the W890 looks good. This models incorporates SE’s SenseMe feature that needs to be used with the Music Manager PC Software to transfer music to the phone. I wonder why it wasn’t incorporated directly into the phone. There are separate modes for storing and playing back podcasts and audiobooks, and even a feature that sorts songs by date and genre.
The Walkman Player v3.0 is good; not great but good. Not as loud as I’d have liked it though, and this is where the Walkman series really irks me. But there’s no denying the quality. With EQ presets (that includes Sony’s MegaBass and a manual EQ) users can adjust the output a bit. It also has stereo widening and a couple of visualizations including Album Art Display.
The video player works just fine with the appropriate formats. The W890 supports 3GPP (H.263, H.264), MP4, RealVideo 8 and WMV formats for video and MP4 (AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+), MP3, M4A and WAV, formats for audio. It also has an FM radio with RDS that works quite well even while commuting. There’s also a voice recorder.
Other fun features include a few games to keep you occupied. If you’re into making your own tunes the W890 also has a MusicDJ application along with PhotoDJ and VideoDJ for jazzing up your videos and pictures. One of the better apps for having fun with audio is the Music Mate application that lets you simulate beats from various musical applications. But in this handset you’ll have to use the keypad, unlike in the W910 where you could simply swing away and create the sound.
Dear COOLPCGUY
