Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Review

Finally, the hands of the editors of this blog reached the smartphone on Android, but not Xperia. The final line under 2011 was the honor to bring the model Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman . The company decided to give a new life to the Walkman brand by first releasing it on Android. But in order to avoid confusion with the brands, the Xperia title was refused the title, leaving just Walkman. It should be noted that the “wokman backgrounds” didn’t especially disappear anywhere, successfully releasing all these years, however, this platform is his first incarnation. Despite the difficulties with the name, Live with Walkman is made exactly on the same hardware as other models from the Xperia line of 2011, so in the end we have the best Sony Ericsson hardware at a modest price.

The characteristics are almost Xperia mini, only a larger screen.

Specifications:

Weight and dimensions: monoblock measuring 106x56 mm and 14.2 mm thick, 115 g
Screen: 3.2 inches, 320x480 pixels, capacitive, multi-touch, with auto-rotation
Processor: Qualcomm 8255, 1 GHz
OS: Android 2.3.4
Battery: lithium-ion , with a capacity of 1200 mAh
Memory: 1024 MB internal, 320 MB memory for applications available, 2 GB MicroSD card included, up to 32 GB supported
Camera: 5 MP, with autofocus, flash and 8x digital zoom, panorama and 3D shooting function Panoramas
Video: up to 720p (1280x800), 30 fps
Colors: black, white

Appearance and Ergonomics

Live with Walkman is made in the recognizable style of the latest Sony Ericsson. Outwardly, it resembles another model from walkman's - Sony Ericsson W595 . But ideologically, it is rather the heir to the Sony Ericsson budget hit last year - the Xperia X8. Externally, these models are especially similar in the white color of the case. Live with Walkman is different except for the presence of a W button and hidden flush touch menu keys, like this year's Xperia mini.

This similarity, presumably, is not accidental - Live with Walkman acts in the same price category ~ 8000 rubles. , has almost the same dimensions and weight and a slightly larger (0.2 ") screen. So for owners of the X8 there is reason to think about a new thing.



The two main Live with Walkman buttons - power / lock the screen and launch the player - are at the top, left and right of the 3.5 mm audio jack located in the same place and are united by a common rubber grip. The audio jack on top for the phone is the most convenient option, but subject to a direct plug. The L-shaped plug of the headset included in the kit is not very convenient, because it constantly blocks access to one of the keys, and it’s not clear at all why it is needed with this arrangement of the audio output - usually a bent plug is used when the connector is located on the side. Apparently, the whole thing is in unification. So it makes sense to immediately buy more expensive headphones - especially since this is still an audio smartphone.



The headset jack is framed by an LED that blinks green or orange (the Walkman brand). This blinking can be disabled in the player settings.

The situation on the sides is more traditional - on the right are the two-shoulder volume control button and the camera button, on the left there is a microUSB connector. By the way, it’s good that they refused the stub - in comparison with the same X8. I remember, I just tore off this plug as unnecessary. This is only necessary for all super-protected smartphones like Xperia active, in other cases it just bothers.



At the back is not one, but two traditionally high-profile speakers for Sony Ericsson.

Interface

The Live with Walkman has a corner interface familiar from other compact Sony Ericsson compact models, sharpened specifically for manipulating with one thumb (this, by the way, is the answer to why it doesn’t exist on “big” smartphones - try to reach the opposite corner of the Xperia arc screen with your thumb, eg).



As usual, up to 4 icons can be shoved in the corners each - a total of 16 constantly available applications. At the disposal of the user - 5 desktops.

Music

The presence of a separate start button for the media player is so convenient that it would be nice to make it an industry standard - like a separate camera key, for example.

The standard headset allows you to implement all the basic scenarios of music playback with one button: a single press - pause / play, two presses - fast-forward, three - backward. Well, the volume, respectively, is regulated on the body. In general, this is enough to not get the phone out of your pocket.

The functionality provided by the Live with Walkman player is as follows:

Sort music by album / artist / track and user playlist. Of course, it works better if you upload music to your phone in albums, rather than in separate tracks, somehow and somehow recorded somewhere. The smartphone, although smart, can not be reduced to one group name, for example, The Black Eyed Peas recorded at least 3 different options.



Infinite button, offering a context menu of actions with the track being played. Search for other extensions means the ability to expand this menu with more functions.



In the settings there is, of course, an equalizer, offering to choose one of the appropriate styles of performance.



However, as for me, in a musical apparatus there should be only one mode “sound is good”, the rest is pampering. And if you get tired of your own music, you can turn on the radio.

Summary

A separate Walkman button.
The platform of the “older” Xperia models.
Low price.

L-shaped plug of the standard headset.

The Xperia X8 budget heir with the characteristics of adult Xperia smartphones - what is not a great New Year present? The winking green-orange Live with Walkman LEDs are as if designed to create a festive mood on winter evenings.

But seriously (although I was also serious above), there is a successful combination of consumer qualities and price: a large screen and a powerful processor with a video accelerator are the best option for modest money. Many have already appreciated this - for example, at the last meeting in St. Petersburgone of the habrausers showed a freshly acquired Live with Walkman. Which, in general, is not surprising - this is a good choice for a person who does not want to overpay and wants to squeeze the maximum out of a minimum of investments.
Both copies - my test one and his own - we took a picture of as a souvenir:



By the way, I asked him with an addiction about the purchase - I am satisfied, he says.

Holiday greetings!