Sony Ericsson Z520 / Z525
Average Ratings
Super Duper
Love this phone-had the nokia 6230 for 2 hours when my hubby got the z520-and took my nokia back because this phone was so much fun.
The interface rocks. It is colorful, easy to manipulate and the graphics are superior.
The reception is better than my Nokia was as well-and I love the various face plates-its so small and tiny.
Camera is good-put I totally agree-I took pictures in my pocket-bad idea to have that button on the side.
Three cons that bug me:
1. Speakerphone shuts off when you close it-what is up with that? How are you supposed to use it?
2. The calendar option doesn't offer alot-the only thing the nokia had that I liked was the ability to denote that a mark on the calendar was a birthday-or meeting and you could do this with ease and make it reoccuring.
3. I can't figure out how to turn off the camera button noise-it is so loud-and it was a little embarrasing when it went off by accident in my pocket.
Other than that-this phone beats my old Moto and the Nokia I spent $30 bucks on and took back! Way to go Sony-just fix these little issues.
i love thsi phone
i have had this phone for a year and i love it but its camera is not that great but i still love this phone it has cool things o it display has good color compared to the stupid v180. i had TO GET THIS PHONE ITS A GRAET PHONE
Great all around phone
Pros:
-Excellent sound quality
-Easy to use interface
-Inexpensive compared to other phones
Cons:
-Screen scratches if you breathe on it
-Side buttons do not lock. Continually turning on the camera by accident. Or adjusting the volume by accident.
Sound quality is primary for me. So this phone is a keeper.
Great phone
Best bang for your buck. By far. I've owned this phone for over a month now and its treated me very well. Before this I owned the sony ericsson T616 which never ever let me down. So, i was leaning towards another sony ericsson because of its simple and easy to use interface and its stellar set of features. I've seen and owned other phones from samsung, LG and motorola but the only other product that I would consider owning is nokia. However when it comes to a tight budget there is no other phone with more features for the price than the Z520. It's quite a step up in terms of design from the previous Z500 model. If your in the market for a new phone and dont' have the budget, heck, even if you do, look no further. This is your phone.
Pro's:
Nice, small design
Interchangable faceplates
Lengthy video option
Simple interface
Wealth of options within the phone
Bluetooth/Infared
Mp3 ringtones
Amazing battery life
Cool blue lights when calls come in
Good quality speakerphone
Nice Keypad
16mb of memory
Durable
Cons:
Can be difficult to flip with one hand
Can't listen to speaker if phone is closed
Screen isn't the highest of resolutions
Camera isn't one of the best out there
A definite winner
The only phones I have ever owned have either been Motorola or Nokia, but not anymore!!! I've only had this phone about 5 days and I'm absolutely thrilled with it!! I previously had gotten a V3 and from day 1 was a nightmare so I sent it back and waited awhile because of this bad experience. Later I decided to look at the user reviews again on this site and based on the reviews (I think what everyone said was pretty much dead on) to give the Z520a a try. Unless something drastically changes with the phone, I would say this is one of the best phones I've ever had!!
My Review of Z520a
I just bought this phone on Wednesday. I had a NOKIA 6102 before this and was very happy with NOKIA products. Only thing was I would here "echos" of myself when using the NOIKA, and I'm not sure if it's the phone or network. Anyway, I decided to give Sony Ericsson a try for the first time. Here's my 2 cents:
Pros: Great design and style
-Perfect size, not too big not too small
-Keypad is fabulous
-The antenna is different and stands out.
-I like the screen size and colors are actually better than the Nokia 6102.
-Menu and navigation is good, easy to understand
- Camera is good for a mid-range phone
- Reception is great, very clear
- Excellent standby and talk time
- Icons in menu are attractive
- Calendar alarm functions are great
- Speakerphone is good, would like to see a dedicated speakerphone button instead of going thru a menu.
Cons:
- Don't like the backlight going out after a few seconds. Can't change the options on that
- Volume seems a bit low if I'm talking outside. If inside office or room, it's fine.
- Signal bar indicator is a bit small, could be bigger
- Battery cover is hard to open!
Navigatin keys could be a little bigger, but I did adjust to it.
Overall, this phone has been reliable and easy to use. I'm in Canada in two weeks, lets see how it works up there. Hopefully, it will work well without any hitches.
knvinvest
It's a good phone for the money
I just got the phone 2 days ago. I wont list the pros and cons, because everyone has done that for me. My honest opinion, its a good phone to get just to get GSM. Since my TDMA was getting bad reception, I had to get a good enough GSM until UMTS.
The phone ear piece volume is good, but not as loud. If you are in car at 60mph with the windows up, you can make out some of the words people are telling you.
There is a glitch or flash of the screen whenever you open the phone.
Outer screen cover scratches very easily. Keep the plastic cover until you get a case. (I didn't).
The camera button does get in the way. The camera resolution in my wife's Motorola V400 is way better and they are both VGA.
I was undecided between the Nokia 6102 or this one. I chose this one because of the memory, bluetooth and because you can assign ring tones to persons. The 6102 can only do groups.
The flashing lights are a nice accent, but I don't know how long those will last.
It's very light compared to my old 6120.
I hope there is a firmware update for this phone since I am hooked with Cing for 2 years, unless something better and not as expensive comes out within the next 28 days.
Nice Phone
Have had the phone for about two weeks. Played with all the features, I can find anyway. So many, I am sure I missed some. Love this phone. I had the Nokia 6230 before this. This phone has a much better camera and display. The only thing I wish it had was a memory expansion slot for more memory. It sounds very good. Great voice and ringtone volume. The menu is easy to navigate, even with one hand. Enter text is quick, keys are easy to distinguish without looking. Battery life is good. I use the phone for at least two days before plugging in to recharge. Then it is usually only half gone.
One other con (besides no memory slot) is the camera button is touchy. Have taken a few pictures of the inside of my pocket. At least the shutter sound is loud enough so you hear it when it happens and can turn the camera back off so it doesn't wear down the battery.
Overall superb phone. Highly recommend!
Awww man!!!!!!
This wonderful phone that I want so badly and love so dearly has been recalled.The phone was frezzing and malfuctioning.It is going to b re-released again on cingular.The good thing is that its getting software updates and will b cheaper than before.The cingular representative said that it should b back out in a couple of weeks.Cant wait to get the updated 1.Thats the good thing.
Review of Sony Ericson Z520a
Initially I loved this phone; however, the first one shot craps after two weeks. The second one has now done the same after about two months. The third one hasn't arrived yet, but it will go back too if it's got any annoying kinks.
Pros: Unique, light phone with hearing and voice clarity; cool screensavers and wallpaper; antenna is sturdier than others so if it's drop it won't snap; since cover plates snap on, the covers can be changed cheaply. Quick charging time.
Cons: Could use louder (and more varied ringtones) for people who are going slightly deaf. Can't see the outside window if you are in sunlight.
Really hope the third times the charm as I hate having to call Cingular to complain, even it is a ligitimate complaint.
