Sony Ericsson Z500
Average Ratings
Good Choice
Ok i think this phone is great! The things i really love about it the fact that you can record music and use it as a ringtone instead of wasting money downloading.
It also has a video recorder/camera and the video recorder as unlimited time. The camera is not as near as bad as many have made it, you just need the right lighting and the pics come out great. The phone even has a picture editor in it where you can add clipart and a number of other things to pictures.
You can also change the faceplates although they are hard to come by and i love the speaker, it is nice and clear.
The only bad thing i can say about this phone is that it doesn't or in my case atleast, it doesn't come internet-ready, you have to set it up your self and i have yet to figure that out. Its also kind of big, but i have adjusted and gotten use to it in the short time I've had it.
All in all its a great phone and a good choice for me.
LOVE IT!!
I love this phone. The only thing that I would change is the size. But after all this phone does everything. I know a lot of people are not happy because it doesn't have blue tooth, but we knew before it even came out that it was not going to have it.
Pros:
camera
video
color screen-external and internal
volume of rings and speaker
rings
battery life
edge internet
signal strength
Con:
size
Every time I play with this phone I find something else that I didn't know it had.
Awesome phone, some bad programming
this is a sweet phone! i got it about a month ago, and it works really well. i might just be talking out my a$$ cause i upgraded from a 2lb. kyocera, but i think its really good. its cheap to buy, but not cheaply built. rugged construction and easy to use. alot of reviews say things like "blue screens keep coming up" and "its so quiet". well i got new for them: u bought broken phones! i bought a broke one too, but i went back to the store and they promptly exchanged it. OK here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
-good reception
-really nice screen (except in sun)
- GREAT REBATE AND FREE MOVIE TICKETS
-loud ring
-the themes are cool
-awesome phone book! holds so much info
-the camera takes good pictures (better at long distances)
-video is same quality as camera
-its not super light and tiny (which i don't like) but not bulky or heavy
-no exterior antenna! ill never go back to having one
-cool rigntones, and a nice composer
-turns heads
-external screen
Cons:
-all games are demos
-volume kinda sucks unless phone is closed
-dust collects on external screen (but you cant see it when its on)
-not enough info on missed or previous calls (my old kyocera was better there)
-cingular customer service is TERRIBLE!
-trying to change your number is nearly -impossible if u want a number from a far away area code (i tried getting a Jacksonville # from miami....geez it was crappy service)
-prepaid service is a joke....get a good contract or something...
over all this is a really great phone. cheap, entertaining, functional, and fun.
Incredible Phone, Highly recommend
This is the phone to which all others (especially Motorola) should be compaired. There is only one feature this handset lacks.. Bluetooth. The however to that story is the incredible speakerphone which can easily be used with great clarity on the interstate. If I could give it a 6 I would.
Good Multi-Tasking Phone
Pros:
-nice look
-clear, bright screen
-decent menue system
-amazing camera with photo editing built in
Cons:
-cheap plastic feel
-really crappy ringtones (no standard ring)
-soft vibrate
-button layout is subpar
i got this phone because it had a camera, organizer, and speakerphone (all things i needed) and it fills those requirments just fine. im just really disapointed with the cheap feel
pretty darn good
I replaced my NEC 525 with this phone and I am glad I did. The phone is pretty cool.
PROS
light weight
good camera
easy menu functions
lots of bells and whistles
fun fun fun
the key pad is easier to use than the NEC, but not as easy as Samsung
answers when opened
CON
The battery does not last at all!!! I have to charge it mid day and night.
Still, I recommend getting it. It will keep you occupied (playing) when you are bored.
Decent for what it does
I just received this phone and had several days to get the feel of its workings. If you're considering this phone, some quick things to first point out. Read through the other reviews here and you'll notice a few common shortcomings of the Z500a:
* Yes, the screen is horrible in bright sunlight situations. With the backlighting off, forget it... you won't be able to see the time/date outer-display screen at all.
* Battery life... quite horrendous. If you use your camera a lot, make several calls a day, or enjoy playing the various pre-loaded games, you'll drain your battery in no time at all. My advice is to buy a higher rated lithium battery that can easily be found on eBay.
In summary...
Pros:
Strong signal reception
Good size. Not too big, not too small
Very easy navigation through options
Great pictures (best size is medium format)
Video recording w/sound
Plays streaming video/MP3
Loud ringtones/message alerts
Excellent Organizer
Nice themes/wallpapers
Outer color display
PC/USB data link capable
Very fast web-browsing with EDGE
Lots of optional accessories on eBay
Cons:
Bad screen(s) in bright sunlight
Horrible battery life
Cannot turn off camera shutter sound
Preloaded games are demo's
Cheesey preloaded ringtones
No Bluetooth/IR
Overall, the Pro's outweigh the Con's, so I'm pretty happy with the basic capabilities of this phone. A word of caution though... it's only offered through Cingular Wireless. And yes, the horror stories you've heard about Cingular are indeed TRUE. The ABSOLUTE WORST Customer Service Reps ever! They're actually very courteous and polite (at least the ones I've talked to?), but, they're quite incompetent at getting problems resolved in one call. To get a simple thing done, you'll probably find yourself calling Customer Service at least two, three or maybe even four or five times... and I wish I were joking about that.
If at all possible, skip this phone and go with either Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.
Great phone for the price (free).
This phone is a free Cingular upgrade from my Motorola T720.
Pros:
Arrows are programmable. I now use my up arrow for the month.
Back Button. This is a very convenient way to back out of a screen.
Edge Technology. Downloads are noticibly faster than with my old Motorola.
Speaker Phone. This is a nice feature so I don't have to hold the phone to my ear all the time. I can just lay the phone on my desk.
Large Screen.
Buttons are large enough for my XL fingers.
Most menus are intuitive.
Built in camera and video which I won't use much except to play with.
Adequately loud ringer.
Screen lag is low.
No dropped calls (Columbus, OH)
Cons:
Speakerphone could be louder.
Cannot read signal strength bars.
This is my first Sony Ericsson phone. I have owned Nokia and Motorola. The SE phone provides all the features that I need.
the best phone in the world
i love this phone it is the best and i dont know why peeps say it has a small scree i think it is plenty big and the phone is not big at all and i tack pics and vidos with it all the time and they come out grate i get relly good singal too i dont have to go out side i even get service in my celler and i only have i bar in there but i can here peeps fine and they can here me i love it and the only reson why the batt dies quick is if u look at what type of batt is in your phone if it says li polymer get rid of that batt they dont last long u need to get a li ion or something like that lol i got a li ion batt and i dont have to charge it for 1 week i love the batt i got now. pros prity much every thing expect for what i put in the cons. cons the battrey that comes with phone dont last long. so get a new one.
