Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman - WT19i

I had written one review right after buying it. Now writing another after seeing so many criticism in flipkart for this phone.

About prize- Every store is selling it at 14 . I called univercell, Poorvika, Flipkart, SE official showroom etc. Buy whomever gives the lowest. But dont go for the 12000 deal. Because u never know when u will need a warranty. I know a guy who changed his neoV after it got a scratch. They replaced it.

About restart- Mine doesn't do it. those who bought of from ebay are crying restarts mostly. U see SE forum and they say 'i bought this in indonesia and using it in india and it restarts' etc and u know its an ebay mob. And no one who bought in india faces the same issue as far as gsmarena's comment section goes. And if it has an issue, they will replace it. My friend replaced his Xperia Mini and then got cashback and bought LWW. But u got to have warranty to do that(refer the previous point)

Battery- Yes it goes off in one day under heavy usage. Seriously, tell my an android which doesn't. NeoV on minimal usage goes off in one day and atleast LWW with its heavy usage lasts one day. With an android device, heavy networking and gaming is unavoidable. The reduced screen resolution actually helps in this issue.

Screen resolution- Are you a tech? Do you have another high end phone with which u r going to compare this every time u uses it? Yes? Then u got a problem. 180 ppi is normal. It doesnt pixelate. And images are bright. And those who cry about ppi, please see low end htc sets. They pixelate and this is way better. And

Lack of BE- Bravia engine is an optimising software. Not hardware. U can root it and all. But trust me. It works fine.

Camera- I haven't used the cam much. Because i didnt buy this to take pictures. I already have another. But as far as i saw, its normal. and flash is good.

Processor- It is the fastest. I have a computer which lags a bit when i am jumping scenes watching a HD(720) movie. But this phone doesn't. I runs smooth. And games too. If anyone points me an android with 1gz processor,512ram and 320internal memory under 15k prize, i will swallow my phone.

Music clarity- Awesome. Loud too. And it looks more hip than an ipod. And there is the FB like button for those who want to annoy their buddies. And infinity button which is awesome if u have wifi. or 3g.

Any other issues?

I would like to clarify few of the popular cons...

1. Video call not possible using GSM. Possible only through GTalk or Skype. - What moron tries video call in GSM network? 2G "DOES NOT SUPPORT" video call. It supports very primitive data rates. A data rate for a video call cannot be satisfied completely by GPRS or even EDGE. Only in a HSDPA or 3G or LTE network do u get data rates enough for smooth video call. And if someone is not using 3G and still wants to make a video call then obviously he has to use GTalk or Skype..which then becomes a data service..not a voice service.

2. RAM 512 is not used fully or Game running slow - Do you tell the handset how much RAM to use? Depending on the app, beckground apps, storage location, battery left, etc the processor decides it. Did u know a game in ph memory runs a hundred milliseconds faster than one stored in a micro SD card??!! Maybe the game itself has failed to tap all the available RAM. Its definitely NOT the handset.

3. Data sharing with PC via Wifi/Bluetooth not possible - Its perfectly posssible. sanding and receiving files via bluetooth is a breeze. Are u sure ur PC even has bluetooth dongle or in-built bluetooth? Wifi protocols and authentication must be setup properly (not like a lousy couch-potato) to do the same. Configure the darn wifi router.

4. Poor battery - Yes a 1200mAh battery is a bit disappointing. But hey have u first checked out other ph batteries in this range? How many Androids do u people juggle at the same time? If more than 1 then seriously get a Net-book. Stop wasting ur father's hard earned money.

5. Small screen - Well do u guys want a freaking 42-inch LED on ur darn phone???? That too at 14k????

6. Android upgrade - Sony (not Sony Ericsson anymore) recently confirmed that all its Xperia handsets will support upgrade to Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich. Guess what..LWW is the O-N-L-Y non-Xperia mobile which will supprt this upgrade. Sony is conglomerating Android 4.0 with its OS nd thats why its takng a bit time. But hey, atleast u can upgrade...others can't!!!

7. Motorola Defy is better - All crap. A 800MHz poop with ancient Android 2.1 aka Eclair cannot truly be compared to 1GHz and Android 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich (yes i can get that old guy). Well lets say Moto just Rolled over and died.

8. Media Player supports only mp4, 3gp, wmv - Well which freaking handset supports mkv,avi,vob,dat,mpg etc??? Stop misleading people. Everyone downloads a media player for those. Thank god its Android. Symbian does not even has a decent media player.

9. Bad camera, bad snaps in low light - Its a wonderful camera. Do u expect DSLR like snaps with 5MP? If yes then get a DSLR instead. What is the flash for if u dnt use in low light? A lot depends on the darn photographer!! Just think..will Karan Johar let u film (that is shoot on camera) his movie? Why not? Lolz.. Get real.

Any more..???

In my view:
Pros:
Low Price (Because I bought with INR:12500 only)
1 Ghz Processor
512 MB Ram (We can use only 335 MB only)
Adreno 205 GPU (Good for gaming)
5 MP camera (Good in Daylight)
Led flash
Simile Shutter,Auto Scene recognition, 3D capture, Touch Capture
HD recording (720p, 30 Fps)
VGA Front Camera for video calling(But only throught Skype, gtalk etc)
Dedicated wallkman key
Stereo Speakers & producing very loud sounds (Xloud)
Noise cancellation mic
Four corner shortcuts
Ginger Bread 2.3.4 & ICS upgradable
Very good design & look
GPS, WiFi hotspot, DLNA, Flash Player 11,
Antutu score 2901
Quadrant Score:1708

Cons:
-Only one day Battery Backup for me (Above avg use)
-Takes more than 2 Hrs for full charging (I don't know about time taken for other phones)
-Low internal memory 420 MB (usable: 320 MB only)
-Not got live headsets for mine & only avg bass through it (Music clarity is good & also Play/Pause, Prev/Next button in headset)
-No mega bass & custom equalizer (Other 10 presets available)
-Distortions from loud speakers when volume is max (xloud ON)
-Camera is not very good in low light conditions
-HD recording is have avg quality
-No video calling through mobile network (Only through data services)
-Low resolution (480x320, 180ppi) (Not very bad)
-Media player only supports mp4, 3gp, wmv (I installed a player from android market it supports every formats such as mkv,avi,vob,dat,mpg etc)
-Because of only mp4,3gp,wmv supports in media player, I can't able to recieve other formats (mkv, avi etc) through Bluetooth, It shows, not supportable file

Final:
Best phone in this price, and It will not disappoints you. Hope some of the cons will be solved in ICS update

Processor is really fast!!!.the phone wont lag and its sound quality is awesome
it has an adreno 205 which is also in arc and other xperia 2011 models ..it can handle all high end games including gta3
the camera quality is not that bad...5Mp-main and 0.3 Mp Front
it has a ppi of 180 which is equal to that of explorer
It supports DLNA ..connected the phone to my TV Via WIFI !!
We Can even Connect a keyboard or a gamepad to the phone via livedock Or To a Live dock to use it as a docking station
Overall 5 Out Of 5!!

Fact 1: Samsung Galaxy Ace has been tenaciously holding on to the mid-range for quite some time now.
Fact 2: Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman is keen to change that.

A list of specifications that would put most top-dogs of yesteryear to shame is a good base to start from. Indeed, Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman comes with mouthwatering hardware (and latest android software) considering the price tag hanging over it. Add to it the planned upgrade to ICS and it probably becomes a seemingly irresistible package, or does it? The pros and cons will put us in a better position to answer that.

Pros:
1. A 1 ghz ARMv7 processor coupled with 512 mb ram is rare for an android device at this price. It sure assures smooth handling of the OS.
2. Adreno 205 gpu.
3. Planned ICS upgrade is a huge plus. It means your phone is highly unlikely to get outdated in the next year or so.
4. HD video recording (although not perfect, it is way better than what most competitors have to offer).
5. Walkman lives true to its name, provides excellent audio output.

Cons:
1. The screen is smallish, has poor contrast and inadequate viewing angles.
2. Video player handles only mp4 and 3gp format (the stock video player). It can handle 720p videos though.
3. The all plastic build and 14.2 mm waistline do not scream premium. To be fair, it was never meant to be a premium device after all.
4. Battery backup is uninspiring.
5. 320 mb internal memory is a painful restriction. It means you cannot install a lot many apps (as quite of them have to be installed on the phone memory itself).

Competition:
At the end it is about getting your priorities right. If you want the latest android on a good processor on the cheap, look no further.
The most obvious alternative would be the Ace duo. Samsung galaxy Ace has been selling well. It has a 800 mhz processor and 256 mb ram. Its internal memory is low as well. Video recording is as worse as it gets but it has 0.3” more screen estate. Ace plus will now be rolling out soon. It ups the ante with a 3.65” screen and a 1 ghz processor combined with 512 ram.

Nokia 603 comes in a similar price and with very competitive hardware too. The HD video recording on board 603 is far better, as is the Nokia Clear Black Display screen. Although it beats Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman on many other counts as well, Android ICS and Symbian Belle are not quite in the same league.
Nokia 700 is another alternative with a 3.2 inch AMOLED CBD display and very attractive profile. HTC Wildfire S is also worth a mention.