Price: US $214.99
Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range gave the manufacturer a reputation for top-class music phones, but its handsets gradually got bigger and clunkier and metamorphosed into ‘media phones’. With the exception of the Xperia range, these phones have been average at best. With the Zylo, though, there is a welcome return to both the basics and the Walkman range.
A handset that manages to be featherlight yet not feel cheap, the Zylo’s matte silver design gives it a contemporary feel.
A stylish matte silver finish with blue accents give the Zylo a sleek, modern appearance, with a 2.6-inch screen that slides up to uncover the roomy keyboard. It’s very light, at just 115g, but in no way feels cheap. The central OK key acts as a control for the music player and a multitasking key lets you view any apps you have open.
The music player is central to this phone, but the camera doesn’t really cut it other than as a token gesture.
An accessible grid interface displays your programs, which you control via the central OK button, and a scrollable widget toolbar for social networking and such.
The web browser can be slow, as can social networking, but the Walkman music player works very well indeed.
The Zylo’s battery power is good, giving you 210 minutes’ talktime and 400 hours’ standby before you have to refuel.
On the left-hand side of the phone are a volume control rocker and the dedicated Walkman key, which also works the camera shutter when you’re in camera mode. The camera is nothing special, with a 3.15-megapixel resolution and no flash or auto-focus, and even shots taken in daylight came out a bit grainy.
