Sony Ericsson S500 review: Emotion vs Reason

Jan Horalík, 12 November 2007. Read the original review at MobilMania.cz

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The slider form factor debuts in the company's S line and in fact, this is the first Sony Ericsson slider that's not a Walkman. Speaking of which, Sony Ericsson S500 is a W580 in disguise. And some disguise it is: with this slim slider almost everything is staked on design. Nature-inspired patterns, audacious paintjobs and light effects all make sure the S500 won't go unnoticed.

Some official photos of Sony Ericsson S500

Key features

Size: 99 x 47 x 14 mm, 94 g
Slim slider body
Appealing design and color options
Dynamic themes and wallpaper animation
Light effects
Good keypad
Good 256K-color QVGA display
M2 memory card support, up to 2GB
2-megapixel camera
Email client and RSS-feed reader
A2DP enabled Bluetooth
Quad band support, GPRS and EDGE Class 10

Main disadvantages

Only 12MB of integrated memory
No indicator of missed events
Not operable without SIM
No autofocus and flash
No FM radio
Awkward handling of SIM card and rear cover

Sony Ericsson S500 in closed and open position

The Sony Ericsson S line was until now reserved for the not so usual swivel handsets. A typical representative was the once hugely successful Sony Ericsson S700. Back then it was one of the first mobile phones to offer a memory card slot, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and a QVGA display. It was only a couple of years ago that this phone was sold for approximately 700 Euros. Today, however, its high price topped with its huge size would have been a sure fiasco.

Size is pleasing • compared to a credit card • the retail box