Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman Pro Reviews

Sony Ericsson really hasn't done enough here to make the musical aspects of the Mix Walkman stand out - and without the added allure of 3G or an app store to expand on what's on board (though Java apps are supported) we find this handset hard to recommend.

With Android smartphones getting ever cheaper the squeeze is on for lesser phones like the Mix. But its superior battery life and fine sounding music player means this Sony Ericsson could still have made an argument for itself if only it had more audio welly. It’s just too quiet to work on a train, plane or even an automobile, and surely that's the point of the thing.

A simple music phone with Wi-Fi and some basic social skills sounds good. And well, it’s a Walkman so it sounds good. There’s even a firmware upgrade already – this phone’s in the low end but not quite in the middle of nowhere. The Mix Walkman comes cheap so there’s much to forget but nothing to forgive. Better screens, better cameras and more functionality are at an arm’s length but smartphones are not everyone’s cup of tea. The only way is up for anybody owning the Mix Walkman. They will eventually be ready for a smartphone. In fact, they will want one sooner rather than later. That’s why it doesn’t feel right to suggest older and cheaper droids as an alternative. Yes, the first-gen Xperia X10 mini and the W8 cost the same and offer more. But it’s not about ticking boxes and completing checklists. It takes more than that to make a loyal user. Sony Ericsson must be thinking: “Let them love their Walkman, there’s time for them to love their droids.”

The Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman wills buyers to believe it's a smartphone, with an interface that looks snazzy and seems to offer plenty of connected functionality at a quick glance. The problem is that it isn't, and doesn't. There's no 3G connectivity, and while Wi-Fi is on-board the clumsy implementation of built-in apps makes web browsing and social networking feel clunkier than it would with other phones.

All in all, the Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman doesn't hit the sweet spots of just enough features for the price. It's a laggy touchscreen run by a buggy platform, with bad browsing capabilities and a media player that doesn't live up to the hype.

Overall, the Sony Ericsson Mix Walkman has more than a few drawbacks, but its low price makes up for most of them. Currently, the phone can be found for about $120 off contract, which makes it a bargain considering the features that it packs. We were impressed with its beautiful display and the Wi-Fi connectivity is a significant bonus that will definitely come in handy. Most importantly, it handles its primary purpose of being a music-oriented device fairly well.