Sony Ericsson Zylo review: Walkman rewind

Introduction

A small and sexy music slider – that’s what the Zylo is. Nothing more, nothing less. Sony Ericsson are probably hoping to start bringing up the next generation of loyal users. You know, give a kid a walkman and they will be coming back for more. The Zylo has the catchy beat and the good looks – and it’s got the social bug. Music and social networking are perhaps top of the young user’s list of needs and the Zylo meets them at a canter.

Sony Ericsson Zylo official photos

But besides that, Zylo is a phone for the brokenhearted. A thing to help you remember. And we need to give it to Walkman phones – there is much to recall fondly. Whether Sony Ericsson are about to breathe new life into the W-brand or just shaking the dust off an old prototype that never got into production, the Zylo deserves credit for keeping the Walkman spirit alive.

Key features

• Large 2.6" 16M-color TFT screen, 240 x 320 pixels, scratch-resistant surface
• Quad-band GSM support
• Dual-band 3G with 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA
• 3 megapixel fixed-focus camera; VGA@24fps video recording
• FM radio with RDS
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• microSD card slot, 260 MB internal memory
• Environment-friendly package
• Social networking integration, widget-enhanced interface
• NetFront v3.5 web browser with full Flash support
• Very good audio output quality
• Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
• Smart dialing

Main disadvantages

• No 3.5mm audio jack
• No standard USB port
• No bundled data cable or memory card
• No camera lens cover
• No document viewer

The Sony Ericsson Zylo is a cheap but stylish slider with a Walkman badge. It comes with fast HSPA support, but this is all the high-end connectivity you could expect. There are no premium features such as Wi-Fi and GPS. What puts an upsetting question mark on the whole package is the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s a cheap phone alright, and we know better than expect a proper audio plug in a Walkman. Doesn’t make sense but that’s how it is. Out of all W-line phones, there’re only two exceptions: the premium W995 and the dirty-cheap Spiro.

The latest feature phones by Sony Ericsson are keen to treat users to great social networking integration. The Zylo is no exception here. It gives you all the social stuff right on the homescreen with a solid widget set running live updates.

Sony Ericsson Zylo live shots

The Sony Ericsson Zylo is an excellent small Walkman that’s very easy to like. It is a start-up package, most likely someone’s first phone. And Sony Ericsson want to give the low end a fair try it seems. That’s where Walkman might make sense. They’re giving users something with personality and pedigree to consider against cheap touchscreen.