Sony Ericsson K550i Sim Free Mobile Phone

I got this phone as a gift for a friend but ended up needing to use it myself. Thank goodness I did. I got my friend a different phone.The good things about it are its feel, clear screen (although mine is already damaged, not sure how), user friendly, loads of great organisational things (calendar, week to view, tasks, notes, contact details). You can set several recurring alarms and it can read all kinds of music file types that my old SE couldn't cope with. Camera is easy to use and good quality (in good light). It's much more than a phone.Edit - it turned out that the problem i was having with keys 4 & 7 were because my hand kept hitting the "take photo" button when I was trying to press these numbers with phone held in my hand. Have now got round this problem, obviously, by moving hand when the keypad seems to "stick". So there isn't a prob with the keys, just with my hand position when texting.Another problem is compatability with Vista. The software doesn't work so it just shows up on your computer as another storage device (and you can transfer files etc) but you can't syncronise or do other things you presumably need drivers for. That's more a problem with Vista but something to be aware of.All in all, I love the phone itself and I would have given it 5 stars but for the 2 issues. The keys are now easy to use. The vista issue remains. I would now give it 4 stars, now I have learned to hold the phone in a different position!

Ideal backup

I really like sony ericsson phones, they are easy to navigate & quite robust. I decided to purchase this phone as it looked stylish but not flashy, plus it had all the features I wanted.I've now had two handsets both with exactly the same problem. I use the text function more than any other, but this is where the fault lies. When inputting text either the number/abc buttons cease to work, you can press them repeatedly & nothing happens. or it only registers the the first letter on each key. It is so frustrating! I loved the look & feel of this phone but I've had to return both of mine within days of receiving them. I've gone back to my old, less attractive but fully functioning sony ericsson phone.

i would really recomend this phone it is the best phone that i have had i had streetfighter on it that downloaded 100%

This is a real workhorse, i've updated its firmware to that of a W610i and in 2011 i'm still using it as a secondary phone.Also doubles as an alarm clock as i don't like to sleep with powered on "smart" phones next to my bed.

I had always been used to Siemens phones which are no longer so I shopped around for something else when mine got lost and chose a Sony, mainly because I had lots of Sony products which I have never been disappointed with (the equivalent of having a volkswagon, practical and does the job without gimmicks). Using the phone is really straightforward, menu selection is clear and the bluetooth function is great. I downloaded some music onto it and the sound is sweet. I would recommend, neat and easy to use. A piece of quality gear!

Well, I've (temporarily) owned quite a few phones.. the Nokia N91 8GB, the Nokia N95, the Sony Ericsson W880i (which I returned a couple of days later due to poor music quality), but this phone is the phone I've stuck with.What speaks for this phone?1.) It's the perfect size and weight (light, but not so light it feels cheap, not bulky at all, it'll fit into your pocket easily), the design's awesome, not in your face but by no means dull or bland. I gave the N91 away because it was too big and bulky, looked more akin to a stoneage dinosaur than to a contemporary mobile phone.2.) The battery life is extra long lasting, I listen to music on my phone at least two hours a day and one battery load does me 5 days! I gave the Nokia N95 away because I was highly disappointed with the low battery life.3.) The camera's totally top of the range in the 2mp class, too bad it doesn't have a flash, merely an LED light.4.) The quality of the music player is TOPS (and this coming from an ultra audiophile person). I suggest buying Walkman earphones for it though, and jacking your own phones into it, the ones that come with the phone ain't much good if you're an avid music fan. I exchanged the W880i because for a reason not known to me the music player is terrible. (Not all Walkman players are, don't know what they did wrong with the W880i, like, it sounded compacted and especially terrible if you listen to electronic music on it). The K550i player also goes up to a decent volume, which is important (some music can only be enjoyed at a higher volume!)The music sounds balanced, the bass is rich and full and it sounds like computer playback. Awesome.Now a couple of downsides1.) The whole thing isn't put together quite right, when you press the battery cover it squeaks like the door to grandma's attic (this problem can easily be eradicated by placing a piece of paper between the battery and the lid, though).2.) The music player doesn't have features like the one enabling you to jump to an artist or song on the playlist by typing their first letter on the keypad. Why? Marketing. *Dare the cyber shot music players be better than the Walkman ones!* Eh, another potentially awesome thing spoilt by marketing.3.) The Micro SD port is under the battery lid, so you have to open it up everytime you want to change the medium / take it out.I'm happy with it, it's a good and reliable phone. Get it, there's not many like it, despite what you may think now.

What I really like about this phone is the built in light so if you are in a dark area you could use it as a torch and I haven't had any problems with any of the keys. Yet. the camera is good for taking pictures but the quality of the video is a bit disappointing for 2 mega pixels but at least it's better than my previous phone (motorola L6) so I musn't grumble. Overall it is a gr8 phone and I think you would like it too