1 Good Cheap phone
I bought a Refurbished Sony T226 along with AT&T prepaid plan.
Some good features of this phone
1) Good Coverage
2) Color display and loads of features
3) Very good battery life
4) WAP compatible
Not so good features
1) Small buttons, which might result in pushing the wrong key
2) Some of features cannot be used till you read the entire manual, like making conference calls. The menu provided needs improvement
If you need a good phone with out hi-fi features, then go for this phone....I used it for around 6 months and I didnt have a problem with it so far.
2 ok
i bought this fone about 10 months ago.its already broken.this fone is quiet good because there are a number of things i like about such as good quality pic+ringtones and games.
this is a perfect fone for a student.
3 not so hot
The color screen and small size are a plus but this phone is a piece of junk, it is making horrible noises and the reception is HORRIBLE, so my advice for all you people looking at this phone, is DON'T BUY IT
4 Decent GSM phone - but there are better choices out there
This was my first GSM phone (an upgrade from my previous TDMA service), and as promised the signal coverage has been very good. The T226 is very small (easily fitting into a pocket), and it has very good battery life. And contrary to information in one of the other reviews, you CAN store several numbers and an email address for each of your contacts.
I have two main issues with this phone. The keypad buttons are VERY small, and it's easy to hit a wrong key when entering a phone number or text message. Also, the plastic cover on the LCD screen scratches very easily -- a definite problem if you plan to carry this phone in a pocket with anything else.
I bought my daughter a Samsung X427 flip-phone with similar features, and I'd recommend that one over the Sony T226.
5 Sony Ericsson T226 Phone
This small compact phone works well when you need it most. Very durable and light weight. This phone supports GSM networks and gets moderate to average cell phone coverage. With its color display, it vibrants displays all day long and has an above average battery life. Disadvantages are its small keys which make it easy to push the wrong button. Overall this is an excellent phone which is well worth purchasing
6 Pretty good phone, lousy service
I love the phone itself. I'm not sure what phone the other reviewers are using, but it isn't the Sony Ericsson T226. First, the phonebook does NOT let you add just a name and a single phone number. You can add a name, three phone numbers, and an email address to each entry. You do NOT have to have mMode to add material such as ringtones and graphics. And I'm not sure what other reviewers mean by the startup screen being ugly... if it's they are referrinig to the screen that first displays when the phone is turned on, that's very easily changed in the settings. The claim that mMode is accessed by a single button, whether you want to use it or not, is a bit misleading... in order to access by a single button, you must hold the button down for several seconds. It takes a bit longer to connect, during which time, you can cancel it out if you don't want to use it. It's also easily deactivated if you decide not to use it at all. I do agree that the games are sort of silly, but then, I didn't buy the phone for the games. I absolutely adore my T226. It's tiny enough to fit in the smallest pocket, has many very useful features, and isn't an overly-complicated mess like some of the newer phones.
The service, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. While the plan I signed up for is excellent, there were several issues during the first week that I had service. Solving these problems took more than a dozen phone calls, six emails, and two postings to their Customer Forums. The Customer Care reps seem to simply make things up as they go along, and every time I called, I received completely different answers. The reps were rude and knew virtually nothing about the products and services. In addition, there is something wrong with their phone lines, resulting in quality so poor that you have to ask the reps to repeat themselves several times before you can actually hear what they've said. AT&T is, by far, the worst company I've ever had the displeasure to contact, and I pray that nothing goes wrong with my service from here on out, because I dread ever having to call them again. Next time, I will go with the pricier plans offered by Nextel or Verizon (or even Sprint) before I'll ever choose AT&T Wireless or Cingular (the new owners of ATTWS).
7 Mediocre
First off - pressing the down or up arrow will open your phonebook. I admit it took me a while to figure it out, but hey, it's there.
It's prettier in real life, smaller than I had expected, the games are crap, mmode has its own button so if you don't have a plan, it automatically bills you 3 cents for every kilobyte just by pressing a single key, the start-up screen is sort of ugly in my opinion, and the only way to add new material is to sign up with mmode, with the exception of composing your own ringtunes, but like someone else said, that takes time.
The phone is _good enough_ if you just want to call people, though. Seriously, if you don't care about the frills, it's a perfectly fine phone. I just got it because it gave me the most money back.
8 Great ENTRY LEVEL phone!
can download free stuff from the SonyEricsson website. There aren't too many bells and whisles, WAP browser, composer, and a nifty recorder to make your own ringtones are about it. The screen is pretty good, and I changed my T's look with one of the faceplates. Overall, the only cons I can think of is the tiny joystick with the action button and some of the menus. Mostly great, the T226 is a great STARTER phone. No big toys (except the optional camera) keep the price low. But really, ATT's a joke, get cingular sevice. : )
9 Junk
A piece of junk phone from a lousy supplier for using on an even lousier provider (ATT) network. Avoid the phone supplier and the provider if you can, and save yourself time, money, and the hassle of dealing with poor customer realtions departments.
10 this phones wierd
this phone is confused its not thew best phone out there its cheap i know but not the best after a cople of months the bettery wont charge and it falls apart. the only goog thing about this phone is that its practicly free
11 Nice phone, some problems
My parents bought me this phone a little over 2 moths ago. At first I was thrilled with it (it was my first cell phone). I loved how you could put 3 or 4 different numbers into a persons section in the phonebook. But that, I came to realize, was annoying because some people i know have so many different numbers. What if i wanted someones fax number, home number, cell number, and work number. I couldn't do that. Just four numbers. I loved downloading different rings and giving people different ones. But it costs so much money just for 2 or 3 rings. The service was ok. But that just got annoying too. When I am in certain areas, i have to dial the area code for the number even if i am still in Rhode Island. The last few times I made a call, the encryption got shut off. The phone is cute with nice features but the service isn't very good. I hardly have good reception. Overall the phone is pretty ok, but I am thinking of switching to a different one.
12 Horrid
I was drawn in by its color screen and its small size, but when it came down to it, I am desperate to return to my clunky, back-lit 3 year old Nokia. I'm extremely disappointed in the brand as a whole. I have no reception, constantly find that the phone disconnects and says that the encryption is switched off or on, and when I drive 15 minutes away from home, I have to select the right network so I don't have to pay roaming charges. I had a different sony to begin with, but (imagine this) it was worse! I couldn't get any reception. Stick with the Nokia and stay far away from these sony ericssons!
13 Crap
I switched to this phone from a Nokia. A mistake. Nokia's are constructed so much better. Will be switching back to Nokia.
14 Tiny buttons make this phone tough to use
If you text don't get this phone. No voice activated dialing and just not as user friendly as I would have hoped. It does have it's good points like the color monitor and ability to download polyphonic ringtones but there aren't as many available for this phone as for others.
15 I bought this phone in a rush!
i purchased this phone 2 months ago from at&t. the first 2 days i loved it. but then.... the games are boring, no camera, buttons are rediculously tiny, and bad reception. if u get this phone: beware televisions. everytime this phone gets around any tv it makes the tv start making this loud buzzing noise and it really embaresses me sometimes!
PLEASE dont make this mistake!!!!!!
TRUST ME PLEASE
dillan
16 Nice looking phone,until you have to use it!
I had to upgrade my old Nokia to this phone due to my new GSM plan,but what a mistake I made chosing this phone! Here are my complaints...
-quirky menus to navagate,and slow
-display cannot be seen in daylight
-static prone (both in transmission,and reception)
-and the newly discovered "Squeeling noise" which has rendered this 2 week old phone completely useless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...I also have to add that this phone was never dropped,or tainted with any animal,vegetable,or mineral! :) Do not make the same mistake that I did! Thank god this phone is still under the 30 day return policy!
17 I had bad luck with this phone
Have had numerous problems with this phone:
- Phone sometimes won't turn on. I need to take the battery out and back in again for it to work
- When I answer a call, I hear major static for about 2 secs which the caller cannot hear
18 It's better than my last phone!!!
Okay so I was not too thrilled at receiving this phone, but now that I have it.....I love it! I originally was going to leave AT&T because the reception was not very good. Come to find out the Nokia 5165 is a bit out dated and so I could not get great reception, and since Cingular and AT&T are merging the reception in places is a lot better.
I have to say that the reception at my house with the nokia was at 1 out of 4. The Sony Ericsson is 4 out of 5 (if it's not at 5.)
Pro's:
*Assign ringers as well as pictures to specific phone numbers.
*After you get used to the functions, it is pretty user friendly.
*Color screen (you can change color backgrounds, etc...)
*The text messages u can send longer text messages if you needed to. (you can also send and receive the yellow happy faces)
*You have the option to buy the camera attachment to take pictures.
Those are just to name a few.
Cons:
*Buttons are really small.
*Does not have voice activated dialing
*Does not have speaker phone.
I personally think this is a really good phone. It fits right in you hand, and is easier not to drop. I got it for free, so I can't complain too much. I would have to say that it is a way better phone than my old dinosaur Nokia 5165.
I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute phone that does not want something too fancy, too expensive or someone that does not use all the "extra" features.
19 no warranty exchange
I got this phone six months ago. Last month it broke down, and I called AT&T wireless warranty exchange to get it replaced as it was under warranty. It appears this model is under "a special warranty" program. So it usually takes one to two business days, but I've been told, 3-4 more days, then 4-5 more days, etc.. and have been cut off from the world for twenty days now (and the phone is yet to arrive in 4-5 days). AT&T told me that it's Sony-Ericsson's fault, I don't know, for me, I just solved the problem by buying a new phone.
20 another website for ringtones, pictures, etc.
another T68i owner whose keeping my phone and not sending back to AT&T...
try this website also for ringtones,pictures, screensavers, etc.
www.esato.com
to access the site from your phone to download screensavers or pictures type on your phone wap.esato.com
21 Can not use headset and car-charger at the same time
The (T226)is poor if you have to use the headset and the car/home charger at the same time. You can not see the screen during the day time and the sounds are no good. good luck. I can not wait for the plan to be ove to change this phone... ;-(
22 Get a hammer
Poor reception. Bad design. Dust and pocket lint gets behind screen and you can not get it out. Dsiplay stinks. I will be happy with this phone when I finally take a hammer and smash it.
I guarantee you will have troubles with this phone even if you carry it around on a pillow and rarely use it.
23 At&t Downgrade
The phone that AT&T claims is an upgrade to the t68i, is inferior in just about every way that you can imagine. I'm keeping my T68i.
No Infra red, No blue tooth, Doesn't work outside the US, Feels very plasticky and fragile, this was obviously manufactured as a "free upgrade" phone. The blue stripes on the side give it a very cheap ugly look.
If you cant live without polyphonic ring tones and dont care about anything else at all, and you'll never want to transfer files with infra red, or blue tooth, and you want to settle for inferior firmware... and also poor build quality... then this is the perfect phone for you.
If this was just a free phone and not a replacement for the t68i, it's not totally bad, it's a bottom of the barrel functional mobile phone. That's what I use it as. I'm NOT sending my T68i. If you look on ebay you'll find 2 year used T68i's selling for higher than the price of this phone. Ha!!! upgrade !!!
24 It's excelent..!!
I bought this phone in Colombia, and is very, very cool. I can download games, ringtones and images, else the signal is perfect.
Calendar, alarm clock, calculator, color display, camera (sol separately), and more..!!
I love it...!
25 Poor Reception
I recently bought the Cellphone through Amazon and Iam planning to exchange with another brand.
The phone does not automatically picks up the signal when you hit the Signal Area from a No signal Area, you are forced to search for the signal through the browse for the signal option.
The Phone reception is poor. I compared the reception with the same service provider but a different brand of phone , i found the other phone picked up the signal and Sony ericcson did not.
26 NOW WE'RE TALKING!!!
Like others here, I received my T226 as a replacement for the T68is. I read some of these reviews before I got the phone, and now that I've had it a few days, read them again. I think this phone is great. It is a downgrade phone from the T68is and not worth the $200+ which I paid for the T68is. But many times, I wanted to throw the T68is against the wall. Dropped calls, bad reception, phone freezing up. I almost left AT&T because of it, thinking it was their service. The T68is was the first phone I got using GPRS/GSM network.
The T226 reception is great. I miss some of the features that I had with the T68is, but I didn't use them much anyway. I can adjust. The most important for me is to be able to make calls, and now I can even make them from home or any other areas that I couldn't before with the T68is.
The only reason I gave this phone 4 instead of 5 stars is because it is a downgrade from the T68is. Sony Ericsson and AT&T should have replaced the T68is with one of equal or greater value. Overall, I thank them for at least giving me a phone that I can make calls with.
27 Not Impressed
I just received mine from ATT as a downgrade also. Why switch from a T68i? You got me. This thing has NO real features, no connectivity, limited calendar. Yes, we all know the T68i was an unreliable flop. This seems destined to try to beat it in shear uselessness. The only way to bulk load info into the addy book? From the SIM! SIM phonebooks are so butchered that you lose the relationships (i.e., rather than Office, Home, etc. being grouped under each user, you have 3-4 users with a suffix indicating the type!). Backups are impossible. It's almost insulting that they would replace a junk phone with a knock-off of the junk phone. At least now we know why it's free ... nobody who values the integrity of their data would buy this! The only thing of less value than the phone is the "customer (dis)service" provided by both ATT and SonyEr (in the future, I will have to avoid SonyEr like the plague -- I've been through 7 "rebuilds", each time receiving a phone that lasts just over a month before refusing to get on the network). Even as a free phone -- it's not worth it.
28 Not the best phone I've ever owned...
I've had this phone for less than 6 months and since last month, it started making this HORRIBLE loud noise on my end of the line. Think of nails on a chalkboard at 1000 decibels. That is how irritating this noise is. It just started out of the blue. I never dropped the phone, got it wet, or made any mods to it. In fact, my boyfriend bought the same phone about 2 weeks after I did, and now his makes that horrible noise too!!
So here I sit...waiting for my replacement phone to arrive from AT&T, which will cost me $25.00 in processing fees! It was either $25.00, or send the thing to Sony Ericsson for repair which would take over 4 weeks. No thank you.
Aside from the deafening noise, this phone could use a little more work. The keys are pretty hard to use and I have tiny fingers. The ringtones get very old very quickly and some of them are really cheesy. Same with the wallpapers. If I had to find a phone now, I'd probably opt for something a little newer...or just go back to good ol' Nokia.
29 I too was 'told' by ATT to Down Grade!
I too, out of no where received this T226 for free from ATT.
On the back of the notice they say something like...
'Now just send us your old T68i in the pre paid envolope'
Ya Right!!! You DONT have to and SHOULD NOT send it back anyway.
Basically its a downgrade.
Over all I like the new design of the T226, but it lacks most of the advanced features, IR Bluetooth, World Band GSM, that the previous reviews speak of.
But if anything the poor and utterly useless AT&T GSM network reception is at best marginally improved in those 'non-peak' areas.
And have you ever had to deal with an overbilling or customer service; I for one am going to dump ATT when my contracts expires even if John D. Zeglis himself begs me not to.
Anyway the point is if your in question, AT&T cant penalize you in anyway for keeping them BOTH, you didnt ask for it.
If anyone asks where there phone is, just tell them the new T226 box didn't fit in that little brown pre-paid envolope they provided' ;)
30 No Bluetooth, Incompatible with Salling Clicker
I received this for free in the mail from AT&T. They asked for my T68i in return. I will not do this as that would be a downgrade. The T68i is great as it has Bluetooth and is compatible with Salling Clicker. This remarkable bit of software uses AppleScript to make the T68i an extension of my Apple Powerbook. With it I can use the T68i as a remote control device for many software packages on my Mac such as Keynote and iTunes. iSync downloads my addressbook and calendars from the Mac to the phone. When a call comes in I see the name of the person flashed on my computer screen. Without this functionality the T226 is useless for me.
31 Good reception, not much else
I just got this phone as a free upgrade (?) from AT&T - I used to have a Sony Ericsson T68i.
So here's how I compare the T226 vs T68i:
+ T226 has superior reception GSM. This is probably the only reason I gave it 3 stars. I had 0-1 bar at home with the T68i. The T226 consistently has 2-3 bars.
+ T226 has better ring sounds. This isn't very important to me, but it is a plus to some.
- T226 feels cheap. They are both made out of plastic, but the T226 feels less solid.
- T226 has no infrared, no bluetooth. Just the keypad. Bleh.
- T226 stores fewer info per contact. When I transferred the data, a person with 5 phone numbers now has multiple entries, like John Doe, John Doe/F, JohnDoe/O. Not sure what the letters mean.
In summary, the features of the phone are lacking, but it works at home, so I guess I'm happy with it.
32 Very Good Low-end Phone
Pros:
- Very good RF reception (850 and 1900 MHz GSM)
- Polyphonic ringtones
- Very small
- Customizable UI, picture ID, ringtone
- Automatic key lock (optionally locks all the keys after few seconds of inactivity)
- Solid battery life
- Polished, although somewhat low-tech, user interface
Cons:
- Feels cheap
- Somewhat dim LCD
- Incompatible with 900 and 1800 MHz GSM (it won't work outside US, Canada)
- Entry in the Address Book limited to 3 numbers each
- No advanced features (e.g., voice dialing, Bluetooth, IrDA)
- Included wired headset sounds very poor to person on the other line
- Slow menu reaction time
If you are looking for the cheapest compact phone with good RF reception quality and without compromising essential features, the Sony Ericsson T226 fits the bill. Aside from lack of more advanced features (which to some people are just frills), cheap construction (made from low-quality plastic), and lack of 900 or 1800 MHz GSM compatibility, there's nothing really wrong with this phone.
Considering the price (free or essentially free), the phone has a good UI (slightly better than T68i), good quality polyphonic ringtones, and is quite customizable. You can assign picture ID or personal ring tone for address book contacts, change the wallpaper, and download more wallpaper, ringtone, picture ID from AT&T Wireless mMode. The address book is limited to 250 phone numbers, with 3 numbers assignable to each contact.
The battery life is pretty decent considering the small size. It should last 3-5 days with light activity.
It is worth noting that T226 will be replaced by T237 soon. T237 features higher quality LCD (4096 colors instead of 512), voice dialing, full calendar (instead of events), and speakerphone capability.
33 Why downgrade to a T226?
I went from carrying a phone and a palm to just the T68i. With bluetooth sync with outlook I was able to adjust my contacts daily as I collect potential clients! What an efficient communication tool. Recently I was forced to downgrade by ATT from the T68i with bluetooth sync for calendar, contacts and tasks to a T226 without bluetooth. Maybe I should send both phones back in the return envelope and switch service - what do you think?
34 a few major problems
I got this phone and liked it for the first week. I've had it for about a month and I keep it in my pocket just like its designed to. For some reason it collects a ton of dust particles between the display screen and the plastic screen on the outside. The dust makes it hard to read the screen. Since it was advertised that it slips in your pocket easily you'd think it would go in there without collecting the dust. Its not like I'm wearing dirty clothes. I've called sony ericsson and they have said there is no way to get it cleaned. You can send it into them and wait a few weeks without a phone while they work on it. If you dont mind doing that you can send it in every two weeks when the dust gets bad.
Another problem I have but Im not sure if its the phone or at&t is that the phone makes an awful squealing sound out of the mic when I dial sometimes. I wouldn't recommend the phone to anyone.
35 funny static
I really like the phone, but I wish the reception was clearer. Also it does really strange things to my computer monitor and my television when it rings. It makes lines across my computer monitor and makes my tv hum. Also people calling me complain that it is noisy.
The buttons are small, but I got used to them. I love the camera attachment, I use it all of the time, and it takes really good pictures.
36 Fair Phone, Pooooor service!
I will rate the phone to 3 star while 1 star for ATT wireless service. I will only talk about some cons below. The only pro is with 1c plus 100 MIR, you get what you've paid for.
To the phone:
1) The operation is not easy. Here are some example, to save a received phone numer, Press menu -> 3 Calls->2 List -> find the number -> m ->2 add number -> 1 New contact -> Type H/W/M-> Name ..... and during this process, if you want to exit and make a call, you have to press NO for 8 times! And some operations take a long delay.
2) The keypad is so compact. It becomes extremely annoying when you have to press them a lot for above operations.
3) The Earbud and charging ports are tight. Be careful not to break anything when you plug/unplug.
To the service, ATT wireless is just "usable". So far I haven't found dead spots in Houston. But the voice quality is so poor: you will miss some words, the voice hears like trembling in the wind. Because I used to use Cingular TDMA service: its voice is digitally clear, just like wired phones at home, I find the ATT voice quality is untolerable. It's a pity Cingular no longer provides TDMA to new customers.
Calling the customer serive? never do that if you have better ways to solve the problem. I tried once and got stuck on the phoneline for an hour and being transferred several times.
Although the phone coming from Amazon has already been activated and has a new number, and Amazon claims they don't have a way to transfer your previous phone number, ATT does provide phone number transfer service from other wireless companies, just call their local number porting department.
Anyway, ATT wireless provides 30 day trial, but not completely free: you will have to pay the calls made, and return shipping charge to Amazon. So confirm with someone who is using ATT in your area before you decide to buy it.
Hope the merging with Cingular will help them to improve their service.
37 NOT GOOD
The GUI on this phone is not very friendly, and options like 1 button dialing is not available. Also, accessories are limited for this phone. I am very disappointed with my purchase of this phone. I thought Sony Ericsson had a much better understanding of customer needs.
38 Great Phone
This phone is truely exceptional. It has a small, lightweight design, and the reception quality is very clear. (but this really depends on your service provider; i'm with Cingular) The 4-way navigation button is easy to use, and the menu is has a fresh design. My only complaints are that you can't download applications. If you're wanting to use this phone for IM, forget it and buy another phone. Also, the navigation button doesn't have a backlight, so its kind of difficult to use the menu at night. Other than that, this is the perfect phone for people just now spreading their wings in the wireless world.
39 Complainers beware
In my opinion this is the best phone for the price. People are complaining that it's not good enough when all they paid for it was $.01. Go back to your nokia lady we don't need complainers here. This phone had a great colored screen, awesome games, good ringtones, and is very organized. Yes, you do have to occasionally use the instruction manuel to figure something out but that's why they send you one! If you want an affordable, stylish phone then this is for you. If not, get a nokia.
40 Disappointing
My 1st 3 cell phones were all Nokias. I decided to go with the Sony Ericsson T226 because the T616 was a little too pricey, but now I am thinking I made a mistake. This phone does not have profiles, when sending text messages you have to click so many buttons to get to the phonebook, compared to the Nokias very simple set-up. You can not make groups that you can customize ringtones for, you have to do every number seperately, even every number per person (cell, home, etc.) The ringtones are very silly sounding, I thought the battery died rather quickly too. Its a nice looking phone and I love the size, the smaller the better, reception and clarity are also nice. I can't seem to be able to look at a calendar though, only add new events. Overall I don't really care for this phone, maybe I have just been spoiled by Nokias user-friendly set-up for so long. I'm thinking I might return this phone and go back to my older Nokia which is smaller and has much better features and just wait until I am eligle for an upgrade. I recommend this phone for people that don't text message that much or need too many features. The phonebook is also annoying and does not have nearly as many features as the Nokia 8390 that I had.
41 T226
I personally have not had any problems with this phone. I love the features too. My receptions been decent and I've not had any dropped calls. I've had this phone for about 2 weeks so hopefully it'll keep up, but I haven't experienced any of the negative things that the reviewers with low ratings had. The games are fun, the ringtones and recorder are nice.
42 EXCELENT PHONE BUT COULD BE BETTER
I'VE PURCHASED THIS PHONE IN MEXICO, IT NICE, THE RECEPTION GOOD BUT YOU CAN NOT SAVE MUCH INFO IN THE CONTACT'S AREA. I REALLY RECOMEND IT IF U WANT TO HAVE ONLY THE NECESSARY
43 AWESOME PHONE
I RECENTLY RECEIVED THIS PHONE FROM A PROMOTION OFFERED BY CINGULAR. THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BEST PHONES THAT I HAVE HAD. I AM ABLE TO STORE ALOT OF INFO ON THIS PHONE SUCH AS EMAIL ADDRESSES, HOME,WORK AND CELL NUMBERS, IT HAS A CALENDER, STOPWATCH, ALARM, JUST SO MANY FEATURES THAT I CAN'T EVEN NAME. THE GAMES ARE AWESOME, AND SO ARE THE DOWNLOADABLE RINGTONES. MY FAVORITE FEATURE FOR MY PHONE IS THE RINGTONES. I HAVE HAD FAMILY AND FRIENDS RECORD THEIR VOICES AND WHEN THEY CALL ME, I CAN IDENTIFY THEM WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE PHONE. I JUST THINK THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME THING.
44 Great looking, not the features
Once I had laid eyes on this hone, I was set to buy it. I admit it is sort of a woman's phone because of it's small size and color, but I am going to change the face plate. But I love small phones, especially the flip phones. I purchased this one from Cingular for $130 because I lost my other phone and I had already signed a new contract. The minute I took this phone home,I was quite disappointed by it's features. For one the phonebook is ridiculously horrible. The only things I can store is a person's name and only 1 phone number for them. With my old phone, the Motorola V60i, I was able to store their name, cell, house, work, and main number in addition to their email. So you can imagine how disappointed I was with my new phonebook. I am also saddened by the fact that I can't download ringtones onto my phone, instead I must compose them onto my phone which takes time. But this is a great sounding phone and the color screen is great! I can admit that the buttons are extremely small although it hardly bothers me except if I start playing a game on it. The phone's other features are quite great though, the MMS messaging, the email, chat and text messaging. Overall, I would give this phone a 6.5 out of 10
45 Its awsome size but reception sux
Its an awsome little phone and it has very good features and ringtones are awsome the games are like a little gameboy...it is a nice light weight...it gets pretty good in Riverside California but in some parts it looses service but in Moreno Valley it has hardly any service...whats the sense in having a cell phone if it doesn't work and you can't be reached.
46 Great phone for a woman
this is a great phone but because the little buttons i wouldn't want one for a person with big fingers. it's perfect for people with little fingers.
47 Great Phone for a Great Price!
The Sony Ericcson T226 is an awesome phone! My service with AT&T works great in the Omaha, Nebraska area! The only problems are that the buttons are very small. The m-mode is very good, altough customer service is a pain, when sometimes you have to wait more than 1 hour to talk to them. I like being able to download polyphonic ringtones and games on mmode. I hope you should try it. If you are budget-crunched, this is the phone for you!
48 wallet fat, nice phone
this is a great phone. I have it with cingular and this phone has alot of features. you can take pictures with the attachement, record sounds, and play games. it has a stop watch, calculator, and organizer. it is really light and fits into any pocket. for the money its a great phone
49 Good basic cell phone
Yes, this phone is on the small side, but the small buttons are fine for my small fingers, and the size is what attracted me in the first place. Easy to use, this has thus far been a great replacement for my older, bigger, much heavier Nokia.
50 Nice, SMALL phone!
The reviews posted on Amazon appear to be primarily negative, but I have ahd this phone for 2 weeks not and really like it. I will admit the buttons are very small, but I got used to that after a couple of days and love the fact I can throw it in my pocket when going out and not feel like I am packing heat. I live in the Washington, DC area and contrary to other posts have not had any reception issues. The phone has a nice screen and 32 different ring options to choose from.
All-in-all it is a nice phone for the price!
51 Great Phone!
I really don't know why people don't like this phone either.
It's small, it's very affordable, the only feature it really doesn't have is PC/Phone interface. But, you can even buy a camera for it.
I would have probably made it a little bigger, I admit the buttons are rather hard to see in certain lighting, but, the screen (should you have the LED on ;) is very bright.
The reception is great for me as well, I usually use it in place of my home phone when I have minutes to spare!
52 Above Average Entry Level Cell Phone
I am not sure why the other reviewers are blasting this particular phone. It is basically free (for new subscribers) or $49 for subscribers. The phone has nice looks, a good looking display, a loud ringtone, and call reception is good. The only negative I can think of is the volume, which isn't that loud (I usually have everything at the highest level though..TV, Stereo, walkman, etc.). I highly recommend the T226 for the consumer that is looking for something affordable, and of good quality. For the price, you are getting a great product.
53 DO NOT BUY!!!
It's small, its good looking, the interface is OK, some nice features. If you want a tiny PDA, it might work for you. If you want to make calls, get another phone. Reception is AWFUL! My gf and I signed up with Cingular together. She got Nokia 3500 free, I opted to pay a bit extra and get this phone. Making the same calls from the same places on the same network, the T226 was in every way inferior when placing a call. Dropped calls, not able to connect even when signal reads medium, static, echo. Even my 3 year old bottom of the barrel Samsung was better. I've said "Can you hear me now," more times in the last 2 weeks than I ever have! Returned it after 2 weeks and got the Nokia 3595. Now I have a cell phone.
54 Not worth it
The phone is tiny and light, which would be okay if the buttons weren't also teeny and too close together. The screen is also tiny and fairly dim. Some of the menus are redundant and overly complex. I wasn't happy with AT&T's GSM coverage in the Washington DC area, though of course your mileage may vary. I spent hours on the phone with Customer Care trying to connect to mmode; it never worked twice in a row for me without a "communication error". I returned this phone and went back to my TDMA and my Nokia 8265 for the time being.
55 Save your money and time
(...) But in terms of service, it is thumbs down. No data cable, no synchronization option. I had my contacts on my PC and normaly sync my new phone to get my contacts and calendar. I couldn't do this! The only option being to sms each one to my phone. It was a joke since I have over 100 contacts. Surfing is slow. Navigation is not clear. Plus, battery was terrible, talk for 10 minutes and the indicator has gone down a step. I didn't charge it for 2 days and it almost ran dry. And i don't use cell phone that much! Plus the volume/reception is not great.
