For Sony Ericsson lovers who happen to be T-Mobile customers, there’s good reason to cheer. The TM506 marks the first SE handset on the T-Mobile network in years, and it supports T-Mobile’s 3G network, to boot. The good news is that it is a solid clamshell that offers a decent range of features. But there are a few things holding it back.
The menu system of the TM506 is a combination of the standard Sony Ericsson menu with a few specific items from T-Mobile. Hitting the center of the D-pad takes you to the main menu. It is a 12-icon grid and looks the same as most other Sony Ericsson phones. Some of the icons open up applications, and some open folders.
If you choose to go into the Entertainment menu, you’re greeted with a long list of the phone’s different entertainment applications. Selecting the media player app brings you to the familiar Sony PlayStation-style menu, with the same icons you’d see on your PSP or PS3.
The Settings folder is by far the most extensive of the menu items, and uses a tabbed set-up to let you find and alter the phone’s settings. Scrolling left or right with the D-pad when in this folder takes you to different sets of options.
The app swapper button, located under the send key to the left of the D-pad, brings up a shortcut menu and a method for managing open applications. The shortcuts list comes pre-populated with some applications, but you can also add your own. Similar to the Settings menu, this shortcut menu uses a sideways tabbed system, and the other tabs let you control which applications are running and help you switch between apps that are active, and those that are running in the background. The TM506 can also run multiple Java applications at once.
The TM506 does an apt job at most tasks. The basics, such as calling, organizing contacts, and accessing messaging services, are no brainers these days, and the TM506 conquers them easily.
With its 1700MHz HSDPA radio and Opera Mini browser (a separate download), using the Web in T-Mobile’s 3G (yes, and even 2.5G) areas is speedy and fun. T-Mobile’s 3G is pretty limited right now, though, so if that’s the sole reason yuou’re thinking of buying this phone, you may want to check to see that your market is covered first.
On the media front, the TM506 does well with its camera and video features, but music playback is less satisfying than on other Sony Ericsson models.
In sum, the TM506 is a worthy entrant in the the mid-range flip phone category on the T-Mobile network.
