Music mobile phones

Music mobile phones in depth

The new generation of music phones are making dedicated MP3 players obsolete. Music mobile phones can now do everything that a high-end music player can do, whether that’s compiling playlists, storing mass quantities of songs or even streaming new music from the web. And they boast fantastic quality sound, too.

Which handsets are music phones?

Almost every phone nowadays will have an MP3 player and FM radio installed. But only the very best offer you advanced personal stereo-style functionality, such as those in Sony Ericsson’s Walkman range, Nokia’s XpressMusic phones, Apple iPhones and HTC smartphones with Beats Audio technology.

Can’t see the phone you want? Compare all the latest mobile phone deals

Sony Ericsson Walkman phones

Mobiles in Sony Ericsson’s line of Walkman phones are those that feature the letter ‘W’ in their product name followed by a series of digits.

Some of the great things about the Walkman music phones include:

Shake to shuffle

This great function allows you to pick a song at random simply by flicking your wrist while your phone is your hand. Shake to shuffle brings a fun new twist to listening to music on the move.

Expandable memory

Sony Ericsson music phones offer microSD card support. This allows you boost the storage capacity of your phone several-fold, providing ample space to store thousands of songs.

MegaBass

Walkman phones harness Sony’s unrivalled stereo expertise. Equipped with MegaBass technology, they deliver a rich and full sound quality that’s easily the equal of high-end personal stereos. Also featured on these great music phones are graphic equalisers, so you’ll be able to tailor your sound levels according to the music you listen to.

Playlists

Sony Ericsson music mobile phones allow you to put together playlists to perfectly suit your mood or activity. So whether you’re exercising or relaxing, you’ll be able to enjoy a perfectly matched set of songs.

SensMe

This clever function selects songs to suit your mood based on tracks you have already played.

Searching for a Sony Ericsson mobile phone? Compare Sony Ericsson mobile phone deals

Nokia XpressMusic phones

Nokia has long been ahead of the curve with advances in music phone technology. Some of the great features on Nokia music phones include:

Dedicated music keys

All XpressMusic phones feature dedicated buttons for playing music. This means you’ll never have to unlock your handset screen each time and flick through endless menus just to play songs and skip tracks.

Crystal clear sound

Dedicated audio chips allow Nokia music mobiles to provide superb sound quality that adds a new dimension even to the most familiar songs.

Plenty of storage space

Nokia mobiles boast expandable memory via microSD cards. Simply inserting one of these into your music phone will offer you plenty of space for storing songs.

Searching for a Nokia mobile phone? Compare Nokia mobile phone deals

Music on iPhones

As well as being brilliant mobiles, iPhones double as great devices for enjoying music on the go. One of the key factors that makes iPhones great music phones is that owners are able to sync their handsets with iTunes. This means that they can do everything that an iPod can do. With Apple's iCloud service, you can even synchronise your music wirelessly between multiple devices.

There's also oodles of storage space on iPhones for several thousand songs and the ability to play millions more anywhere on the move thanks to many popular music streaming applications available on the Apple App Store, such as Spotify, We7, Last.fm and more.

Sold on an Apple iPhone? Find great offers and deals on iPhones

Music on HTC smartphones

HTC also makes some of the best music-focussed smartphones in the market powered by Beats Audio technology by musician and entrepreneur Dr Dre that's been created to make music sound just as it was intended by the artists.

Beats powered HTC handsets can be easily identified by the Beats Audio logo on the back. Sweetening these handsets' appeal even further, many of them even come with a free pair of Beats by Dre headphones which are normally sold for premium prices on the high street.

Factors to consider when choosing a music phone

Headphone compatibility

The best music phones feature a 3.5mm headphone jack. This will allow you to use the very best stereo speakers and headphones with your handset.

Music playback time

Modern music phones can offer up to 16 hours of playback without draining your phone battery unduly. If you’re an avid listener, these are definitely the ones to go for.

Storage capacity

This will be hugely important if you’re the owner of a large music collection. The more space the phone offers, the more of your music you’ll be able to carry around.

Don’t need a music phone? Find a great deal on a cheap phone