Messaging

The W580i offers a gamut of messaging options, from SMS (Short Messaging Service) to MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) text messages.

Text messages carry a limit of 160 characters. With a few clicks, these can be turned into multimedia messages by selecting a photo, video or audio file to attach. Just scroll through a handy menu of attachment options at the bottom of the message screen and select the type. Senders can also add a signature with every message as well as preview a message before sending. The phone uses T9 predictive text input, the standard word prediction function on mobile phones.

Users with third-party AOL, MSN or Yahoo accounts can also fire off instant messages or emails from their phone using the mobile email function.

One note of caution: SMS, MMS and web-based messaging require data subscription plans. Before messaging, users should check with AT&T and find out costs and messaging limits for their account.

Entertainment

Playing the role of the great warrior, Beowulf, can't get any easier on the W580i. A full menu of the most popular J2ME games are available for download through MEdia Net, AT&T's web browsing portal. While demos of games such as Bejeweled and Pac Man come already installed on the phone, they have to be purchased through for users to enjoy their full content.

AT&T's Media Mall also offers downloadable movie clips, ringtones and applications, including mobile phone versions of The Weather Channel, Fox Sports and Wikipedia. These products can be downloaded from the AT&T website or directly to the phone. Users are charged a one-time fee for each download, which will appear on their monthly AT&T bill. Users should be aware of each purchase price before downloading.

As mentioned previously, the W580i offers other functions that are just as entertaining as games, such as Video DJ, Photo DJ and Music DJ programs. Users can create mash-ups of their favorite video, photos or sound clips as well as custom ringtones or songs and send them to friends as an MMS.

In addition to games and media, the W580i also features a few practical applications, such as the Fitness Tracker, Timer, Stopwatch, Calculator, Calendar and Notes.

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