Are you still having problems with your Sony Ericsson S500i?
Many of our readers have sent in comments about the issues with cracked keys on their Sony Ericsson S500i mobile phones, what we want to know have you had any luck getting the problem sorted out and do you still like the phone. We have many comments including this one below from “hello” which reads –
Several buyers of SE’s new models W580 and S500 have been affected by cracked keyes after a short period of usage.
The problem is that the key surface cracks after only a short period of usage of the phone. SE confirms that this problem exists.
– We have had a couple of these returned to us, says Mattias Holm at SE to Mobil.
How many phones that have been sold with this fault present or that risk to be affected, Holm can not give a precise answer on.
– Its not a big issue, says Holm.
If they have changed the manufacturing process after the fault has become known he does not want to answer either. Holm only states that those phones the company now delivers fulfils SE’s own quality requirements.
Those who have a phone with cracked keys only have to return it to one of SE’s service centers and the phone will either be repaired or replaced
– They are covered by the normal warranty, says Mattias Holm.
Please do let us know of your problems and please do let us know the outcome
Comments
55 thoughts on “Are you still having problems with your Sony Ericsson S500i?”
My phone had this problem. I returned it after a week of using it because most of the keys were cracked, and the battery cover was loose. I got it back 1 MONTH later and it was in worse condition than before. The keys cracked again in no time, the battery cover was loose still, but now the plastic shell of the phone was slightly loose and made a squeaking noise. I want my money back but SE will only want to repair it again. I’ll try to talk to someone higher up in SE and maybe they can help more.
my s500i keys cracked after about 2 weeks, sent it to SE for repair, replacement keys cracked after only 3 days.
I had my phone 4 weeks and keys cracked, sent it back for repair which they said would take 3 to 5 working days they had it about 3 weeks. And now the keys have cracked gain and have only had it back 1 week. Anyone know if it is just the green phone keys that crack or is it all colours?
Ive rang SE many times but get no where just told to send it back to them again, but whats the point they will just replace the keypad for the same thing to happen again.
Ok – now on the third attempt at carphone warehouse. Feel really sorry for them as the manager is only following corporate rules, however I have now been told that I should be able to get an alternative phone. Awaiting confirnation of offerred alternatives.
Hope so as the next step is the small claims court citing my consumer rights. CPW have no choice but to accommdate (in my view) as they have supplied a phone which does not perform the function for which it was sold (predominately textintg)
I have the “spring yellow” version of the phone. Had it for about 2 months, keys are fine, i think its just the green ones, and the walkman version that is similar (friends own these).
But my buttons have stopped working. The on button in particular… anyone else had this issue?
Hi, I have the green version, the GHI key was the first to go after about 3 weeks of having the phone. And yesterday or the day before the MNO and Space key have cracked in half too. I thought it was just because sometimes i just use the tip of my fingers to type txts, but if lots of ppl have had this problem maybe it’s not only that?
My boyfriend who bought me the phone has seen it now, and I was asking me how it happened. I will show him this tomorrow, he said to send it back and get it fixed but after reading these reviews of them coming back a month later and not being any better i might not bother!
Thanks
Hi i got a S500i on november the frist and only about a meek i got the cracked keys and the back of it was getin slack and was coming out which suckx alot and i know the phone network that i bought it from will not want 2 send it 2 be exchanged because there 2 cheap and is so no service all the time i’m switching to Digicel gud bye Bmoile losers!!!!
But Other than the lame network sony ericssons r Kol Fones!!!
Hi i got my S500i on the 1st of november 2007 and by the first week the keys were cracking and the back was getin slack whiched really sucked and i know the network that i bought the fone from will not wanna send the fone 2 be replaced or fixed so i got a lot of problems i know there so not gud 2 there costumers and 2 cheap 2 wanna do it after this i’m switching 2 Digicel gud bye Bmobile lossers!!!
But other than the network that sucks Sony Ericsson fones r kol!!!!
ah – the eloquence of the digital youth, a wonder to behold.
I had my phone and the keys cracked but for some reason when the phone rang my screen went blank and I had no idea why. Then the screen would continually go blank but the actually phone would work. It would still ring or play music and I could feel the vibrations from the menu screen but I would have to keep turning it off to get the picture. I hadn’t done anything to the phone and I dont know what to do because I took it to a man to have a look at but he said a compnant was broken. Its on contract so can I get a replacment or am I stuck with this stupid screen.
I am now sending my phone back for the 3rd repair of the cracked keypad! I am living in hope that i will be offered a replacement phone as i’m totally fed up of being without my mobile.
Hi,
I got SE S500i just before 20 days…M facing problem with calles getting dropped off after few minuts…also when I use it with PC in File Transfer mode after removing USB it hangs for at least 10 Min.
I guess this cell is not worth of Rs. 10,000 that I have paid…
Mine locks up and now it will not power up again. The vibrator just runs for maybe 1/2 a second and then nothing. No lights, no display.
I am on my FOURTH s500i since September and it’s always been all of the said issues… my keypad cracks almost instantly then progressively gets worse until it stops working altogether, the on/off button is so small & stiff it breaks my nails to use AND my battery life is 3hrs after full charge overnight!!! I keep being given even more shoddy ‘refurbs’ by CPW but I seriously complained about the inconvenience today and am FINALLY being given a different model by a different manufacturer!
I am done with Sony Ericsson. My new one will take 2wks to arrive though so until then, I continue to carry my charger everywhere I go! Sucks.
Ive had my S500i since september 07 and its been in for repair twice to have keypad replaced, it has now broken AGAIN, I was told by Carphone Warehouse that they would replace the phone if it happened a 3rd time but surprise, when I took it in they decided they had changed their mind! and informed me the staff have to pay out of their own pockets for exchanges??? is that my problem?? thanks !! said I would just have to keep sending it for repair every 5 weeks for the rest of my contract! Great! phoned SE who agreed to either repair or replace phone free, at least they have proper customer service and dont lie to their customers. So im without a phone again for about 10 days, not impressed at all, will def seek out better quality next time!!!
Ive got the coppers sony ericsson s500i, ive had it for about 5 days and its fine…. tbh i think its probably just the green ones
My S500i’s Bluetooth Doesn’t Work Buttons Are Cracked
Sony Ericson sucks with their phones. Getting a sony phone to charge is a big problem. It’s very different to get the charge to connect.
If this is a plow to get people to buy more and more of their phones, then that’s bad marketing. I’ve been trying to get my phone to charge for over 2 hours now all to no avail.
I will keep trying, but if I don’t succeed in the next hour, I will go get a Nokia phone and never ever use my s500i or any Sony product again
bought my s500i on monday and the thre most important buttons have stopped working. the select,back and up. everytime i go into the menu option i have to switch off my phone to come out which sucks a whole luck
I have had my s500i since August 07. The keys cracking never caused me any problems. Yes they cracked but it didnt change the performance of the phone. It did however develop a software malfuncation and develop sticky keys. I sent that off to get fixed and they just replaced my keypad so I had to send it back again to get it replaced. Now recently the camera polorized and refuses to take photos. It is now currently being repaired however I got a call saying it will take a further month as even the top engineers are confused about what has caused the problem!
I break the record! Some keys doesn’t work after I worked with the phone for 5 minutes…. I have to change the cellphone… it is terrible…
I bought my phone around march this year. First time i dropped the phone (not hard, wasn’t even a hard surface) the screen died and produced black lines all through it. After 8 weeks in repair the phone came back fine. Now some of the buttons barely work and the screen will be black for a good five hours at a time ,for no reason, before it comes back on. the phone still turns on because the keypad lights show, just the screen won’t work. the slider won’t slide properly either. I am told i have to wait another 6 weeks for it to be repaired and then if it gets repaired a third time i can get a replacement. oddly my keys havent cracked yet, but its only a matter of time i figure. why wouldnt SE just recall these phones?? with the amount of issues people are having, they must cost literally $1 each to make for SE to produce these and not be losing money from all this.
I just brought my green s500i phone. The writings are in French and there is only one option: to watch the Demo for the Sony Ericsson phone. I don’t know what else to do? Help? Any suggestions to fix this? If not, I haven’t used any of the software yet, so I plan to return it.
I have my S500i since February this year. Almost all my buttons are broken, but since a couple of days the most buttons don’t even work no more and some of them have another function. The ‘9’ button have the same function as the Powerbutton, and the 6 is now also a shortcut button.
Only the navigate button works right, so I can only make phonecalls with existing contacts.
Contacted the shop 5 minutes ago. Now I’m waiting for respond.
my keys cracked so i took it for repair 2 weeks later they cracked again but i didnt bother in gettin it repaired but now my screen will freeze and there are lines across it and im planning on taking it back tonight all my sonny ericsson phones havent even lasted a year mostly due to the screen ive had a nokia for 3 years and have had no problem so i think ill go bk to nokia next time
Hi after 7 months my DEF one cracked in half i can still use it and its not a nuisance for me. I love this phone but the keys are wayy to easy to break
well i got my phone for a week now….and i droped it about 50 cm/ 20 inch and well……the side cracked….a puny bit….the sound though…it screws up sometimes…like it skips a part of the voice…and goes bak like nothing happens…soon enough im going to face the fact that the buttons shall crack…time will come…..currently i got the black/green s500i…
i have had my spring yellow s500i since around September last year the buttons cracked awhile back and caused no problems. ive dropped it many times but the other day a few of the keys stopped working and the on button doesnt work, and now the keys start working for a few days and then they stop. its annoying me.
how can i get this fixed? i dont live near a sony ericsson service centre
I just got my phone today, no cracking keys, but the screen is twisted, as in it doesn’t follow the frame for it, the back plate isn’t flush with the frame of the phone, and my slider is twisted. WTF!
I too have an s500i….as seen in all its keys have cracked….SE customer service is very poor 2 repair it, they’re saying that they don’t have stock, anyway i’m waiting for 10 months 2 get it repaired….my next step is 2 approach consumer court against sony ericsson for selling such a bad quality product. Before 1 year i trusted sony…but now its very hard, their customer service is now the WORST!!!….
SONY HAS GONE TO DOGS!!
ive had my phone since april so about 7 months
never had problems with the cracking keys and droped it a few times and still hasnt broke
its pretty good however
my battery life has decreased an enmous amount
. from 2 days with out charging it
. now an overnight charge (9-8) would only last me 8-10 hours
my bluetooth dosent work anymore
i get conectivty isues (low bars constenly)
Im not sure whats wrong but am i the only one witht these problems?
im thinking of selling it and purchessing an i phone?
Raz 🙂
I bought a sony ericsson s500i black/green on July 2008. The JKL keys broke in half and then about two weeks ago, the phone would turn on and off continuously i dont know what’s wrong. I can’t use the phone at all. Tried to call the company i bought from but they’re trying to ignore calls and wouldn’t pick up. I dont know how to fix this 200 dollar phone which i only used for about 3 months. If you have any ideas for me of how to fix it please email me at pvue90@hotmail.com Thanks.
iv had my phone since June and and since then my screen has cracked and my button has cracked in half
my screen has cracked
I’ve had mine for 2 months…completely fine. Key’s are good, screen is fine. Only problems are have are because of Customs opening up my phone
got my phone for xmas last year, first buttons cracked in august(8 months seems to be a record here) and now im left with only 3 of 12 buttons on the lower keypad still surviving- bottom 3 (asterisk, zero digit, hash key). yesterday i think it came into the range of a magnet in a shop till but there appeared to be ok afterwards. later it stopped receiving texts and my partner couldnt contact me, yet this seems to have started after a couple of hours, not immediately as i would have expected. now it wont turn on and flashes a red light out of the side panel, but only when plugged in to charge(thought the magnet might have just uncharged the battery). can anyone help?????
My S500i has had cracked keys 3 times, spoilt charger, spoilt # key, fading paint and now the mic is not working. This is the first time i’ve tried SE and I’m apalled at their QC and the construction of their products.
ive just got a new s500i and ive ad it bout 2 weeeks and it turned off and its flashing red n it not turn on.
help mee plz
People complain way too much, the s500i is a good phone if you treat it nicely. The only problem I have is the same as most, the keys are all cracked. The # button is also completely broken. I’ve dropped my phone a few times and it still works perfect besides the button problem and I’ve had it over a year.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about, or the “I hate sony” business. i guess people just can’t go on with life without whinging to everyone they can.
Oh and to add I’ve only ever had SE phones before and this is my 3rd one, the last I had was the Z500 and I’ve still got it, its a brick and it still works perfect and its at least 3 or so years old, and I’ve intentionally thrown it at things. So whoever said SE cannot make quality products, go get a Z500 and shut up.
i have this lovely phn for abt a month,it often got off on its own and then restarted, today it went off again and its not restarting,though it flashes red light when i try to turn it on…………….can someone pls help…….is sonyericsson listening!
I got my phone fixed. If you get a clear case from like ebay or something for a couple of bucks, it goes a long way to protecting your phone. as for the keys cracking, you can get these from your local phone repair shop for under 10 dollars! quit complaining!
My SE has thrown in the towel after about a year of use. signs are:
1.freezing completely on standby
2. then the screen went black with the keys still lit up.
3. then, its flashing red when i charge
i think im gonna hold a memorial service of some sort.
I haven’t had any problems what so ever with my Keys, but one Big problem I have had, is that the Charger has never worked, And the USB Plug is not responding. Unfortunately I will have to buy a new charger and a new USB lead for the phone. I’m very dissapointed with Sony, as i haven’t had this phone very long.
USB Lead and charger does not work.
I’m dissapointed with Snoy, as I haven’t had this phone very long. I haven’t had any problems with my keys though. My phone can’t charge at all now, And I’ll have to buy a new USB lead and a charger. Very unhappy.
hi, I have had my phone since May last year. It carried on freezing some times but i could fix that easily myself. However My phone screen suddenly stopped working. I could do things on my phone but i couldn’t see anything, It had a green streak down the middle of the blank screen. Agrhhhhh!>:( please reply as soon as you possibly can.
i recon it’s the screens connection because the back light on the screen is still Working.
Thanks. M.Ex
P.s. My number 3 key has craked i only noticed this a min ago…(it still works)
I had my s500i for over a year, didn’t have any problems with the keys. It did act funny every once in a while, freezing and losing all my pictures etc. But that i normally solved by turning it off and on again.
This afternoon though it went black and now when i try turning it on a red light on the right side flashes shortly. Already emailed SE, quite curious about their reaction after reading all these comments
I’ve had my S500i since February 09. It won’t charge at all and when I put a charged battery in it and it’s “working” no one can hear me talking when I answer or call anyone! I’ve had enough! I love the phone though 🙁
I’m sending it to sony to be repaired.
These bloody idiots will perish soon if they move on like this(selling dumb ass phone)my S500i’s warranty got over now….those fools are saying that i should change its case for 1500rs..i didn’t break those keys//ITS MANUFACTURING DEFECT…when i had warranty they never talked about replacing the case….i hav only one phone and they say that i should keep that in their service centre for 30 days…how can i do that?
Anyway SE should make a new phone for us 4 free
My sony ericsson s500i has problems with the network whatever sim card i put in its the same no network coverage please help!! thanks
Hey! I have a problem with Sony Ericson s500i the point is because his display is half-working and a half-not with the time it's showing and the number kays does not working.
I have problems with the display too.
No issues at all with the keypad, though!
After 2 years perfect serving my "cancel" button on top started giving me hard time and just few days ago strange lines started to appear on top part of the display and growing – lines are coming down the display day by day (like some video memory corruption – or data overlapping as with the old PC video cards 🙂
hi my camera for sony ericsson s500i is not working.. i have a grey screen that appears… wat do i do???
Hey, i got my s5ooi on august 25 and its been like 2 months and my screen cracked. what do i do.
For my birthday in 2007 I got the summer pink& white S500i and recently my mums phone has stopped working, I had my SE for 2 years and then got an iPhone, mum wanted to use my SE as there was nothing wrong with it, but I plugged it in& it didn’t charge?. Any help?