Siemens SL65

The Good :
Beautiful design, video recorder function, compact and light weight, USB port, infrared

The Bad:
no bluetooth, no external memory slot



Remember the exotic Siemens SL 55 back in 2002? Then, the Siemens SL65 is the "younger sister" of SL 55. It gives you a very very beautiful design. It's compact, with very nice rounded corners. The slider also works nicely. It has bright 65000 colors TFT display.

The video recording capability makes SL 65 quite a good choice. Although the limited memory (10 MB), and the lack of external memory slots will surely limit the duration of video. GPRS, Infrared, and USB all are installed to help you communicate this little darling with other devices.

Of course, the lack of bluetooth makes SL 65 a bit incomplete. We can't share pictures or poly ringtones comfortably with the absence of bluetooth in SL 65. With similar price, you can have Motorola A760, Siemens SX1, Samsung D410 and Samsung E800.



Which one do you prefer? If you prefer total functionality, then Siemens SX1 may be the right choice. If you want some balance between design and functionality, you can consider Motorola A760. Samsung D410 is not really recommended. Well, the closest rival in shape and functions is the Samsung E800.

E800 has sligthly bigger display than Siemens SL 65, with more memory (24 MB), compared to 10 MB of SL 65. E800 also has flash installed with the camera. But it has no bluetooth. Speaking of design beauty, Siemens SL 65 is the winner. It's the most beautifully designed slider phone currently in the market, February 2005.

Conclusion:
When you hold Siemens SL 65 and play around with its display and functions, you may fall in love with the phone. If you are into compact phone with video-camera and beautiful design, SL 65 is the right choice. Shop around, especially consider the very similar Samsung E800, and pick the right choice that fulfills your needs.

Motorola E398

The Good:
Superb speaker quality, fancy disco lights, bright and big display, cooool design, artistic display themes, 64 MB Transflash memory card included

The Bad:
No radio, no video recording function, no infrared



Motorola really aims the E398 for youngsters, or for those who are funky and musical. With the superb quality of speakers, you will hear MP3 songs real good. It's near CD quality sound. A little less than perfect. When someone calls you, the flashy disco lights will turn on, it's a nice eye candy, although not really necessary.



The display is very bright and excellent, just like Samsung phones. It's brighter and softer than Nokia 6600. And you can customize the display with pre-installed themes. The themes are cool. Navigation is a bit confusing, and not as easy as Nokia phones. But the joystick works well. Bluetooth runs smoothly, yet too bad we don't have infrared in E398.



May be one major flaw is the lack of radio. Imagine if you turn on your radio and you can play it loudly through the high quality speaker of E398, it will be heaven. Still, you can play some MP3 songs very nicely. And download more contents to make this E398 really dances.

Conclusion:
Based on the nice features, such as hi-quality speakers and display, plus the big external Transflash memory, this E398 is a nice investment for music, and possibly, java game lovers. If you are young and hip, or if you feel you are, then why don't check out the phone before deciding to another brand. You might like it.

SonyEricsson S700

The Good :
Cool swivel design, 1.3 megapixel camera, bright TFT 262,000 colors display, infrared, bluetooth, GPRS, SyncML, USB port

The Bad:
a bit bulky, quite expensive

SonyEricsson S700 reminds us to one of swivel phone from Motorola a few years ago. However, this big guy from SonyEricsson brings many many more features to us than the old Motorola phone.



First impression of S700 is a little bit big and bulky, with large display screen, which is nice. When we open the swivel, it turns around so nicely. The strength of S700 is its imaging. The camera can capture pictures very sharply and flawlessly.

The GPRS, infrared, bluetooth and USB all makes S700 a full connectivity cell phone. The SyncML also makes the S700 reliable when synchronizing contacts with Outlook. The perception of phone with cool design inevitably comes into our mind with its swivel design.

Comparable phones are Nokia 6670, Nokia 7610, Nokia 7270, O2 Xphone II, and Motorola E680. Although slightly different in product type, the Motorola E680 gives you big internal memory (50 MB) with faster Intel XScale processor and Microsoft Smartphone System (compared to SonyEricsson S700's Symbian system). But S700 excels in display and camera compared to Motorola E680.

Another considerable alternative is the Nokia 6670, with similar 1.3 megapixel camera, full connectivity also, but less colors in display (65,000 compared to S700's 262,000 colors display). Nokia 7610 with its very stylish keypad and physical design, also becomes a tough choice for you. It offers less advanced 1 megapixel camera, with MP4 video player. Yet, the strongest selling point of Nokia 7610 is its style.



On the other hand, O2 Xphone II brings Windows Smartphone system, less than megapixel camera, 32 MB memory and memory slots. Are you confused already? Competition in this price range is intensive, so you'd better know what you're looking for.

We know that SonyEricsson S700 offers unique and stylish swivel design. But for the price, better ask around, because you might find other phones with similar price that brings more value to you.

If you are truly fall in love with S700, however, go for your love! Indeed, S700 is the only swivel phone that has megapixel camera in it. And the reputation of quality from SonyEricsson, supported by camera technology leadership from Sony, is undisputable.

Conclusion :
SonyEricsson S700 is for you who loves imaging, that is taking pictures and videos and watch them on the display of your phone. It is the only swivel phone with megapixel camera right now. The 262,000 colors TFT display is surely right for your eyes. Don't forget to evaluate other phones, cause you might change your mind.

O2 XDA II Mini

The Good :
Compact, 1.3 megapixel camera, 64 MB internal memory, MMC slot, mini USB, Windows Media Player

The Bad:
No WiFi, smaller memory (64 MB ROM), no keypad



After the successful launch of O2 XDA and O2 XDAIIs, O2 launches the mini version of its XDA II, the XDA II Mini. Don't be intimidated with the "Mini" label, because this small guy brings lots of features to the table.

First of fall, its compact size sets XDA II Mini apart from its competitors. With the small size, XDA II Mini still manages to provide big enough touch screen. The 1.3 megapixel camera allows you to capture a lot of pictures, and store them either in the internal memory or MMC slot.

The lack of WiFi is acceptable because of its limited size. We might imagine in the near future, how comfortable it is to browse the web in cafes with a small gadget like XDA II Mini. A few years down the road, we can speculate that O2 might launch such a small and smart device.

It can be quite difficult to choose between Nokia 9300, O2 XDA II Mini, or SonyEricsson P900i. If your highest priority is compact design, high quality camera, and Windows-compatibility, then XDA II Mini may be the best choice.



Conclusion:
O2 XDA II Mini is recommended for you who wants to combine compact size, 1.3 megapixel camera, Windows operating system, and a GSM phone, all into one device. Actually, O2 may be the best choice among SonyEricsson P910i or Nokia 9300. But then again, it's up to you. Does O2 give what you're looking for?

Nokia 7280

The Good :
Very very unique and beautiful shape and design and huge (I mean : huge!) memory capacity of 60 MB!

The Bad :
Camera quality is average. No video recording capability. Very difficult to type texts.



Nokia 7280 is surely a fashion phone. Look at its aesthetic! When you first saw it, you may not know it's a cell phone. It has "mirror" that functions as a screen. It brings 65k colors TFT. It has not keypad, and replaces it with Navi Spinner, which is actually an artistic version of jog dial.



Camera lens is hidden beneath the body casing. You may use your camera by strecthing the phone a little bit. However, camera quality is unfortunately poor. Nokia should work more on this. The lack of keypad also brings problems, because it's hard to enter texts here.



The best feature of all is its 60 MB memory, 10 MB of it is already taken by Nokia for 7280's own sistem and application. However, there is a lot more. They will stil leave 50 MB empty, free to store your images taken by the camera, or MP3 songs.



Conclusion :
Nokia 7280 is surely for you who wants to express elegance and aesthetic. Its price is expensive, yet the look is good. But be prepared with difficulties in entering texts, and its average quality of camera.

Nokia 7710

The Good :
Digital camera, TFT screen 65k colors, Big landscape display, supports EDGE, Full connectivity : IrDA, Bluetooth, GPRS, touch screen, enhanced office applications, image editor, stereo audio/video player, radio function, huge internal memory capacity (90 MB).

The Bad :
Still expensive, bulky.

Nokia launched its new PDA-phone, the stylish Nokia 7710. With its office applications and touchscreen, Nokia entered new venture in PDA-phone. Unlike its cousin, Communicator, 7710 offers you lots of flexibility in inputting data with its touchscreen and stylus.



Although still expensive, frankly, Nokia 7710 is quite a bargain. With list price of US$ 740 (no service plan), 7710 delivers lots of features. Imagine, you can capture pictures and video up to 1 hour with its high quality camera. After that you can edit your pictures, with its image editor called Sketch. Wanna send your images or videos? No problem, because MMS is ready.

90 MB internal memory capacity is also generous. You can store a lot of office files and pictures. And if it's not enough, you can extend your memory by inserting MMC into its hotswap slot. Hotswap means you don't need to turn off your phone when inserting the MMC. FM radio is also installed. Just like other high end phones, Nokia 7710 is a bit bulky. Yet it's still acceptable.

Conclusion :
If you wanna go for a PDA-phone, Nokia 7710 can become a considerable option. Many features in one phone. Compared to SonyEricsson P910i, Nokia 7710 offers lower price with similar features. Yet, P910i physical looks more business oriented than the stylish Nokia 7710. Don't forget to compare with XDA mini, XDA IIs, HP IPAQ 6535, and XPhone II.

Motorola V3 RAZR

The Good :
Brilliant TFT 262,000 colors display, slim and quite light weight, excellent and stylish physical design, nice glowing keypad, VGA camera installed, MP4 player, USB port, Bluetooth

The Bad:
Expensive, no infrared, small internal memory, no memory extension slots



Surely, V3 RAZR is a choice for you who wants a hi-tech look phone. With its very slim design, V3 brings quite a lot of features. The depth of its display color will give your eyes clarity and convinience. And camera quality is also good.



The USB port and bluetooth work well for transferring images, sounds, and contacts. But the phone lacks infrared. It seems that Motorola doesn't want to include infrared in its high or medium end phones.



With its quite expensive price, V3 lacks the flexibility of QWERTY keyboard found in Nokia Communicators 9300, or touch screen and stylus in Nokia 7710. However, the look and the style of V3 is what makes the phone different.

Conclusion:
If you want to live with stylish and compact phone, V3 is for you. But if you look for big memory capacity or office supporting applications, then you should turn to other cellphones. V3 RAZR has the look, the display technology, and connectivity (minus infrared). Are you stylish enough for it?

SonyEricsson P910i

The Good :
TFT 262,000 colors display, handwriting recognition, MP4 player, GPRS, infrared, bluetooth, USB port, digital camera, Memory Stick Duo, professional look

The Bad:
number keypad is too tight - difficult to use, QWERTY keyboard is small, Symbian system

SonyEricsson P910i is the high end PDA-phone from Sony Ericsson. It has touch screen and handwriting recognition. You can also use the small QWERTY keypad, although it's a bit difficult to use, because it's not as big as Nokia Communicators' QWERTY.

All features of high-end PDA-phone are built in. Digital camera, memory extension slot, and not to mention the high quality of its 262,000 colors display. Full connectivity makes P900i communicates well with multiple devices.

The memory stick duo also makes data transfer easy. This enables you to take pictures, write texts, then take the memory card off P900i, plug it into card reader connected with laptop or PCs, and transfer all data you need.

The Symbian system actually becomes a little constraint. Because Symbian software is somewhat more limited, compared to widely available add-ons for Palm or Pocket PC. However, the professional look and charisma of P900i can give you some edge.

Comparing this phone with Nokia 7710, it has slimmer design but a little less functionality. In comparison to Nokia 9300, the P900i lacks full set of QWERTY but wins the camera. XDA II mini has better system (Windows PocketPC 2003 SE) and all of P910i's features except keypads. Explore G88 by Palm also has similar features with much lower price, but it lacks the memory slot, keypad and bluetooth.

Conclusion:
SonyEricsson P910i may not be the best value in the PDA-phone product range. You can shop around and compare it to other brands. But the best feature of P910i is actually its design. It is sturdy, has the professional-look, with quite lots of features.

Motorola C380

The Good :
Excellent, stylish and professional-look, light weight, GPRS, MMS, USB port

The Bad:
STN display, no infrared

Motorola C380 offers an entry level phone with GPRS, MMS, and USB port installed. Its 65,000 colors display might be good. But the STN technology is already outdated. Consider Samsung C100 or C200 with UFB displays that are much brighter and crisper.

However, Motorola C380 offers a really cool and professional physical design. When you look and hold the Motorola, you feel very bold and charming. Its design is rather similar to newer models of Siemens, especially the Siemens CX65, or Siemens CX70.

GPRS has became the standard, and the USB is something special in Motorola C380. It's not found in other types with the same price range. Samsung C100, C200, or X100, Siemens A65, SonyEricsson J200i, Nokia 2600, all of them don't have the USB port.

Motorola C380's 1,6 MB memory is adequate, yet with a few more dollars, you can get whopping 9 MB memory from Samsung X100. However, Samsung X100's design is awkward, compared to the elegance we find in Motorola C380.

Conclusion :
Overall, Motorola C380 is still a considerable option for you, if you don't really mind about the lack of brightness in its STN display. And if you really like its cool design, then why not, go for it.

Samsung D410

The Good :
Bright and brilliant TFT 262,000 colors display, VGA camera with video-recorder capability, infrared, GPRS

The Bad:
Awkward slider design, low memory capacity, no memory extension slots, no bluetooth, a little bit bulky

D410 adds another slider phone from Samsung. Recently Samsung seems exploring this new form of cellphone for them. With its "cousins" Samsung E800 and E630, D410 appeared to steal some market share from slider phone fans.

First impression of Samsung D410 is, just like other Samsung cellphones, the bright and brilliant display. And D410 gives you a quite spacious display. However, the design brings to us a perception of inflexibility. When the slider is opened, we can feel that D410's physical looks and feels a little bit awkward.

The lack of memory and bluetooth are two problems with D410. With the price, we can find other brands that bring bluetooth, like Motorola A760 or Siemens SX1. Siemens SL65 gives you smaller and lighter phone, more beautiful design, and USB port.

However, with the video recording capability, it's quite fun to record a few minutes of videos and play it in the phone. Yet, again, the lack of memory (and also the absence of any external memory slots!) prohibits us from recording long videos.

Conclusion:
Samsung D410 may be nice. But you can consider other phones if you look for more functionality. Motorola A760 provides you with touch screen and bluetooth, but with no video camera function. The Siemens SX1 brings full connectivity (bluetooth, infrared, GPRS), but also with no video camera function. Siemens SL65 gives you physical beauty and similar features. Depending on you, if you can't stand the irresistible brilliance of Samsung display, you might choose the phone.

SonyEricsson K500i

The Good :
Sporty and "tough" design, TFT 65,000 colors display, MP3/MP4 players, VGA camera, infrared

The Bad:
no memory extension, no bluetooth, rather bulky

SonyEricsson K500i is a medium-end phone with youth and game lover target market. At least that is the impression we found in its ads. The Splinter Cell game does run well in K500i, although not very spectacular.

First impression of holding K500i is that it is quite bulky. We will feel that the screen appears big and dominating the phone. The camera has a lens cover that may protect it from dust or splashes. Menu is pretty standard of SonyEricsson phones. The display however, looks brighter and better than previous models from SonyEricsson.

12 MB memory is just enough for handling pictures and storing a few title of games. But how can SonyEricsson forgets to install memory extension slots in K500i ? With its extensive branding of gaming phone from SonyEricsson, K500i should have that extension slot. And where is the bluetooth? Well, may be for the price, the bluetooth is too expensive to install.

For comparison, NGage QD or even NGage brings bluetooth, memory extension, and bigger display (but no camera) with only slightly higher price. With some 70 more dollars, you can also get the fantastic Motorola E398 that holds 64 MB memory card and 5 MB internal memory, 3d stereo speaker, bluetooth, and camera. Samsung X600 has brighter display, flash camera and 9.7 MB memory with similar price.

And how about Siemens CX70? It has 9.5 MB memory, USB port (a nice connectivity tool), camera, and push-to-talk to save your money. All you can have with slightly higher price than K500i.

Conclusion :
Of course, SonyEricsson K500i may not be the best choice in middle-end phone. But it has the winning factor as "rebellious" cellphone. Look at its a bit unusual design, and the blue casing color. And also the "protective" lens cover. Overall, you can choose K500i if you are already in love with it. But don't forget to consider other phones, 'cause you might get more value from them.

Samsung E630

The Good :
Small, sleek, and beautiful design, 20 MB memory, camera, infrared, bright TFT 65,000 colors display

The Bad:
no bluetooth, no MP3 or MP4 players, no memory extension slot

Compare Samsung E630 and Siemens SL 65. They look very similar, except Samsung E630 is a bit smaller, and has fewer features. Can we say Samsung E630 is a cheaper "version" of Siemens SL 65? We could, I guess. Anyway, the Samsung E630 brings standard features of today's smart phones. They include VGA camera, big memory (20 MB), infrared, and GPRS.

Samsung E630 display, by Samsung tradition, is bright and well, nearly perfect. E630's strength is the beauty of design and compact size. The lack of bluetooth may be a bit problem, although its 20 MB memory will hold enough pictures taken for a while. In comparison, Siemens SL 65 has only 10 MB memory, but with USB port, infrared, video player and video capture-capable camera for around 50 more dollars. But Samsung E630 has better and slightly bigger display than Siemens SL65.

For slightly lower price, you can have the charming flip-phone, Samsung E700. Or how about the professional-look Siemens S65? SonyEricsson K700 is also within similar price, but it is lagging behind in design, although it does some advantage with its radio, infrared, video with flash camera, and Bluetooth. The stylish and fashionable Nokia 7200 flip-phone, and Nokia 7260 exotic phone are also good alternatives.

Go a bit futher down, you can find the hip Motorola E398 or the versatile Nokia 3660. Go a bit up, you can find smarter phones, such as Palm Explore G18 or Siemens SX1. Then again, all the alternatives lack the beauty of Samsung E630's design, except may be Nokia 7200 flip phone or Nokia 7260.

Conclusion:
You can have any other features in alternative phones, but Samsung E630 gives you quite a big memory, with vga camera and bright brilliant display through small, compact size phone with pretty design. If you are really into style, then Samsung E630 may be good for you. But if you look for more features for the price, or "the biggest bang of the bucks", then choose other phone, cause Samsung E630 doesn't bring as many as features as others.

N-Gage QD

The Good :
Bluetooth, comfortable grip, bright display, SyncML, hotswap memory slot, supports multiplayer

The Bad:
No infrared, a bit difficult to write sms with its keypad layout, relatively short battery life for continuous gaming

Nokia launced the N-Gage QD to the gamers' market, after the previous original N-Gage. Basically all remains the same, except the rounded shape of QD and some minor modifications.

One major upgrade, however, is the hotswap memory card slot. With this feature, you can change your game without having to switch off the phone. Other touch is cosmetical, yet fun. You will see changing icons in the menu that makes it look very futuristic.



Although the display only has 4k colors, but it is good enough for playing games. If you are really a gamer, you should consider buying this phone. It's a unique phone that may show to other people how funky you really are. QD is very comfortable to hold, with its rubber lining. There are lots of game titles available. And control is good, with 21 buttons on the panel.

Conclusion :
N-Gage QD is for you gamers! If you really enjoy playing games and want to carry a gaming gadget everywhere you go, you can depend on N-Gage QD. But please be aware of its limited battery life.

You can check out the prices of this cool gadget in Amazon.

Motorola A760

The Good :
Beautiful design, touch screen, TFT 65,000 colors, USB port, big 32 MB internal memory, Linux system runs fast, GPRS, infrared, bluetooth, MP3 player, video recording capability, Intel XScale processor 206 MHz

The Bad:
no external memory slot, some Linux documents might not be compatible with Windows

Motorola A760 throws in a unique hybrid of PDA and a phone. You can edit some basic documents with its Linux system that runs quite fast. The video recording capability also works well. Its 32 MB is somewhat limited, and the lack of memory slots becomes a little nuisance for us.

The design is good enough, but not really special. With touch screen and no keypad, you must get used typing with the stylus. The bright display helps us using the phone comfortably. Full connectivity, with GPRS, Infrared, and Bluetooth onboard, reflects Motorola's desire to make A760 one of the most preferred PDA-phones on the market.

Clearly, other alternatives are also available. Going to a little bit lower price PDA-phone, we can choose Explore G18 by Palm. It has bigger and better display: 262,000 colors display, 16 MB RAM, 16 MB ROM, but no internal memory. Yet the Explore G18 lacks the bluetooth and video recording capability. The Explore G88 is slightly more expensive than Motorola A760 and offers the same features of Explore G18, with only one difference : 22 MB internal memory.

Conclusion :
If you want to look for a middle end PDA phone, Motorola A760 can be a choice. Although the display is rather small, A760 brings quite a lot of features in it. With the Linux, system stability is good. Please consider the absence of external memory slots and the possibility of incompatibility between Linux documents and Windows.

Explore G18

Explore G18

The Good :
TFT 262,000 colors, digital camera, touch screen, Palm OS enables lots of add-ons apps, GPRS

The Bad:
No Bluetooth, no memory extension slot, average camera quality

Palm has been known as a solid PDA manufacturer. Yet just recently Palm ventured into smartphone arena, or should we say PDA-phone? Whatever we call this device, the Explore G18 brings a new alternative to the PDA-phone hybrids.

First impression of Explore G18 is it's quite a handsome device. With silver casing and simple buttons, it seems this device doesn't bring lots of features. Yet that impression will disappear once you play around with installed Palm applications inside the system. You have messaging, camera and customizable display themes, games, internet browser, etc.

But office applications are not installed, so you need to buy them separately. Camera quality is only average, and the placement of the camera lens on the top edge of the back of the phone really brings incovinience when you take pictures. It's like aiming to shoot a duck. So it's not very fun and we need time to get used with the camera.

May be the best feature of Explore G18, and like G88 is its Palm operating system. Palm OS enables you to download and install various kinds of add-ons application available in the Internet. We know that Palm applications (and games) are more widely varied in kinds and quantity than PocketPC (windows) or Symbian.

With similar price, you can have Motorola A760, Siemens SX1, Explore G88, Siemens SL65, O2 Xphone II, Siemens S65, Samsung E800, or Samsung E630. May be the closest competitor is the Motorola A760. It has touch screen, 32 MB memory and faster processor than Explore G18. Motorola A760 also carries bluetooth, MP3 player, and digital camera capable of capturing video.

O2 Xphone II is also a considerable alternative. It brings the glamorous Windows SmartPhone 2003 operating system, with MP3 and MP4 players, Bluetooth, memory extension slot, and 32 MB memory. But O2 Xphone II has no touch screen. Both O2 Xphone II and Motorola A760 has less depth display colors (only 65,000) than Explore G18. Explore G88 gives you 22 MB internal memory more than G18. So what's your choice?

Conclusion :
If you are really a Palm system fanatic, Explore G18 is surely a nice gadget. But if you're only familiar with Windows, may be you can consider O2 Xphone II instead. Still the device can be quite powerful if you buy and install more "killer applications". However the lack of bluetooth and memory extension slot are real problems with Explore G18.

Nokia 2650

Nokia 2650

The Good :
GPRS, supports MMS, nice design

The Bad :
4096 colors display, no infrared

It's better to call this phone a "flip experiment" by Nokia because Nokia 2650 doesn't bring lots of improvements. With similar price, you can have Samsung SGH C100 with UFB 65000 colors display and infrared, or SGH C200 with same display technology and bigger memory capacity.

Is Nokia 2650 flip mechanism reliable? Because Nokia is a new player in flip phone its flipping mechanism might not be as reliable as Samsung (numerous flip series), Motorola (the stylish V-series), or SonyEricsson (Z200, Z600).

Standard features like organizer, xHTML browser, SMS, MMS all work well. One of Nokia 2650's flaw is the lack of infrared. How can Nokia 2650 communicate with other devices, say to accept ringtones or other data? May be quite difficult because this is only a basic phone with no infrared or bluetooth.

Conclusion :
Actually, Nokia 2650 is not a good option. You can shop around and easily find many brands show similar features with lower price (Sony Ericsson Z200), or similar price with more features. If you want to have the first flip Nokia phone, however, be my guest, check Nokia 2650 out on the Internet or in your nearest cellphone kiosk or store.

SonyEricsson T100

SonyEricsson T100

The Good :
Small, very light, very slim

The Bad:
limited phonebook memory, no poly ringtone, no GPRS, seems fragile physically

SonyEricsson T100 is an entry level phone, with very small size and light weight. It has a nice design. Keypad is good and the blue display also appears nice. With the low price, we can't expect color display or poly ringtones.

The animated id makes receiving calls a fun experience. There are several icons that you can assign to several contacts. When s/he calls, the icon appears in the screen. Games are available and brings enough entertainment.

Its slim design may be good, but it seems fragile. Don't put much pressure on the phone, because the excessive pressure might damage it.

Conclusion :
On a tight budget, this phone is a nice choice. Yet you can consider other brand, such as Motorola C115, with sturdier design than SonyEricsson T100.

Nokia 3650

The Good:
Integrated camera, full connectivity: GPRS-infrared-bluetooth, video capture capability

The Bad:
heavy and bulky, basic camera quality, poor keypad layout

Nokia 3650 brings to the market a unique phone that physically resembles a big remote controller with a screen. It has all features of Nokia 7650, plus more memory and video capture capability of its camera. It is less thicker than 7650 and has a distinctive keypad layout.

The keypad layout, however, takes much time for us to adapt. It is not aligned horizontally like ordinary layout, but in circle. This makes our fingers (and brains) dance before finding the next button, especially when we write messages. The image results from camera is not very good. Even 7650's camera is slightly better than 3650. So don't expect much. The display has only 4096 colors, which means you will get just enough clarity of images.

Conclusion:
Nokia 3650 is good for you with its all features. But the lack of MMC slot, the unsual and difficult-to-use keypad, and its bulky dimension make 3650 not a really good investment. And you'd better to updgrade to 3660.

Nokia 7650

The Good:
Integrated camera, full connectivity: GPRS-infrared-bluetooth, exotic slider design

The Bad:
limited memory, heavy and bulky, short battery life, basic camera quality

Nokia 7650 is a classic. It was the first smart phone of its kind that entered the market. With the big screen, and its full connectivity, Nokia 7650 can navigate the Internet quite smoothly. The problems with 7650 is its limited memory = 4 MB, shared. This means we cannot install lots of games and applications, and we cannot store MP3 songs as ringtones.



Bluetooth, infrared, and GPRS all works well and stable. But don't save too much images and sounds in the memory, because limited memory will make the phone runs very slow. Its heavy and bulky dimension is also a problem. It's too big for our trousers' pockets. And it's too "fragile" to put it into a bag. Battery life is also short. You should change the factory default battery with stronger battery.

Camera quality is not really good. It's good only in daylight, and with the object taken not more than 3 feet in a distance from the lens of the camera. Otherwise, the picture will be blur if taken in a daylight, or dark if taken during the night.

Conclusion:
The Nokia 7650 is a nice cellphone if you need a phone with camera, able to surf the web with a big display screen, and don't need much space for fancy stuffs like mp3 songs, games, or office data. However it's already outdated, and better switch to 3660.

Nokia 9500

The Good:
QWERTY keyboard, 65000 color external and internal display, Microsoft Office installed, 80 MB memory capacity, HTML and XHTML browser (faster Internet browsing), GPRS, Integrated VGA camera, Pop-port

The Bad:
Expensive, camera is not megapixel, no mouse, no touch screen

This is the high end product of Nokia Communicator variants. It offers full 65000 color displays, both internal and external. It's a fancy eye-candy, especially the external one. Actually the external display need not be 65000 colors. 4096 color is enough, and better transfer the resources of Nokia to install a megapixel camera that this 9500 is lacking.

Ample memory of 80 MB is surely will help busy professionals a lot. With the full mobile version of Microsoft Office is installed, we can expect more functionality of office applications than we see in previous Nokia 9210i. GPRS will also help you navigate the web more easily. And how about the camera? Is it needed? May be yes. But, it's unfortunate we have less than megapixel camera.

Its design is slimmer than 9210i, and it has nice silver lining on the outer panel. The black color of its panel is very solid, very "business oriented". Internal 65000 color display shows bright pictures downloaded from the Internet. The speaker quality is good. System stability is pretty good. But we don't know later when we install more apps into it.

Conclusion:
Nokia 9500 offers upgrade in display, GPRS, MS Office apps, HTML/xHTML browser, with the camera. They are all nice. The only downside is the price. It's very expensive for such a toy. Considering your office or business needs, you can get similar, if not slightly better, features in PDAs with a bit lower price.

Nokia 9210i

The Good:
QWERTY keyboard, big and color internal display, big memory capacity, lots of functions (word processor, spreadsheet, fax, e-mail, web browser) in one device

The Bad:
No GPRS, must use HS-CSD to connect to the Internet, heavy and bulky, limited functionality of office applications, no mouse

This product is cool. It has lots of functions in it. E-mails, web browser, office documents, spreadsheets, and powerpoint viewers. It has enough features for an average professional. And, the cool fact is : when you open the internal screen and type something on it, you will get other people's attention. They will think : "hm, this person is really techie. Look at his gadget!". It's cool right?

With the internal memory of 40 MB, and 8 MB is dynamic, plus the MMC card that you need to install, Nokia 9210i is really a powerful memory-storage machine. You can save some MP3 songs (not too many, though), a few seconds of mpeg videos, and lots of pictures, text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and contacts.

The strength of this 9210i, just like its predecessor 9110 and successor 9500, is its full QWERTY keyboard. You can open the phone and type quite comfortably, unlike other PDA-phones that make you use stylus or type with a very small QWERTY keyboards. Yet, the drawback is that you will need some time to familiarize with the software. Because : you don't have a mouse. It's quite confusing. You navigate the system either with the soft keys, or with the "quick launch" buttons on the keypad.

You can open and edit Word documents, but you cannot do fancy things such as inserting pictures, charts, links, or tables. Spreadsheet also ready for use, but with lots of limitations. And once again, the absence of mouse really become trouble when you use spreadsheet. It's like jumping with only one leg. Presentation viewer is installed, but you can't create your own presentation. Only viewing. E-mail, fax, and internet browsing is possible only through HS-CSD (high speed circuit switched data), and not through direct GPRS "plug and play". You should contact your mobile service operator to check if they provide HS-CSD.

You can install additional softwares such as video players, MP3 players, and games. But don't expect smooth operations. Although rarely happens, there can be bugs that make your communicator stops responding if too many apps are installed. You must keep some free space in your Communicator's memory. Also, the speaker quality is very basic. The treble is virtually non-existent. You can't expect near-CD quality sound.


Conclusion :
Nokia 9210i is good for you who needs to read and edit lots of text documents. Possible heavy users of Nokia 9210i are writers and journalists. But you can't do much with spreadsheet or presentations. Internet, fax, e-mail works well with HS-CSD. It's appropriate for you who want a cellphone that helps your basic office work.

Nokia 6620

The Good:
GPRS, infrared, EDGE capability, SyncML, e-mail, built-in digital camera, xHTML

The Bad:
Tiny screen (128 x 128 pixels), basic display technology (4096 colors), clumsy keypad design, no spreadsheet

Nokia 6620 is a medium class phone, targeted for business people. It is equipped with SyncML and EDGE. SyncML lets you synchronize contacts between your Nokia 6620 and Microsoft Outlook address book. EDGE enables you to access data with fast wireless connection.

The built-in camera is welcome, though too bad it only has resolution up to 352 x 288 pixels. The clumsy keypad design, which the buttons are getting smaller below might also have you adjust your fingers a little bit, to get used to the keypad.

GPRS runs well, and the XHTML browser is here to stay. The browser will help you navigate the Internet faster. Hope you can use the Nokia 6220 as a helpful assistant for your business needs. Too bad, spreadsheet reader or editor is not installed into Nokia 6220.

Conclusion:
Nokia 6220 is for you business people who want a phone that can handle basic functions such as managing contacts with its SyncML and infrared, read or send e-mail with its E-mail software and GPRS. And a simple camera for taking fun pictures won't hurt either. Too bad we don't have spreadsheet application with the Nokia 6220

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Nokia 6100

The Good:
GPRS class 6, infrared, speakerphone, small and light

The Bad:
Tiny screen (128 x 128 pixels)

Nokia 6100 offers basic function of a phone, with some connectivity through its infrared and GPRS. Nice keypad layout, cute design, and good price will entice you to try it. Lack of pre-installed games and screensavers will practically leave you with not enough entertainment. Yet considering its possible target market who probably are cost-conscious business people, this may not be a problem.

GPRS does its job well downloading wapsite pages. But, infrared is not always smooth, particularly with devices other than Nokia. So don't expect transferring data a lot with non-Nokia devices.

Conclusion:
Nokia 6100 can be your choice if you want a basic phone that has GPRS, an infrared (though not always compatible), and all basic features of a phone. It's good if you don't want lots of bell and whistles. No camera, no bluetooth, and not many games or screensavers either.

Nokia 3220

The Good:
Nice, "masculine" physical design, 65.000 colors, cut-out cover, GPRS class 10, Built-in digital camera with flash and video camera ability, E-mail client, instant messaging

The Bad:
Tiny screen (128 x 128 pixels), no external memory slots, no infrared, no bluetooth



Nokia 3220 is a medium class camera phone, with flash light and video recorder function. You can also cut out any printed paper or pics and use it as a cover with the cut-out cover ability. The video results is not very good, yet it is a nice function for the price of 3220. Good value.

Nice round of its physical design makes 3220 a phone with strong character. The 3MB memory actually is not enough to handle lots of pics taken with the camera, not to mention the videos captured. Unfortunately, you can't install any additional memory. The absence of either infrared or bluetooth makes transferring data a nuisance. It's a pity that infrared is not included.



As usual, GPRS works well. Just make sure you open the wapsites, not websites. Because 3220's small screen doesn't handle complicated websites well.

Conclusion:
Nokia 3220 is a nice phone. The cool rounded design is appropriate for you who is energetic and wants to stand out of the crowd. Video recording capability, and camera with flash light is a very nice feature. But don't hope you can store lots of images of video inside the phone, because you can't install any additional memory over its 3 MB data. Anyway, for the price and style, it's a cool phone.

Nokia 3200

The Good:
Stylish keypad layout, changeable cover with our own paper cover, image editor, speakerphone, pop port, GPRS, Infrared, Built-in digital camera with night mode ability, xHTML browser

The Bad:
Basic display technology (only 4096 colors), Tiny screen (128 x 128 pixels), poor camera results viewed in the phone

Nokia 3200 is really something from Nokia. It is the cheapest Nokia candybar phone that puts lots of functions into one. The camera is in. Although the quality of pictures taken is poor if viewed with the phone tiny screen, it's quite average if you transfer them to PCs or laptops. Image editor is also a nice addition. It lets you do something with your picture.

The distinctive keypad layout is what makes 3200 stands out from the crowd. At first sight, it feels hard to use. But once you put your thumbs on it, it's not that hard. It's simply cool. The changeable cover is also here to stay to satisfy your expression. You can cut out anything as long as it is less than 1 milimeter in thickness, and put it in the cover.

Infrared, GPRS, and pop port are the connectivity functions.It is understandable that for its price, bluetooth is not included. Infrared can help you a lot transferring pics, ringtones, even screensavers from and to other devices. GPRS class 10 is able to download wapsites fast.

Conclusion:Nokia 3200 is recommended for you who look for a customizable stylish camera phone with many features. Infrared, GPRS, MMS, pop port, camera, image editor, many features are loaded inside. Just don't be disappointed with average quality of the display, it's only 4096 colors and 128 x 128 pixels.

Nokia 3120

The Good:
Built-in handsfree, Pop-port interface function, Instant Messaging, xHTML browser

The Bad:
Basic display technology (only 4096 colors), no infrared

The Nokia 3120 is a quite fancy phone for its class and price. It has pop-port interface, xHTML browser, and Instant Messaging installed. The built-in handsfree is also a nice feature.

The physical shape is not bad, and it's very light. They keypad is a little bit small, but you'll get used to it anyway. Ability to plug in camera is also a plus, although you cannot store many pictures inside the phone's small memory. Plus, you cannot view pictures well with the 4096 colors display

Conclusion:
Nokia 3120 is a nice phone for you who wants a small phone that can browse the Internet. Its pop port is also good for transferring data. Still, it's just another "market confuser" by Nokia. You can't expect much from the phone

Nokia 3100

The Good:
Full Nokia PC Suite included, GPRS and MMS enabled, compact design and light weight

The Bad:
Basic display technology (only 4096 colors), no infrared, limited internal memory (only 484 kb)




Nokia 3100 is the "revision" of 3530. It has crisper display than 3530, but with less internal memory. Meanings you can't install lots of small games or download loads of pics. GPRS is good, it works well. Infrared also will help you transferring data with PC. With the support of Nokia PC Suite, Nokia 3100 is actually quite a powerful cellphone for its class.

You can use your Nokia 3100 as a modem, paired with your laptop. Make sure you're informed about how much your GSM operator charges you for GPRS access. The screen saver of Nokia 3100 is a clock, which is quite handy for telling you the time.

Conclusion:
Nokia 3100 is right for you who want a phone with simplicity and some power for accessing Internet. For the price, it's quite a value. We recommend you to evaluate it and compare it with other brands.

Nokia 2600

The Good:
spreadsheet ability, cool design, light weight

The Bad:
Basic display technology (only 4096 colors), no GPRS capability, too tiny screen for spreadsheets

Nokia 2600, the phone that just confuses the market. What kind of users does it aim? It is actually more like 3100 or even Nokia 6230, with spreadsheet ability attached. And with the tiny screen, how can we open spreadsheet conviniently?

It is more and less an entry-level phone with a new design. If you really want to be perceived unique by your peers, try Nokia 2600. It has distinctive border in its casing, with a few choices of colors : fluorescent green, gold, grey, and a few others.

Nokia 3530

Strengths : Cheap, sturdy, color display, GPRS and MMS-capable, enough memory for the price (around 700 kb)

Weakness : A bit bulky, images don't appear smooth, no infrared

The Nokia 3530 is a nice basic phone. You can depend on it for basic functions, such as making/receiving calls, SMS, MMS, and GPRS. Yet the lack of infrared makes it difficult to transfer contacts, ringtones, or images. For the currently low price, Nokia 3530 is actually already outdated, and you better search for better alternatives, such as Samsung C100, or Motorola C380, which has a lot better quality display with 65000 colors, and better design.

About The Cellphone Previews

Welcome to the Cellphone Previews.

In this site you can read previews about cellphones of all types and brands. The previews are brief, to the point, and show strengths and weaknesses of each cellphone type. I hope you can use this site (or blog), to help you choose the right cellphone.

You can also add comments to the previews. It would be best if you are currently a user of the cellphone you comment on. But if you're not, and just wants to say what you think, that's okay, too. No offensive language please, or your comments will be deleted. Thank you.

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Have a good time! :)