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Buyer's guide to mobile phones
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Apple is about to launch its SDK (Software Developers Kit) for third-party programmers to create third-party applications for theiPhone and iPod touch. Expect games, customisable weather widgets and a pocket T3 Cool-ometer. Well, maybe, if we learnhow to program first.
Top tips
- Onboard mobile memory can be, shall we say, limited. If you want to store loads of tunes or videos on your phone, purchase a model with a memory card slot.
- When it comes to picture quality, camera phones can’t match proper shooters. However, the Sony Ericsson K850i and the Samsung G600 snappers are both very good.
- To access email on the move, get a phone with push email, eg RIM’s BlackBerry series. Email is forwarded (pushed) to your phone as soon as it arrives on the server.
- Increasingly, mobiles let you sync all your contacts with Outlook and its ilk. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work with Mac’s Address Book, so make sure you check compatibility.
#1 Music phone
Sony Ericsson W910i
£330
Performance: Walkman phones are among the best musical blowers around, and this is the best Walkman phone you can get. That means top sound quality, easy tune browsing, and TrackID to – yes – ID tracks.
Love: Sexy look. Sexy software. Sexy sound. Sexy Sadie.
Hate: The flat, mechanised keypad is, erm… less sexy.
Best of the rest - music phones
Motorola Razr2 V8
£290
Performance: Hello Moto. What’s that? You’ve added a music-controlling touchscreen to your latest flogging of the RAZR horse? Thanks very much; it sounds mighty fine.
Love: Tactile touchscreen. Iconic RAZR shape.
Hate: Although thin, it’s very wide and feels heavy. No 3G.
Nokia 5700 Xpress
£185
Performance: A meat-andpotatoes mobile that comes pretty close to the Walkman and the RAZR in terms of sound quality, without those phones’ tendency to make you look a big ponce.
Love: Solid all-round performance. MicroSD slot.
Hate: Not the most elegant looker. Lacks extras.
Camera phones
Sony Ericsson K850i
£420
Performance: Five megs, electronic lens cover and a xenon flash make this the number one cam-phone.
Love: Superb picture quality. Tons of photo effects.
Hate: No optical zoom. Weirdly shrunken buttons.
LG Viewty
£160
Performance: Streamlined, sexy design, a five meg camera and supreme video recording.
Love: Looks great. Takes fabulous pictures.
Hate: Apart from the camera, this mobile is a touch lacking in most other areas.
Samsung G600
£295
Performance: How Samsung fits a five-megapixel camera in a 14.5mm-thin frame we’ll never know.
Love: Nifty style. Very good camera.
Hate: Lacks features. No 3G. Poor LED flash.
Do-it-all phones
Blackberry Pearl 8120
£295
Performance: The Wi-Fi-toting, trackball controlled Pearl puts the web in your pocket.
Love: Push email. Great browser. Wi-Fi. Trackball.
Hate: No 3G. Two-letters-per-key unpleasantness.
Apple iPhone
£269
Performance: Over-hyped it may be, but the iPhone is undeniably desirable, thanks to the multi-touch interface and 3.5-inch screen.
Love: Amazing touchscreen. Great music player.
Hate: No 3G. Crap camera.
Nokia N95
£390
Performance: The original super-phone packs a five-meg camera, satnav, HSDPA, and Wi-Fi.
Love: Featires galore. Great camera and screen.
Hate: Utterly feeble battery. A few bugs.
Smartphones
Nokia E90 Communicator
£660
Performance: Throbs with HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, 352x800 widescreen and a 3.2-meg camera.
Love: Awesome muscle. High-speed connectivity.
Hate: As heavy as some small dogs.
T-Mobile MDA Vario III
£220
Performance: Using Windows Mobile 6, the Vario III has a large, tilting touchscreen. Nice.
Love: Super-large touchscreen.
Hate: Super-large everything else.
Sony Ericsson P1i
£375
Performance: The P series gets a makeover with a new, sleek chassis for the suits.
Love: Built-in Wi-Fi. Business card scanner.
Hate: Annoying and fiddly keyboard.
Palm Treo 500V
£220
Performance: A competent smartie with a fantastic interface, plus Windows Mobile 6.
Love: Great for email. Simple to use.
Hate: No Wi-Fi. It’s quite average.
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