Who needs an iPhone?
2007-01-17
Can't wait all year for Apple's new mobile? These handsets are out now, packed with extra features - and with the right contract, they're free. So we asked readers to put them through their pacesThe businessperson
The HTC TyTN One of the killer features of this is the slide-out Qwerty keyboard. This is the phone for people who are just as likely to be putting together a spreadsheet as making a phone call. It comes with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It also offers 3G for fast internet browsing and e-mail - something the BlackBerry range is yet to offer. It also has WiFi, so if you're in a café you can surf the web without paying the expensive network charges. On a less businessy note, you can make video calls to your loved ones, listen to your MP3s and take snaps of your mates with the 2-megapixel camera. Altogether and it's certainly enough to kill off the need for a PDA (or handheld computer) - or so the hype says. The Swiss Army Knife of smartphones, an office in your pocket and a bit of fun for the commute home.
The verdict from Reena Patel, advertising executive I would definitely use Microsoft Word and Excel to check and update documents on the move. That would allow me to organise my time more efficiently. It's like using a PC, so it's easy to locate specific programs and functions. It operates really well as an electronic diary, with a system that automatically alerts you to various events throughout the day, by bringing up a list of reminders and options. It'd be great for taking on business trips abroad - it even sets the time automatically when you get to a new country. This sounds like an inconsequential feature, but when you're preparing for a meeting and suffering from jet lag, not having to remember to adjust those settings would make a real difference. But it's frustrating that contacts cannot be automatically transferred from another SIM card. It's a bit bulky, so I might want to hang on to my old phone to use if I'm on a night out, yet it's still too small to really set up spreadsheets from scratch. That said, I'd trade in my PDA for one of these.
WOW FACTOR
The blogger
The Nokia N80 The N80 is designed for easy internet access from anywhere. To compensate for viewing a website on a pocket-sized device, the phone has a zoom function. It weighs just 134gand boasts a 3-megapixel camera and a music player.
The verdict from MySpace addict Bridie Woodward For my job, I need to constantly update various MySpace pages. At first, I was taken with the image quality and fast connection, which is as good as my laptop, but it has quite a short battery length. In the end, I found the screen too small, and it's labour-intensive having to zoom in and out. Working with such a tiny keypad is fiddly. The phone's most annoying aspect is that it switches between functions; if you're on the internet and it rings, the information you are working on is lost. I need constant access to the net, even while I'm on the phone. It's a useful back-up and it's fine for using the internet for short tasks. But it wouldn't work as the only tool for dedicated bloggers.
WOW FACTOR
The music fan
The Sony Ericsson W950i If you want more musical accompaniment from your phone than a polyphonic ringtone rendition of "Greensleeves", then the W950i might offer the perfect solution. Sony has branded it as a Walkman, and with 4GB of storage space (the same as the cheaper of the two iPhones), this MP3-player and phone can hold up to 4,000 songs (the big colour screen shows off the album's cover art, too). Access to the entertainment suite for storing albums, playlists and genres is made easy by a touch-screen. With high-quality built-in speakers, you can out-rival the pesky teenagers blasting tinny rap tunes from inferior phones at the back of the bus. For the more socially conscious, songs can be enjoyed through a Bluetooth stereo headset or standard earphones. The battery lets you play music for 10 hours at a time, with graphic equaliser and Mega Bass. If you get bored with your playlists, or fancy catching up with the latest from radio news channels, simply switch to the FM radio function. It has 3G for fast internet access and e-mail, and handwriting recognition, so you don't have to faff too much with typing on a small keyboard.
The verdict from musician Johnny Langer (Man Like Me) This phone is impressive in every respect. It looks great and it's easy to use, with a simple layout that's not weighed down with useless functions. As a music player, it stands out from any other phone I've ever seen. It can hold an amazing number of songs, and without the need to buy a separate memory card. It's as easy to use as an iPod - you choose songs in a similar way - and its clear and powerful speakers give out exceptional sound quality. Files can be easily transferred from a PC in no time at all, and you can connect it to a hi-fi, in the same way as an iPod. The one downside is that it doesn't have a camera. This phone could easily replace my iPod.
WOW FACTOR
The happy snapper
The Sony Ericsson K800i We're all used to phones that let us capture frivolous shots, but the K800i is different: it claims to be a proper digital camera, with 3.2 megapixels and autofocus for crisp images, and a decent flash. It also offers red-eye reduction and an image stabiliser, while the BestPic function lets you take a series of photos with just one press of the button, so you catch the precise moment of the action - or avoid blinking. Images can be easily transferred to a PC or printer, and the software lets you touch up shots. It also has 3G for video calls, e-mail and fast internet access, plus an MP3 player and radio.
The verdict from freelance photographer Hal Shinnie This is the best camera phone. Having a good camera on your phone should, theoretically, make sure you never miss a picture moment. But although this camera does produce top-quality images - certainly good enough for standard-sized prints - it has fundamental flaws:there is a substantial shutter-delay, which means it's easy to lose a moment.
With 3.2 megapixels, it takes clear images in black and white, colour or sepia, but when functioning with the 16x digital zoom, pictures can lose a lot of quality. It's a straightforward model to use and has some fun features, including an option to take panoramic shots, and is a good camera for shooting moving images. Other functions include the face warp, which is a novel extra. It couldn't replace my digital camera in a professional capacity but it's really good for what it is - a phone that takes clear, high-quality images.
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