We are 200 heads in the company and I have the benefit of being able to test-drive all the new mobile phones being issued to my crew. I have listed some new model phones below that you may consider as a gift to yourself. I, too, have included some specifications and my personal comments on them, whether first-hand or otherwise. Happy shopping!
1. Nokia 6233: A medium-size candybar phone with lots of great features but without the complexities of a smartphone. PRO: It has a two-megapixel camera capable of capturing video in VGA resolution, great stereo speakers, microSD card slot and even 3G and EDGE support. A great reasonably priced handset. CON: No LED flash and video call camera. Retail price: P15,000.
2. Nokia N73: A feature-packed handset which I believe is the best from Nokia today. PRO: It features a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Symbian OS, and USB Mass Storage and works with office documents. All I have spoken to give this unit an A+ rating. CON: No Wi-Fi connectivity and no memory card included in the box. Retail price: P24,000.
3. Nokia N95: This unit is currently not available locally but has already impressed most mobile techies. From what I have read recently, it was awarded by Popular Science magazine its "Best of What’s New" Award. This smartphone is said to present the best mobile multimedia experience in a unique dual-slider design, including integrated GPS with a map of 100 countries, a five-megapixel camera, digital music player, full PIM functionality, and support for Wi-Fi, HSDPA and any wireless network. I can’t wait to get my hands on this baby! Retail price: $700.
4. Sony Ericsson K800: This highly advertised Cyber-shot camera is actually a great mobile phone. PRO: It carries a superb 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with an integrated real xenon flash, GPRS and UMTS support, memory card slot, a good MP3 player, and stereo Bluetooth support. CON: A bit oversized, no EDGE or Wi-Fi connectivity, records video in the ancient 176 x 144 pixel resolution only and uses the expensive new Memory Stick Micro. Retail price: P22,000.
5. Sony Ericsson W850: This is the new model of the ever-popular Walkman phone. PRO: It comes in a slider form which shows a large display with QVGA resolution, full 3G capabilities with video calls, a two-megapixel camera and the latest Walkman 2.0 music player. CON: A very pricey unit which has no Wi-Fi or EDGE connectivity and records video in the ancient 176 x 144 pixel resolution only. Retail price: P22,000.
6. Sony Ericsson P990: This flagship multimedia handset of the Sony Ericsson product line is equipped with practically every possible feature. PRO: A smartphone with an autofocus two-megapixel camera, a second camera for video calls, a conventional keypad and a QWERTY keyboard, Memory Stick slot, Wi-Fi and all possible connectivity support, the latest Symbian 9.1 OS, and last but not least, a large 2.76" TFT touchscreen with a QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution. CON: The user interface is not too friendly and its 9.1 Symbian OS does not run older applications. Retail price: P36,000.
7. Motorola KRZR K1: Motorola has just released a new slimmer leader to replace the RAZR. PRO: The sexy KRZR K1 clam handset is made of a high-quality glossy material that features a two-megapixel camera, slot for a microSD memory card and two music players. Rates a definite A+ in looks. CON: Poor photo quality, low resolution of display in the sunlight, and lacks standard features of its class like 3G and LED flash. Retail price: P24,000.
8. Samsung X820: This must be the slimmest handset in the world ever; think of half the size of the first Motorola RAZR. I was so amazed at how it felt in my hand and how solid its thin body could be. PRO: It comes in chic black and features a two-megapixel camera with video capture, a high-quality display, Bluetooth and USB and 85MB of internal memory capable of 1,000 address book entries. CON: No memory card slot, no IR, no 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. Retail price: P13,000.
9. Samsung SGH-D900: Another ultra-slim elegantly designed handset, the SGH-D900 is the slider of the family with multimedia functionality, including one of the best cameras in a mobile phone. PRO: It brandishes a three-megapixel camera with autofocus, a brilliant display, microSD card slot, applications for viewing Office documents, GPRS and EDGE connectivity and an MP3 player. CON: No Wi-Fi and 3G, images cannot be saved straight to the memory card, and no ringing profiles. Retail price: P16,000.
10: LG KE800 Chocolate Platinum: This is an upgrade to LG’s famous Chocolate phone line-up. PRO: A sexy mobile phone with a red-glowing navigation touchpad, 128MB of internal memory, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 player, tri-band GSM and GPRS support – all that incorporated into a slim slider shell. CON: No memory card slot, slow camera and no MP3 playlist. Retail price: P14,000.