Okay, this thread basically establishes what forumer has what phone. It's a thread designed to make sure some of us pawns don't make a wrong move and get trapped by a bishop, causing us to chuck away our 'what we thought was right' move and make another move (which adds up to lots of $$$)

I made the mistake of buying a pre-paid Sagem myC5-2 early last year for $219 after my Motorola V171 fell into the toilet and I needed a quick replacement. Not doing any homework, I made an impulse buy on what I thought was a good phone. After doing some research on it, I've come to the conclusion that this is a pile of junk where even a phone 3 times cheaper (like my Nokia 3315 grayscale) can still beat the crap out of my Sagem. For one, there was no aerial and ringtone was relatively high in volume.

Here's some pros/cons

Pros:
+ It's small and pretty light (80g)
+ If you look closely at the screen when not in use, there's an inbuilt mirror. Great for picking out nose hairs before those hot dates since all mirrors in public toilets have been removed due to people smashing other people's heads into them.
+ The inside of the clamshell looks quite sleek
+ If you receive an incoming call/SMS, it'll display it on the outer screen and it also tells you the time without having to open it
+ Comes with a in-built camera (640x480 resolutions)

Cons:
- It's got a stupid friggin aerial hanging off it, causing to be obstructive occasionally
- Take it out in direct sunlight (or even mild sunlight, or even under the shade) causes the internal screen to completely vanish. Making it impossible to see what you're doing
- It only has 3.7mb of internal memory
- The camera is absolute shit! Even if the person/car/whatever is standing perfectly still, the photo comes out blury. Every single time
- There's no bluetooth so if you want to use a USB data cable instead for PC linkup, it'll cost you $50
- Calls tend to drop out occasionally even when the signal is perfect
- The "Games" are rubbish. Where's tetris when you need it?
- You can barely hear the ringtones. I've had it in my pocket set onto ring+vibrate and whenever someone called me in a not-so-busy environment, I didn't notice and continued on my merry way until I got home, checked the phone and started swearing aggresively
- You can barely hear the other person talking to you. I really have to shove it into my ear before I can listen properly. But I've got my mum's hearing genes so that's one of the reasons
- The word 'Vodafone' is branded everywhere on the outside & inside, including the software
- Software's slow-loading and the only thing that can be customised is the background. Whoopee...

Here's a picture of my phone btw (try to include a photo of yours too, rip it out from someone's website like I did)



What I'm looking at (in pre-paid range):
- Motorola V3. Nice sexy looks, 14mm thickness but has slow-loading OS, 5.5mb internal memory and a primitive 0.3MP camera. However you can buy these for only $199 now
- Samsung 520. Very addictive slide'n'click mechanism. Looks great, has a 1.3MP camera with flash, 80mb internal memory and the phone automatically senses the volume of the background noise and will increase the volume and clarity of the incoming call to make it more audible. In addition there is an integrated handsfree speakerphone. 16mm thick but retails for $299.



However I can get this from Kmart at 5% off with my staff discount card but I would like to wait until they have a 15% off sale. BUT, am I making the right decision? Isn't this a little too expensive for a phone considering I'm not swimming in money (loose change maybe)

------------

Aside from this asking for your support, don't forget to state what phone you've got with pros&cons plus pics. Not asking for too much is it? ;)

LG KG 800



Also known as LG Chocolate phone
General Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Size Dimensions 95 x 48 x 15.2 mm
Weight 83 g
Display Type TFT, 256K colors
Size 176 x 220 pixels, 31 x 39 mm
-Touch-sensitive navigation keys with backlights
- Downloadable wallpapers
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3, AAC
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook 1000 entries
Call records 40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
Card slot No
- 128 MB shared memory
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD No
EDGE No
3G No
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes, v1.2
Infrared port No
USB Yes
Features Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games 2 embedded + download
Colors Black
Camera 1.3 MP, 1280 x 960 pixels, video(QCIF), flash
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- T9
- Organiser
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
Stand-by Up to 200 h
Talk time Up to 6 h

Pros
+Comes with two battries, USB cable, and handsfree.
+MP3 remote is the Mic for the hands free and has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing the use of most headphones for Mp3 playback and for the hands free as well
+ Plays mp3's up to a bitrate of 320
+No software needed to transfer Mp3's in XP


Cons
- No card slot stuck with 128 meg
- Does not like varible bitrate mp3s
-Can't create play lists
-Camrea is really slow(still takes decent pictures) just no taking it out to snap a pic of a cool car driving past 'casue by the time it's ready the car is long gone dammit!
-I'm not sure how long the slide mechanism is goning to last

Conclusion

Cool phone does the phoney bits fine sucky as a mp3 player but better then none. Looks great I think and umm thats about it.

Got it on a $30 dollar plan I think it cost about $650 outright.

Some crapy coke phone from a few years back. Too cheap to get something better.

Hasn't stopped someone scaming it.

Nokia 6600

Hastily paid $250 for it almost 2 years ago from a friend after doing a quick Google search and finding that they retailed for $1,000. Found out it was used and had a few software bugs.

Pros
+ Great camera
+ Good battery life

Cons
- Brick-like
- Slow firmware
- Gets dirty behind the screen making it hard to read
- Only takes video for 15 secs max
- Crashes every now and then
- Takes forever to connect a phone call

Overall: 2/5



Samsung D900

Phone I want to get, mate has an earlier version and it kicks ass with a crystal clear screen, great looks and seamless media playback.

Pros
+ Great look
+ Very thin
+ Excellent camera

Cons
- Price

Reminds me of that time my friend bought a copy of '1080' on the N64 and if you sent away your purchase receipt+$5 you got these snowboarding sunglasses that were apparently worth $250. When he received them, they looked more like a $10 pair. But they were an Oakley brand, and knowing them it would've cost $5 to make and $250 RRP once instore

You're right about the price of that phone, it's meant to retail for $600+ :lol: But if you look on ebay you can get it for around $500 (and that's from an aussie seller). Doesn't mean it's cheap though

I checked that out at a nearby Telstra shop. They've really improved the slide'n'click when compared to the Samsung D520 (on my 'to get' list). The D900 proved very addictive for me in concerns with the slide'n'click feature and luckily the Telstra shop's made it so that the phones aren't attached by those long wires so instead they use velcro so you can actually hold it in your hand without being restricted at the same time. I clicked it up and down maybe a dozen or so times, put it down, walked away, then turned around again and had a few more tries :P

The D520 is okay, but it doesn't slide as easily compared to the newer models. But this was a demo display as well so I guess it's had a hammering from previous customers like me.

I might keep an eye out for the D600 as it has a slightly better camera and it's got a card slot for a microSD whereas the 520 doesn't. But if I get this I'm looking at an extra $100, in the dangerous $400+ zone and it's actually 5.2mm thicker than the D520 (probably because of the microSD card), also weighing an extra 10g but the battery life is longer. Decisions, decisions..

I don't really know all that much about mobiles and to be honest, I'm not too fussed over them either. They continually come out with new features and yeah, I just couldn't care about that. I don't use a phone to do this and that, I use one to call people and message them. That is it. But ignoring that, I am happy with my phone:



I think it does the job nicely enough, was a little disappointed when I worked out that it didn't have mp3 capabilities (as I had a good ringtone in mind but oh well) but other than that I'm happy with it. It looks good and it meets my needs quite nicely. That's all I need really.

Yeah, seen that happen many a time.

As to this phone, I knew it was crap from the get go. The only reason I grabbed it was for the fact I needed a phone and didn't have the money to spend.

I have a Motorola V3 RAZR and have been very disappointed with it.

As was mentioned above, the operating system is slow and there's only 5.5 MB storage. The ringtones are relatively quiet, too. I have often missed calls simply from not hearing it - and this is in a fairly quiet office.

I have had a few instances of dropping it, and it hasn't cracked or fallen apart. It is quite a sturdy case, admittedly. The voices are clear from the caller, too, and the loudspeaker works well.

Problems: the vibration alert no longer works. I can hear the weight rattle inside the case when i shake it. Also, the phone sometimes turns off when i flip it open - very frustrating. Battery is on the way out, too - battery runs flat very quickly on longer phone calls.

Pros
- Sturdy/Excellent build quality
- Good, clear call sound
- Effective loudspeaker that works well when driving car - no need for headset.
- slimline design is stylish
- makes a good skipping stone

Cons (does not include the problems i outlined above, as they are probably isolated instances)
- Slow OS
- convoluted OS
- soft ringtones (and the factory tunes suck)
- iTap SMS is no match for Nokia's predictive text
- mono headset only
- no radio (!)

Overall, i'd say buyer beware. I wouldn't buy one. My old nokia 7210 (i think) was less frustrating to use.

EDIT: Must mention i've had the phone for 13 months.

Nokia 3120


My dad gave me this phone after he got it for free for renewing his mobile contract about a year and a half ago (can't remember for sure when it was). It was good at the time it came out, unfortunately it doesn't have a camera though, so I can't take pictures of my feet or any such.

Pros:

- Sturdy - I've dropped it a few times, once or twice onto concrete and the worst it did was turn off (I turned it back on straight after and it was fine)
- Light - 84g according to the specs
- Good face buttons, unlike some other Nokia's where the face buttons are combined and wierd and things.
- I have Puzzle Bobble on it
- Writing a message is quite quick and easy
- Has a seven bar battery and signal indicator, rather than the three or so bar indicators on some phones.
- Battery lasts a reasonable time, I charge it probably once a week, more frequently if I've been talking or playing Puzzle Bobble

Cons:
- No camera
- Screen is extremely hard to see in sunlight
- No mp3 ringtones
- Not good for playing games, but it runs Puzzle Bobble so it doesn't really matter :P
- Very basic phone, but I don't know if that counts as a con

Overall it's just a basic phone, it doesn't do anything fancy - I got a cable for it and it wouldn't let me load on an 80KB midi file because it was too big, but I have the Pokemon Red/Blue riding a bicycle midi on there to annoy D43M0N with. And Puzzle Bobble. That's pretty much the extent of the bragging rights I get from my phone - Pokemon riding the bike music and Puzzle Bobble.

But it does what I need, so it's ok... And it has a loudspeaker! That's Pokemon riding the bike music, Puzzle Bobble and Loudspeaker - hooray!

Pokemon bike riding music; I've had it in my head for the last few days.

</3

Holy crap. I too, have this phone, and my dad ALSO gave it to me due to work stuff. Freaky shit.

But yeah, good phone. Strong (typical of Nokia) and gets the job done. Buttons are a tad too small, though, for my obese fingers.

I still have my Nokia 6030. It's okay but very basic waith no connectivity whatsoever!! Anyone recommend a phone under $500 thats Bluetooth enabled, has a camera (with video too) and a crisp and large display? Thanks. And my fave brands are Samsung and Nokia. I hate Sagem, had bad experiences with 'em and I heard Motorola's had some small issues with the OS.

My dad ordered a couple of mobiles a while back (well discounted). The 6230i I think is a great phone, about a week of battery on standby mode and about 32 hours when I'm contandly smsing friends. It has a great quality camera (1.2 megapixels), good software (it takes themes, wallpapers, screensavers, music ringtones, custom cases, ect.), it's never really dropped out on me or crashed. It's well built and even though it takes a fair beating it still goes strong. It basically functions how a mobile phone should.
My problems would be with it is it's unimaginitive design, nokia has used the same basicaly layout and sizes for most of thier phones since the 1990s, the games and applications that come with it are just plain awful, same with the ringtones and wallpapers and the music quality playback is very average on it.

Overall it's a great phone, I'll throw a 2GB card into it, load my music on it and some videos and I'll be happy.

Just this morning I won a new Sony Ericsson K610i. It's charging right now. It's an entry level 3G phone with 2MP camera, video calling, push email and other nifty features

I will be replacing my crappy motorola V3 with this.

It is extremely light and very thin - although not as thin as a closed V3... maybe 2mm thicker. The buttons seem very tactile and require a good depression to wrok, which i like. The screen is very bright, and i have none of the OS problems (so far) that i've had with the V3.

It comes with a 64MB card (Sony M2 card, natch), and has a selling point of being able to play MP3's. Note, you'll have to buy headphones, though... (sony format, natch). 19MB of ROM as well.

I will need to use it for a couple days before giving it a thumbs up or down. I wanted a 3G phone, though, so I'll keep it.

I've got the Samsung D500.



My uncle bought it for me, and I love it. It has nearly 100 MB of memory, and is very sexy. And in my opinion, the slide is better than the newer models I've looked at. The camera's also protected as it's on the part that slides up. The only thing I don't like is that the vibrate function is way too strong and loud.

My gf has the D500, its full of pics of me! :P I like the D500, I'm thinking of getting the D520. Check it out...



Its not that different than the D500. I like it. I think I'm getting one soon too. :)

WOOT!

I have a new phone (one of those 3G things that Telstra has sent out). There are a few issues with the design, but they are minor.

Overall, I like this phone because the shitty one I had is left for dead next to this.

Okay, like slashy, I'm trying to workout which phone to get, The D520 or the D600? Help! Is the xtra ~$100 for the D600 worth it? Plus its thicker...

Strange how I've nearly forgotten about this thread but other people continue posting despite me thinking it wouldn't gather much interest :lol:

Okay DZ, you might want to read this review of the Samsung D520 and this review of the Samsung D600. In comparison to the D500, the D520 is only 16mm thick instead of the 24mm of the old D500. The D600 screen has also been upgraded and enlarged, with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels (compared to D520's 176 x 220 pixels) , 262k colours and better clarity (more visible when out in the sun). The camera is upgraded from 1.3 to 2.0mp. The memory can be expanded by purchasing a Transflash card whereas the D520 doesn't have expansion slots

Downsides are is that the D600 is 5.5mm thicker the D520 and 10g heavier. Good part is, it's even sexier than the D520 and was voted 'Handset Of The Year' at the Mobile Choice Awards 2005.

I still haven't decided yet on what I should purchase, I'm waiting for another pricedrop methinks

That's my phone, the Nokia 5410i

PROS
+Light and comfortable.
+Casing is nigh indestructable. Could withstand a direct hit from an intercontinental ballistic missile and still work.
+Has video.
+Can play mp3s.
+Radio pick-up is possible.
+Has a torch...yaaaay!
+Has a compass...wooooooooo!
+Built-in personal trainer program. Admittedly, it's rather useless for me but I presume it'd be pretty damn handy for exercise-freaks.

CONS
-- Camera is a pile of crap. Pictures are always dark and blurry. I have to turn on night-vision if I want a viewable picture.
-- While casing is impregnable, it can be damn hard to take off.
-- Games are crap...Nokia Bowling and 'Adventure Race'. w00t.
-- Not much in the way of memory.
-- The definition of gimmick.


I want a new phone. :P

first person in here who gets a new phone - can I have your old one? :P

Sure. As long as you're willing to pay $99 for mine, I'd be happy to buy a new phone. Though they're only worth $99 now anyway, so umm...$70? :unsure:

I'm guessing you want a free phone though so in which case, no :P

nah - sif I'd pay money - maybe $70 for one of those Samsung D500's. I was actually considering disincluding you from my request in the first place - I was gonna limit it to phones that I'd prefer to have to my current one :P

Hey I got a question, do they sell the Sony Ericson K790i in Australia? How much does it cost on Duty Free?

I have some shit phone made like 100 years ago.

I have the LG chocolate phone :3
It's addiciting to smell o.O

I'm guessing it's not very mobile then :P

I'm disappointed with the price range of mobiles in the past few months, they haven't been dropping down in price as fast as I'd like, some of them remain the same.

There's a new model out of that out now isn't there? Like a cream sort of colour? After witnessing the sexiness of my white LCD, I wonder if white is the new black? :lol:

May aswell post it in here too.
My new phone, my first phone too.

$45 a month and it comes with $100 credit a month. I can call/text anywhere in the world for the same price too. :D

Wow, you need to be shot for that. :P

I finally got my phone, I went for the W810i. I like it.

I've got a motorola RAZR Maxx V6.



On the telstra next-g network.

I don't have any of the problems that that guy above had with the V3. It's loud, extremely responsive and it's got over 100 mb of memory. Plus I can just put mp3's off my computer on it for my ring tone. :D