Team-BHP - The Mobile Phone Thread - Queries, decisions, discussions all here

Hi Guys,

I have been a Nokia fan since Nokia 5100 days ( it was the size of cordless phones and incoming call was I think Rs. 16) and then I was totally onto Nokia communicators ( Known as 'The Brick'). From 9110i to E90 has been a fascinating journey.

Unfortunately, once I shifted to a newer communicator I sold the older one and am regretting that. Should have kept the phones as a collectors items. I still have 9210i and 9500 in fully working condition.

I am still looking for my E90 successor. I am still using my E90 for my office mails, personal mails, GPS, Office docs , bluetooth web camera, Staying in touch with my friends all the time (Nimbuzz and Fring), Watching movies, you tube and as a modem with BSNL 3G and very very satisfied till date.

So. hope E7 is the true successor of E90.

Quote:

Originally Posted by h@r$h@l (Post 2169456)

I eventually bought the C6 for my wife as she was keen on having a QWERTY keypad too. C6 has all the bells and whistles like email, gps, 3G etc. Its a good phone but if you are not too fusy about the QWERTY keypad, i would personally recon the LG. I liked its touch screen interface and for 12.5k that phone is a steal.

C6-00 is really VFM, but it is a bit too bulky and heavy for me. I don't need physical QWERTY keypad, it makes the phone bulky.

Many users have reported hanging problems in C6-00. I would like to wait and watch. Please do report here if your wife faces similar problem in C6.

I checked out Samsung Wave 525 yesterday. I was really impressed with it. The shape, size, thickness and weight is perfect. Touch screen response is amazing. It has all the features I need and is amazingly affordable (<8k).

It looks gorgeous in white. Is it cool for guys to buy white coloured phone, or will it look too girly :D ? It is available in black also, but black looks same as Samsung Star.

Anybody using Samsung Wave 525/533 ? How is the experience ? Are the google maps pre installed ? Can the maps be used for navigation using GPS without purchasing any app ?

Rohan

Quote:

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr (Post 2169938)

If good camera and 3g is your preference you can also try Samsung Wave 723, in addition to the features 525/533 it has 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and is 3G enabled. Read in Gsmarena that the image quality generated from its camera is as good as wave 8500. Cost is between 12.5k to 13 k in Mumbai.

Hey fellas,
Time to buy a phone for me and my wifey. The budget is around 20K each. Want to know which phones I should opt for.

I haven't decided which phone to get for myself but for my wife I am thinking of Nokia C7-00. She's a Nokia fan and does not want to switch over to any other brand. Also she wants a full touchscreen phone and the C7 fits the bill perfectly.
The only problem I see is the lack of AF on the camera. Tough it might not be much of a problem for her.

For myself, I am keen on getting either a BB or Android phone. But not many options are available in the 20K range for BB. Not explored Android options in this price range.
Any pointers?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by driving_smartly (Post 2169961)

Thanks for the suggestion. But the incremental price difference between Wave 525 and Wave 723 can't be justified.

Extra 5k just for 5MP camera and 3G (without front facing video camera). Not worth it, IMHO. I would rather go the whole hog and buy the original Wave.

I feel that Wave 723 is a neither here nor there kind of a model. It is neither affordable like the Wave 525, nor is it feature rich like the original Wave.

Rohan

I'm looking to buy a phone from US. The main reason for this is the appreciable cost difference.

Well, my usage includes calls, wifi-3G(internet), gps, and a decent camera. Battery backup is an absolute must for me. Currently I own an N82 and I'm very much satisfied with it(except for battery backup), but the phone is starting to show its age(3yrs). I'm not too particular about touch/android phones, but I will be glad, if I get it for my budget.

My budget is just about 20k or $460-$470.

Any suggestions?. Also how much will the same cost in India?

P.S - I have the iPhone 3G and xperia X10 in mind. No idea how much they will cost in the US.

Guys, need a phone real quick. The choice is between Nokia X3, 5233, 5250 and 5233.

All I need is a phone, with a good music player, and basic browsing facilities using GPRS. (Spends approx 3-4hundred per month on GPRS). 3G is not exactly required, since I am an Idea customer, and not sure if the phone will last till Idea comes out with 3G.

2.2 inch or bigger screen is definite requirement.

Dedicated music keys is an advantage.

It will be a big advantage if the phone comes with a USB cable - Brands like Samsung etc. do not provide the data cable as standard in the phone's pack at this price range, AFAIK. Will consider other brands which provide a data cable / memory card as part of standard package. Hence this post.

Currently using Nokia 5130 XpressMusic. It was dropped, and is dead. Not sure if it is repairable. Wass happy with it, and am NOT looking for an upgrade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR (Post 2170354)

Check out the Nokia X2, perfectly meets your requirements. :thumbs up

The touch screen phones you mentioned will not have dedicated music keys.

Why are you so keen on the USB cable and memory card in the sales package ? These items are available dirt cheap if purchased separately. :)

Rohan

Quote:

Originally Posted by rohan_iitr (Post 2170405)

Why are you so keen on the USB cable and memory card in the sales package ? These items are available dirt cheap if purchased separately.

Rohan

Thanks for the quick reply.

I had discarded other brands like Samsung because they do not provide a USB cable.

With a music phone, the ability to load files and manage the memory card's contents is important, and with a 2GB+ card size, using bluetooth for this purpose is a royal PITA.

A feature of most phones I have used so far has been the non-standard connector at the phone's end, which is often specific to a brand / model. Very difficult to source the cable in Ernakulam for such phones (had to go to Chennai to find a USB cable for a 3K SGH X 210 fold phone from Samsung some years back). WIth the Nokia, I am praying that the cable I have will fit the models under consideration.

In fact, the samsung authorised store told me last time to buy a card reader instead of sourcing a USB cable - that would work out cheaper, she said!!!

BTW, I think the connector for 5130 XM is "mini usb" (probably micro usb, not sure). Does the X* series use the same connector? What is difference between X3 and X2?

@BSD: Nokia uses micro-B USB connector. Motorola uses min-B USB connector. All recent Nokia phones use the standard micro-B type cables. And they're very stingy with the length. However, Samsung cables are almost half a metre long and are compatible with Nokias.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaCkSeAtDrIVeR (Post 2170422)

Thanks for the quick reply.

I had discarded other brands like Samsung because they do not provide a USB cable.

In fact, the samsung authorised store told me last time to buy a card reader instead of sourcing a USB cable - that would work out cheaper, she said!!!

BTW, I think the connector for 5130 XM is "mini usb" (probably micro usb, not sure). Does the X* series use the same connector? What is difference between X3 and X2?

X2 has 5 MP camera and is candybar shape. X3 has 3MP camera and is a slider. Otherwise they are more or less the same.

Most of the recent Nokia phones use the same standard micro USB connector. So the same cable can be used for all models having micro USB interface. Anyway, Nokia supplies the USB cable with most models.

The lady at the Samsung store gave you correct information. You can buy a card reader at dirt cheap price and use it to transfer music to memory card. :thumbs up

I would advise you not to reject a brand/model just because it does not supply accessories in the sales package. Memory cards, standard USB cables and card readers are easily available everywhere at low prices. :)

Rohan

@rohan_iitr GPS issue has been discussed somewhere before... I guess in the Bada thread. You may want to search there.

Hope you know that the Wave 525 and its siblings suffer from very low screen resolution. Consider it only if you are ok with that.

Card reader can be had for as low as Rs. 30 or so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanushs (Post 2170143)

Guys, I need suggestions real quick, as my friend will be back from US on 26th if this month.

Also, how to get the best deals for mobiles in US?. Dallas, TX to be precise.

Buddy, As far as am concerned, The mobile phones in US are more expensive than they are in India. Electronics which are worth buying from US are laptops and Cameras.

Try to source it from Singapore or Dubai where the mobile phones are relatively cheaper than US.

Cheers,
Rajesh

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanushs (Post 2170786)

Guys, I need suggestions real quick, as my friend will be back from US on 26th if this month.

Also, how to get the best deals for mobiles in US?. Dallas, TX to be precise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2500cc (Post 2170807)

Buddy, As far as am concerned, The mobile phones in US are more expensive than they are in India.

Oh, is it?. I thought the iphone was real cheap in the US. It(3g) retails for about 32k($750) in India. I'm sure it does not cost that much in the US. Not sure about other phones. Thanks for the info though.

P.S- My friend bought an iPhone 4G for $350, with contract.