Which phone to buy ???

Beemer · 26th July 2005, 22:42

Hey guys , please help me out in buying a nice phone . My budget is around 15k .

Well , currently i am using a nokia 6220 and to be honest i am just sick and tired of this phone . The problem is that my phone does not 've a good network coverage in most places and espically at my place so as a result its mostly unavailable .
Tried many of the nokia phones but was never satisfied with their performance, the funniest thing is that my samsung A800 works quite well when compared .

I am using a Hutch postpaid and unfort the place where i live is not a strong area , Hutch people 've accepted this but due to various reasons i can't get rid of this connection , so there's no option left for me except to change my phone .

To be honest if i were to choose best nokia phone(which has the best network coverage) it is for sure the old 8250 , but that being an old phone i dont wanna go for it .

Guys please help me out in getting a nice phone ,having a nice network coverage and to be honest i dont want any other feature if i am able to make and recieve calls !

Thanks in advance .

Conan · 26th July 2005, 22:52

Simple dude, give the connection to someone else and change to Airtel.
Connectivity wise Nokias are the best. Second comes Sony ericsson and folowed by the rest. U can checkout the 3230, it has a MP3 player, 1.3 megapixel camera and a 1 GB capacity external memory slot.

Beemer · 26th July 2005, 23:46

Thanx for your suggestion conan but due to some ressons i cannot change my connection , so i ve to go for a phone which has a better connectivity and help in those low network coverage area or if possible enhance those signals (i know i sound fuuny saying this but its all messy out there) !

The main thing i want from the phone is to provide me the best connectivity and get me rid of those problems like call dropping, unavailability etc .

p.s i know its not possible when the network coverage is not so good from the hutch but still i want to be a little optimistic and go for the best in that price range .

Please let those suggestions coming in guys ....

Thanx .

v1p3r · 27th July 2005, 01:04

8250 rocks!!!

You could try the 6230i. Great features. Not too sure about the connectivity though.

devarshi84 · 27th July 2005, 11:02

I am confused when you say 6220 has a network problem. It is one of the very very rare phones to have a manual cum automatic networking. get you phone checked by an authorised nokia retailer.

as far as the new budget phones go. A 1.3 mp is not worth against the new competition coming soon. Wait for sometime before buying a camera phone. Go with a 6230i or motorola e398 . I will recommend a motorola e398 anyday for its amazing features

camera with flash
bluetooth
stereo speakers
display with grpahics card
mp3 player(excellent)

what else do you need? I will wait for a 3.2 mp mobile atleast as I have used a s700,7610 and siemens s65 and am not satisfied with their quality. I find the siemens s65 to be the best deal if you want a camera

choice

motorola e398? (costs 10K) overall winner
siemens s65 for network camera and business feature set(costs 18K)

lamborghini · 27th July 2005, 11:54

Get a Nokia 6230i.
As for the Network,
there is very little that can be done.

aggressive_anush · 27th July 2005, 13:51

According to a lot of sites the Motorola Razr has the best reception among all the mobiles available today. Just search for reviews for that phone. Very basic phone though. But really awesome looking

And its being sold for 16995 according to an ad in yesterdays paper. So i think its quite a good deal.
A friend of mine has one and he was using only nokias before this . He told me that the reception on this phone is brilliant, Much better than the nokias. So methinks that would be a good phone. Unfortunately if you are looking for a phone with a lot of features this would probably not suffice as it is quite a basic phone.

shuvc · 27th July 2005, 14:03

The Moto Razr V3 .. go for it ..
I have one and it rocks .. I was a Nokia fan but this phone converted me ..

Great looks
Easy navigation
Fantastic keys
Good battery life
And basically focusses on being a good phone

Selective · 27th July 2005, 14:23

SHUVC: Tell me more abt Moto Razr V3. Tell me about
1. Calender/reminder/organizer features. (Apart from regular phone, these features are important for me)
2. In built camera. (I dont like cell with camera).
3. Bluetooth/USB. (For hands free and PC)
4. How much memory it has.
5. It has display on the top.
6. What is the main display resolution.
7. It has FM/MP3?
8. How is the build quality.

Now don't direct me to their website :-) As I want to know about these things from a user who has used the cell for sometime.

shuvc · 27th July 2005, 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Selective

SHUVC: Tell me more abt Moto Razr V3. Tell me about
1. Calender/reminder/organizer features. (Apart from regular phone, these features are important for me)
2. In built camera. (I dont like cell with camera).
3. Bluetooth/USB. (For hands free and PC)
4. How much memory it has.
5. It has display on the top.
6. What is the main display resolution.
7. It has FM/MP3?
8. How is the build quality.

Now don't direct me to their website :-) As I want to know about these things from a user who has used the cell for sometime.

Ok will try to give you my experience rather than specs/data, which you would anyway get from sites.

1. Calendar is vv easy to use .. you can see the whole month at one go, set events reminders for single or recurring events. It allows setting multiple alarms.
The phonebook is damn good. Multiple numbers, emailids can be stored against a name. You can toggle these numbers with the navigation keys in the list view of the names. All entries have speed dial and voice dial option. Of course you can attach images to each number.

All in all, it caters to all basic organising/scheduling needs as long as you are not looking for PDA level features.

2. It has a camera. OK resolution. It also has a audio/video recording facility .. I think it records till 30 secs at a stretch. But then you can choose not to use it ! The main navigation links on the screen (bottom left and bottom right) can be set to your preference. I have set it to Camera and VideoCam .. you can set it to any of the menu items in the phone.

3. Bluetooth available. The headset comes as a package with some phones. I don't think it comes with the 16995 version. (I did not take the bluetooth option hence cant comment on the quality of the headset). Also am yet to test the bluetooth with my laptop. Need to get a dongle for the lappy and check it out.
Data cable comes default. With a CD for the 'Mobile phone tools' application. I had some erratic connection experiences with it - but I think its more of an installation problem on my lappy than a problem with the phone/cable. I've planned to reinstall but, alas, laziness ...

4. Memory

can't recall .. guess you need to refer to their site for this one ..

5. It has a colour display on top too. You can actually switch on the camera/video, close the cover and see yourself on the top screen and 'shoot' urself !
There's a smart key on the side to which I believe you can assign some functions .. yet to check it out.

6. Resolution : Again .. better to refer to the site .. The UI is a pleasure to use. The fonts, the themes .. verrrry nice. Screen for all practical purposes is pretty bright and good.

7. No FM. No MP3. Though you can download songs to the phone as ringtones and play them. But don't think there's too much space to keep a playlist plus methinks the speaker is more suited for ringtones than songs. The PC software lets you edit mp3's. I use a snippet of Kenny G's Songbird as my ringtone.

8. Build quality very good .. you'll love to hold it ! And the metallic feel does make a difference in these days of plasticky phones .. It looks better when you open it and you'll feel that the top could have been a bit more attractive .. but the matt finish has it's advantages as in not getting dirty to easily.

Other trivia:
9. Reception is loud and clear
10. It's got a speaker phone option.
11. Battery life is good. Easily lasts 3-4 days on a charge.
12. Games - Basic ones, plus you can download Java games .. I have got over the mobile gaming phase - hence doesn't interest me much
13. Internet / GPRS etc .. Don't use it .. since I anyway have net access 10hrs everyday
14. Messaging. Lovely interface again. Predictive text is great too. While you type if it predicts a word the word is displayed in light grey .. it's like .. if I have typed 'inter' it may give me 'inter'face together with 'face' in light grey. You can overwrite or accept.
Don't use MMS - not a very good idea too, in this kalyug

15. It slips into your pocket nicely; is very light ; and has a lovely soft leather motorola cover which - and this I liked a lot - does not have a velcro or a button. It has a magnetic strip inside the leather .. great touch.

All in all a phone that performs the basic functions very very well and additionally has some of the gizmos thrown in too.

Frankly I haven't found a single thing about it that I don't like.

Selective · 27th July 2005, 17:00

That was a very helpful description! Thanks a lot.

GPRS, Games, Internet, MMS, FM & MP3 - I am really not interested in thease features.

VideoCam can be really helpfull, even at work. These days are people using this, even when they file bugs. Just record the steps to reproduce the bug and attach this file with the bug description! Cool, Eh?

How about security? The phone is password protected? Can protect our data by assigning any password etc?

devarshi84 · 27th July 2005, 17:05

Razr will be fine with you if you want style.

bluetooth and usb are present

the internal memory is a meager 5mb.

Fm radio is not present.

build quality is real good but then it is very slim and hence need to be used carefully.

display resolution is 176x220

Motorola e398 is still the better phone. other phones with mp3 player and radio and data features are.

1. nokia 6230i
2. SE k600i
3. Nokia 6260
4. motorola e680 (if u can get it in india this is the best thing out there)
5. siemens sx1 (old and a siemens but the best music phone)

shuvc · 28th July 2005, 10:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Selective

How about security? The phone is password protected? Can protect our data by assigning any password etc?

It does have phone lock, application lock (not sure what it is), SIM lock etc .. 4/5 passwords ..
I never use passwords, since I'm somehow convinced that I'll forget it someday and then have loads of hassles unlocking the phone

devarshi84 · 28th July 2005, 12:07

most of the phones today have a wide variety of security features provided on diefferent models. from international call barring, inbox lock, phone lock, sim lock, number lock, etc. depends on which phone you buy.

Beemer · 29th July 2005, 00:58

Well guys i ve just purchased a nokia 6630i . Seems to me a nice phone with all the features and a good price tag too
As for the connectivity, its working preety fine .

Thanx a lot guys for your valuable suggestions .

p.s mods please feel free to close this thread .

26th July 2005, 22:42	#1
Beemer BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: delhi Posts: 384 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	Which phone to buy ??? Hey guys , please help me out in buying a nice phone . My budget is around 15k . Well , currently i am using a nokia 6220 and to be honest i am just sick and tired of this phone . The problem is that my phone does not 've a good network coverage in most places and espically at my place so as a result its mostly unavailable . Tried many of the nokia phones but was never satisfied with their performance, the funniest thing is that my samsung A800 works quite well when compared . I am using a Hutch postpaid and unfort the place where i live is not a strong area , Hutch people 've accepted this but due to various reasons i can't get rid of this connection , so there's no option left for me except to change my phone . To be honest if i were to choose best nokia phone(which has the best network coverage) it is for sure the old 8250 , but that being an old phone i dont wanna go for it . Guys please help me out in getting a nice phone ,having a nice network coverage and to be honest i dont want any other feature if i am able to make and recieve calls ! Thanks in advance .
	() Thanks

26th July 2005, 22:52	#2
Conan BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 223 Thanked: 0 Times	Simple dude, give the connection to someone else and change to Airtel. Connectivity wise Nokias are the best. Second comes Sony ericsson and folowed by the rest. U can checkout the 3230, it has a MP3 player, 1.3 megapixel camera and a 1 GB capacity external memory slot.
	() Thanks

26th July 2005, 23:46	#3
Beemer BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: delhi Posts: 384 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	Thanx for your suggestion conan but due to some ressons i cannot change my connection , so i ve to go for a phone which has a better connectivity and help in those low network coverage area or if possible enhance those signals (i know i sound fuuny saying this but its all messy out there) ! The main thing i want from the phone is to provide me the best connectivity and get me rid of those problems like call dropping, unavailability etc . p.s i know its not possible when the network coverage is not so good from the hutch but still i want to be a little optimistic and go for the best in that price range . Please let those suggestions coming in guys .... Thanx .
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 01:04	#4
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	8250 rocks!!! You could try the 6230i. Great features. Not too sure about the connectivity though.
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 11:02	#5
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	I am confused when you say 6220 has a network problem. It is one of the very very rare phones to have a manual cum automatic networking. get you phone checked by an authorised nokia retailer. as far as the new budget phones go. A 1.3 mp is not worth against the new competition coming soon. Wait for sometime before buying a camera phone. Go with a 6230i or motorola e398 . I will recommend a motorola e398 anyday for its amazing features camera with flash bluetooth stereo speakers display with grpahics card mp3 player(excellent) what else do you need? I will wait for a 3.2 mp mobile atleast as I have used a s700,7610 and siemens s65 and am not satisfied with their quality. I find the siemens s65 to be the best deal if you want a camera choice motorola e398? (costs 10K) overall winner siemens s65 for network camera and business feature set(costs 18K) Last edited by devarshi84 : 27th July 2005 at 11:04.
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 11:54	#6
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,112 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	Get a Nokia 6230i. As for the Network, there is very little that can be done.
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 13:51	#7
aggressive_anush BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 97 Thanked: Once	According to a lot of sites the Motorola Razr has the best reception among all the mobiles available today. Just search for reviews for that phone. Very basic phone though. But really awesome looking And its being sold for 16995 according to an ad in yesterdays paper. So i think its quite a good deal. A friend of mine has one and he was using only nokias before this . He told me that the reception on this phone is brilliant, Much better than the nokias. So methinks that would be a good phone. Unfortunately if you are looking for a phone with a lot of features this would probably not suffice as it is quite a basic phone.
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 14:03	#8
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 2,913 Thanked: 352 Times View My Garage	The Moto Razr V3 .. go for it .. I have one and it rocks .. I was a Nokia fan but this phone converted me .. Great looks Easy navigation Fantastic keys Good battery life And basically focusses on being a good phone
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 14:23	#9
Selective BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 305 Thanked: 109 Times	SHUVC: Tell me more abt Moto Razr V3. Tell me about 1. Calender/reminder/organizer features. (Apart from regular phone, these features are important for me) 2. In built camera. (I dont like cell with camera). 3. Bluetooth/USB. (For hands free and PC) 4. How much memory it has. 5. It has display on the top. 6. What is the main display resolution. 7. It has FM/MP3? 8. How is the build quality. Now don't direct me to their website :-) As I want to know about these things from a user who has used the cell for sometime.
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 17:00	#11
Selective BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 305 Thanked: 109 Times	That was a very helpful description! Thanks a lot. GPRS, Games, Internet, MMS, FM & MP3 - I am really not interested in thease features. VideoCam can be really helpfull, even at work. These days are people using this, even when they file bugs. Just record the steps to reproduce the bug and attach this file with the bug description! Cool, Eh? How about security? The phone is password protected? Can protect our data by assigning any password etc?
	() Thanks

27th July 2005, 17:05	#12
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	Razr will be fine with you if you want style. bluetooth and usb are present the internal memory is a meager 5mb. Fm radio is not present. build quality is real good but then it is very slim and hence need to be used carefully. display resolution is 176x220 Motorola e398 is still the better phone. other phones with mp3 player and radio and data features are. 1. nokia 6230i 2. SE k600i 3. Nokia 6260 4. motorola e680 (if u can get it in india this is the best thing out there) 5. siemens sx1 (old and a siemens but the best music phone) Last edited by devarshi84 : 27th July 2005 at 17:09.
	() Thanks

28th July 2005, 12:07	#14
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	most of the phones today have a wide variety of security features provided on diefferent models. from international call barring, inbox lock, phone lock, sim lock, number lock, etc. depends on which phone you buy.
	() Thanks

29th July 2005, 00:58	#15
Beemer BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: delhi Posts: 384 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	Well guys i ve just purchased a nokia 6630i . Seems to me a nice phone with all the features and a good price tag too As for the connectivity, its working preety fine . Thanx a lot guys for your valuable suggestions . p.s mods please feel free to close this thread .
	() Thanks