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The MOTOKZR K3 is a clam shell type phone that just flips open. It looks good and is of solid construction, made with high quality materials. It boasts a phone book which will hold 2000 contact names and a 2 megapixel camera. It supports video calls and HSDPA and offers an internal memory of 50 MB; it has an SD memory slot so the memory capacity can be expanded as required. It has external music controls and is Bluetooth compatible.

Overall, this a perfectly serviceable mobile phone available at a great price if a little time is taken to check out mobile phone deals. It does have some drawbacks though. The front plate seems to pick up finger marks very easily (even if your hands are clean) and the keypad is very difficult to use by touch because it just doesn’t feel right. The absence of a flash unit and the lack of auto focus make the camera difficult to use effectively. There is no facility to set up weekly alarms on the clock, only daily times and there is no way to set up SMS proof of delivery on a permanent basis. You have to do it before sending each text.  The MOTOKZR K3 does not have an FM radio and is sadly without call filtering facilities, or a voice recorder which will record calls.

This particular Motorola model seems to concentrate on design and looks but it does not put the same importance on functionality. It is a fairly decent quality phone for basic use and the design is excellent, but it seems to be all looks and little substance.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520, also known as the BlackBerry Gemini, has a mixture of business and consumer market targeted functionalities. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 is part of a range of BlackBerry mobile phones (others include the BlackBerry Curve 8300 and the Curve 8900) that are relatively cheap mobile phones and which feature email, phone and texting services with more multimedia and social networking features.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 measures 4.29 by 2.36 by 0.55 inches. It weighs just 3.74 inches, making it one of BlackBerry’s lighter mobile phones. Its battery life allows for 4.5 hours of talk time and 17 days (408 hours) of standby time.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520’s main screen has a picture resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Somewhat disappointingly the screen size is on the small side, measuring just 2.64 inches. Also relatively basic is the camera resolution of just 2 megapixels, although it does have a digital zoom.

The inbuilt video player supports MPEG4, H.263, H.264, and WMV files and the music player supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WAV and AMR files. The mobile phone has a memory of 128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM. It has a full QWERTY keyboard, microUSB, Wi-Fi, 2.0 Bluetooth and allows for email services on IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and BlackBerry Connect.

All in all, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 is a relatively basic BlackBerry that achieves what it sets out to do, but does not dazzle. Many competitor mobile phones achieve similar results.

The Nokia X2 is one of the latest mobile phones in Nokia’s range of cheap mobile phones. It features a sleek candy bar design with a 2.2 inch graphics display and comes in a choice of black/red or silver/blue combinations. The phone is lightweight and slim line, weighing only 81 grams and measuring 111 by 47 by 13 mm.

As far as Nokia mobile phones go, this one is tailored to the music crowd. It comes with an FM radio, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, and two powerful speakers. One touch keys make accessing music easy and free songs are offered via the Nokia Music Store.

Also included on the Nokia X2 is a 5 megapixel camera (for 2592 x 1544 pixel resolution) with LED flash, digital zoom, and video recorder. Photos can be uploaded via Nokia Ovi Share and email.

Internal memory for the X2 is 48 MB, which is expandable to 16 GB via microSD. High speed USB 2.0 and stereo Bluetooth connectivity make for fast and easy transfer of data. The phone also supports SyncML. Web browsing is via EDGE-enhanced GPRS via the Opera Mini browser.

Other essential applications included with the X2 include a 1000 entry phonebook, calendar, calculator, currency converter, world clock, flight mode, note pad, speaker phone/voice recorder, timer, and vibrate mode. It doesn’t include a document/ PDF reader. Several pre-installed games are also included.

Currently available in India for $113, it is expected to hit the UK soon at a price of around £80.

Those looking for Sony Ericsson mobile phones with strong camera capabilities are sure to be pleased with the C903.

Pros

The camera features on the C903 are quite a bit more advanced than those of cheap mobile phones, with useful editing functions and the handy BestPic system that begins saving images before the shutter is released and holds up to nine shots to allow users to choose the best one.  There’s also a very good zoom and nice video recording capabilities.

The bright screen displays colours beautifully, as evidenced by the fun wallpaper photo slideshow that comes preloaded on the C903.  There’s a clever GPS system with Google Maps and NearMe, a programme that pinpoints nearby restaurants, cinemas, shops, businesses, and more.

Cons

The C903 is available in black or red, but the glossy case looks decidedly plastic and less sophisticated than some competitors’ latest mobile phones.  Because it is so small, the phone may present problems for some users, and the keypad is rather cramped.  There’s no space between individual number buttons and not much travel in the keys, both of which impeded fast and easy dialling.

The C903 is not Wi-Fi enabled so pictures and video have to be transferred over a mobile signal.  Also, there’s no 3.5 mm headphone jack so users are resigned to the in-ear headset that’s packaged with the phone.

Conclusion

The C903 is a compact mobile phone with great camera function and an intuitive GPS.  The drawbacks are mere annoyances when compared to the many benefits of this smart, pocket-sized handset.

HTC Magic, the second Google phone is an enjoyable phone that delivers a great user experience.  Like other Android phones, the HTC Magic is slick and effective, delivering a wide variety of Android based applications and software.  The Magic is a unique entry into the market, and while it may have its shortcomings, the phone as a whole delivers on its promises, and is able to deliver most anything you can expect from a modern smart phone.

What stands out the most about the Magic is the screen.  It’s a large, bright, vibrant, colourful display that offers a sharp image, and relatively low battery life consumption.  Entering text is a breeze on the virtual keypad, though it is much easier in landscape mode.  The responsive nature of the phone, with the high degree of accuracy, has eliminated much of the frustration that plagued early touch screen phones.

While the Magic is a great mobile phone to use, the media functionality however leaves much to be desired.  With no 3.5mm headphone jack, this is clearly not for music lovers.  While this was never the main draw of the device, it’s frustrating that such a simple addition was never made.  The camera has no flash, and has an unacceptable shutter lag, for such a modern phone.

As a whole, it’s frustrating when modern smart phones simply do away with certain pieces of technology.  A camera flash is nothing new or “smart”, and there’s no reason why it should not be included in such new smart phone models.

The Nokia N86 is an efficient smartphone available in white or the traditional black version.  It’s the Finnish company’s first 8-megapixel camera phone and like all Nokia camera phones, it is good quality having minimal shutter lag and good resolution.

It boasts a wide-angle Carl Zeiss lens, panorama effect, dual LED flash and scene modes, which means that the N86 can compete easily with a dedicated digital camera.  You can also upload your photographs and share them with your friends, but this is only possible using Flickr and not any other social network.

The phone is marketed as a camera phone so it is quite surprising that there is no dedicated camera shutter button; instead you have to go through menu, applications then camera before it is launched. 

In line with most camera phones there is no optical zoom but you can use the digital zoom, as the image resolution is high enough not to ruin your shots.

The 2.6-inch screen uses Advanced Matrix OLED so that the screen is colourful and bright.

The phone is responsive and so tasks are completed quickly.  There’s a 3.5 mm headphone jack so you can plug in any old headphones to listen to your favourite tracks or the FM radio.

The battery life is better than average and there is also GPS, which works well on this handset.

The N86 is available on contract, pay as you go or as a SIM free deal.

The HTC Legend is the successor to the very popular HTC Hero mobile phone. It is the first HTC handset to come in a unibody aluminium casing. The HTC Legend is an Android smartphone. Android mobile phones, developed by Android Inc and Google, use open source software to allow users to create and share mobile phone applications.

The HTC Legend is 4.41 by 2.22 by 0.45 inches. It weighs 4.44 ounces. Its battery life is an impressive 8 hours of talk time, 18 days (440 hours) of standby time. The main display screen of the HTC Legend is 320 x 480 pixels in resolution, is 3.2 inches in size, uses capacitive technology and is multi-touch.

The HTC Legend’s camera has 5 megapixels resolution, and the inbuilt camera has LED flash, autofocus and geo tagging. The video player has MPEG4, WMV, 3GP and 3G2 capability. The music player supports files in MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, M4A (Apple lossless), AMR, OGG and MIDI format and has FM radio.

The operating software is relatively new: Android 2.1 following on from Android 1.5 (also known as Cupcake). Internet browsing is through HTML or flash and the HTC Legend has microUSB, Wi-Fi and 2.1 Bluetooth.

The unibody casing looks and feels great. In this respect, the HTC Legend is rather minimalistic and sophisticated. The screen is highly responsive and multi touch, allowing for multiple home pages to be scanned quickly. Sound and picture quality are good if not excellent.

If you are new to the touch screen concept and are looking for a budget range mobile phone which can offer you that first time experience, then the Samsung C3510 may be for you.

When this phone first made mobile phone news, it was obvious that Samsung was giving a much-appreciated nod to the low-end, pre-pay user – or the younger people who are looking for their first prepay phone. But this is no ordinary cheap mobile phone. It is compact and lightweight and sports a smooth, rounded look. The touch screen is 2.8 inches and supports a resolution of 240 x 320. The phone itself comes in black, blue, pink, and white.

While the phone doesn’t come with a lot of features, the ones it does include are essential and well-designed: an MP3 player for music-listening, FM radio, integrated web browser, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, and integrated social networking.

As would be expected in a cheap mobile phone, connectivity is restricted to Class 10 GPRS and EDGE, there is no HSDPA or 3G, but there is Bluetooth 2.1 included, and A2DP is supported for stereo Bluetooth transmission. Our final thought on this phone: while intended for the young, prepay set, Samsung has stepped away from the crowd with the C3510 GenoA, a thoughtful and appealing cheap mobile phone.

The Samsung C3510 GenoA is available through several providers, so if you’re interested in this phone, you may want to compare prepay or contract mobile phone deals from a few different ones.

The Sony Ericsson Vivaz features a smart new ergonomic body and HD video capabilities, both exciting new additions.  The 8.1 megapixel camera is a winner, and the 3.5 mm headphone jack sets it apart from most other Sony Ericsson mobile phones.

Pros

The strongest feature of the Vivaz is the extremely user friendly 8.1 megapixel camera.  There are dedicated buttons for video and stills, and on-screen icons and menus that clearly show the camera’s current settings and available options.  An 8 GB memory card is included in the produce packaging, as the HD video tends to use up a lot of internal memory.

Another strong aspect of the Vivaz is the addition of both a mini USB port and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.  The music player itself is intuitive and feature-rich – users can view album artwork and create instant playlists.

Other positive features include good video playback, convenient shortcuts to YouTube and iPlayer, a preloaded Facebook app, comfortable design, fine call quality, and a really sharp TFT screen. 

Cons

Like previous Sony Ericsson mobile phones, the Vivaz has a frustrating resistive touch-screen, though it’s admittedly one of the best of its kind.  There is a stylus but no QWERTY keyboard so messaging can be difficult.

Powering the Vivaz on and off is sluggish, and the camera is slow to load.  Locking and unlocking the screen presents a real challenge, as the lock button is also the power button; pushing too hard will turn off the phone. 

Conclusion

For recreational users, this is a fine smartphone.  Users looking for great camera features and media playback would be wise to check out the latest Vivaz mobile phone deals.

Long the domain of the serious business user, BlackBerry seems to be positioning itself to make in impact on the casual smartphone fan.  The BlackBerry Bold 9700 offers a slimmer design and first-rate media features, which will have the consumer market buzzing. 

Pros

Like previous BlackBerry mobile phones, the Bold 9700 shines in mobile email applications and has a fantastic battery life.  The handset is slim yet solid and feels comfortable in hand.  The original Bold rollerball has been replaced with a brilliantly responsive optical trackpad.

The keyboard is a pleasure to navigate, with solid and evenly spaced keys.  Users will never miss a trendy touchscreen.
Aside from mobile communications, the Bold 9700 also functions admirably as a music and media player.  The display screen is crisp and detailed, perfect for high resolution video playback.  They music player interface is comprehensive, audio quality is good, and the 3.5mm headphone jack is a nice touch.

The camera has an autofocus system and produces decent quality images, making this a passable alternative to a digital camera in a pinch.

Cons

New BlackBerry users will need some time to learn the confusing text-based menus.

The enter key doubles as the send key in SMS messaging mode and is positioned very near the delete button, which could lead to some embarrassing slip-ups for careless texters.

Conclusion

With the Bold 9700, BlackBerry takes a strong step into the broader consumer market.  Balancing work and play with ease, it holds up well against the latest mobile phones from competitors.