Buy Low Price From Here Now
Readmore
Technical Details
See more technical details
By Peter H (England)
The politics of the old mobile are long and complicated. Magazines are not dedicated to them for nothing! Talk-talk apart, I personally like to listen to the odd bit of music, catch up on the radio news and maybe send a few SMS messages. I like a bit of GPS and I like a bit of e-book. That is why I have bought them separately (you wouldn't want to strap a phone to the front of a bike!)
In the box is a charger, manual, mini USB lead, mini headphones and the actual phone. Slim and well balanced in the hand. Looks classy - but feels (grey) plastic to the touch. Software layout was clear and easy to get around. Instruction (such as "back") on the screen over the button you need to use. You can navigate different ways and have several things open at the same. You are looking at around two or three hours to become a complete master from scratch.
(Presuming you are not new to mobiles or technology totally.)
The manual is OK - but the print is pretty small. However you could use most of the phone without it, learning by trial and error. Several tricks and wrinkles (including one below) are only available this way.
Charges (from flat) quite quickly (via in-box charger or USB lead) and you slip in your SMS (if not using the supplied) and off you go. Problem number one is that it went in to keyboard lock mode on first power save - so I took out the battery and started again. Found the menu (buried deep in the manual) and switched it off!
(That is just me though - might prevent silent calls or people using it without permission.)
Second problem - the very small slots (get a magnifying glass - they are marked) and rubber pull away doors. Don't be clumsy with them, not if you want to use the phone for years. Power saves quickly (dim and then black), so you might want to extend the time-out, especially if you want to play games or decide on what tune to play.
Moving around the menus this seemed quite slick and modern (over my two year old model) with the software icons being square and obvious (you have option of a list format). Despite the larger screen (about two and a half inches across) bump up the fonts to large for bad light, arms length use or glare. Large screens and big letters - don't mistake a one for a seven any more!
The phone has no 3g or WIFI. Not a problem for me. Not a fan of the internet in miniature anyway - the odd sports score and the must-know headlines when out and about. You can - naturally - get the internet on a pay-by-minute basis or do an all-you-can-eat deal with some suppliers.
The FM radio has user-programmed stations and uses the lead as an aerial (won't work without it), will also play through the internal speakers. Works better on a bed/desk draw than in mid air. Press OK to go on to speaker mode - even with phones plugged in.
Music can be downloaded from your computer or put on the mini-sd card and then placed in the phone or ported across via the suplied USB lead to the card in situ. As can any of the media that can be displayed or used (too long a list for here - Google a full spec). Those that cannot be used can still be stored (files from a computer such as PDF) to be passed on to another device that can. Windows WMA can play as well as MP3. Love the sound and goes louder than comfort levels (via left side up/down button). Naturally there are battery life implications.
What really takes you on to the next level is the mini-qwerty - really a step forward for the first-timer. Fantastic to use and a step out of the (SMS/E-mail) dark ages. You almost say "at last" as you use it! A natural clean click with every touch.
Games I am not interested in (but they are available - at a price. Tetris is a playable demo only), but I like the seperate notes function (and I use it).
Make recording of your voice - as if a vocal memo pad or singing My Way (will record to mini-sd if you buy one). Note they record to a file on another ("My Stuff") section (no file naming as a computer would do - the phone makes a name. Can be changed when hooked to a computer - as can any file.) Bet that fools a few people first time.
2MP Camera has no flash and the video is blocky on a proper computer screen. It is OK for the odd snap and coming across a herd of charging wildebeest on Oxford street. Not a dedicated camera replacement at all.
Some reviews have been lukewarm - maybe because it doesn't make toast - but it does everything I want to do and did most of it straight out of the box. "Intuitive" is the word the pro reviewers prefer. Wave it around while you use it and you might fool people that you have a real Blackberry - and to be frank it is just as useful in my case.
Yes it is a four stars and not five. No killer new idea and no metal case. Some stick on screen protectors and/or a free mini-sd might have tempted me an extra star. Even a full Tetris (or a dentist waiting room time passer) might have pushed me over the edge...
Class under "budget model" rather than a "giant step forward."
Buy LG GW300 Orange Pre-Pay Mobile Phone including £10 Airtime - Red Now
0 comments:
Post a Comment