Choosing my next mobile device

After 3 years of loyal service, I feel that my Nokia N73 will soon opt for a retirement scheme. The thing that I really love with this mobile is the 3.15MP camera, equipped with Carl Zeiss optics.

Just take it out of your pocket, anywhere and anytime!

Requirement 1 – Camera

As a reader of yashvinblogs.com, you have surely noticed the numerous instantaneousness shots made from my Nokia N73 Camera which helps me in expressing myself. So, as you can guess, the next mobile phone will absolutely need to reach up to that minimum level, with a good and quick focus + video recording.

The camera is one of the most important tools of a blogger. Without a good handy one, I would have missed so many posts. Just imagine, the Champs De Mars accident blog post without any related shots!

Requirement 2 – Keyboard

You might be astonished but I really hate those touch screens mobile phone, you know why?

I feel so uncomfortable hitting those tiny icons or keys with my big fingers. Someday, in a moment of anger, I might even smash the phone right away!

So, that’s leaves me with the traditional keypad and the QWERTY keyboard. I had the chance to test mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards and I feel that I can manage with it.

Point to note : I might accept devices with both a touch screen and a keyboard.

[yashvinblogsfan]

Requirement 3 – WIFI/EDGE

I dont have any special needs like a water proof device. A WIFI/EDGE enabled one is all that I want.

It doesnt really matter if the device has a 2MP or 10MP front camera for 3G calls, I simply don’t care. WIFI is among the things which matter the most in the next purchase.

Requirement 4 – Display screen

I am no mobile phone reviewer like carrotmadman6, our Mauritian Tech blogger but I want one with a large display, one just like everyone else dreams of.

One on which my most used applications or shortcuts can easily be placed, no messy ‘desktop’.

Requirement 5 – OS

Windows Mobile, Android or Symbian, all of them are Ok for me since I don’t plan to test my programming skills or install any specific mobile application. I should be able to install the basic applications including a mobile browser, some java apps, communication tools like mail and MSN/Skype/Google Talk etc.

Requirement 6 -Budget

As you can guess, I don’t want to spend a fortune on the mobile phone, so please keep the price bar low, let’s say <= Rs10,000? I might decide to increase the limit depending on the extras that the device can offer.

To end the list of requirements, I also need to be able to

  • Make/Receive calls and textos
  • Use bluetooth to transfer/sync my data
  • Have a good storage (built in or memory cards) and reliable battery performance.
  • Other basic things available in most phones. Examples loudspeaker(Speaker), profiles, music/video player

At the end of the day, I just need a device that would allow me to communicate easily.

Can you please advise me and guide me through this tough selection process?

Additional points :

  • I will most probably buy it through eBay
  • I like the blackberry-style devices which seem to be very affordable but feel free to suggest any models that you would like to share with us.

50 thoughts on “Choosing my next mobile device”

Add yours

  1. Lol. The only good thing about the N73 is its camera. The phone is effing slow!
    For that budget (and if you’re looking for a Nokia), you can try the 5800, although it lacks a physical keyboard, you’ll get a big screen and a good camera 🙂
    If you absolutely need a good keyboard, you can try the E-series.

    Like

    Reply

  3. Yashvin, its actually quite limited budget, as a student in malaysia, even for a good smartphone here, you need at least 10000rs, now in mauritius i dont know, though i remember my dad buying a little samsung phone here for 6000rs, it has a huge touch screen, and it slides, so you can use the huge keyboard. check samsung. if not then the E series from nokia. or phones like the C6

    Like

    Reply

  4. Hmm… The only one I can suggest is the E72.

    The camera is decent (not Nseries “Carl Zeiss” quality). Best camera on the market remains the N8 (there may be a keyboard variant released next year).
    It’s got an awesome keyboard, price is around Rs 10k on eBay.
    But, it’s 1 year old. The OS is outdated, not much software being released for it. Screen is small.

    Re-read the reviews – http://themediaguru.blogspot.com/2010/09/nokia-e72-review-part-3-camera.html
    🙂

    Like

    Reply

  6. i will advise you sony ericsson phones. w995 ain’t bad xD

    e72 is a really nice phone and so is e71 … but i will still stick to sony ericsson phones.

    p.s: u can mod them and improve ur phone functions xD

    Like

    Reply

  8. for this price range would agree with carrotmadman6.
    go for the E72. nice phone. camera good. qwerty keyboard.

    if your budget was more would tell you the HTC DESIRE HD.

    Like

    Reply

  12. All that i can say is that GO FOR THE BLACKBERRY!!! its the best thing made to communicate as for others i barely know 😐 its depends on you now 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  19. Nokia C6-00

    largescreen + keyboard + reasonable price + lots of apps + wifi/and all.

    I think i’m going for this one too. 😉

    Like

    Reply

  22. I think the latest Iphone 4 is not bad at all…you can rotate to type text (the keypads become larger…) or view images…

    It has got Camera with high res pics..great pics i must say…

    Easy to handle 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  23. Check out the HTC Ozone.

    Has big screen, QWERTY, looks good and available on ebay for about $200. Has 2.4in screen, WiFi, good battery but the only let down is the camera which is only 2Mpx, and doesn’t score good on GSMArena.
    http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_ozone-2886.php

    Ah, my own W850i is showing signs of old age after 3 years. I remember choosing that over the N73 and D900…

    Like

    Reply

  24. Hi Everyone!

    Thank you very much for all your comments. I have been reading, analyzing reviews (and prices of course) of each and every of the proposed models.

    I am still undecided though! I will let u know abt my choice soon!

    Like

    Reply

  26. wow, I can’t believe people are still recommending Nokia phones. Its true that nokia was once successful thanks to its symbian OS but that was before Android and iOS (and Windows Phone 7) come into play in the smartphone world. Thats Android all the way man. Lemme list the main points just to make things simple.

    Symbian
    Cons:Memory hogs – very bad memory management
    App crashes occasionaly without recovery options
    Outdated multitasking capabilities
    Extremely slow as hell in overall
    Camera perfomances and features suck
    Outdated and MeeGo doesn’t look promissing either

    Pros: Cheap (but low quality) apps in Ovi Store
    Nokia N8 has a quite good camera

    don’t trust me?check this out: http://www.symbian-guru.com/welcome/2010/07/symbian-guru-com-is-over.html

    Android
    Cons:Still young in my own opinion
    Like nokia, some apps that work on one android-powered phone may not necessarily work on another even though they are the same version

    Pros:very powerful
    better customization options
    Support tethering natively
    Best mobile browsing experience (through skyfire)
    Many android-powered devices have good camera with great features
    Most devices seem to be future-proof and more awesome if jailbroken
    Beautiful UI, visually
    Facebook notifications in homescreen

    iOS (iPhone 4)
    Cons:Not cheap
    Available at Orange only (post paid), but im not sure

    Pros:Extremely powerful (for a phone at least)
    Camera is only 5MP but photos are of high contrast, more vivid and support HDR natively – less or almost no noise in dark conditions
    720p video at 30fps without frame drops
    Very high quality apps.
    Although it doesn’t have a physical keyboard, its on-screen keyboard is very responssive, accurate, big enough for big fingers and as good as a physical one. Trust me. I tried it. A physical keyboard can be attached to it anyway.
    Capable of running android if jailbroken
    Easy to use. Seriously, my grandmother can use it without problems.

    From what i read on popular and trustworthy blogs like lifehacker, engadget mobile, gizmodo, etc, symbian is dead.

    I myself have an old Nokia e71, which I bought on eBay. It is said to be the best and the most successful nokia phone ever made. But I’ll soon ditch it for a more powerful phone, most probably, an android-powered one because my e71 is darn slow. Just after pressing the menu button from standby screen it takes about 3-5 seconds to fully load – cold or warm startup. Furthermore, its keys are starting to feel too small for my big fingers. So is e72. So is e73. Surely the flipped qwerty keyboards used in landscape like Nokia N97 for example don’t have this problem.

    If you’re going to get an android phone, why not the HTC Hero? Its old but its less than Rs10,000 new condition with Froyo (android 2.2). Or the new, more powerful Samsung Galaxy S? Keep in mind its android. No need to type text. Just speak in english and it transcribes it for you. And android is google friendly, i.e. better gmail and gtalk integration. Did I say its GPS navigation is the best and is free?

    If physical qwerty matters a lot, how about motorola droid x?

    Well there are lot android phones out there, just use google to find which one suites best for you or simply use this:
    http://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3

    In terms of durability and solidity, i’ve heard that nokia and HTC are the best.

    I hope this was helpful

    Btw, I think android has a WordPress client app.

    Like

    Reply

  28. @a bit too techy
    I wouldn’t say Symbian is dead. (Don’t trust the US blogs, they are heavily biased).
    The N8 fixed just about every single con you mentioned. Its actual problem is the software – browser, keyboard & apps (the lack of).
    The apps problem is a Catch-22. Symbian needs more apps, but how to entice developers when the platform isn’t attractive enough.
    (I’ll elaborate on this in a review).

    That said, older Symbian phones do have some of the problems you mentioned.

    Like

    Reply

  30. All those who are saying dont go for Nokia , get an android. Could you at least mention a device? :S Dont forget that the price range is 10000 to a possible maximum of 15000. If higher. I’d rather get a laptop. -.-

    Like

    Reply

  31. Well, good phones apart, I’m considering buying a cheap Android phone from China. You get it for less than $100!
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360324739823&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

    Since Android is an OS, like Windows Mobile and Symbian, the selling points are quite similar across different brands. That’s why it’s being said to buy Android phones. For example, you can buy (or download free) many applications that are Android compatible. They would work across different brands, unlike Symbian applications.

    Like

    Reply

  32. Hello Yashvin,

    Its very rare from me that i make comments on blogs, but i feel i need to share my point of view too 🙂

    Well, i can c everyone is talking about Android, HTC, Symbian, Blackberry or watever, well let me tell you about an OS that no one mentioned here.

    MAEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Yes, Maemo is a new Generation OS and is very trendy for the momment. The first phone was launched by Nokia through the N900 Model. Also known as the Mini Computer

    This phone has everything u want:

    Symbian Games / Apps work on that
    Palm Games / OS work on that
    HTC Apps / Games

    You can install Meego Os or Android OS or even Debian on it like u install Windows XP, Windows Vista on your computer.

    You can play Tekken 3 on that through an emulator same as for playing Tekken on a computer through an Emulator.

    you can run nintento 64, nintendo NES, or any nintendo games on the N900.

    I bought my N900 about 3 months ago and after 1 month though of selling it and even made advertisement for my phone.

    But later on i found that wat that phone can offer me is larger that i thought. Sorry not for sale anymore 🙂

    You can have Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Chat, MSn Messenger and Skype running on it as smooth as u wud never imagine and multitasking is possible with thumbnails of the applications open.

    Equipped with a 600mhz processor and 32 Gb Internal memory, 5 Mp Camera with double flash:

    Camera options includes:
    – Automatic
    – Night
    – Macro
    – Landscape
    – Portrait
    – Action

    Automatic Video and Night Video.

    I bought mine for about 22,000rs and now i know wat this phone is capable of, i dont regret 1 pence at all…

    I can run Open Office, Microsoft office without issues, create multiple emails account either from Orange, Hotmail or yahoo and have them downloaded to your phone seperately for each account.

    You can connect to your computer remotely through ur N900 (without cables) and even use your n900 as a remote control (u need to install the appropriate app, already have it on mine).

    You can use the N900 to take screenshoot of its own screen like you do printscreen on your keyboard.

    This phone has many many more features and im sure u r not gonna regret having this phone in ur pocket.

    So, now tel me another phone with all these capabilities and having the power to support different OS so easily…!!!!!!!!!

    thx 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  33. Ooops, forgot to mention some more points:

    Its have built in dictionary, Sliding Qwerty Kerboard with easy copy paste function or on screen touch keyboard.

    The choice is urs 🙂

    Play movies directly or use it as a remote to control ur VLC player on ur computer.

    Albums are neatly organised, FM radio, Bluetooth V2.1, Videos with thumbnails,synchronisation is very easy wither u have outlook or watever. RSS Feeds, and let me know wat dyu want more, i let u know 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  36. Nothing decent on the market at the moment…

    All the mobiles lack something in one way or the other. Everything great, battery not good. Or camera not good. Or some other simple thing missing.

    I’m waiting for next year. Maybe we’ll get some decent phones to choose from, maybe some good Android 2.3-based phone.

    If you’re in a hurry this year, the HTCs are not bad. Or Nokia N97 for the physical keyboard?

    Like

    Reply

  37. @Inf: I totally agree with you.

    As you said, if the camera + keyboard are good, the OS is bof (Sony Ericsson Vivaz pro)

    If the camera is bad, the functions are wow (Blackberry models)

    Even if the device is attractive, large keyboard and Windows mobile OS, the camera “laisse à desirer”! (HTC Pro 2)

    If the phone itself seems good overall, the look n feel isn’t great (Latest nokia models)

    I am quite in a dilemna right now :
    I still don’t know which one of the flaws/bad points mentioned should I accept!

    Like

    Reply

  39. I made up my mind.

    It’s gonna be the Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro. Functionality(Camera & Media) won over esthetique (OS, Look & Feel).

    Now, I need to click on the “BUY IT”

    Like

    Reply

  42. Already on ur vivaz pro? Where is the purchase review then…?

    Actually came try the mobile view. Using safari browser.

    I don’t like the current background colour…

    Like

    Reply

    1. Weps! on vivaz prooo! so nice! Review? I will use it for a few days more before writing something.
      As for the mob version, I will try to play with the look. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

      Like

      Reply
  43. Pingback: Amateur review of Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro | Yashvin, pages of my life
  45. Pingback: HTC One, the One&Only! | Yashvin, pages of my life
  47. Pingback: My HTC Desire 820 smartphone’s screen got cracked – yashvinblogs.com

Leave a comment

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑