Getting bored with your current cell phone already? Breathe easy, ringtone junkie, because the big boys of mobiles have unleashed a slew of new feature-filled phones that’ll leave you with your jaw on the floor.
Of course, we understand that you’re overloaded with all the viable options, so we’re highlighting the coolest of the lot and what they have to offer to make things a little easier for you.
Now pry yourself away from your SMSs for a second and check out what could potentially be your next gadget on the go.
All in One
What It Is: The E1070 is Motorola’s latest feature-laden 3G phone.
What It’s Got: Its broadband-like connection makes for easy downloads, right there in your phone. The VGA camera allows you to have a video conference, if you feel like it. There’s also the 1.3 megapixel camera with 8x zoom and the integrated Digital Music Player. On top of that, the phone’s designed for multitasking, allowing you to download files in the background while talking on the phone.
How Much It Is: $528
The Final Word: It’s a worthy addition to Motorola’s line of 3G mobiles.
Where To Get One: hello!@ ComCentre, 31 Exeter Rd., Hotline: 1626.
Music Is My Radar
What It Is: The BenQ-Siemens E61 is a mobile phone that goes all out to please the mobile music fan.
What It’s Got: Everything for a complete mobile music experience. You’ve got a music player that’s compatible with MP3 and a few other formats. Even the phone’s design has its music functions in mind, with buttons on the upper rim to control the player.
There’s also the option to download lyrics on to the 1.8” TFT screen, so you can sing along. On top of all of that, there’s even an integrated six-band equalizer, so the tone of your favorite tunes is literally in your hands.
How Much It Is: $388.
The Final Word: Another ferocious competitor in the mobile music game, it has certainly shown that it has the chops to stake a place in this niche.
Where To Get One: M1 Shop Paragon, #B1-28/29 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., Hotline: 1800-843-8383.
Sweet as Chocolate
What It Is: The much talked about LG Chocolate Phone.
What It’s Got: Its features are rather simple: A 1.3 megapixel camera and video camera, an MP3 / AAC player, and 128MB of onboard memory. But it’s not the features that sell this phone.
“Stylish” seems an understatement for it. Not only is it designed to look impressively sleek, but this droolworthy phone remains completely black—until a gentle brush of its touchpad brings the phone to life.
How Much It Is: $738
The Final Word: It’s more than simply a phone, it’s a work of art.
Where To Get One: Planet Telecoms, #03-03 Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6337-2533.
Walk This Way, Talk This Way
What It Is: The fifth model of Sony Ericsson’s popular line of Walkman phones, the W700i comes in Titanium Gold.
What’s It’s Got: We know what you’re all curious about: Does it hold a candle to its predecessor as far as its music player capabilities are concerned? Well, it most certainly does. It’s got a 256MB Memory Stick PRO Duo, which can hold up to around six CDs worth of music. Managing your tunes isn’t a hassle with the Disc2Phone software, which we found to be pretty user-friendly.
Another cool feature, as far as music is concerned, is the standard connector—which means you can use your personal earphones or headphones instead of the ones that come with the phone. The other great thing is its 2.0 megapixel camera, which is a breeze to use and provides crystal clear images.
The joystick navigation and interface are relatively easy to get used to, so even with all its features, you still won’t have a problem calling people or sending text messages.
How Much It Is: $698
The Final Word: It’s a music and mobile phone lover’s dream. Gorgeous and easy to use, this one’s going to be hot for quite a while.
Where To Get One: M1 Shop Paragon, #B1-28/29 Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd., Hotline: 1800-843-8383)
Bare Minimum
What It Is: Samsung’s SGH-E870, with a satin-finish titanium casing, has been dubbed the phone for the stylish and modern female user.
What It’s Got: Aside from a 4x zoom 1.3 megapixel camera, it also supports five different music formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA). What’s more, for the professional woman on the go, it allows you to access document files in Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF and JPEG formats.
As for its more aesthetic traits, the phone weighs a mere 80g and is available in White, Chill Blue and Valentine Pink, completing its sophisticated look.
How Much It Is: $638
The Final Word: It’s main draw is it simply looks good. This one’s more for the fashion-conscious than the feature-crazy.
Where To Get One: Samsung Mobile World, #B2-28 Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd., 6238-7911.
Open Up
What It Is: The Nokia 6125 is the latest model from a company that prides itself on user-friendliness.
What It’s Got: Sure, the features on this phone, by today’s standards, are a little light. You’ve got your 1.3 megapixel camera, multimedia Flash player and your built-in music player—all rather standard fare.
But its complete ease of use carries on the proud Nokia tradition. The keypad is large enough to be comfortable, but because it is a foldable phone, this doesn’t pose a problem.
The interface takes very little effort to get used to for both diehard Nokia users and non-users alike.
How Much It Is: $488
The Final Word: Looking for a phone that’s simple yet effective? This one’s for you
Where To Get One: Nokia Suntec City, #02-56/58/60 Suntec City Mall, No. 3 Temasek Blvd., 6333-1579.
