FEATURE PHONES

Your mobile phone isn't just for making calls and sending texts. It tells the world who you are. We look at nine of the latest feature phones and test what's on offer

SONY ERICSSON S700I
Coming across more as a digital camera than a mobile handset, it's initially difficult to see who this phone is aimed at. However, its impressive feature list makes it the ideal solution for the user looking for something a little special. With a built-in MP3 player, FM radio and, of course, Bluetooth coming as standard, the S700i leaves nothing to chance.

When closed, the screen acts as the viewfinder, which means at the click of a button the phone acts like any other compact point and-click amera. The 1.3-megapixel camera offers great image quality and can store images on the 32MB of built-in memory or the additional Memory Stick Duo card. The only downside of the S700i is the rather bulky size of the unit, which is destined to make a bulge in your trouser pocket.

RATING 7
PRICE £425 (INC. VAT) WITHOUT CONTRACT
£190 (INC. VAT) VODAFONE CONNECTION
CONTACT
www.sonyericsson.co.uk

MOTOROLA A1000
It may not be the best looking handset in this group, but the Motorola A1000 holds the accolade of currently being the only 3G smartphone, as opposed to feature phone, available in the UK and is the slimmer and lighter answer to the original A920. The three-inch screen means you won't be carrying this device around in your pocket, but it still fits neatly in the palm of the hand. The supplied carry case means you can just drop it in your bag. The 1-megapixel camera offers good quality images.

Running the Symbian operating system, the A1000 is more than just an organiser, as it allows for full web browsing, as well as for the remote synchronisation of files and data. When not working, you can use the built-in video and MP3 players for multimedia playback. As with the Sony Ericsson V800, you'll have to be within range of the 3G network to make the most of this phone, but when you can, you'll be glad of the extra speed boost.

RATING 8
PRICE FREE – £100 DEPENDENT ON 3 CONTRACT
CONTACT
www.3phones.co.uk