Simple Mobile Phones

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Andyhouse - 13 Jan 2008 20:34 GMT

I'm thinking of getting my Mum a mobile phone and I'm after something
that's simple to use and preferably on the Vodafone network. I was
looking at the Nokia 1600 -

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/index.cfm?go=payasyoutalk.productDetails&pid=108&numo
fferingid=1109&WT.svl=link1

What do you guys reckon? Any advice or suggestions would be
appreciated. I'd like for the phone to be easy to use, have a long
standby and talk time and reasonably cheap - in the £40 and under
price range. I'm not worried about cameras or games or anything like
that. As long as it texts and makes calls!

Andyhouse.

Reply to this Message

Master - 13 Jan 2008 20:52 GMT

>I'm thinking of getting my Mum a mobile phone and I'm after >something
>that's simple to use and preferably on the Vodafone network. I >was
>looking at the Nokia 1600 -
>
>http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/index.cfm?go=payasyoutalk.productDetails&pid=108&numo
fferingid=1109&WT.svl=link1

>What do you guys reckon? Any advice or suggestions would be
>appreciated. I'd like for the phone to be easy to use, have a long
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Andyhouse.

You can get this fom Virgin Mobile:
http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/viewProduct.do?productId=31E613FB-DB6C-4E5D-92F5-
07A118172F1A
NOKIA 2310 £19.99

Reply to this Message

Steve Terry - 17 Jan 2008 21:15 GMT

>>I'm thinking of getting my Mum a mobile phone and I'm after >something
>>that's simple to use and preferably on the Vodafone network. I >was
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/viewProduct.do?productId=31E613FB-DB6C-4E5D-92F5-
07A118172F1A
> NOKIA 2310 £19.99

Nokia 1100 amd 1600 can be unlocked free to take any Sim
http://www.unlockitfree.com/unlock.php

2310 and 2610 can't easily

Shop around, you should be able to get a 1600 from various High St dealers
for under 20quid

Steve Terry

Reply to this Message

Theo Markettos - 13 Jan 2008 21:33 GMT

> What do you guys reckon? Any advice or suggestions would be
> appreciated. I'd like for the phone to be easy to use, have a long
> standby and talk time and reasonably cheap - in the ?40 and under
> price range. I'm not worried about cameras or games or anything like
> that. As long as it texts and makes calls!

I've got a 2600, which is similar and pretty much does what it says on the
tin. Can't remember the standby time but it's about a week. A useful
(unintended) feature is that I can use the colour screen set to white
backdrop as a torch if I need it - just have to press keys every few seconds
to stop the backlight turning off. The 1100 has a built in torch so removes
the need for this rigmarole (and is probably a better torch)..

In terms of ease of use I'd recommend phones that have a
red-telephone/green-telephone interface, not just than the single button.
The button-changes-use-with-mode concept can be a bit confusing to some
people (one elderly relative couldn't cope with a 5110 for this reason).

Theo

Reply to this Message

rdd - 14 Jan 2008 17:51 GMT

>> What do you guys reckon? Any advice or suggestions would be
>> appreciated. I'd like for the phone to be easy to use, have a long
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Theo

Try and find the Nokia 1112 - Great little uncomplicated phone
(B&W)screen http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221005

or even
[Motorola F3 Sim Free Mobile Phone Telephones - Mobile SIM Free Mobiles
SE7138AE7B1] http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127387/show_product_reviews

FWIW,RDD

Reply to this Message

Iain - 14 Jan 2008 20:25 GMT

> Try and find the Nokia 1112 - Great little uncomplicated phone
> (B&W)screen http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221005

Probably a good buy, even if it is a Nokia.

> or even
> [Motorola F3 Sim Free Mobile Phone Telephones - Mobile SIM Free Mobiles
> SE7138AE7B1] http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127387/show_product_reviews

You can get the F3 a LOT cheaper than that, probably from your local
supermarket. Good phone if you don't want to read texts. The screen
sheows too few characters on screen to be much use for text, even
thought he writing is big and clear. And it is very thin: would be easy
to snap.

Reply to this Message

Andyhouse - 14 Jan 2008 22:29 GMT

> > Try and find the Nokia 1112 - Great little uncomplicated phone
> > (B&W)screenhttp://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221005
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> thought he writing is big and clear. And it is very thin: would be easy
> to snap.

Thanks for all the advice, guys. The Nokia 1112 looks pretty good to
me. I might actually take a trip to Tesco and see what they have for
sale.

Master suggested the Nokia 2310 from Virgin Mobile. I'm curious -
does Virgin Mobile use the same network as T-Mobile? I did have a T-
Mobile phone and the reception was abysmal here in Belfast, Northern
Ireland. When I was in my workplace I couldn't get a signal at all
and when I was on the M2 motorway I couldn't get a signal there
either.

Andy.

Reply to this Message

Theo Markettos - 15 Jan 2008 18:45 GMT

> Thanks for all the advice, guys. The Nokia 1112 looks pretty good to
> me. I might actually take a trip to Tesco and see what they have for
> sale.

I noticed Woolworths have the 1112 on Virgin at 15 quid:
http://www.woolworths.co.uk/web/jsp/product/index.jsp?pid=50932728

Argos also have the 2610 on Virgin at 15 quid:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5181340/Trail/C%24cip%3D1500006
463.Office%2C%2BPC%2Band%2Bphones%3EC%24cip%3D1500010805.Clearance%2BOffice%2C%2
BPC%2Band%2Bphones.htm
(or look under Phones -> Clearance phones on their site)

> Master suggested the Nokia 2310 from Virgin Mobile. I'm curious -
> does Virgin Mobile use the same network as T-Mobile? I did have a T-
> Mobile phone and the reception was abysmal here in Belfast, Northern
> Ireland. When I was in my workplace I couldn't get a signal at all
> and when I was on the M2 motorway I couldn't get a signal there
> either.

Yes, they're a virtual operator on T-Mobile's infrastructure. In my case I
bought my 2600 from Virgin (because they gave a discount for existing
customers - having just received a free SIM pack I was an 'existing
customer') and promptly unlocked it (asked on an unlocking forum and someone
gave me a free code) and put a Tesco SIM in it (which uses O2's network).
The cheap Nokias seem to be relatively easy to unlock, though I'd check for
your particular model.

Theo

Reply to this Message

Steve Terry - 24 Jan 2008 20:50 GMT

<snip>

> Try and find the Nokia 1112 - Great little uncomplicated phone (B&W)screen
> http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4221005
>
> or even
> [Motorola F3 Sim Free Mobile Phone Telephones - Mobile SIM Free Mobiles
> SE7138AE7B1] http://www.ebuyer.com/product/127387/show_product_reviews

Only problem with those is if you stand on a street corner using one,
people put coins in your hat thinking your begging ;-)

Steve Terry

Reply to this Message

Mark Hewitt - 16 Jan 2008 09:40 GMT

> In terms of ease of use I'd recommend phones that have a
> red-telephone/green-telephone interface, not just than the single button.
> The button-changes-use-with-mode concept can be a bit confusing to some
> people (one elderly relative couldn't cope with a 5110 for this reason).

Same here with my Mum, she doesn't really 'get' the concept that the big
button does different things depending on what's written above it.

Reply to this Message