Help me find the mobile I need

Published by Colin on 23rd November 2005.

I’d like to buy a new mobile phone (GSM), the problem is I can’t seem to find one that fits my needs.

I currently own a Sony Ericsson P800 which I bought at an extortionate price practically the first day it came out in Belgium (Gadget lust). And, to be honest, I think it’s a very expensive piece of shit. As powerful as it may be, the interface feels like it was built for engineers, not users. The pseudo-keypad broke quite fast, and I’m now running it in virtual keypad mode, which is very nice sitting at a desk, but another story in the street. I’ve gone through at least 10 stylii, luckily the Sony-Ericsson center seem to like me and I get new ones for free or that would have been quite an expense already. Granted, some of these things were fixed in the P900/P910 but were no quantum leap either and certainly not reason enough to upgrade. The P950 looks better but is overkill for me.

My needs have also changed and I don’t need a phone that can call the space shuttle or make toast in the morning.

So, what’s my ideal model like?

  • It should pass the bike test: I should be able to pull it out of its holster and answer it with one hand. It should also be strong enough in case it hits the bars or, worse, the road. Good audio while standing next to passing vehicles and a ringer I can hear in those conditions would be great too. Maybe a clamshell design?

  • It should work with iSync via bluetooth.

  • I need a simple agenda. Input mainly happens on the mac, so entering data isn’t a priority, reading it and getting reminders is. Ideally, next appointments should be displayed on the wait screen, does this exist? You always seem to have to dig down, unless you’re using a smartphone/pda.

  • A todo list would be great too. Also easily accessible and syncable.

  • I don’t need GPRS, MP3, MMS or any other acronyms. I don’t need a camera either, although I’m sure it will be difficult to avoid.

  • In an ideal world I should also be boycotting Sony for that evil rootkit trick they pulled.

Any suggestions? I tried asking salesmen in a couple of shops and all it did was make me understand why people buy online.

Thanks