Mobile Phones

A mobile phone with an iPod like scroll wheel? No, it's not an Apple product, but rather LG's new 3G mobile handset. Exclusive to 3 Mobile, the U400 offers a scroll wheel control system, quality crystal clear display and comfortable keypad. It is a solid mid-range product, but the new control system is not as intuitive as it should be and the bulky design leaves a lot to be desired.

Scroll me

Unfortunately, while the idea is good in theory, LG's implementation of this could use a little work. For starters, the scroll wheel doesn't sit in the centre of the phone - it is pushed towards the left hand side and this places the selection buttons off centre. For example, the answer key is located where the right selection key usually is, so it takes a lot of time to get used to.

Secondly, the scroll wheel is less than intuitive as it does not feel smooth or comfortable. Scrolling often has mixed results, with the wheel sometimes jumping two or three lines with one spin, yet other times not moving at all. This makes basic usage like navigating the menu a trial as you constantly wind up on the wrong item or icon.

The Samsung D520 slider mobile phone includes good features within a great design. Competitively priced, the D520 includes a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, an MP3 player and 80MB of built-in memory make it one of the best entry level phones currently on the market.

Features

Calls are crisp and clear for most part, although even at maximum volume it is a struggle at times to hear in loud environments. The hands free speakerphone is a different story though, working well in most areas. The D520 supports regular phone features, such as a 1000 entry phone book and dialled, received and missed call lists (up to 20 each).

Like most Samsung phones, the user interface is once again superb. A simple 3 x 3 grid menu system with clearly labelled, animated icons ensures even novice users shouldn't have too many problems. Once a menu item is selected, a simple list format is used to display all the available options and sub-menus.

The Sony Ericsson's Z530i is a well rounded phone that has a virtually identical design to the entry level walkman phone, the W300i. It offers an interesting design, interchangeable face plates and all the features and connectivity you'd expect out of an entry level handset.

The design of this handset is its most notable feature. With a compact, almost bubble like shape, the Z530i stands out in the world of slim and sleek mobile phones. Measuring 90mm x 47mm x 24mm and weighing 93g it is quite small, although the thick, stumpy design means it doesn't slip into your pocket as easily as some other units.

The 65 thousand colour main display works well, although it is a little dim in direct sunlight. The phone also has a monochrome external LCD, which clearly displays a standard array of information including time, reception, battery life and any missed call or message indicators. The fact that the external display is not colour does not detract from its usefulness, and probably is a factor in keeping the price of the phone down.

The Sony Ericsson W960i marks yet another entry into the increasingly crowded 'touch screen' mobile phone market. With the Apple iPhone setting its sights on trendy videophiles, and the LG Viewty (KU990) catering to amateur photographers, this latest addition attempts to wow the music-loving demographic. Proudly displaying the Walkman name, the W960i is a 3G-capable smartphone and fully-integrated music player with 8GB of internal memory. A surprisingly solid 3.2-megapixel camera, Opera Web browser, FM radio, plus Bluetooth and WLAN connectivity round out this feature-packed offering.

The W960i comes equipped with a full numeric keypad and jog wheel, in addition to its interactive screen. This vastly improves the overall user experience, allowing you to navigate certain menus in any way you see fit. The keypad is quite spacious and should pose no problems during texting. At 55x16x109mm, the W960i is quite hefty for a mobile phone while retaining a slim width.

First and foremost, the W960i is a music player. As already mentioned, the versatile controls make navigation a dream, allowing you to cycle through track lists and adjust settings effortlessly. As with previous Walkman phones, the W960i offers access to the PlayNow music download service, as well as Track ID; a fun application that lets you record a few seconds of a song with the phone's microphone and then get the title, album and artist name sent back to you. (Naturally, this is particularly helpful when you hear a song on the radio and have no idea who sings it.) If the track is available, you can then download it directly to your phone. Handy.

Designed for mobile phones as well as any device supporting a 3.5mm or 2.5mm headphone jack, Nokia's MD-6 is certainly a strange looking device. Almost compact enough to slip into a pocket, the cylindrical unit produces surprisingly decent sound quality for such a tiny unit.

Ideal for travel, the MD-6 is a simple unit. A small hinge flips open to reveal two 1.5W speakers. At the rear, a convenient red slide button opens the plastic cord winder, allowing you unwind the 700mm cord to the appropriate length and simply close it again. On the bottom, a small plastic cover conceals the battery compartment. The MD-6 runs on four AAA batteries and these are included in the sales package. Nokia quotes a 27 hour operation time.

Sound is punchy, quite loud at high volumes without noticeable distortion and for the most part, crisp and clear. Obviously the bass is average and there is no way to adjust any sound settings on the unit itself - this can only be altered using the mobile phone or other device you are connecting the MD-6 to.