Mobile Phones

This phone is not expensive. The M315 looks like a far more expensive model--you can take it out with you and not be embarrassed in the company of more costly or feature-packed units.

The Ben(Q) boasts between 65 and 142 hours of standby time, and three to five hours of talk time which is a good result for this 85 gram compact communication tool.

Of course, nobody is perfect. The primary omission is in the iTap predictive text input. It's not that iTap doesn't work, quite the opposite--it operates with precision and even includes more obscure words like "linux", place names like "paris" and brands like "hilton". It's just that there is no mixed case option. In other words, you can use iTap to type "HILTON" or "hilton", but not "Hilton". While the available letter input mode can achieve the desired result, it's far more cumbersome.

Telstra's latest budget Next G handset allows you to access the Internet on your PC using the handset as a modem. The F256 also offers a 1.3-megapixel camera, a TransFlash card slot and Bluetooth connectivity. Unfortunately, a lacklustre design, a below average display and poorly designed keypad are issues.

Manufactured by ZTE, the HSDPA-capable F256 is a prepaid handset, but its appeal lies in the fact that it offers full use of Foxtel by Mobile and BigPond services, including Sensis Search, BigPond Photos and WhereIs maps.

Using the F256 as a modem to access the Internet on a notebook is a pleasing experience, with pages loading fairly quickly. Setup is effortless as you simply install the software and plug in the F256 via the included USB cable. As it's a prepaid handset, its only real use is for basic Internet browsing and checking e-mail though; streaming videos and downloading large files is out of the question, as the highest plan allows just 200MB of data usage. At $59 for the highest plan, the service is certainly not cheap, despite its convenience.

Designed exclusively for use with the Vodafone network, the BlackBerry 8707v is an update to their 8707 handset, adding 3G capabilities to what already was a quite impressive unit. The 8700v (v standing for Vodafone) offers the convenient push email functionality that BlackBerry's are famous for, while also providing excellent battery life and a comfortable keyboard.

The most notable feature of the 8707v is once again its 35-key QWERTY keyboard. The keys are well raised and comfortable to press. The keys are very small, so those with large fingers will find themselves hitting multiple keys at once.

The other key feature of the 8707v is push email, which is a service that retrieves emails from your account and forwards them directly to your PDA. The 8707v allows you to access up to ten email accounts simultaneously on this unit and it supports many popular ISP email accounts as well as Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino. When located near a wireless network, the 8707v uses it to retrieve email, but do note that when you're on the road it uses GPRS, and thus you will be charged standard WAP fees every time you retrieve email.

The Sagem my501C is an entry level mobile phone that includes a 1.3 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom, MP3 playback capabilities and extra memory capacity thanks to a microSD slot. The my501C is a solid choice if you want a phone that is capable of the basics, with a few added entertainment and multimedia extras.

The my501C is a flip handset and its sleek edges mean it is comfortable to hold in your hand. Measuring just 93mm x 44.65mm x 23.6mm and weighing a mere 99g, it features a clear external colour OLED display that shows basic information such as battery life, reception, caller ID as well as time and date.

Where Sagem has excelled with this unit is the controls. In addition to a comfortable keypad, everything is kept simple with two selection buttons, a five-way navigational pad as well as answer and end call keys. In addition, there are external volume controls and a dedicated music key. This means navigating the my501C menu is a hassle free process and this is only enhanced by an excellent interface; a 4x3 grid layout with animated icons representing each menu item. This is similar to the Sony Ericsson menu system and is extremely easy to use. Selecting a menu brings up a simple list view, which you scroll through using the navigational pad. Overall, the menu system is straightforward and even those who have never used a mobile phone before shouldn't have any problems.

Manufactured by Sagem, but packaged and sold as a Vodafone branded handset, the 226 is one of the cheapest mobile phones on the market. As such, it overlooks plenty of features including Bluetooth, a camera, MP3 capabilities and a storage card slot. At this price point though, it's difficult to complain.

The 226 is an entry-level handset sold as a prepaid phone and aimed at first-time users, or those after a second mobile phone. Its best feature is its compact, but well built design. The 226 will easily slip into any pocket or bag, and its lightweight means you'll barely notice carrying it. It features stylish chrome edging and a leather style rear plastic cover - the latter's surface means it won't slide around a desk too easily.

Importantly, although it's small and very lightweight, the 226 feels reasonably well constructed. The plastic build feels sturdy and definitely seems capable of taking a few knocks and bumps.