Sept. 12: It’s certainly a great convenience to be able to check your mail on the move and check some quick websites on the web. But if you had been worried that such smart phones are a way too high to fit your budget, here are some entry-level phones that will let you do some of the fantastic things, yet won’t pinch your purse.
Though there is no official definition for a smart phone and each manufacturer adds up his product’s capability to its definition, there are a few generally recognised criteria for a phone to be “smart”. It is one that is capable of getting access to your e-mail; that can display web pages without too much distortion and that can connect to the Internet via GPRS. And for our definition of an “entry-level phone”, we will look at phones that cost not more than Rs 5,000 and yet offer all the above-said conveniences.
Nokia 2700, a slim design GSM mobile phone with two megapixel camera, allows easy Internet browsing with its GPRS connectivity. This handset, which can be also used as a data modem, has Opera mini browser is installed for satisfactory net surfing experience. All this for a price of Rs 3,690.
A slight variant of the 2700 variety, the Nokia 2730, is a 3G-based mobile phone with neat style and slim looks that is available for `4,090. It holds all the basic features like texting and mailing and while its 3G supporting hardware makes data transfer pretty faster, the phone’s GPRS and EDGE technology speeds up internet browsing.
Another true smart phone from Nokia is the 7210 Blue mobile. Apart from a two megapixel camera and MP4 player, it comes with a built-in WAP 2.0 and HTML web browser to assist the net savvy people. Again this phone too falls well within the entry-level range of Rs 4,090.
If you are Samsung fan, don’t fret. The Samsung S3310, a light weight phone that lacks a smart look yet offers good features such as 240x320 TFT screen display, a MP3 and WAV compatibility, etc. A user can stay connected globally through its browser connectivity of WAP 2.0 xHTML, Net front and this handset is Bluetooth enabled at USB 2.0. And its selling price? Rs 3,950.
However, if you are willing to stretch your budget by just about another Rs 500, you can take home the Samsung Corby TXT B3210 for `4,950. A youthful looking phone, Corby has a lot of communication options and lets you access Facebook, MySpace and Twitter through a simple Pop-up SNS (Social Networking Service) feature. Community sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket are also integrated directly into its user interface.
From the Sony Ericsson stable, the W 205 is another smart phone in the range of Rs 3,690. This Sony model has a high resolution 3.2 mega pixel camera, music player, FM radio, messaging services and blue tooth connectivity. Its quad band technology allows users to it even while travelling across the world.
With a range of entry-level phones available at affordable prices, go ahead and flaunt your smart phone of your choice among your friends.