Possibly best value for money from Nokia. Review on Nokia 1600

Dear reader,

Unlike most youngsters and even some old people I really don't enjoy making a fashion statement with my cellphone. The fact that cell phones today can sing, dance and do your laundry doesn't entice me one bit.

For me a cellphone is used for making and receiving calls, sending and reading SMS and for storing phone numbers. Sometimes I use it as an alarm clock, a reminder and a calendar . This is all I need.

The fact that today's cell phones do everything a phone need not do like

1) taking photographs and video

2) playing mp3 songs

3) talking Bluetooth and USB for storing and retrieving data

4) act as a PDA and talk GPRS or even Wi Fi

5) act as a mini computer sometimes

6) play games

7) play FM radio

8) display colorful backgrounds and screen savers

9) play television programmes

10) Store addresses and other information

seem to not give me any ''kick''. Maybe I am a luddite and am not tech savvy. Or I plainly think that such things are better left to devices meant for that.

Now, in future of course with the future miniaturization techniques and technological advances, if all these become standard in all phones, then it is a different ball game.

But is it really worth paying five times the price of a basic cellphone for these extra frills and bells and whistles? I wonder.

Looking at it from this perspective I think 1600 really gives me what I want the way I want it. Looks are important for me and my phone has it. Other than that it pretty much does the job of talking and sending and receiving SMS well enough.

I think I should certainly talk about the importance of software on cell phones. I used to own a Samsung R 220 before and I can only compare this with that. Samsung folks I think made a breakthrough with that model. No wonder it became a big success in India. But other than good looks what made it wonderful was the intuitiveness of the user interface, the software. The ease of navigation using the controls on the keypad.

Now, 1600 is a very recent model. At least I expected that if not innovate, they could at least have given me better software as the amount of innovation that happens in five years is mind boggling in electronics.

To think that Nokia has not even given me a calendar while my R220 had an excellent one makes me feel really sick. And I do think Nokia did that on purpose. To make you feel that you are not paying enough for it.

Typing and reading SMS used to be a joy with R220. I couldn't have asked for more. In Nokia 1600, for me to type a name I have to navigate through at least three menus.

And display. Do you think a color display is better than a plain blue display in Samsung if it is not clear and bright? Even there Nokia has scope for improvement.

Nokia has lot of growing up to do in the software arena. Because next to things like battery life, looks, size and display, software matters a lot.

I am not talking of voice quality because I think these days it is no longer a differentiating factor.

The fact that 1600 has a talking clock is nothing but a marketing gimmick. I would say, give me a calendar instead...

But with all its defects today I think this is the best value for money. For around Rs.3700 this is about the best ''basic'' phone money can buy.

The battery is just amazing. I can talk for hours on end without recharging. And it charges in a jiffy.

Another thing. The phone is meant for rough use. Now this is important in a cell phone. Because I will not handle my cellphone with the same care as a diamond ring.

My minimum expectation is that if it falls down inadvertently it should not break. I have already dropped my mobile a few times and nothing has happened.

Overall it is a very good buy. Go for it!