Price: Cost me Rs 3100 in June 2002 and at that time, there weren’t any other cell phones at that price point with comparable features - I particularly liked the Li-Ion battery, voice dialling, stopwatch, and personal ring tone features. In addition there is WAP, profiles and a few other gizmos.

Reception & voice quality: Reasonably good but not as good as in the brick like Nokia 5110 I used earlier.

Looks: Think of the Ford Ikon - this phone has the same muscular, slim sexy look. But the longish antenna is an irritant.

Menu and Navigation: Simple to use after the first few times - but cannot compare with the one-key navigation simplicity of the Nokia. One major irritant is that the call list in the A2628 does not separate incoming and outgoing calls. However, there is a separate box for missed calls.

Ring tones: Has 10 tones and most of them are boring. There is a provision to make your own tune but who can be bothered?

Support: Excellent support from the website and the manual.

Longevity: Uh-oh, here’s where it all went wrong. Six months into my purchase, the battery started discharging in short bursts accompanied by beeps and a screen message. Charge it overnight, and it works again - till the next attack. An authorized support center technician told me the IC needs replacing and it would cost about Rs 2000. Since I don’t have the warranty card, that was that.

Overall recommendation: Good value for money, but avoid buying unless you can get a warranty!

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