Value4Money: Mobile phones reviewed

Motorola V3 Razor

€669

Highs: This is the Fonz of phones. Its ultraslim aluminium-clad clamshell handset, with an etched keypad that's beautifully backlit in a soothing blue, oozes class. The screen is large and the display crystal clear. The phone has a digital zoom camera and all manner of other bells and whistles. The menu is fairly intuitive and the call quality excellent. It is to phones what the iPod is to MP3 players.

Lows: Using it to send texts is intensely irritating at first (although Motorola aficionados swear you get used to the phone's idiosyncrasies). What will take more getting used to is the price: high end, high cost.

Verdict: Very cool, very expensive.

Star rating: *****

Siemens SL65

€429

Highs: This is a dinky but high-spec phone. It is the smallest (and cheapest) of those tried, and, once you get the hang of opening it, it is pretty functional too. It comes with the usual add-ons - camera, video recorder, voice recorder, Bluetooth - and the joystick for navigating through the easy menu is good. The speaker phone is crystal clear and the sound quality is hard to fault.

Lows: Some may find the keypad too small, and you have to slide open the phone to answer calls, leading to frantic and futile attempts to get the damn thing open in the lashing rain. And the cameras don't match those on some of the other models tried.Verdict: Nice and relatively cheap.

Star rating: ***

Nokia 7610

€499

Highs: The first and most obvious benefit is the phone's Nokianess, which makes the menu and text functions familiar to many phone users eager to trade up. (Owning a Nokia also improves your chances of being able to borrow a charger.) The camera is excellent, and it's straightforward to shoot 10 minutes of decent video footage.

Lows: As a regular Nokia user, PriceWatch expected to heave a sigh of relief at returning to familiar territory. But the handset lacks the wow factor of the other phones tried. The keypad is too small and the navigation buttons are anything but intuitive.

Verdict: Disappointing.

Star rating: **

Sony Ericsson S700i

€499

Highs: The display is top notch and the menu easy to use. The natty spinning design used to access the well-spaced keypad works well, and it's a pleasant surprise to be able to answer calls without spinning the phone open. The great camera comes closest to aping a full-size model. The company promises seven hours' talktime from a charge.

Lows: It is slightly bulkier than the other phones tried, and it's almost impossible to cradle it between your ear and neck if you want to scribble notes. It's also quite expensive. And it's easy to imagine the phone breaking if somebody tries to swivel the cover the wrong way.

Verdict: Should stick around.

Star rating: ****