New cellphones a lesson in rugged refinement
Published Monday October 27th, 2008
Most cellphones come and go in an endless promotional parade of plastic, metal and glass. But recently, a few new models came by my tech bench that caught my attention.
They are a contrast in design and function, a sort of beauty and the beast comparison, showing the current inventiveness of design and function in today's cellphones.
Beauty...
The LG Wine, $79.95 with a three-year plan from Bell, deserves its name before you even turn it on. Its brushed metal finish, rectangular body style with slight curves and thinness ooze class and sophistication.
But it's not just good looks that make this phone special. The large main screen is complemented by a very cool "under the glass" smaller screen on the front clam shell lid. It doesn't even show until it lights up. It has larger than average keys for heavy-handed folks, large display fonts and a speaker, making it a perfect fit for older folks who feel uncomfortable with most tiny cellphones.
I like the two-way speakerphone. Four one-touch function buttons, GPS Nav, camera and other info are conveniently located under the screen, a plus for speed users tired of long navigation menus.
The 3G-mode Wine (1.9GHz and 800 MHz) comes with Windows Live Messenger, GPS Nav and 1.3 megapixel camera (OK, they went cheap on the camera size) with adjustable resolution, colour tones, shot quality, white balance, self timer, shutter sounds and night mode.
It has all the usual goodies but is surprisingly short on the wireless Bluetooth, supporting only mono-headphones instead of stereo. The speech activated commands are good and the airplane mode and alarm is handy. Overall, it's a classy phone for mature users, available in gold or black.
... And the beast
On the other hand, the quad band Motorola Extreme VA76r, $199.99 with a three-year plan from Rogers, cries out for abuse as soon as you unpack it. It's built tough for rough workplaces such as construction sites, and for busy parents and irresponsible teenagers who drop things.
The tough ribbed hard and soft plastic shell and slightly wider buttons make it easy to hold, even with gloves.
This 3G-capable phone can withstand severe temperatures, from -10 C to 55 C and heavy rain. It is also designed to withstand most humid and dusty conditions.
It supports full HTML web browsing, has GPS, Two-megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom, expandable microSD memory and a good-sized screen. It's a workhorse that you can connect to PC via micro USB while using the most common e-mail standards and enjoying optional stereo Bluetooth headsets.
The seamless raised keypad can be used with thin gloves and the backlighting is bright.
Other beasts
Older rugged phones such as the compact Sanyo 7050, 129.95 with a three-year plan from Bell, can take the punishment but only operates on Bell's core slower network. That's still fast enough for necessary phone functions rather than huge media data downloads. It supports a vast array of wireless Bluetooth devices, has walkie-talkie functionality for groups of six and excellent GPS including a fast enough Nav guidance function. This is a no-nonsense tough phone for Bell customers.
Telus also offers rugged phones in their Mike network, a separate work phone network not suited for the average consumer. For information go to telusmobility.com/mike.Edmonton Journal
Steve Makris is a freelance technology writer and can be reached at stevoid.wordpress.com. He can be seen on Global TV's Monday morning news.
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