Sony Ericsson W850i

At this time last year I knew very little about mobile phones, luckily this has now changed. I could see the salesman smiling with glee when I wandered (in a slightly bewildered fashion) into the phone shop and announced that I wanted a pretty phone that wouldn’t break when I drop it. It turned out this salesman did me a favour because he suggested the Sony Ericsson W850i.

Besides from being pretty and fairly indestructible, this phone has really impressed me. Of course it has all the standard features like Bluetooth, 3G, FM radio and a camera which I personally expect from a modern phone, but with the 1GB memory card included I have 500+ photos saved and a few albums worth of music, with plenty of memory space to spare. I'm the kind of girl who likes to have my phone, camera and MP3 in the same device. My handbag has more than enough rubbish in it to be messing around with separate items, and this phone fills all my requirements of modern life with ease.

My favourite thing about the W850i is the MP3 player, which after all is the main selling point of this handset, accessed using the flashy bright orange navigation key. The whole display lights up orange when the walkman is activated. The whole feel of the phone is quite snazzy, there are several preinstalled themes where you can change the graphics used in the menu. The phone has a 2 inch TFT display which is great for viewing pictures, but recently I have started using the phone for its web browsing capabilities, and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. I can easily check the news or my emails on the large clear screen. I was slightly concerned about having a slider style phone but the slider is secure with, in my opinion, just the right amount of “give”.

On the downside, I’m a little disappointed with the camera. Its 2MP copes well in good conditions, but as soon as the lighting is too bright or dark, it struggles a little bit and a lot of photos come out blurry. If you were keen on having digital camera quality images I would suggest looking elsewhere. The only other gripe I have with it is the “toolbar” button on the main screen. This button gives you access to shortcuts, but by the time you’ve pressed 3 buttons to select what you want, you may as well have gone through the main menu. It seems a bit redundant to me.

If you can live with slightly awkward navigation, you will have a phone with a cracking MP3 player which I think at the end of my 18 month contract will still be able to compete with the new models coming out. A year after my experience in the phone shop, my handset has suffered from very little wear and tear and has never broken or stopped working. I have been delighted with my first venture into the world of Sony Ericsson; I can honestly say I think I've found a phone manufacturer I will stick with.

Review Nokia 1600

This handset is small, lightweight and great value for money.

It has a simple interface that even my mum can use, colour screen, built in handsfree and polyphonic ringtones are just some of the inclusive features.

Being a Nokia this is one durable handset, although not recommended, my handset has bounced from the floor a few times and still works perfectly.

If your looking for a simple to use, great value handset, this one's a winner

What phone does Peter Jones have?

We get asked this allot.

For those who are not sure, Peter Jones is the big-boss of the group of companies that Virtual Phone Store resides. So naturally, the phone he chooses should be one of strategic influence, or have some sort of corporate agenda...

The reality is, as I am sure you are aware; Peter is sent phones from all manufacturers for him to 'test'. Even companies you have never heard of, like Bosh phones or something (!?!).

However, to answer the question:
As of 3.07pm and 31 seconds on Wed 5 Aug, Peter Jones is sporting the Samsung G600. And rather nice it looks too.

Watch this watch...

We tested some Bluetooth watches last week from Sony Ericsson - just one word: Absolutelyawesome.

The new models are coming out soon which are a bit pricey, but they look stunning. More of a watch than a bluetooth device - if you know what I mean. We have the MBW-100 on the site already, but you can find more information on the newer ones on the Sony Ericsson UK Eshop.

The watch's stylish face displays and manages details for incoming calls. Additionally it will notify of incoming text messages, control your phone's music player and warn you if you are out of range of your handset, should you leave it in your bag or jacket. Its also waterproof for up to 30m... so its ok for a deep bath then.

If you are a gadget fan, this is the mecca.

Steve.