Choosing a cell phone

April 8, 2004:

OK, so I'm supposed to talk about computers here. But I don't want YET another section on my home page, and with convergence and all...

Some considerations when choosing a cell phone:

Norway is perhaps the most mature market for cell phones. We probably have the most cell phones per person. So collectively, we have a lot of experience. Some have two active cell phones, even carrying two at all times (battery gives out on one, still available on second phone).

Many phones die quickly. Why? Different reasons:

• Without thinking, you keep the phone to your ear as it begins raining.
• The phone keeps falling out of your pocket - it will eventually be damaged
• You keep the phone in the bathroom while taking a shower - can't miss any calls!
• You keep the phone in an outside pocket in freezing temperatures
• You keep the phone in your front jeans pocket where it gets warm, wet and salty... (sagging pants and cargo pants with deeeep pockets excepted).

All of that may damage your phone, depending on the model and sheer luck. Phone used to be able to take a lot more in the past, but we've had some seasons with very sensitive phones now. Those phones are still on the market - new!

I went by a cell phone repair shop a few days ago. They had several prominently displayed plaques explaining that moisture and shock damage would not be covered by warranty. In many cases, the phone would simply be scrapped.

So moms, kids and any others faced with the decision to buy yet another cell phone, consider being careful with the cell phone, or - if that's unrealistic - choose a hardier model! 

I did some Google searches for relevant keywords, but didn't find hardly anything at first. Try rugged cell phones. Here's a list of models for consideration:

Siemens ME45 no longer manufactured and not usable in the US
Nokia 5210 not usable in the US
Nokia 5100 for sale also in the US <==

There are two more coming soon: 
Nokia 5140
Siemens M65

For comparison, here are a few obsolete rugged phones:
Ericsson R250
Nokia 6250

Frankly I wish there were a lot more models to choose from. They're often bigger and heavier than other phones, due to padding. But even so, in a poll (warning, Norwegian), the Nokia 5100 was the most valued phone by its owners by fall 2003, followed by the Siemens ME45. The Nokia 5210 was the most disliked.

I have a friend who has an Siemens ME45. He's broken lots of phones before, so he was recommended this one last time around. He's somewhere around 60, so he should know better, but he's so pleased with it, he demonstrates how much abuse it can withstand by throwing it full force on the floor to impress his friends. He'd done it quite a few times, and the phone hadn't broken yet. Hopefully it'll never break, but I know I would never have taken the chance! It's a pretty stylish phone, with GPRS and WAP. It doesn't have a color screen, and it's already hard to find (especially appreciated by people in the construction biz). If I could choose any new phone for my father or any other 60+ gentleman who's afraid the phone will break if he looks pointedly at it, that's probably the phone I would have picked.

I've got other friends who are using the Nokia 5210. One friend has been working a lot in an auto mechanic workshop, and the phone seems to be holding up. It's not exactly a beaty, and apart from T9, it reminded me a lot of my old 6110, except it's considerably smaller.

I just bought the Nokia 5100, so have a look at my account below for more on that one

Nokia 5100

Nokia 5140

Nokia 5210

Nokia 6250

Siemens M65

Siemens ME45

This is my cell phone history

Hopefully my story will be of use to someone, such that it is

My first cell phone was a Sony (don't even remember what year!), and after a year or two I switched it for a Nokia 1611 because the reception was bad on the Sony. A big and clunky phone, so I didn't use it all that much. I got a Nokia 6110 in 1998, I think. There have been periods when I've used it a lot, and it's fallen out of pockets on to hard floors many times. The phone and battery have separated I don't know how many times, and once it fell into a puddle of water in the driveway. It was a little bit flaky for a few weeks, but seems virtually indestructable. I had the screen replaced several times (it's a design flaw of that model), but apart from that it's an amazing phone. I've heard salesmen say it's the best phone ever made, that it can withstand almost anything.

It's such a good phone, I didn't feel the need for a new one until 2003. By that time I wanted another way of accessing my e-mail, and wanted one with a built in e-mail client. I ended up choosing the Sony Ericsson T610, which is a beautiful phone.

It's an amazing phone, and was awarded the best cell phone at 3GSM

But my cell phone usage has changed significantly lately, and I've found myself spending a lot of time in a locale with bad reception. I got a second SIM card (very cheap calls to land lines, but doesn't work outside of Oslo), and started coveting yet another phone.

Reception is one of the T610's weak points, so I was looking for a phone with better reception. I've been handling the T610 with utmost care so I won't damage it, so I thought it would be nice if I had a phone that could withstand a bit rougher usage, including staying in my front jeans pocket during the summer heat... 

So I started looking at the cell phone models designed for people leading an active life. There are three models you can get hold of right now, two Nokias and one Siemens (see above).

I ended up choosing the Nokia 5100. It looks like a jogging shoe, and you either love it or hate it. I've always liked the design, so it was a contender. It doesn't fit with the business type image I most often dress for these days, so I wasn't convinced. The T610 is a natural, but taking this one out of a jacket pocket might cause a raised eyebrow from a particularly image conscious business contact...

But I was short a phone, and pressed for time, so I ended up being charmed by the torch and decibel meter!

Although these are both fairly recent phones, they're very different:

Reception: I got two calls while in the bathroom lately, and the reception was fine on the 5100. This is a bathroom where the T610 would often lose connection.

The most interesting feature of the 5100 so far is the easy access to inserting numbers into SMS messages by way of the menu. I've always struggled with that on the T610. It's just awkward...

The 5100 is now my main phone, because it'll take a lot more abuse than the T610, and because it's NOT a camera phone. I expect more and more places will adopt restrictions against camera phones. I find I don't use the camera all that much anyway. It's nice to have in my pocket, but I haven't sent more than one MMS ever, I think.

Both are hard to turn on. The T610 only requires the right touch (you'll learn how hard and how long to press after having struggled with it for a while), but the 5100 requires hand and finger strength. The buttons on the 5100 are hard altogether. I have heard many stories of people who have resorted to using a key or pencil for turning the 5100 on and off. And many of those stories end up with an account that the button has broken and repairing it is expensive. There are also occasional reports of the screen breaking for this reason. I've found that my thumb nail is strong enough, and as with most of these gadgets (phones as well as other new gadgets), it pays to figure out exactly how much pressure is necessary. It's often a question of using less force, but holding it longer. That's the case with this one as well.  The top part of the power button is part of the interchangeable shells, so take the shell off and examine it before you bring it in for repair or stop using it. If you're lucky, the actual button on the phone isn't damaged. Some users have reported that the phone can no longer be turned on no matter what they do. I saw one user report that he'd glued something on to the button on the inside of the shell, so that it reached the button on the actual phone, so now his worked. Worth considering? At your own risk, of course.

The buttons on the T610 are OK, though I find myself using my nails more than I like (the 6110 is actually wonderful by comparison!). In other words, the buttons are a tad small and awkward. Do NOT buy the 5100 if you've got carpal tunnel syndrome or have weak fingers or hands for other reasons. Also don't buy it if you're an avid texter. I don't send more than one or two SMS's a day, so I can handle it. The 5210 I tried had pretty light buttons compared to the 5100.

Wap: I didn't like the Wap implementation on the 5100. It's wonderful on the T610, so I'm probably just spoiled. The joystick definitely helps too. There are way too many confirmation dialogues on the 5100 in my opinion.

E-mail. Although e-mail is mentioned in the feature list of the 5100, I don't think it actually has a POP3 e-mail client. The T610 does, which was one of the reasons I bought it. But early on I discovered I had free usage of GPRS over wap for a month, so I searched for e-mail over wap solutions. I ended up using Yahoo, and was so pleased with it I've stopped using the e-mail client. I've got domain names I can forward mail from, and Yahoo even sorts the spam out, so it works wonderfully. So for now I only need GPRS and wap in a phone I use regularly.

Confusion. The keylock is on different sides on the two models, and the buttons for answering phone calls are in opposite places too. Requires some extra thought when dealing with both... I've configured the 5100 so I can press any key to answer calls. Works for me.

Telephone book: There's an address field in the 5100 telephone book, while that's missing in the T610. I actually ended up using the downloadable software to edit the telephone book on the 5100. If I'd used Outlook I probably could have synched the T610 first, and then just dumped the lot into the 5100. I didn't think of that...

Numbers marked: If you get an SMS on the T610 and there are numbers in there, you can just click on it to call or use the number some other way (save it for instance). That feature is missing from the 5100.

Connectivity: The T610 has Bluetooth, while the 5100 has Ir. I'd actually forgotten the T610 has Ir as well, because I only used the Bluetooth. Haven't tried synching the two together, doubt it would work.

How you carry the phone. I put the 5100 in my front jeans pocket without thinking about it, and can carry it in a neck strap. I tried the neck strap with the T610, but got worried it would break so stopped using it. There's a psychological difference between the sounds these phones make when they hit something... I always take special care when carrying the T610. No keys in that pocket, no other sharp objects, or I put it in a protective carrying pouch. No point using a pouch with the 5100, although I'm careful not to drop it or impact it in any other way.

Screen/Display:
The screen is bigger on the T610. More lines of text fit on the screen. It's obviously better for reading e-mail. The background images that come with both phones are crap. Delete! On the T610 I find that the red colored ones are my favorite, while the 5100 seems to work best with the aqua colored backgrounds. Backgrounds I quickly deleted on the T610 stays on the 5100. In some ways, the 5100 seems brighter, and really dark images are impossible on the T610. Good source of background images: Celldownload - works for both phones.

An opinion on the flashlight:
I've seen some users say the flashlight on the phone is stupid. I can add some experience to that. I've been caught in power outages with only the Nokia 6110 to guide my path. It was completely useless! I was literally crawling up the stairs! I actually have a flashlight on my keychain, but it's been out of my pocket more than once when I really needed it. I've used the display light on the T610 MANY times to light my way. It's been a godsend more than once, because it's bright enough to give me just enough light to see where I put my feet. I can easily see how the flashlight on the 5100 would be of help now and then, even though I'm better at keeping the keychain flashlight in my pocket these days. It's a solitaire maglite (recommended for your keychain, BTW. Just remember to feed it fresh batteries regularly...), and the 5100 actually gives a stronger and wider beam, though not as far reaching if need be.

An opinion on the ringing tones:
Polyphonic ringing tones are a tool gadget, and good ones will add to your geek factor. But with the T610 I only used the old fashioned ringing tone and Copacabana. I need one that's really annoying at full volume, so I won't overhear on the tram (Norwegian: trikk). With the old 6110 I would always miss calls until the day I found the Cowboy tone on the Nokia site. The trick for me is to choose a tone that goes really high and with full volume on the high notes. So far the 5100 seems to call out to me faster than the T610, probably due to a louder, more distinctive tone and full volume right away (the T610 has an increasing ring tone that can't be totally disabled). I guess you could say I don't worry about ringing tones, as long as they're obnoxious enough to pierce through ambient noise. Not enough of a geek, I suppose!

Water damage:
My 6110 fell in a very shallow water puddle once, so I have first hand experience with this. It wasn't submerged, but the water lodged in crevasses here and there. I took it completely apart to get any water out. There was no moisture damage internally, but the phone was still flaky for a few weeks. After a while it was perfect again. An 8110 that fell into a wash basin (not my doing, wasn't my phone) didn't die completely, but is so flaky it's unusable. By comparison, a 5100 has been dropped in a bucket of water (not by me) and survived. I advise caution, because the outer protective shell has holes in it. So if your phone drops into water, fish it out immediately and hope for the best. I'd wipe it off externally and open the shell and take the insides out and wipe off any water that's made it inside the shell. I'd appreciate an e-mail/comment if this advice is totally off the mark.

I've been reading quite a few user reviews on the Nokia 5100, and there are quite a few wild stories to see. Here's a sampling:

• The improved water resistance means I can take calls even when I'm in the shower (no more missed calls!) QUOTE
• Told by a friend who also has the 5100: It's known as the workman's phone. A guy he knew had accidentally dropped his phone in a bucket of water, and it survived just fine.
• Some of the things that I did with the 5100 included dropping it off a bunk bed onto a concrete floor, throwing it against a wall, and briefly putting it under a tap with running water. QUOTE
• *Dropped mine once , and the case cracked AND
  *Dropped it a dozen times, still going strong. Love it!! (next page) QUOTE
• My friend accidentally dropped the mobile into his swimming pool and after picking it up it still works! I dropped it from a two-storey apartment and only the outer screen cracked. QUOTE
• When you power it on, don't press too hard as the screen may just crack. QUOTE
• Or you may have dropped your phone 10 stories down when it can only survive a 3m fall. QUOTE
• Nokia took pains to inform us that the phone can be used in rain, but while we successfully played some games with the mobile under a tap, the underside of the display went misty after our experiment. QUOTE

In conclusion, I hope both phones last forever! Even if I get tired of them, I've got family with outstretched hands waiting for my old phones. The 6110 currently has an appreciative user! We had two Nokia 1611's and used both until they malfunctioned...

Update April 30, 2004:

The 5100 had a misfortune recently. The screen on the outer shell cracked! Not exactly something I anticipated! OK, so the phone itself isn't damaged, but it still bugs me that I'm walking around with a phone that has a very visible crack line...

And I bought another phone yesterday. Completely on impulse. A store had a sale of phones that customers had returned within 30 days, and some of them had very good prices. I thought, why not, an extra phone in the family pool is a good thing. I ended up with the Ericsson T65. The selling points on that one is that it has both WAP and GPRS, even though it's not a color phone. I feel pretty good about that purchase (for 299 Nkr, I'd better be!). It's good to have a spare, even if all I use it for is as a loaner to friends without phones on trips! I've got a spare prepaid SIM, so it's a nice thought! The phone came without a charger and manual, but since it uses the same charger AND headset as the T610, that's not a problem. It looked a bit banged up (makes me think it must have been used more than 30 days?), but it works fine. It also looks like somebody tried to open the torx screws that holds the battery tight. You know, that phone probably can take quite a lot of abuse, because of those screws! I just hope they're not damaged, so I can get the battery changed if I should ever need it.

Update July 2004:

The one thing that I appreciate more than anything else on the Nokia 5110 is the soundmeter! And the reason is that it's not a gimmick. I don't much use the application, but it's such a relief to not having to shout into the phone because you can't hear anything. I got a transatlantic phone call while standing at the counter in McDonalds during a really noisy time of day. I heard the caller fine, and didn't even raise my voice! I've had other calls while being in noisy places, and this phone REALLY works!

Nokia 1611/1610

Nokia 6110

Sony Ericsson T610

Nokia 5100

Ericsson T65