[Farno]

I've been looking for a new mobile for a few weeks now and every time I think I've picked a winner it seems to have some problem.

The Nokia N95 very poor battery life and dubious software. Sony K850i buttons too small, Sony W910i turns itself off, Sony W890i buttons too small, LG viewty poor software. iPhone buttons too small.

I have normal sized hands for a man, are todays mobile geared up around kids?

I'm looking more at the LG viewty, hoping that the new firmware i've read about will fix the issues with the predictive text, and the Nokia N95 as the buttons are fine and i'll just live with a poor battery life.

The Sony 890i really is a good looking phone.

[RobM]

Yes, is the simple answer

If one single phone was perfect at everything, the world would only need one phone

Everybody has a different requirement from their phone too, and everybody is physically different too, so choice is everything. For some, a tiny keypad is a must whilst to others, it's a reason to avoid it. Some people want all the features in the world, others are scared of phones like that!

The trick is to work out what you honestly use your phone for - what have you done with it this week? Combine that with what you'd like it to do and find a phone that ticks as many boxes as possible.

One things for sure though, whatever you choose and love, somebody else will hate

[kayzee]

I have had the w890i for two weeks today. I find the buttons fine. They're very responsive and feel quality like the rest of the phone. The only reason I wouldn't recommend it is if you want a really good camera for the dark! To be fair, "night mode" on this phone works a lot better than my older SE (w810i) but in a poorly lit room still wont provide you with much.

Strange thing is, I used to use my camera a lot with the flash, in nightclubs etc. but i still went for the w890i as it just looks class. It's annoying, but I don't regret my decision.

As for the k850i... I was going to get this phone, but everyone I know that has got it has complained about it, so thought I'd try something different

[DanielNB]

Farno - I've got big hands and didn't have too much trouble with the iPhone interface. A chap in the office has one and there is actually a 3rd party application you can download which offers a larger keypad too [I'm assuming only typing is likely to cause problems rather than menu navigation] he also has a 3rd party app which allows MMS to be sent so this is the phone I'm seriously considering at the moment. The only other potential problem brought to my attention with this phone is the signal strength but I'm not in a position to comment on that yet and it's by no means certain that iPhones do have poor reception.

[JDE]

I've only had my iPhone since Friday and I've already adapted to typing on the standard keyboard and in no way could I be described as 'petite'!!

You do need to be careful although the predictive text is quite forgiving and generally knows what you're trying to say (although it's infuriating when it gets it wrong).

A colleague has a K850i and he's not happy with it, says it's very slow and clumsy and crashes from time-to-time.

As has been said, all phones have their pros and cons, it's just a matter of deciding which pros are desirable and which cons you can tolerate.

[kayzee]

Originally Posted by DanielNB

The only other potential problem brought to my attention with this phone is the signal strength but I'm not in a position to comment on that yet and it's by no means certain that iPhones do have poor reception.

Sorry if I'm being stupid here but how can a phone have bad signal strength? Surely this is down to the network and area you're in?

[Tomdale]

I have been with O2 for a few years. I have had phones such as the Orbit, Ipaq 514, SE K700 and XDA Mini S.

There have been a few signal problems with O2 but nothing that has not been sorted by moving to a diffrent room etc.

That is, until last week, when I bought the iPhone. Great interface, good sound for Ipod (although battery life poor, barely a day), email OK (not as good as Orbit or Ipaq) BUT majo major signal problems.

In my house - no signal downstairs 90% of time, calls breaking up. Better upstairs but still not great. In a cafe where my colleague had an O2 signal the handset simply read 'No Service'. I couldn't be contacted half the time because of the problem.

Anyway it's being set back and now back with my Ipaq which has never let me down.

[Farno]

I did try the iPhone in the O2 shop and think they were getting sick of me, I seemed to be hitting about 2 buttons for every letter i wanted, I asked if there was going to be a fix and she said it might happen but wasnt sure...still looking.

[Dave964]

Originally Posted by kayzee

Sorry if I'm being stupid here but how can a phone have bad signal strength? Surely this is down to the network and area you're in?

The phone needs RF and an antenna to transmit / receive. If it's good - then it will perform well even in a weak field (edge of coverage). If it's bad - it will lose the signal completely while other good mobiles can still make calls.

[owain_thomas]

Originally Posted by Farno

I did try the iPhone in the O2 shop and think they were getting sick of me, I seemed to be hitting about 2 buttons for every letter i wanted, I asked if there was going to be a fix and she said it might happen but wasnt sure...still looking.

Its a common misconception that there is a "problem" with the iphone keyboard. once you get used to just typing away on it without trying to correct every little error you will find that it is way quicker than it seems - just use the pad of your finger (rather than trying to be precise and use your fingernail) and type smoothly and confidently, it just works!