ADRIAN WECKLER'S review of music phones¹ currently in Irish sales channels should be required reading for anyone who fancies a new phone this Christmas. His conclusion: "Mobile phones are beginning to offer a real alternative to the iPod". He lists eight phones, from cheapest to most expensive, that provide on-board music players.
- Nokia 6230i (€260) comes with no MMC card but it's a rugged phone and that means long life and a good battery.
- Motorola E1000 (€270) is a 3G phone with a simpler interface than its predecessors.
- Motorola V1050 (€280) is a well-priced 3G music phone.
- Sony Ericsson K750i (€300) comes with a 64MB card and an excellent two megapixel camera.
- Motorola Rokr (€300) is an iTunes-enabled phone slated by many reviewers but it's easy to use and it offers excellent sound quality.
- Nokia 6680 (€340) is a flagship 3G phone with a big screen and many multimedia capabilities.
- Sony W800i Walkman Phone (€450) is the best music phone on the Irish market today.
- Nokia N71 (€600) is due out soon with a 4GB hard drive. It is the "first all-out attack on the iPod" with enough space to hold 1000 songs.
¹Adrian Weckler -- "iPod? No thanks, I've got a mobile" in The Sunday Business Post, 6 November 2005.
