+ mobile update +The spotlight falls on 3 "-est" handsets this weekend.
First up, the
thinnest clamshell phone in the world. Yes, the mighty V3 is well and beaten, with NEC taking a pre-emptive strike at the upcoming V3i.
The NEC N412i comes with bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and i-mode. All it lacks is a memory expansion slot. Well, maybe it is too thin to fit one in. The length is slightly longer while the width is down compared to the V3. Amazing, nonetheless. Costing $488 with a 2 year contract at Starhub only.
Next is the
costliest phone bar Vertu in the local market.
The Dopod 900 comes with full PDA functions, runs on Windows Mobile 5.0, has Wifi, a huge 3.6" display with VGA resolution (that's 640x480, double that of Samsung D600), a QWERTY keyboard and 3G. So it has everything. And it's also huge. At close the size of 3 Samsung E630s and the weight of 3 V3s, everything about this mobile warrior is excessive. And now to the main point: the asking price of the ultimate PDA-phone hybrid is a cool $1658 with a 2 year contract.
Finally the Sony Ericsson K700i, at over 1.5 years old is the
longest running model in the local market right now. Singtel has given an incentive for buyers looking for a little bit of nostalgia. It is now free with a 2 year contract. Practical users should get this instead of a newer low end camera phone. It's got bluetooth, MP3 ringtones and a not too bad screen.