It's definitely NOT what the OP was asking, but here's my 2p worth ...
On Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:42:02 +0100, Peter
<
occassional...@nospam.co.uk> wrote:
> The best phone ever is indeed the 6310i and you may as well get
> another one.
I think I had one of the Nokia 62xx series. It was good for the time,
but I wouldn't want to go back to it now.
> All the fancier models have relatively crap battery life because the
> screens use so much power.
Yes, but the important word there is relatively.
> In fact ALL the smartphones are crap on battery life, compared to the
> 6310i and other phones from that era, but most people have accepted
> that, in return for the multimedia functionality.
>
Yes.
Having actually dispensed with mobiles altogether for a number of
years, I approached buying a new one with a very great deal of
scepticism. However, I needed one while I was between houses, and
bought a Samsung Galaxy II GT-N7100, together with a car charger, and
now I wouldn't want to be without it.
While I was between houses, I was able to read email, browse the web,
check my bank account, etc. If only because the phone had an
unfamiliar interface, it wasn't as hassle free as being back in my own
home and using ADSL and a laptop is now once more, but at the time
such a phone was absolutely essential for managing my life. I was
able to keep it charged up using the car charger as I drove around
looking at houses.
Now, I simply charge it overnight next to my bed, and its alarm will
wake me in the morning.
Besides being just a phone, there are so many other things I find
useful about it ...
+++ I can read most things on it without glasses, and certainly all
the important things.
+++ It seems to be fairly robust. I thought that it might break when
I dropped it, and/or the screen scratch really easily. I've dropped
it onto tarmac from around chest height, and, although I had to clip
some of the back into place, it seems none the worse for it. I'm
quite careful about protecting the screen as far as possible. I
either put it in a pocket with nothing else in it, or at least ensure
the screen is facing the material of which the pocket is made. After
six months, it's virtually pristine - there are a couple of very
small blemishes in one corner, probably from the drop, but otherwise,
still smooth and shiny, which is much better than I expected.
+++ The excellent camera. It's really surprisingly good and
versatile, again much better than I ever expected it to be.
Although I still use a torch and mirror to see into inaccessible
places, the camera is also very good at that too.
Photos of the labels on the underside of my laptops, scanner, etc, so
that I have readable and permanent proof of ownership. Yes, I could
do that with my digital camera, but the batteries don't last two
minutes.
Photos of events on the notice-board outside the local shop. Photos
of the local chippy's opening times.
Happly holiday snap pictures in all sorts of lighting conditions, even
driving rain at dusk (as long as you don't get water on the actual
lens, which is so small that the result will be blurred, but that's
easily cured just by wiping it clean):
http://www.macfh.co.uk/PrivTest/Kylerhea-SquallAtDusk.jpg
Panoramas - more years ago than I care to admit remembering, I
staggered to the top of Ben Cruachan with a rucksack full of some
fairly expensive still film camera equipment, with which I hoped to
create a panorama from the top. However, because I forgot that I
should take them all at the same exposure (doh!), I was never able to
join the individual pictures together. Now my mobile phone, which,
though large, still fits in my trouser pocket, can do a better job -
I say 'can', by which I mean that in about 1 or 2 out of 10 attempts,
the result will be near perfect, with barely visible or completely
invisible joins, in about 6 the joins will be visible to a greater or
lesser extent, and another 1 or 2 just won't work at all. However,
it, too, doesn't take the pics all at the same exposure, and I think I
could get a higher percentage of usable results if I had more control
over the stitching process. Nevertheless here are two pretty good
examples:
http://www.macfh.co.uk/PrivTest/Lochalsh.jpg
http://www.macfh.co.uk/PrivTest/CommandoMemorial.jpg
+++ Travel directions - set up the journey, and have it warn you by
'voice' of upcoming junctions and tell you which way to turn. This is
especially useful where you need to turn off a main road onto a side
road, as it saves you missing the turning. Would like to be able to
wipe the history list though. This drains the battery quite fast, but
I have the car charger.
+++ Dropbox or equivalent syncing mechanism
Previously, I used to carry my shopping list in my head, confident in
the knowledge that, should I forget anything, I was at least within
walking distance to the nearest supermarket. Now, I live a LONG way
from the nearest decent supermarket, so it's VERY important NOT to
forget things! However, I maintain a permanent shopping list on my
PC, and when in the supermarket I can scroll through it on the phone
to check I haven't forgotten anything.
Likewise, I keep a list of local services such as shops, library,
recycling centre, etc (-: now including the chippy :-), with their
rather odd opening times. That too is replicated on my phone.
+++ Google Maps and Streetview
Essential tools when looking for a house to buy.
+++ Internet - before buying, can check prices and opinions for
products one sees in a shop, etc.
+++ Alarm/Timer - also available on older phones, of course.
+++ Can read downloaded literature. In fact, I keep that in my
Dropbox as well, so that it's available on any machine I use.
+++ Apps, for example:
QR and barcode recognition app
RSPB bird recognition app
UK Tides app
Surely I must have some dislikes about it? Yes ...
- It's relatively large size, though great for avoiding the need for
glasses when wearing it, does mean that it needs quite a large pocket.
Also, in certain pockets, and having its on-off switch buttons on its
side, sometimes when I bend over, say to tie a bootlace, the phone
reboots.
--- The legends on the maps are often illegibly small, so that, for
example, you can't even read a road number such as A87.
--- Would really like to share at least the camera and other data
folders so that I can manage files and back it up via Wifi from a PC.
There are apps that allow this, but they all require rooting (gaining
root, administrator, access to) the machine. However, I can at least
back it up by direct connection via USB.
--- Would like the phone's software to work with W2k. After all, it's
the same major version number as XP, so how different can it be under
the bonnet? However, at least I've managed to upgrade my standard W2k
build to XP, at last, so this laptop can talk to it.
> On 18/04/2013 11:33, Martin Brown wrote:
> >
> > Thanks for any enlightenment.
> >I can't be the only one that needs a compact robust mobile phone that
> >doesn't need recharging every day and does the basics very well. I have
> >had a Nokia 6303i for ages and that was ideal until it had a terminal
> >encounter with a bucket of water. I have gone back to my previous 6300
> >but its battery life was never much good when new and is much worse now.
...
> >My jaundiced view of the present mobile phone market is that touch
> >screen all singing all dancing web browser things are now de rigeur. Not
> >what I want at all. Even considering buying another 6303 secondhand
> >which would at least give me something I know my way around.
You might care to try actually owning one for a while. As my
experience above shows, even an old sceptic like me can be converted
to a smartphone!
However, if you really do need just a basic phone, then doubtless some
of the other suggestions will do.
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