标题: TechRadar Choice: Top 10 free mobile phones [打印本页] 作者: xblues 时间: 10-10-2008 10:10
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In thesecash-strapped times, you can still get your hands on the very bestmobiles without paying a penny up front. Of course, there is the smalldetail of the airtime contract you need to sign to get it gratis... themore you pay per month, the better the phone you'll be able to walkaway with.
Nothing's for nothing though; you'll effectivelypay back the cost of the phone over the life of your deal - but atleast you'll have instant access to some of the best mobile technologyaround.
Here we show you the Top 10 phones you can get for free, and some of the airtime deals where you can get them for nowt.
Apple iPhone 3G
Currently the most desirable mobile phone on the planet, but still pocketable for free on some O2 deals.
The iPhone 3G delivers delightful usability and plenty of neat applications via its excellent Multi-Touch touchscreen.
Itsuser-friendly interface gives you finger-tapping access to a crackingset of features, including GPS satellite mapping, a Safari browser,Wi-Fi and HSDPA support for high-speed data downloading and browsing,and fabulous iPod music and video-playing capabilities, with 8GB or16GB of storage to play with.
With enterprise support forMicrosoft Exchange, it's not just for fun - and you can add much more,too, with a huge choice of applications easily downloadable from theApp Store. iPhone 3G 8GB - FREE on: O2 £45 per month and £75 per month iPhone 18-month tariffs iPhone 3G 16GB - FREE on: O2 £75 per month iPhone 18-month tariff .......................................................................................................................................
Nokia N96
Nokia's latest flagship N-series multimedia device, the N96, is effectively an upgrade of the well-endowed N95 8GB.
ThisSymbian S60 smartphone has 16GB of onboard storage (plus MicroSD cardexpansion), A-GPS satellite navigation technology, Wi-Fi and HSDPAhigh-speed data connectivity, plus a high-quality 5-megapixel camerawith Carl Zeiss optics.
Music and video playback is up there withthe best, while its motion sensor accelerometer automatically switchesthe large 2.8inch screen between portrait and landscape for optimumviewing.
The device also supports a bunch of Nokia servicesincluding N-Gage advanced gaming, Ovi content sharing, and Nokia MusicStore tune downloading. FREE on:O2 £45 per month (and above) tariffs; Vodafone £45 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs and £55 per month (or above) 12-month tariffs; T-Mobile Flext 50 £50 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; 3 £30 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Nokia N95 8GB
Nokia'spopular N95 8GB - a souped-up version of the original N95 - is apowerful Symbian S60 smartphone with an impressive spread of features.
Aswell as A-GPS step-by-step satellite navigation and mapping software,it has a 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss-lens equipped camera, plus 8GB ofstorage to satisfy its multimedia appetite.
Wi-Fi goeshand-in-hand with HSDPA mobile data support for high-speed mobileconnectivity, and the phone has a high-end line-up of S60 softwareonboard. The dual-slide design features a media-friendly 2.8-inchdisplay, while it packs in a stack of video and music features(including a 3.5mm headphone socket). FREE on:Vodafone £35 per month (and above) tariffs; 3 £24 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; O2 £75 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; .......................................................................................................................................
Samsung i8510
Samsung'smost impressive mobile to date, the i8510 dazzles with high-endfeatures, but the show-stopper is its excellent 8-megapixel camera -more like a standalone digital camera than a mere camera phone snapper.
Resemblingthe Nokia N95 8GB design-wise, the i8510 is built on the Symbian S60smartphone platform, and has Wi-Fi and high-speed HSDPA connectivityfor multimedia downloading and speedy browsing.
It's also gotA-GPS satellite navigation gadgetry inside. With 8GB of onboard storageplus MicroSD card support for memory cards up to 16GB, you can getplenty of tunes, images, video or additional software on thismulti-talented device. FREE on:O2 £35 per month (and above) tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Samsung Tocco F480
Aneat and compact touchscreen phone, the Samsung Tocco still manages tosqueeze a 5-megapixel camera into its stylishly slim 11.6mm-thin casing.
FeaturingSamsung's TouchWiz user interface, the Tocco is easy to control andresponsive to the touch, with plenty of finger swiping space on its2.8-inch display.
It has handy drag-and-drop swappable widgets on the homescreen too for operating certain functions.
Gearedup for 3G multimedia activity with HSDPA high-speed connectivity, theTocco has tidy music and video players as well as a reasonably paceyand functional full web browser. The camera's imaging also impresses,though the minimalist design is what will immediately appeal to somebuyers. FREE on:Orange £30 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs or £33 per month (and above) 12-month tariffs; Vodafone £30 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £40 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Sony Ericsson C902
High quality imaging in a super-slim design is the main draw of Sony Ericsson's C902 Cyber-shot phone.
A5-megapixel camera-packing candy-bar model, the C902 has a 10.5mmprofile with the shooter tucked out of site under a spy-camera styleslider action cover.
Touch sensitive camera controls come to lifearound the modest 2-inch screen when the camera comes into play,working its typically shooting-friendly Cyber-shot user interface.
Ithas 3G HSDPA connectivity, and a decent set of additional mid-tierfeatures, including a high quality music player, and a capable browser.And with an attractive, understated design, the C902 is a prettyclassy-looking handset too. FREE on:O2 £35 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; Orange £30 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs or £33 per month (and above) 12-month tariffs; Vodafone £30 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £40 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; 3 £20 per month (and above) tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Nokia 6500 slide
A smart brushed metal casing gives this sliderphone a refined look and the appearance of slimmed down Nokia N95.
It'snot a smartphone, but the Nokia 6500 slide presses the right buttons asan attractively-featured and affordable mid-tier 3G mobile. It has a3.2-megapixel camera with auto-focus control and Carl Zeiss optics, agood quality music and video player, plus a decent spread of web-basedapplications, including a pre-loaded Opera browser alongside Nokia'sown-brand software.
Easy to use in typical Nokia style, the 6500slide combines attractive design appeal with good functionality and ahigh-level performance. FREE on:O2 £25 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; Orange £20 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £30 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; 3 £15 per month (and above) tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Sony Ericsson W980
SonyEricsson's flagship Walkman phone has 8GB of internal memory for music,video, images and other content. As well as its high-quality musicplayer, the W980 has an FM transmitter, so you can broadcast your tunesto a nearby radio - in the car, at home, or even another mobile's radio.
This3G clamshell phone has neatly designed external touch sensitive Walkmancontrols, and it strikes the right notes with a top-class audioperformance. The camera is an average 3.2-megapixel shooter, andthere's no Wi-Fi onboard, but you do get high-speed HSDPA mobileconnectivity for fast downloads and browsing. FREE on:O2 £35 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs, £25 per month (and above) 24-month tariffs; Orange £30 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs, £33 per month (and above) 12-month tariffs; Vodafone £30 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £35 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Samsung Soul U900
Combiningelegant brushed metal bodywork with context changing Magical Touchtouchpad control, the Samsung U900 Soul grabs attention with both formand function.
Beneath the exterior glitz though, there's a decentset of mid-tier 3G phone functions, including a sharp-shooting5-megapixel camera, HSDPA high-speed data connectivity and multi-formatmusic and video players.
Its slimline 12.9mm thin Ultraseries-style design and the Magical Touch control set-up - replicatingnavigation pad controls rather than full touchscreen operation - arethe real off-the-shelf eye grabbers for this handset.
It doesn'tdo high-end features like Wi-Fi and GPS or have smartphonefunctionality, but it certainly offers a stylish handset option with atouch of finger-tapping innovation. FREE on:O2 £45 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs, £40 per month (and above) 24-month tariffs; Orange £35 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs, £33 per month (and above) 12-month tariffs; Vodafone £30 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £35 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs; 3 £20 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs .......................................................................................................................................
Samsung Omnia i900
Another touchscreen-operated mobile from Samsung but this time it's a high-spec Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device.
It'slarger than the Tocco, with a 3.2-inch display, and it packs in5-megapixel camera with a hefty selection of shooting options.
Underthe Samsung skin, there's a full suite of Microsoft Office Mobilesoftware for viewing and editing documents, plus push email support.High-speed web browsing is covered, with both Wi-Fi and HSDPAhigh-speed connectivity, plus pre-loaded Opera and Internet Explorersoftware.
The Omnia also has GPS satellite navigation technologyinside, and is available in 8GB or 16GB versions, with additionalMicroSD card expansion. A very impressive all-round Windows Mobilesmartphone choice. FREE on: (8GB version) Vodafone £35 per month (and above) tariffs; T-Mobile £75 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs. (16GB version) Orange £45 per month (and above) 18-month tariffs
