Gadgetrepublic.com - Gadget Review

Flip phones are like Marmite, you either love them or hate them. I was a big fan of the Motorola Razr (until it was stolen on me) and liked the fact that the screen was protected from the inevitable knocks and scratches that are the fate of most mobile phones when travelling in pockets with car keys or being bumped around in a handbag.

It might seem like a surprising move for RIM to bring out a flip at such a late stage, considering their candybar smart phones like the 8900 or the classic Pearl are already well-designed and ergonomic, but a few things about this flip phone really appealed to me.

Looks
First off, the exterior of the Flip is really well-finished in a high gloss black with a silver rim, but I'm not crazy about the way the camera lens inset is protruding - it looks as though it could get chipped were it not made from metal. 

Secondly, and more importantly, its nice to see your emails flying in on the external screen, where you can use the volume buttons to flick up and down between emails or SMS messages and read the preview (128x160 pixels LCD).

It does feel a little chunkier than a Motorola Razr flip phone, but this is a full-on smart phone with Wi-Fi, QWERTY keyboard and all the usual BlackBerry apps.

The operating system resembles the layout of both the Storm and the Bold: big icons, tidy homescreen and clear, colourful display.

Interface
Navigating around was a breeze. Having graduated from the Storm to this Flip handset, I found that I was able to make my way around, flip from application to application and surf the web so easily - I forgot how great the good old trackball and QWERTY keypad combination was!

The keypad, however, is different from the original Pearl. The keys are all on a level, as opposed to the raised and separated original. I found this a little weird in the beginning, but the bigger keys meant I wasn't missing the mark while typing away.

Connectivity
The Flip works on O2's Edge network, which may not be as desirable as 3G, but unlike the Storm it has Wi-Fi capability - a must for many. It also has the standard Bluetooth connectivity.

I found O2's EDGE plenty fast for loading up regular pages like Twitter, but when you're talking pics or video, hmm, best get to Wi-Fi.

Multimedia
The Flip comes with a 1GB memory card - enough to get you started on storing some albums, images and documents. Flash memory is only 128MB, but there is support for MicroSD, so obviously you can upgrade and pack a good lot on board.

Camera-wise, this phone is nothing to tweet home about: neither great nor awful, it's 2-megapixel with digital zoom. After taking a picture, emailing it to my Gmail account and opening it up, and then doing the same for the Storm, I realised that imaging is not its strong point, but there still is a decent enough video-camera function on board.

Also, video playback uses the full screen to advantage by displaying in landscape mode.

Verdict
I'm not sure if I can say that this is the smart phone of my dreams, but I do like it a lot and it's definitely the flip phone of my dreams!

I would recommend this to someone who is not looking for cutting-edge, touchscreen technology, but wants a smart phone capable of good email and web functionality, with easy media management (it's compatible with iTunes). Also, someone who wants an expensive-looking, impressive phone that can take knocks.

I think a lot of busy career women (and men) may find this to be their phone of choice.

Price: From €229 with O2

By Marie Boran