Mobile phones: 3G or not 3G?
Don't buy a 3G mobile phone this Christmas but stick with a 2G model, says Which?
Several new 3G (third generation) handsets are hitting the Christmas market. These phones allow users to access far more content with video and sound – sports clips, for example. They also allow video phone calls to be made to other 3G users.
Despite these benefits, Which? recommends sticking with a 2G (second generation) model for now because 3G network coverage is limited. This means that there are likely to be problems accessing 3G services successfully and consistently, particularly outside big towns and cities.
Which? doesn't recommend any 3G phones as Best Buys because of these network issues and also because handsets are too bulky. Only 2G phones met the Best Buy criteria (e.g. sound quality, ease of use, battery life, reception).
Which? recommends the following camera phones for Christmas lists: the Nokia 6230, 6220, 6820 and 5140; the Samsung SGH-E600, SGH-P510, SGH-P400 and SGH-D410; and the Sony Ericsson P900 (updated to the P910 since the tests).
The two basic phones (without cameras) that got the thumbs up were the Nokia 3100 and Samsung SGH-C100.
Malcolm Coles, editor, Which?, says:
"There are teething problems with 3G phones and coverage, so we recommend sticking with a 2G phone for the time being. We'll be keeping an eye on 3G phones over the coming months to see if they, and the networks, live up to their hype."
Source: press release
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