Looking for camera and music quality cell phone?

[Jake]

I am looking for a phone for my wife. I have it narrowed down to about 4 or 5 lines but it so hard to narrow down to a single phone. I have ebay and tigerdirect as sources.

Requirements:
Unlocked Quad band GSM
MP3 playback
1+ MP Camera
Max: $250 (no contract)

Do any of the phones have a better than average camera within my budget?

The KRZR and RAZR were leading but the software is buggy (from what I have read) and the camera is below average.

What about the Sony K series? I have heard a lot about the LGs too.

[Jake]

I seem to be leaning toward the Sony W810i. It blows my budget but is the closest thing I can find. They seem to highlight the multimedia capabilities rather than it being an afterthought.

I should clarify the software comment wrt to RAZR and KRZR. I meant the music software.

[Paolo]

the krzr FM (new version w/ rogers music store) is less buggy than the origional krzr. get that one instead. regretibly only from fido and rogers

[Jake]

I have not seen the FM version. She does like the KRZR clam shell. I'll check it out. Thanks.

[mr_raider]

SE w810i. Simple, cheap, does the job. The k790a has a better camera if desired.

[Jake]

Well I ended up getting a brand new unlocked and unbranded W810i online (they even tossed in a 512MB card). Thanks to all for the help. I decided on the W810i since so many sites put the W810i near the top of their ratings and it contained all of my must-haves. And not only that but I stayed under budget.

FYI: Since there is no duty on cell phones I saved over 30% by going south of the border.

[sk1d]

the sony w610 has everything you're looking for and it goes for about $200 on ebay. Looks like an updated version of the w810. I've been thinking about getting one for myself.

[Jake]

I looked into ebay but decided to avoid the risk of getting a knock-off or dinged with ridiculous shipping and brokerage fees. They actually have guides on ebay on how to spot the fakes. Scary!

[apn]

I went through the same process and settled on the W810i. After checking the Sony Store, Tiger Direct, Selectgsm and a few others, I settled on eBay, paying US$175 + $17 shipping for a new, unlocked, unbranded W810i.

I purchased from a dude in LA w/ over 32,000 positive feedback. I bought Boxing Day and paid for ground shipping, but the guy hadn't shipped when I inquired this week, so he upgraded to Fedex 2-day.

Since I live 45mins from the border, I had it shipped to a US address and will be heading over tomorrow to pick it up and take care of some other scheduled activities.

Finally, I picked up a (new) Rogers SIM on eBay for $5 shipped from Victoria (vs. $25 in store). When I inquired about activation at the store, they told me it can be done over the internet - using a fake IMEI if desired. The process does NOT lock your phone.

[e268]

I searched W610i and W660i and read the reviews. W610i seems to be a newer version of W810i, but with smaller keys (a major downfall). The W660i is an upgrade of W610i. But W660i has Triband and 3G, better keypad, but poorer camera (which I do not intend to use). It is priced a few dollars more than W810i on selectgsm. So I am now wondering if I should get this since it has 3G. I don't intend to use it but in case 3G becomes popular and price comes down, then I have a phone I can use. But, it is a triband gsm, so is it a limiting factor when I travel to USA and Europe? Your advice is appreciated.

[Jake]

Do you intend to use the data capabilities or just voice? If so then there is no need for 3G. Quadband was recommended by many friends who travel to far-flunged places.

[e268]

Originally Posted by apn

Finally, I picked up a (new) Rogers SIM on eBay for $5 shipped from Victoria (vs. $25 in store). When I inquired about activation at the store, they told me it can be done over the internet - using a fake IMEI if desired. The process does NOT lock your phone.

Hi apn: I just searched ebay and indeed there are tons of Rogers sim cards for sale for a few dollars. Just wondering where do these people get the sim cards from, since Rogers sell them for $25. Are they hot or something?

[apn]

I'm not sure how the vendors procure product. Mine was shipped from Victoria, BC and arrived in seemingly genuine Rogers shrink-wrap, complete with instruction booklet. The actual SIM was mounted within a full-size smart card withthe standard pop-out to free the smaller module.

I used to work in smart cards (electronic commerce, pre-paid payphone cards etc.) and wondered if these are older generation cards, smaller memory or something along those lines.

My SIM activated just fine in my W810i, and I'm not too concerned about storage in the SIM, since I'm shopping for a 4GB MSPD module. Now that's a story - I just received a fake from a vendor in Markham, ON