New mobile deals to help beat the credit crunch

Posted: 2 February 2009

A number of experts have lined up to advise consumers on how they can most effectively protect themselves against the effects of the credit crunch - and with many mobile phones available with special deals, now could be the time to think about defying the credit crunch and trading up.

For those who do not wish to be tied to a contract, pay-as-you-go packages are always an option - and for those looking to take advantage of the latest models, a number of deals are available that may well make contract phones an attractive option as well.

With the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations fading into a hazy memory, many consumers could find themselves strapped for cash over the coming weeks. However, pay monthly mobiles that allow 12 months cashback on line rental could be enough to relieve those winter blues this time next year.

Among the models available under these terms are the Nokia 2760 and 6080, the Samsung J700, and Sony Ericsson's T303 and W200i phones.

The 2760 comes equipped with a digital VGA camera that has its own 4x zoom facility and video recording - as well as Nokia Xpress Audio Messaging, an FM radio and mp3 ringtones. In an article posted on the mobiles-phones-uk.org.uk website, the Nokia 6080 was described as "an entry-level camera phone with a smart, simple design". It added the phone was an upgrade of the Finnish manufacturer's 6070 , but was more style-focused.

Last year, Trusted Reviews looked at the Samsung J700 and noted the handset was available on contract and pay-as-you-go, highlighting its availability in black on O2 and Vodafone but suggesting the purple version - available exclusively on the Orange network - may be more of a temptation for others.

The J700 is a slider handset with GPRS and EDGE connectivity - and according to the site it offers an impressive battery life. It was noted that after 12 hours and 15 minutes of continuous music playback, the phone still found the juice to stay "alive and voice call capable for about three more hours."

"Other apps include a calendar, mobile email, voice recorder, memo, world clock, calculator, timer, stopwatch, five alarms, unit converter and a few games. There is also an image editor which lets you play a little with photos you shoot," the article concluded.

However, for fans of the Sony Ericsson range, which includes a number of camera and music-focused mobile phones, the T303 may be of more interest. The handset is equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity and the manufacturer's Track ID facility - which allows music to be played back, recorded and identified by the phone itself - as well as 8MB of built-in memory. On its release, the CNet technology website took the opportunity to put the T303 to the test - praising its design and dimensions.

"It's great to see a small phone that fits easily into a pocket. Coming in at around the same size as a toy car, the T303 is just what the doctor ordered if you lack space in your handbag or you wear skinny jeans," it added.

The same site said a few months earlier that those looking for a music-focussed handset could be taken with the technology the Sony Ericsson W200i has to offer, adding the "decent size" buttons mean texting and navigating the phone's Walkman system was simple.

"In fact, the music features are one of the most impressive aspects of the handset," it added. "The Walkman application is fast and easy to use and the sound quality is first rate. The supplied headphones are surprisingly good, but if you're not satisfied with them you can swap them out for your own, thanks to the standard 3.5mm jack on the hands-free kit."

With all of these handsets available now with cashback offers after their initial 12 months, there is no reason why a new mobile phone needs to be money down the drain - and for those who want the benefits of the latest offers straight away, a free gift could be the ideal incentive to get 2009 off to a good start.

Free laptops, PlayStation 3's, Nintendo Wiis, 32-inch HD-ready LCD TVs, iPods, Xbox 360s and Tom Tom satnav systems are among the many gadgets people could be enjoying when they receive their new phones.

Sony Ericsson's W200i, T303, K530i, W580i and T280i are just some examples of devices that could be purchased alongside a free PlayStation 3 for example, with the aforementioned Nokia 2760, Nokia 6080 and Samsung J700 also available with the same deal.

And of course, for those looking at the very latest models on pay-as-you-go, the Apple iPhone 3G is still an option that will tempt many. The phone was launched last summer and following weeks of speculation it was announced by O2 that the stylish smartphone would be made available without a contract - a first for the device since its original introduction in 2007.

This week, Apple announced that there would be a number of changes to its iTunes Store, the online music and video resource that connects with the iPhone to an extensive catalogue of items. It was announced that Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI and "thousands of independent labels" would now make tracks available in iTunes Plus - a DRM-free format with 256 kbps AAC encoding. Apple said this new service means a level of quality that is "virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings".

The company's chief executive, Steve Jobs, commented: "We are thrilled to be able to offer our … iPhone 3G customers the ability to download music from iTunes anytime, anywhere over their 3G network," adding that a new pricing structure would also be implemented from April 2009.

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