Sony Ericsson CM M1300 Cell Phone
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Feature-rich, but bulky
Pros
Great usability, dual-mode, long battery life
Cons
Large size
Recommended it?
Yes
I've had my Sony CM-M1300 since Christmas of '98, and overall it has been a very reliable, useful phone. The screen is large, backlit, and easy to read with four LCD text lines, which could be useful if you are signed up for digital paging service. The phone supports both CDMA and AMPS signals, so you are covered even if you're traveling outside your digital cellular home area.
The usability is really superb. The thumbwheel interface that Sony calls the "Easy Jog Dial Navigator" is very intuitive, and I found that as soon as I turned the phone on I was able to navigate its feature menus, enter numbers, redial, etc. You simply turn the wheel with your thumb to access menus, and push the wheel in (!) to select an item. Entering names for memorized numbers is typically cumbersome, but this is due to the limitations of the phone keypad as much as the phone itself. One thing I really like is the ability to do the same thing multiple ways - for instance, redialing a number can be done using the thumbwheel or simply pressing "Send" again. (The "Send" and "End" buttons are also large and easy to hit, even with fat fingers.)
Hardware is very durable - antenna is a bit flimsy, but the rest of it is solid. The only way I can see this breaking is by a nasty fall, and even then the leather case and corners might only sustain cosmetic damage. Other than the antenna, there are no protruding parts that could break.
As far as battery life is concerned, this puppy is a pro. The standby time is rated at 65 hours, and the talk time is 4.5 hrs (CDMA). AMPS standby/talk time is significantly less, but if you live in an area with digital service you'll really love the convenience of recharging batteries once every few days. Sound quality is usually top notch, too. The battery itself is half the weight of the unit, if not more, and the whole things weighs around 7 oz. (depending on the type of battery you use). Charging takes about 6 hrs, but the nice thing is that you can recharge the Lithium Ion battery at any point without worrying about decreased capacity due to battery "memory."
The only drawback to this phone is its size. At best, it's a clip-on-the-belt unit, or perhaps it would live in an outside pocket of your bag, but it's not pocket-sized, and for me that restricts usage. (Maybe this is a good thing!) But if you want a phone that's unobtrusive and easy to carry, go for a smaller model.
The usability is really superb. The thumbwheel interface that Sony calls the "Easy Jog Dial Navigator" is very intuitive, and I found that as soon as I turned the phone on I was able to navigate its feature menus, enter numbers, redial, etc. You simply turn the wheel with your thumb to access menus, and push the wheel in (!) to select an item. Entering names for memorized numbers is typically cumbersome, but this is due to the limitations of the phone keypad as much as the phone itself. One thing I really like is the ability to do the same thing multiple ways - for instance, redialing a number can be done using the thumbwheel or simply pressing "Send" again. (The "Send" and "End" buttons are also large and easy to hit, even with fat fingers.)
Hardware is very durable - antenna is a bit flimsy, but the rest of it is solid. The only way I can see this breaking is by a nasty fall, and even then the leather case and corners might only sustain cosmetic damage. Other than the antenna, there are no protruding parts that could break.
As far as battery life is concerned, this puppy is a pro. The standby time is rated at 65 hours, and the talk time is 4.5 hrs (CDMA). AMPS standby/talk time is significantly less, but if you live in an area with digital service you'll really love the convenience of recharging batteries once every few days. Sound quality is usually top notch, too. The battery itself is half the weight of the unit, if not more, and the whole things weighs around 7 oz. (depending on the type of battery you use). Charging takes about 6 hrs, but the nice thing is that you can recharge the Lithium Ion battery at any point without worrying about decreased capacity due to battery "memory."
The only drawback to this phone is its size. At best, it's a clip-on-the-belt unit, or perhaps it would live in an outside pocket of your bag, but it's not pocket-sized, and for me that restricts usage. (Maybe this is a good thing!) But if you want a phone that's unobtrusive and easy to carry, go for a smaller model.
