Cell Phones - Size and Appearance

The Mitsubishi Mobile Access T250 is 5 inches long, and increases to 6inches with the aerial. Although this might be a bigger size than most, the extra size is due to a larger display screen. The cell phone is only 0.5inches in width so it doesn't create much pocket bulge, and will almost fit completely inside an average pant pocket, although can be a little cumbersome because of the length. At 7 ounces the Mitsubishi isn't a lightweight either, by today's cell phones standards. The appearance of this cell phone isn't very modern - a bit tech-nerdy but not out right ugly. If looks are what you are going for, you'll be swaying towards the Nokia or Ericsson.

The Motorola Nexus i1000is light weight and compact, easily sliding into an average pocket, and thin enough not to create a scary pocket bulge. The Motorola looks more snazzy than the Mitsubishi with its flip cover and nice shape, but not as nice as the sleek looking Nokia.

The Ericsson T182, at only 4 inches long, is the smallest of the cell phones in the review. It weighs in at 5oz and looks modern, suave and business-like. A great little size for maximum portability and minimum inconvenience.

The Nokia 5165 is sleek, small and lightweight - at about 6oz with the standard battery. It's a bit bulkier than the other the other cell phones, but short enough to easily fit in a pocket even with it's fixed antenna. One of the great features of the Nokia is the replaceable faceplate. You can change the colour and style of this modern little baby to suit your image - and there are hundreds of available designs and colors to suit even the fussiest user. Definitely a winner in the looks department - it even has the versatility of being able to change appearance to suit your mood and daily style.

Cell Phones - Navigation and Menu Use

If you are experienced with Nokia cell phones then the 5165 won't be a problem for you. First time Nokia users can easily get confused by the function keys (which don't have inscriptions) and it is important to read the screen to be sure exactly what menu you are in. Navigation is also complicated by the fact that the menu will skip to an "information" mode if there is a period of inactivity, and you have to clear this to continue searching menu levels. Whilst this can bamboozle new Nokia customers, its easy once you get the hang of it.

The Mitsubishi Mobile Access T250 is an easy to navigate phone, with a simple interface and "fast buttons" for quick navigation. Function keys bring up individual menus and there is none of the confusion that you can get using the Nokia.

The Motorola Nexus i1000 is no improvement on the Nokia, with its own poor layout and difficult-to-learn menu design. And the Ericsson T182 is certainly no winner with navigation either, with a poor interface and too many menus to dig through to find what you need.

Cell Phones - Durability

The Motorola Nexus looks sturdy enough but don't go dropping it. The flip cover window scratches easily making the display hard to read, and the body dints with even the mildest knocks and bumps. This phone will also suffer internal damage from a drop, so keep it safe. The Ericsson T182 is also a fragile baby, not for anyone who needs a phone that can take a drop or two.

The Mitsubishi fairs OK with durability, but the Nokia 5165 is the winner - able to take a drop or a bang with no internal or external damage and is perfect for tradesmen. This cell phone gets the 5 stars in durability and should be considered seriously by anyone who knows their equipment gets a banging.

Cell Phones - Battery and Power

Battery life is one of your most important considerations with a cell phone. Imagine breaking down, in the middle of nowhere at night. You panic for a second, then realize you have your trusty mobile, and reach for it for your call to road service. But oh no, flat battery. Your security is zapped, like a drained out battery, and your cell phone is as good as useless.

The Mitsubishi Mobile Access T250 cell phone advertises 120 minutes talk time and 120 hours stand-by time (in digital mode). Battery upgrades are expensive, and don't give a significant improvement in talk time. Power-wise this is not a particularly efficient phone, the screen is slow to update and you can really feel the power drag, with or without the battery upgrade.

The Nokia 5165 on the other hand has a long battery life, advertised as giving 190 hours stand-by time and 180 minutes talk time. It uses its power well, and the average user will find it lasts 2-3 days before needing a charge. The only down-side is the manual suggests that the battery should be fully discharged before recharging, which could be inconvenient for heavier cell phone users. The battery takes 4-10 hours to fully charge, so can easily be done over night.

Motorola Nexus have the i1000 operating with 180 minutes talk time and 50 hours standby time. Basically the battery needs to be charged on a daily basis, or more often for heavy phone users. This is an area that will need major improving for this phone to be a popular choice in the future.

The Ericsson T182 is leagues ahead in the power stakes, with 5 hours talk time and 80 hours standby time. The battery lasts well, takes only 2 hours to fully charge and can be recharged even if it hasn't been fully discharged. The powerful battery is a little heavier than that of other cell phones, but when it lasts at least 3 days between charging this is only a minor inconvenience.

Cell Phones - Screen and Keys

The Mitsubishi Mobile Access T250's best feature is its huge screen - 12 lines of text makes for a big display that's easy to read with large LCD characters. The screen is well lit and easy to read even in bright sunlight, and the key pad is back lit for ease of sight as well. The Mitsubishi is a winner in the screen stakes, but remember that it's bigger because of it. Certainly if screen and button size and ease of visibility is your priority, you can't go past the Access T250. The T250 also has a key-guard function, to prevent making accidental calls.

The Nokia cell phone has keys that are easy to use and feel nice to touch, however the main feature buttons have no inscriptions - You need to read the screen above the buttons to know what function they are serving at the time of use. This might confuse inexperienced Nokia users, but doesn't take long to get acquainted with. The screen is much smaller than the Mitsubishi, but without web browsing this shouldn't be an issue. Once again, the screen and the keys are well lit for easy visibility, and there is a key lock function.

Motorola's screen takes only half as many text lines as the Mitsubishi, with 16 character's per line. The screen shows pictograms when the main feature buttons are pressed, and this is a handy feature as a confirmation that you are in the correct mode, particularly as the keys are fairly small, and slightly cumbersome for fatter fingers.

Speaking of small keys, this is one of the drawbacks of the Ericsson. The keys are tiny, with hard to read print and an unpleasant tactile experience. Although the screen is an average size (once again, about half the size of the T250) the cell phone responds slowly to the key presses and it is a nightmare for the fast typer - although fast typing is a virtual impossibility on the little buttons anyway. The Ericsson's flip cover also acts as a key-guard.