samsung jet

had been looking around for phone ever since m1 sent me a $100 voucher last month. yeah, my 2-year contract is up for renewal this month. as a sign of the mobile telecoms intense competition, they had sent me the voucher even without me asking for it.

although there's absolutely nothing wrong with my nokia e65 and against my usual environmental-friendly sensibilities, i just couldn't resist laying my hands on a newer, better and hopefully sexier phone.

after scrupulous research online and careful evaluation, the shortlist came down to the following from the 3 major mobile manufacturers:

• nokia e71
• sony ericsson c905
• samsung jet

nokia e71, a smartphone that has won over many casual users. a comfortable choice since it will be mostly flat learning curve. but i didn't really like the landscape orientation and the dated qwerty keyboard. maybe good but definitely not sexy.

the sony ericsson comes with good review of its cybershot camera function. but the phone was rather thick and featured a so-so screen. again, not very sexy.

samsung jet is the latest offering from the korean manufacturer known for producing slim and beautifully designed phones and it's the only touch screen phone in the shortlist. the user-interface has been updated. the screen was a bright but energy-saving amoled. 5.0 megapixels camera with autofocus. i was sold when i knew it comes with wi-fi. the best thing? it's within my budget of around $300.

all in, with a $100 trade-in plus the m1 voucher, i paid only $118 for the new phone. can't wait for it to be delivered. :)