Information Line (Freephone)
Telephone 0808 808 0123
Textphone 0808 808 9000
informationline@rnid.org.uk
Telephone 0808 808 0123
Textphone 0808 808 9000
informationline@rnid.org.uk
RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.
After completing all of our technical and user tests, our experts now summarise the features of each model and give you their verdicts.
Motorola C139
£20
This stylish phone is great value and its rounded shape and non-slip sides make it comfortable to hold. One good feature is its battery life; Motorola state that you could chat non-stop for 700 minutes! The 32 ringtones are good but you can download others or make your own with its ringtone composer, which is a bonus feature.
Recommended. The loudest volume and best sound quality on test, useful features, easy to use and good value too.
Nokia 1100
£20
If you¹re looking for a cheap, basic phone then this could be the one for you. It is simplicity itself to use and its black and white screen is very easy to read. This model has large controls, anti-slip sides and satisfactory sound clarity. It is dual band so you can use it within Europe, and it also has a built-in torch!
Recommended. Very easy to use, satisfactory performance and good value.
Nokia 2600
£35
This model looks smart and modern. It has a good colour screen, polyphonic ringtones and is dual band so you can use it anywhere within Europe. Performance and ease of use were satisfactory but texting was good. The handsfree feature had the lowest volume on test but was satisfactory and gave the clearest sound.
A satisfactory all-rounder which is easy to use.
Sagem MYC5-2V
£55
A cheap clamshell phone, so it has the large keys and screen you’d expect. The most expensive phone on test and had a camera, internet access and many other features that you probably don’t need if you’re looking for a basic phone. It was the only model with a flashing light indicating an incoming call. Performance was disappointing, especially its sound clarity on maximum volume and handsfree.
Below average performance and ease of use.
Siemens A62
£20
A small, lightweight phone which is cheap to buy. Its performance is satisfactory but the handsfree function gives poor sound quality. It only has 15 pre-loaded ringtones but other polyphonic tones can be downloaded if you wish. Unlike the other phones on test, this model has tri-band technology so you could use it in Europe or the USA.
Satisfactory performance, except on handsfree, but not very easy to use.
Sony T290i
£30
A modern design which makes the phone look like it costs much more than it does. The sound clarity is satisfactory but the maximum volume isn’t very loud and is probably unsuitable unless you only have a mild hearing loss. The maximum talk time of 12 hours is impressive. Although it only has 12 loaded ringtones you can download others or use the built-in tone composer or sound recorder to make your own.
Low maximum volume and not very easy to use.