In the last two weeks I have had the chance to try out three different models of cellular phone under my Rogers Cantel AT&T two year contract. The first was the Nokia 3360 (which ended up being a disaster), the second was the Siemens s40 (the worst phone ever), and the third is the Motorola 280.

This phone has an external antenna, which a lot of phones have been getting rid of. I know that the external antenna can take away from the aesthetics and makes a phone a bit larger, but for the quality of reception you get out of it, its the only way to go. This phone is amazing for reception and there's no annoying static or feedback.

Before this phone I was using Nokia phones for three years (the 8860 and 3360) and now that I've switched over, I'd never go back. Although, for people who have used Nokia phones, the interface of the 280 takes a little getting used to.

One of the features I really enjoyed was the fact that the two "shortcut" buttons on the main screen were customizable. Do you do a lot of web-browsing from your phone? Put that on there. I was able to customize it to fit my needs exactly.

It's extra features are the voice-activated dialing, the datebook, and the voicenotes for reminders. I don't have any problem with the backlight (which is a greenish hue), although some people prefer a blue one.

After playing around with it for an hour or so I found and used all the features and this phone is an unbeatable deal for the money. I highly recommend it.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 100