Not a bad little phone... not a good one either.
Written: Dec 27 '03
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Pros: Easy to read, long talk time
Cons: 4% fail rate, not truly reliable
The Bottom Line: If you want to be sure that the person you care about has a reliable phone... look elsewhere.
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| urbanpagan's Full Review: NEC G310 Cell Phone |
As a sales representative for Voicestream Wireless, I of course have the task of helping a customer choose not only the right plan for them but also the right phone.
One of the many phones carried for use with Voicestream is the Mitsubishi G310. Mitsubishi has long been a manufacturer of wireless telephones and has made many a good product. When it comes to the Mitsubishi G310, there a few things that you should know before you actually consider it for your own use. Not to say it is a bad phone, but not to say it is a good one either.
The one thing most people buy a wireless telephone for is of course, safety. Commuters, single parents, teens and the like all usually buy a wireless telephone so that if something should happen to them, they can get immediate assistance. So of course, you want a phone that you know will work for you when you need it to. For customers considering purchasing the G310 they should know that the phone is rated at a 4% fail rate. That means that 4 of one hundred could potentially give you a bit of trouble. Not bad odds but the best rated phones are those in the 1% or LESS fail range. The phone was recalled June of 2000 and put through massive testing. There are those customers that carried the phone all through the recall period and never had any troubles. Some did not even realize a recall had been issued. In November of 2000, the phone was returned to the shelves for sale. The two most common fail points:
1. The phone will lock. No matter what, it will not respond even when you try to turn it off with the power button. The battery must be removed to turn the phone off. Usually once the battery is replaced the phone operates normally.
2. The phone will not charge at all. An internal sensor monitors the status of the charge left in the battery. This component can fail and the phone believes the battery is full, thus the battery will not charge. Of course this means you are left with a dead battery once you have discharged it with use.
By replacing the handset, this solves the problems. Most customers that have had these sorts of troubles occur with their phone do not have this trouble again once it is replaced.
Most of the time, these failures would occur with high usage customers. Those that use their phones for business or on the average of over 1000 minutes over month. The average American wireless consumer uses 250 to five hundred minutes per month.
Of course this does not mean that you should still consider this as a phone for your use. The G310, like many other phones has a few features that are specific only to its manufacturer. One of the best things about the phone is just how easy it is to read! The large LCD displays large letters and numbers that are much clearer than on many other phones, even Nokias. The menus display a graphic that is much more inviting than just text. Being a strictly digital phone, you’ll actually get a rather long talk time on its nickel metal-hydride battery. Approximately four hours. Most other wireless phones with get 1 to three hours varying on manufacturer. And of course, the phone is customizable with its choices of express on and off face plates and the customizable ring tones. Always a hit with teens and kids!
One other thing I have noticed that concerns most of my customers... it has no clock. Many people use their wireless phones as alarms. This can be a hassle. Especially for those on the go, like business people. Realize also, this phone is NOT always web enabled. Voicestream Wireless customers will not receive that function with this phone.
For someone that does not use their phone much at all, I think you may like the Mitsubishi G310. 4 out of one hundred are still not bad odds... but if you want to be sure you have a phone that is less likely to give you troubles, or you want to make sure your loved one has that security when they need it... I would say consider some of the other model phones before you come to your final decision.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 29.95
Recommended for: Stylish Trendsetters - Hip and Trendy
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Epinions.com ID:
urbanpagan
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Location: Mebane, NC
Reviews written: 63
Trusted by: 9 members
About Me:
Animal loving, walking barefoot in the woods, witchy woman.
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