Time to Take Notice of the Nokia 918
Written: Mar 17 '01
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Pros: No monthly charges, long battery life, attractive design, durable
Cons: Slightly bulky, expensive accessories
The Bottom Line: A great phone for low to moderate usage at a great price without the hassle of a monthly fee.
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| fujisan's Full Review: Nokia 918 Cell Phone |
For a long time I avoided cellular phones because those nagging monthly bills can really stick it to you if you’re one of those people who likes to talk while you’re shopping, while you’re driving, while you’re brushing your teeth… I know people like that, and I also know that they have outrageous phone bills to pay at the end of the month as a result. I’ve often joked with them that the reason they have a part-time job with the local grocer is to pay their cellular bill.
Now there is another option. Nokia (as well as several other wireless companies) has come up with the pre-paid cellular phone, a way for those of us who don’t necessarily need to talk for hours on end across the airwaves to communicate what we need to when we need to. The 918 is one of a plethora of pre-paid phones on the market currently, but several features set it apart from the rest in terms of service, features, and overall usability.
The phone comes with a $30 calling card when you buy it, which is good for 60 minutes of local calling time (you’ve nuts if you use it any more than sparingly for long-distance calls) and this should easily get you through the 3 month activation period, using the phone only in emergencies, with the occasional frivolous call to your aunt Betty to discuss sweater colors. This phone comes with a battery and an AC adapter to charge from any household power outlet. There are a number of accessories available for this phone, but beware, they cost slightly less than an arm and a leg to purchase, so unless you are a power caller and NEED that headset to talk in the car, I would advise against most of these items. I purchased a leather case for my phone to protect against scratching and overall case-wear and it set me back $20… twice as much as it should have.
Phone features include: 40 name storage, 5 different ringing modes, keylock, battery life and signal indicator. The battery the phone comes with is a standard sized battery for this type of phone, an optional slimmer battery can be purchased as an option. You can expect about 21 ½ hours of standby “on” time for the standard battery and about 100 minutes of actual “talk time.”
For someone who needs an emergency phone for occasional to moderate use, the Nokia 918 is an excellent option, offering competitive pre-paid rates and a good looking (albeit bulky) product. My 918 has gotten me out of many a hairy situation, most recently about a week ago when I was stranded with a friend in the city, about 60 miles from home and the car wouldn’t start. You never need a cellular phone until you NEED it… then it’s too late.
This phone now retails for approximately $49 from many vendors, more than half off the price I paid for it, and I considered it a steal back then. I have no hesitation in recommending this product, it has served me well and will serve anyone who buys it. Just watch out for those mid-morning calls to Bangkok, they’re killer!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 118
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Epinions.com ID:
fujisan
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Location: Rushville, NY
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
College Student, Technology Aficionado, Music freak... Glad to meet ya!
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