Best pay-as-you-go phones for Christmas

By Andrew Lim on 09 November 2006, 12:23pm

Christmas is a time for reflection, a time when we remember the importance of consumption and spend time playing with gadgets -- oh yes, and let us not forget the chance to score more schwag. You also have to give people stuff, which can be a drag. If you haven't thought of a present for a loved one yet, you'd better get a move on -- Christmas is approaching fast. If you're stumped for what to get them, why not consider some of this year's best pay-as-you-go mobile phones?

First up is the sensible Nokia 6230i candybar phone that comes in at around £100 and features a colour screen, Bluetooth and infrared connectivity, a 1.3-megapixel camera, an expandable MMC slot, a music player and FM radio. It's straightforward to use, has an easy-to-press keypad and is a good option for any Nokia veterans out there.

Next is the classically designed Motorola Razr V3 clamshell phone, which you can pick up for the bargain price of about £50. It's still quite thin, even by current standards, and features a VGA camera, a large colour screen, Bluetooth connectivity and a large keypad. While it might not be the best-featured phone, it still looks great and is a good option if you want something showy.

Third in our pay-as-you-go line-up is the compact Samsung E370 slider phone that measures 43mm by 86mm by 20mm. You can buy it for around £100 and it comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera, colour screen and Bluetooth connectivity. This is a great choice if you need something small and stylish that will easily fit in the bottom of a pocket or bag.

Next up is the Sony Ericsson K750i candybar camera phone that is the K800i's predecessor. Don't let its age put you off though, the K750i is still a great phone and features a large colour screen, Bluetooth and infrared connectivity, a 2-megapixel camera with autofocus, an MP3 player and an expandable Memory Stick Duo slot. It's available for about £150 and is a great option if you want a range of features on a budget.

Last but not least is the Sagem my600V available for £63 from Vodafone. This is a relatively new addition to the pay-as-you-go scene, but worth mentioning for its 3G connectivity. Other features include a VGA camera, Bluetooth connectivity, an MP3 player and an expandable miniSD memory slot. This is a great contender if you want fast Internet access on a budget, and it comes with one-way video calling capabilities. -AL