Call Me! Our Love Affair With Mobile Phones

Back in the day,a mobile was a brightly coloured toy that was always in your eye view and probably playing a lullaby. Your parents put over your crib to entertain your little brain and distract you from the fact that there was no one else in the room and you where all on your own.

Well fast forward twenty or so years later and you may be out of nappies, but it is still a mobile that has your undivided attention for a large chunk of the day. But to be totally honest not much has changed and it serves the same purpose as the one from your nursery - to stop you feeling all by yourself, but this time (well in theory) someone else is on the receiving line of your random gurgling.

Mobiles have become an essientlai for most people in Britian. According to the Oftel Residential Survey, 75 per cent of all adults in the United Kingdom owned or used a mobile phone in May 2003. Twenty one per cent used their mobile as their main method of telephony, with 8 per cent of homes only having a mobile, and no fixed line phone.

Why are mobile phones so compelling? Most people need to have them near at all times, ready to be checked just in case someone (anyone!) has got in touch. It isn't just about being able to text or call someone that has us depending on our little shinny friend. You may have come to rely on it to be your alarm clock, mp3 player, camera, diary - the list goes on. If you are a spoilt brat, it even becomes a weapon of choice (think of recent cases with Naomi Campbell and Russell Crowe throwing their toys out of the pram and into someone's face). In short, you rely on the little fella more than you should any other material possession, so it is understandable that you want to get it right. A site we recommend when checking out mobiel reviews before deciding on which one to make your own is www.knowyourmobile.com - definitely worth visiting when it's upgrade time.

Here we check out some of the newest phones on the market that ticked our ‘does it text/does it call/does it look pretty?’ boxes. Yes, we know we’re not doing much for feminism.

Samsung U600 Ultra Edition

As phones go, Samsung are generally one of our favourite models here at Whisper Mag - their phones are usually easy to use but with the added functionality that Nokia, the other manufacturer of 'nan-friendly' handsets, doesn't quite pull off.

One of the top features of the U600 is the combined touch screen and button functionality. If the iPhone and its ilk are a bit too daunting in their all-singing all-dancing touch screen powers, this model is a great in-betweener - you get a lovely big HD screen but the touch screen menu buttons are embossed steel under the screen. You can even adjust the sensitivity of the touch screen for those of you with banana fingers, which pulse as you press them.

Slim and featherweight, it won't take up too much space in your handbag and also can be securely stuffed in your jeans pocket if you're just nipping to the shop. And we can't fail to mention its good looks either - a dark scarlet red with a brushed steel effect on the back, this is the phone for a classy lady.

So now we've got the important stuff (the way it looks) out of the way, in the same way as we asses our menfolk, our thoughts must now turn to functionality. The U600's camera is good - at 3.2 megapixels, it's not at the top of the range but it comes with all the settings you'd find on a simple digital camera and crucially - unlike the iPhone - it has a flash.

Musically, it offers good sound quality for both the self-tuning radio and MP3s, although the bespoke headphones socket means you're lumped with the ones provided with it. However, other functions like sunlight mode, viewing videos and photos on your TV, and being able to open Word documents are cool additions.

As a slide phone, one of the only drawbacks is that opening the U600 means you sometimes catch the main menu button with your thumb as you slide it - but this is a minor complaint. And also, if you use a Mac, you'll need to think again - like so many other pieces of technology, the editing software is inexplicably only compatible with PCs (unless you Bluetooth your files). However, for a slick, simple to use and functional phone for someone who wants a reasonably priced phone with a good look, this isn't a bad choice.

LG KC550

Ah, another phone with a catchy model name. Why don’t they give them interesting titles? At least the O2 Cocoon, for all it’s accursed flaws, had a name (and look) that was cool enough to suck us in before the iPhone came out… fools that we are. It wasn’t strong enough to survive an epic Bourne-esque tumble down a stairwell, but that’s a different story.

Crashing on… Once you’ve got to know this phone by its robotic first name, the KC550 is pretty easy to make friends with. It’s got a massive, bright screen, which is always a bonus, especially handy for ease of use on the way home from the pub. Typing ‘I had suich a nice time tonighgt do u wantt to go out again 2morrowrow? Xxxxxx’ just doesn’t have the same appeal when you have to peer at a minute screen. So, points for that.

In terms of user-friendliness, as a slide phone it’s chic and, dare we say, it actually quite fun to use, in a Bond-gadgety kind of way. Navigating your way around the applications and functions is straightforward, and you can get to features like the FM radio, MP3 player and a strong range of games in a flash. There’s no messing about with this phone - if you want to make a call or take a picture, you can do it in seconds.

And the picture function on the KC550 is a massive plus point - with a 5MP camera and a huge amount of functions including very strong video capability, it’s almost as good as you would expect from a basic digital camera. The lens is protected by a very cool brushed steel protector on the back, which, when slid back, instantly activates the camera itself. For once, this phone really does mean that you don’t need a separate digital camera. Credit crunch-tastic.

On the downside, it’s a pretty heavy handset, and it’s fairly chunky. But then, considering the functionality it offers, it’s worth putting up with a bit more of a workout for your biceps every time you lift your handbag. Recommended.

Both handsets are available from www.virginmobile.co.uk now - the red Samsung U600 Ultra Edition is exclusive to Virgin Mobile!