TOP 3 QWERTY PHONES

EVERY PHONE user needs the SMS facility.Originally,texting was done with a numeric keypad.However,many people are shifting to full QWERTY phones purely because of the need to type faster.There are Blackberries,iPhones and even the expensive Nokias available in the market today.Sadly,this is still not affordable to the masses.And this gave rise to a new genre of phones altogether cheap,full QWERTY phones which offer all the basic features (and more) and helps you message quickly.Here are three such phones available in the market. MICROMAX Q5 EZPAD: RS 6,000 Micromax hasnt become a household name yet.The Micromax Q5 is its full keyboard phone.Designwise,it wouldnt come across as tacky at the first look.It has chrome-plated edges with a nice metallic back (which is scratchprone ) and a black rubber cover.Right in the middle is a very effective trackball for navigation and a 2 megapixel camera at the back.The keypad is pretty decent with ergonomic keys and is very tactile.People with fat fingers will find it difficult.It can operate with two simcards at the same time pretty flawlessly and with decent audio quality.If you have friends with long names,then storing your contacts on the phone is going to be a pain as it takes only 10 characters.The Q5 has dedicated keys for Facebook and Windows Live Messenger right on the keyboard itself.The Q5 comes with an Opera Mini to browse the web.Talking about the camera,it clicks just average pictures and has the ability to record video too.As for the modes,it only has two auto & night.MP3 playback is also pretty decent.All-in-all,a good phone for those looking for a full QWERTY keyboard and for those who are not worried much about email. OLIVEMSGR VG8000: RS 2,000 Gurgaon-based company Olive was in the news recently for launching the first laptop in India with a built-in Tata Photon service and also a low-budget phone (Olive Fvron) which can recharge on AA batteries.The Olivemsgr is a phone with no extra frills,it does what it is supposed to do send out text messages faster than the speed of light! The phone has a very responsive QWERTY keyboard with well spaced keys and you can actually feel each individual button.Theres no trackpad but only standard keys and a big black round button in the middle.The phone is really light and there are times when you might not feel it in your pocket at all ! It has no camera and has only a single simcard support and has a 2.2 inch TFT display.The screen resolution is pretty bad with distorted images and colours.It is usable,no doubt,but a better screen would have definitely helped.It can store about 250 SMSes and comes equipped with built-in FM Radio that being the only frill! The Olivemsgr is available in three colours black,blue and orange.This is purely for calling and texting! It might also serve as a secondary phone for long conversations on a special talktime plan! ZEN Z77: RS 3,300 This gadget from the Teleecare Group has just entered the Indian mobile market.As soon as you open the box you will be surprised by how similar the phone looks to the Blackberry Bold 9700.The back is made of plastic but looks very leathery! If the logo Zen wasnt etched on the mobile,you could very well pass this off as a Blackberry! In terms of the keypad,the keys are also shaped like that of the Blackberry and are extremely user-friendly.The button in the middle looks like a touchpad but it isnt its just a normal key! The 2.2-inch screen is easy on your eyes.Memory support is extended up to 4GB via microSD and has a standard 3.5 mm audio jack.The Z77 is a dual sim phone and this feature works with some minor quirks but nothing you need to lose your sleep about.Additional features include FM Radio,a pretty good MP3 Playback,sound recorder and support for GPRS/EDGE.The 1.3 megapixel camera at the back takes very average pictures but can be used as a webcam when connected to the PC.For Rs 3,300 the Zen Z77 is total value for money.This could very well be your primary phone!