Digital Boomerang Singapore 

Ericsson launched the new A3618 yesterday. Developed jointly with Arima, Taiwan, it will be available in Singapore the third quarter of this year.The look: Ericsson’s latest phone loses the signature Ericsson flip. Although still extremely stylish and sleek it takes on more of a Nokia feel.

The A3618 is targetted at entry-level users. It is lacquered in two fresh colour combinatins, Icy Silver and Graphite Silver. The ergonomic curves gives it a very snug feel.

The physical attributes: The new phone is 111 x 47 x 22 mm and weighs just 86g. The phone is significantly larger than the T28 and T29. That’s because of the large screen - another move away from the traditional 3-line screens that Ericsson’s older range carries.

The network: The A3618 is a dual band GSM 900/1800 phone.

The frills: Like the new Nokia 3330 and Nokia 8310, it has a high element of fun. The A3618 comes with four different screen background colours so you can change the colour of the light it emits. The backgroud colours can also be tied to your phone book contacts. Calls from friends and family can be red, while business calls can be blue.

It comes with two start-up and shutdown shows are activated when the phone is turned on or off. These shows can also be used as screensavers.

If you want to relax and unwind with your A3618, you can switch to your game menu and play Tetris, Erix or Pulldown.

The A3618 comes with other standard industry features such as predictive T9 Text Input, SMS templates, vibrating alert, profiles and a calendar.

The battery life: The talktime is about 4 hours and the standby time is 90-155 hours. The standby time is really quite impressive. You may find yourself only having to charge your phone once or twice a week.

The drawback: There are no significant drawbacks. It’s just a phone and an alternative choice for consumers in the market. No feature really worth raving about but a worthy competitor in the entry-level market. If priced attractively, it may edge out the bulkier Nokia 3310 and Nokia 3330.

- First published on IT AsiaOne, Specials

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