About me:I am a university student studying veterinary medicine in the UK.
Member since:30.09.2004
Reviews:7
Members who trust:5
Review rated by 21 Ciao members on average: helpful
This review received a counterstatement by a party concernedRead Comment
I decided that what I needed from a phone was simply to make calls and send the occasional text message. That's why I bought the A50. Its cheap, no frills approach seemed to be just what I needed. And don't get me wrong it has served me quite well but I do have a few gripes that are making me think I might soon be changing phones (I now have).
The main one is that the buttons are not very responsive. There is nothing more annoying than trying to write a text and moving on to the next character only to realise that you didn't press the button hard enough for the last one to register. This phone is certainly not for the ardent texter. It just doesn't provide as exciting a tactile experience as you would like. Whereas some phones are actually a joy to use (see my review of the Sony Ericsson k700i) using this phone really is a chore. You won't be caught using it any longer than is absolutely necessary. The best word to describe the buttons is, 'spongy'. It takes a long time to enter a number or type a text message because you have to wait and make sure that you have actually pushed the button down hard enough for the phone to realise what is happening. Whereas some phone buttons respond with a satisfying, 'click', the buttons on the A50 respond with more of a, 'squidge'!
Obviously this phone has no camera, polyphonic ringtones, java games, colour screen or any of the now standard modcons. This can't really be held against it however as it isn't marketed to be this kind of phone and it does fit into its own little niche.
Another problem is that the A50 takes a very (some would say unreasonably so) length of time to turn on. It takes about 25 seconds to turn it on, enter the pin code and be ready to make a call. When you do turn it on and off you are shown a silly little cartoon animation of a cat. I can put up with this but it is annoying and might make some people shy away.
The cover on my A50 is also starting to crack which is disappointing because it isn't that old and it hasn't been subjected to any overtly stressful situations. It seems to not be great at weathering even normal wear and tear. This means you can probably expect pay out a certain amount every now and again in order to replace the rear cover (the front cover is fixed and cannot be removed).
The colour may also put some people off. Although the A50 is definitely blue, it is verging on purple and some guys might not like the thought of a purple phone. As far as I'm aware that's tough because I don't think that there is any other option so if you are a bit insecure then you will have to look for something else!
The general look of the A50 isn't too bad however. It is not very big and it is reasonably light and the design is fairly, 'sporty'. This is one redeeming area for the A50. If it looked stupid as well as having limited functionality then I really couldn't recommend this phone to anyone. Even technophobes who tend to opt for chunky, basic phones should keep away as the A50 is about as user friendly as a space shuttle.
Overall though if you can put up with the disadvantages and simply want a cheap phone that will let you make the odd call then this phone is good value for money. Unfortunately, I can't which is why I have given it such a poor rating.
Pictures of Siemens A50
The Siemens A50 - can you see those evil little buttons just staring at you?!?
Hi, David - I was REALLY enjoying that read - and then it just STOPPED. (you didn't even warn me, sob!) It was the start of an Exceptional review that then never materialised. Remember, you are not just telling a story (or detailing problems) but trying to give sufficient information to help someone make a "buying" decision - for me that includes battery-charge information, length of talk time/standby time, and possibly a slightly more detailed comparison with a similar phone and a few more details as to menu features and security features (you could compare my latest review and the review I wrote for the S6 and even the not-quite-so-well-received MT50 review for examples, perhaps) - ♥ - jes ≈≈≈≈{; -)-{{::::: |||||<
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21.03.2005 08:59
Hi, David - I was REALLY enjoying that read - and then it just STOPPED. (you didn't even warn me, sob!) It was the start of an Exceptional review that then never materialised. Remember, you are not just telling a story (or detailing problems) but trying to give sufficient information to help someone make a "buying" decision - for me that includes battery-charge information, length of talk time/standby time, and possibly a slightly more detailed comparison with a similar phone and a few more details as to menu features and security features (you could compare my latest review and the review I wrote for the S6 and even the not-quite-so-well-received MT50 review for examples, perhaps) - ♥ - jes ≈≈≈≈{; -)-{{::::: |||||<
11.03.2005 19:42
nicely added, the extra info makes it that bit more of a helpful read. good job James
11.03.2005 13:34
i think that i'll stick to my little samsung - xara