The Snappy Motorola C550

Does anyone these days bother with ‚conventional‚ cameras? It seems everyone is getting snapshot-happy with camera phones. ADAM MEGENS slides the new Motorola C550 out of his pocket and into his trigger-happy fingers. Be warned: he is a convert ‚Ķ

The battery will have to be charged before you can go photographing your own personal kaleidoscope of party tricks. You will also need to install the software on your computer to enable it to communicate with your phone. It will also be necessary to contact your service provider to enable your MMS and GPRS. In order to be able to surf the net for your favourite downloads you will have to programme your GPRS settings into your phone (these settings should be available from your service provider). Even though this may sound daunting, it really is as simple as following a few easy steps and punching in a few letters and numbers, and all the cellular Internet freedom you desire will be no further than the touch of your fingertips.

This is a tricky question to answer. The answer is simply that it depends on what make of phone you are comfortable with using. Many people will use the Motorola after being accustomed to a Nokia interface, for instance, and so their response will be rather unfavourable. But Motorola have solved the problems that are common to all phone manufacturers with a different outlook and perspective. So the answer is relative. First time Motorola users, too, will have to consult the user manual for complicated operations, just as they would any other make of phone. But the C550 has a very colourful user interface – literally and figuratively: It is attractive and the menu seems better laid-out than previous models.

The C550 does deliver. It has a lot to offer in terms of gadgetry and neat tricks supported by sexy good looks. A big part of the appeal of most Motorola handsets is their chameleon-like ability to chop and change to suit your personality. Along with this, it offers all the coolest necessities, like your polyphonic ringtones, colour display and MMS, so you’ll never be left out in the cold when the Joneses are around.

Unfortunately the C550 does not notch up high points on the ‚innovation’ scoreboard. There is nothing new to see here. My understanding is that this model is not being marketed as a phone that makes leaps and bounds in hi-tech, but rather that it has all the amenities that most top level phones have to offer while remaining a very attractive little temptation to a consumer who is after good value.

The recommended retail price for the C550 is R1 599, a price that sets it apart from most other camera phones in its class, which start off at a good fifty to sixty percent more. So if you’re in the market for a new phone, jump for this gem, but do look out for up and coming phones. The folk at Motorola have been as busy as Santa’s little helpers to bring yet newer models to market.

For more information about the Motorola C550, visit their website http://www.motorola.co.za. Alternatively contact Motorola on (011) 800-7800.

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