Phones

Twin or Combo both names to denote two and both supplied by Binatone. The first called the Twin Solo Plus which also has an answering machine. The second the Carrera Combo a cordless and a corded phone using one phone line.

Available from Vodafone as a less-expensive smartphone is the Huawei Ascend as a PAYG product.

According to the Beatles, “All we need is Love” and ZTE in partnership with Virgin Media would like to help the world go around with the release of its White Kis offering in time for the forthcoming festive season.

Despite the “Solo” connotation of its title, this product is available in single, twin, triple or quad offerings depending upon your telephonic needs.

Doro are a name that produce phones that allow the visually and audibly challenged to still send and receive calls, until now the main problem is most of their handsets looked different so drawing attention to the users disability.

Large telephonic buttons and an Emergency message facility means another Doro phone has arrived for review.

A new Smartphone seems to arrive often, a new Apple offering has people queuing round the block, a new Android offering less so, but you can do more of what you want, a new Android smartphone with an Intel Chip.

It has been quite a while since I last had the opportunity to check out a handset bearing the Sony name. In fact it was back when Sony was in partnership with Ericsson for the development of its handsets.

Following my favourite breakfast of bacon baps, I was introduced to a new handset that has become my mobile device of choice.

While long-established company Binatone is well known for its phones and related products, not many people are familiar with its designer brand, iDECT. With its recently introduced iDECT Solo Plus the company has taken a fresh look at the way things were done in the past and has produced a versatile and easy to use DECT phone with built-in answering machine.

While the name of Huawei might not be one of the first names that trips off your tongue when the subject of manufacturers of Android devices is taking place, the company is determined to change that perception with some new products. Recently I took a look at the Huawei MediaPlay tablet and now it is the turn of the Huawei Honor U8860 smartphone.

Since this was first announced I have been trying to get one to test as this is probably the most talked about recent offering from anyone. A friend of mine claims it is the only product he needs to run his whole work life.

It was not so long ago that smartphones were classified as high-end devices with prices to match; now we are seeing budget offerings entering the market.

Doro have long focused on phones for people with hearing and or sight disabilities. These days most want more than just to make calls; recently they have produced a GSM phone and here a unit that also has a camera.

While touch screen smartphones take all the headlines, there is still a market for handsets with more basic feature sets.

Our friends at Doro have been particularly busy of late with several new models aimed at different market sectors appearing at regular intervals.

The Doro PhoneEasy 612 is an easy to use cellphone that incorporates emergency call facilities. It can enable a person to initiate an emergency call and so will be of particular interest to the elderly or infirm together with those who want to ensure the safety of their relatives. At the same time it is a versatile phone that is easy to use and incorporates a camera as well as the wide range of other features that today's users want.

The Doro PhoneEasy 614 is the first 3G phone from Doro. While it may seem rather late in the 3G lifespan it does mean a Doro phone user can benefit from what Doro is good at, loud ring tones, bright and large displays and now the things other phones have.

The Doro Comfort 1015 is an attractive DECT cordless phone that incorporates an answerphone and other features, such as hands-free operation, that a user will find useful. It is convenient to use and is available in a number of variants. As well as the single handset option, there are the two, three and 4-handset packages listed which also provide paging and intercom around the house.

Is your SmartPhone charged by micro USB? If so then this stereo speaker dock can allow you to listen to music while you are charging your phone. So just for a change the iLuv MobiDock is not an iPod dock but one designed for those with SmartPhones.

NASA technology and a branded set of ear-buds are just two of the features found on a new HTC smartphone.

Doro continues to increase the functionality of its handset. Following the introduction of a camera with the last model I looked at, this time 3G technology is added.

Originally developed for the business community the BlackBerry mobile device has now gained popularity with many young users who appreciate its messaging capability.

As with most recent small mobile phones it is touch, the only exception is the volume up and down controls and the on/off button. Just two visible connections the 3.5mm jack for earbuds and the micro USB to recharge it.

You could almost imagine a tiny voice whispering “Take me and hold me” as you open the box containing the Samsung Galaxy S III. Perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration but the Galaxy does have a certain appeal that makes you want to explore its functionality when you first lay eyes on it.

The Doro wired Comfort 3005 phone, with built-in answering machine, is easy to use and has the features needed by the mature people who form a large portion of the Doro target market. It has an extra-loud facility, is hearing aid-compatible and is a hands-free speakerphone as well as having an easy to read high-contrast display.

The latest do everything phone from Sony - the Xperia S. In a form factor little bigger than just a mobile phone you can surf the Internet, get your emails, make and receive phone calls and use third party Android software to keep in touch.

Over the years I have checked out a number of Doro mobile handsets but this latest model does offer some firsts with regards to this handset’s feature set.

In comparison to the tiny phones of not that long ago this Android offering is huge. But as a friend of mine said it can do ‘everything I want’ so I do not need a PC and if you are a light PC user then why not as the screen is huge.

Another item launched last year among glitz and glamour at no less a venue than Claridges. I was told it would be on sale in January – maybe is was – but review units only arrived with the UK agency at the very end of March.