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Welcome to the 2011 Telstra T203 Easy Call 2 mobile phone review. The new T203 is the update to the older T202 released last year and is one of the most basic mobile phones you can buy. The key selling point is still the easy of use with large buttons with and uncluttered and relatively large standard screen. Sure the screen should be larger as the older guy next to us said - its still too small to read a full telephone number without glasses.
The T203 Easy Call 2's construction and materials is quite good for a cheap mobile phone. The black plastics and 2 tone scheme helps to make it less cringe worthy when using it in public. The buttons a large and easy enough to press and although still toy like in feel is better than the last version. The screen is quite large but that's because there are few status icons. However as we said before the large font helps readability but the screen is still relatively small. The screen its self is now a colour LCD albeit one which is very average in quality.
In terms of functionality the T203 is a basic phone but it does meet the the needs of the target users, elderly folk and those who only want basic talk and text. The menu system works at a good speed without any lags too. Admittedly the T203 would also suit the younger crowd as something different or a phone that would cut down on phone bills since it can't access the internet. The Easy Touch 2 can only do voice and text messages. This is cool for the school aged kids who demand to be different and do not care about the latest fashionable phone.
With the same features as the prior model the highlights are: a programmable one touch 'short cut' key, a torch and a FM radio that works without needing headphones plugged in, other separate switches for touch, radio and keypad lock. It can also access Telstra's Next G - 3G network which means you'll be able to get more coverage.
Although the Easy Call 2 is simple enough to use there are a few stupid inclusions aimed at those who aren't up to speed with technology. I refer to the unreasonably priced Pocket news option. Pocket News is basically a Telstra method of charging high fees for a 'service' that does not work. It should not even be included as part of the phone's menu system. It is misleading - get rid of it before you have people complaining. The FM radio is also not intuitive to operate which makes it difficult to set up. The other major issue is the alarm function is located before the calender function - very annoying.
Conclusion
Once again we come to a similar conclusion to the Easy Call 2 review as it's predecessor. The T203 Easy Call 2 does do all the basics a mobile phone should be able to do - as in talk and text. It is better than the prior model but it could be so much better in terms of having a more novel design and of course a larger screen.
Specifications
- Telstra Easy Call 2 (T203)
- Network
Dual GSM 900/1800 MHz
NextG 850Mhz
- Design
Candy bar
109mm x 50.8mm x 13.5mm
Weight 86.1 grams
- Display/s
External 128 x 160 pixel color
- Camera
N/A
- Connectivity
USB
- CPU
- Memory
64MB internal memory
40MB available to user
Up to 4Gig MicroSD or Trans Flash cards
- Ring tones
Standard
- Features
SMS
MyWords predictive text
Speaker Phone/Hands free
Calender
Contacts/Phone book
300Hrs Standby, 300Mins Talk Time
1000mAh Li-ion battery
- Package contents
XP/Vista Compatible PC suite
Mac OSX Compatible software
Personal hands free kit
Travel charger
USB cable
- Price history
Less than $100 AUS 2011 (Pre-paid pack)