Nokia 9300 (AT&T)

When my previous phone deteriorated, I decided to not take the cheap route again. I also wanted a QWERTY keyboard (I LOVE text messaging) and a calender function (I'm a forgetful person). I'm also one of those people that always has a 'list' in my pocket, whether it's a shopping list, list of things to do, or list of stuff to download (again, I'm forgetful).

I originally planned on getting a Blackberry, but I didn't like the crammed keyboard and the feeling of using a big square PDA as a phone.

For what I was looking for in a new phone, the Nokia 9300 gave me what I wanted. The keyboard is wide. The calender function is a breeze to use. And the "Write Note" feature replaced all the lists and little pieces of paper that I carried around.

Now, I've always been a Nokia fan. Their chargers are compatible with any other Nokia model, and their operating systems and menus are the easiest to navigate out of any other brand phone that I've used (had Motorola and Siemens).

With all that said, I'll get into the cons and dislikes of the phone (some of them are pretty major when considering on making a purchase like this). There are four significant dislikes that I have for this phone, but have learned to live with.

First, there is NO vibrate option. You read that correctly, no vibrate. There is no option to set it to vibrate, nor is there even a vibration motor inside the phone. I've learned to check my phone more often, but I still miss a lot of phone calls (only friends though, glad it's not my business phone).

Second, the phone is large, long, and heavy. My first phone ever was a Nokia 3390, so I've experienced large and heavy. I've also owned a Siemens SL56 (tiny tiny phone) and just previously a Motorola v551 (same OS as the Razr). I understand that in order to get the nice wide keyboard, the phone has to be made longer. However, the phone is probably one of the heaviest out there right now. And I definitely foresee future models being much slimmer.

Third, there is no camera. I just got used to having a camera with me at all times with my Motorola v551. To tell you the truth, it was a nice feature to have, but I'm doing fine without it.

Fourth, the operating system, although easy to use, can lag a bit sometimes. Most features of the phone take a few seconds to load up. I think this is common with Nokia phones. From what I remember, my 3390 had lag, and the Motorola v551 was pretty good about being quick to respond. But I don't mind the lag too much. I see it as me being spoiled in a fast paced world. A faster processor would have added a lot more to the price.

In conclusion, if the phone was lighter and slimmer, came with a camera and had vibration mode, then I would be the ultimate advocate for converting everyone in the world to buying this phone. This phone will impress your friends, until they hold it and say "man, that's heavy." But for me, right now, I love this phone!