Basic, but then is that all you need? (Motorola M3788)

Member Name: MichaelR

Product:	Motorola M3788
Date:	27/02/01 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely cheap. Lets you make calls and send/receive text

Disadvantages: Big. Heavy. Lack of features

Hmmmm, yes, the M3788.

I've never owned one of these. It just doesn't have the features that I personally look for in a phone, and besides, as I prefer the contract route I can get phones that are a little (or a lot!) more upmarket without parting with any money for the handset itself.

Anyway, to the M3788:

My sister and my Dad both own one of these, my sister having bought one as an Orange Pay-as-you-go as a replacement for a stolen Nokia 5110 that was on Vodafone. My Dad's is a BT Cellnet Pay and Go which he received as a gift.

I've got to use both in the past, and I have to say that the M3788 is best described as chunky. Compared to my little C35i, it is positively HUGE! it is also quite weighty and I think that you may have some problems fitting it into small pockets.

It does feel rugged though, and I've seen my sister drop hers several times without it sustaining any damage.

The battery is similarly large - no standard NiMH batteries here - lifting the back cover off reveals a large Motorola battery pack that looks like it could power a NASA mission to Mars. In reality though, the battery life is very short, tending to need a charge every night and providing very little talk time.

The keys are similarly chunky and do extend some way out of the phone which can make it hard to type text messages in a hurry - especially as there is nothing like T9 (predictive) typing. The keys are also very rubbery, and seem to attract dust which makes it hard to keep clean. I suppose this could be solved by adding a leather case with a keypad cover though.

The antenna also extends some way out from the top of the phone, which makes it an awkward shape overall and could be uncomfortable if slipped into a (deep, it'll need to be!) trouser pocket.

In its favour though, the display is very simple and very clear and it does do everything a phone should - i.e. it can make and receiv
e calls and send and receive text messages. Lovely. Most people don't want to do more than that anyway.

It's only single band, so you can't use it on the continent either, but again, most people are not looking to do that.

My main criticism of the phone would be that most of the features are hard to access - the nine most popular have shortcuts (via keys 1-9) but the others are very difficult to access and you may have to keep referring back to the manual in order to work out how to get to them.

I also find it uncomfortable to use for any length of time, and it starts to heat up after about 20 minutes, making it even more uncomfortable.

If you're into gimmicks and using your phone more as a fashion accessory than a tool then you'll also be disappointed at the lack of customisation options - the only thing you can really do is change the ringtone. (you can select from 11 - all presets) It's also no good for anyone who uses the phone as a personal organiser of sorts either, as it is basically JUST A PHONE.

So yes, it is bog standard and featureless, but it is so very cheap and it does have the two most popular functions - calls and SMS, and as I said before, that seems to be all that most of you want.

In conclusion then, I would recommend this if you're just looking for a bog standard mobile for occasional/emergency use on a pay-as-you-go scheme, but if you're planning on using a mobile a lot, then perhaps you should also look a bit further up the range (and price scale)

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