The SGH-300 is a mobile phone from Samsung which has been a mobile I've used as a pay as you go for about 5 years. The phone was bought as a spare in case my contract mobile suddenly gave up the ghost and has been in my bag for that period of time. The phone has been used every now and again when my other phone has run out of batteries, the phone is charged by a large insert at the base of the phone and I used to charge it every other weekend and leave the phone turned off when not in use.

This mobile finally died on me only last week, I had used it a couple of times over Christmas and when packing my wife's hospital bag for her upcoming child birth we decided to put my spare mobile in her bag. So we charged it, turned it on and the phone decided to constantly turn itself on and the battery was only lasting hours rather than days. So after 5 years and sporadic use, the phone has made its last phone call and sent its last message. A sad day for all but it only cost £20 when I bought it and as I say I've always had a newer model.

The phone
The phone is a mobile which when it is first picked up comes as a two level phone, the front has the screen and it is approximately two inches long by an inch wide, the front can be pushed up to reveal the keyboard underneath. The screen is approximately an inch square and once the mobile is pushed up the mobile is activated.

This is a classic mobile phone, I've been using a touch screen mobile for a few months and going back to one which isn't took some doing. The phone has the usual blue screen informing the user of incoming calls and texts and a set of buttons on the side of the mobile relating to the icons on the screen. Pressing the left hand sided green button activates the menu and the user has the normal options for messages, phone contacts, making a call, internet, calculator, etc. The right hand side of the phone has a red button which cancels any actions and returns the mobile to the blue screen.

This feels like an old phone now but is only about 5 years old; the mobile fits comfortably in the hand, or in a trouser pocket and charging up was easy. It's sad now it's gone but for an old mobile I think a five year shelf life is reasonable. When you review it comparing it with my Ericsson ray then it looks like it's out of the stone age, however, it did the essentials such as phone calls and messaging and when you get down to it that's all you need in a phone!

It did mean we had to go and buy a new cheap mobile and we paid the same amount as all those years ago, but the difference was amazing, twice as big, screen probably 4 times as big and the battery was paper thin compared to this mobiles chunky beast. Let's hope that one last's five years as well.