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My Nokia E65 Review

I first posted (here) about the official releases of the newest E-series models; E90, E61i and E65. To date, only the E65 has reached our shores.

I never thought about it much when I first heard that it was released here. Seeing it on most websites, I figured it was pretty much the same as the Nokia 6280 / 6288; a typical flimsy-and-not-so-solid slider phone, with same Nokia OS... basically nothing to shout about. So I didn't even bother to make my way to the shops to check it out in hand. (Besides, I was more curious about the E90 and E61i anyway). It was only recently, when I visited a couple I knew, BOTH of whom were sporting the Nokia E65's, like a His (mocha colour) & Her's (red colour) thing. And when I first held it in hand, I was blown away! It was the total opposite of what I had pictured it to be, or read from my websites. I was sadly mistaken. And now that I have a unit in hand, you will understand why. Read on...

Inbox

1 x E65 unit
1 x Nokia BL-5F battery
1 x Travel Charger AC-4X
1 x Pop port USB cable
1 x Pop port stereo headset
1 x E65 suede pouch
1 x 256MB Micro SD (with adapter)
1 x User guide and other reading material
1 x Nokia PC Suite software CD

First impressions

Aside from already having felt it in hand at my friend's place, I still opened up the box (with glee) to be greeted by a mocha coloured E65 unit all nicely wrapped up in its plastic protection, looking up at me from its cardboard enclosure. Immediately putting in my SIM card, and then the battery, I started it up. While waiting, I began examining every single button, its leather-textured back cover and the whole general form factor. I was impressed. It feels really solid and executive material. That is a plus point to me.

Physical Aspects / Build quality

• Available in either Mocha or Red, the E65 is a slim slider-form factor. As I mentioned earlier, its similar to the Nokia 6280 / 6288, but worlds apart in terms of feel. The (top half) front of my mocha E65 review unit has a mocha coloured matt finishing with brushed silver buttons, surrounded by a chrome lining.
  
• The E65 sports a new design with the 4 function keys on the front. E-series has done a good write up, with pictures, here. So I won't try to add on too much to this. All I can say is that its quite useful. Nokia has put some thought into this it seems. The Call / End and two menu buttons do seem a bit small though I have to say, but they are also raised, so at least pressing it shouldn't be a problem. I suppose it just takes getting used to.
• Sliding up the E65, by either a slight push from the bottom or on the phone's screen by using your thumbs, there's a nice clunk sound when the E65 is fully opened, or closed. The keypad beneath is also brushed silver in colour and is designed in such a way, that each key has a ridge that "juts" out, making it very easy and comfortable to press. Those with big hands / fingers like me should have no problem here.
• The (bottom half) back of the E65 sports the camera in the top centre (as pictured) with a leather textured battery cover. This is a nice touch from Nokia. Aside from adding a bit of class, it acts as a non-slip surface so that you won't easily lose grip of your E65.
  
• On the right hand side, you will find 4 buttons. The increase / decrease volume buttons, a voice recorder button and a quick edit button (I'm not sure why this button is located here, as I don't see a use for it). It is worth mentioning though, that you won't find any dedicated camera buttons on the side at all. This means, using your camera, you'd have to use the button in the middle of the 5 way navi key on the front of the E65. Very odd.
• The memory slot (for the packaged 256MB micro-SD) is located by the side of the SIM card area. And yes, this means you would have to remove the battery cover just to insert / remove the micro-SD. In my opinion, this is ideal, so that you won't misplace this tiny sized memory card so easily!
  

Display / User Interface

• Sporting a 16 million QVGA screen, with the latest S60 3rd Edition Symbian OS, the screen resolution is in a word, beautiful. (Very similar to the N80, N73 and E61 when they first came out though). It makes you just want to look at your screen numerous times a day (I sure did!). Due to this reason alone, the Active Standby (I'll touch on this under Other features) and camera photos look great. The wallpapers and themes look good too, now a standard feature, and can be customized to suit every individual's needs.
  
• The menu key, oddly enough, is located right at the bottom of all the buttons on the front. It is one of the smallest keys there, which is one of my issues. At first, it took me a while to figure out where the menu button was because I couldn't see it! But after discovering it, it brought me to the familiar Symbian menu, in a grid style layout, using the 5 way navi key making it a breeze to browse around. You could easily find your way around without referring too much to the guides / manuals.
  

Calls / Messaging

• E65 supports Push Email services from Nokia (Intellisync), Microsoft (Exchange), Blackberry (Blackberry Connect), SMS, MMS and more. Although its capabilities are abundant, it probably won't mean much to the average Bruneian user. Meaning, its probable that only SMS's, MMS's and the occasional email accessing will be used the most. As I mentioned earlier, with the raised ridge-like buttons, typing SMS's should not be a problem. I actually enjoyed using the keypad myself, sending the odd few SMS's every so often. So no complaints here.
  
• Call quality on the E65 is superb, as expected. Calls made were without any problems, with both parties being able to talk / hear quite clearly. The loudspeaker performance is satisfactory too. I never have any gripes about this functionality with Nokia anyway.
  

Multimedia / Camera performance and quality

• The Nokia Eseries are generally known as business phones, targeted towards business people on the go. What this means is that, although a music player is included into their models, don't expect iPod like features and functionalities in these phones. (Nokia addresses this by releasing "Music editions", which I really find quite pointless. But hey, that's another story altogether). But generally speaking, the E65's music player does its job as it should. Songs / ringtones can be heard quite clearly, depending on your taste of music of course. And the included earphones are of standard issue too, so don't expect heart-thumping-boom-making quality from them. But, like I said, E65 would satisfy any average user that wants to have a few songs to listen to every so often. Besides, how many songs can you store on a 256MB micro-SD anyway? (Note: E65 does supports up to 2GB for memory capacity)
• Camera wise, the performance is satisfactory for a 2 mega pixel camera phone. Here are some shots taken (see provided shots below. Drinks at a cafe, a Fan at a house and the PC Fair at Mall this weekend)
  

• Those that I've showed these photos to, were impressed with the quality. But I do suspect though, that its partly due to the screen resolution. I would not expect it to be print-material but its definitely good enough for capturing those special moments in your daily outings. Plus, there isn't any flash LED, macro mode or auto focus, which limits the conditions you could use the camera in anyway. My main issue here would be the lack of a dedicated camera button by the side.
  

Other features - PIM based features, Battery Life, Connecivity and etc

• With the QVGA screen, I have to say that the Active Standby feature has always been joy to view for me. Nokia has improved this feature since the days of the Nokia 6680's, till now, which really benefits end users like us. Aside from customizing all the quick keys on the top (a maximum of 6), seeing your appointments for the day, and having a shortcut to search for WLAN accesses around, the E65 adds new features which allows you to see Missed Calls, New messages, Voice mails or similar notifications as a pop up message or on your Active Standby. Quite handy. I won't touch on Memo / Calendar / Clock entries though, as they are no major changes here.
  
• Since starting out the day with a fully charged battery, coupled with a few calls, numerous SMS's, camera photo shot taking, mp3 music listening, and menu customizing, the battery meter has not moved by even one bar at the end of the day! I am impressed! The E65 is proven to have a long battery life, which should be great news for any potential buyer interested.
  
• Connectivity wise, the E65 has available for you, the full onslaught of every feature you'd need; Quad band EGSM, 3G, Wifi, USB 2.0, IRDA and Bluetooth 1.2. I have tested the wifi search on the E65 and it is f-a-s-t. Reading my own blog on the E65's screen was straightforward, after selecting the wifi source of course. Sending files on bluetooth was also noticeably faster than previous models I've tested on. However, being a 3G phone, this is yet another model without the front facing camera, which I would expect as a minimum for all 3G phones really. So, you are limited to using 3G for data purposes only with the E65.
  
• Amongst the numerous applications which are included in the set, there are two key features which I will mention. The first is Quickoffice. It is now read / editable, which should be good news for the business person on the go. The second, is Team Suite. This is an application which allows easy communication and collaboration among teams. But, I doubt that it would work here in Brunei. What a pity.
  

Problems / Issues

• I didn't like the fact that fingerprints and face smudges can so easily be made on the chrome surrounding on the front cover. Maybe that is why a suede pouch is included in the sales package.
  
• I found the menu button to be a bit too small, and to make it worse, its location on the bottom of all the buttons on the front. Those with big thumbs would find this an issue.
  
• The 2 mega pixel camera could be improved as well. Aside from the lack of flash LED, macro modes and auto focus, there wasn't a dedicated camera key on the side of the phone either. You will be limited to using the center button on the 5 way navi pad.
  
• A 3G phone without a front facing camera for video calls?
  

d3xlabs recommendations

Having the E65 to test for a couple of days has been great. Despite the minor problems I had with it, I will definitely regret returning it. It feels very different from the other Nseries or Eseries Nokias that came before it. Selling at BND700+, it is reasonably priced for a phone of this calibre. Executives will love it because of its class and appeal, the general public will love it for its size and feel. Already, there are dozens out there using this model, and more to come. I even contemplated about getting one myself if I wasn't using a Treo 680.

So would I recommend the E65? Yes.

Orange is the new Black

This will be a quick post. (I know I say that all the time, but it ends up being so long anyway)

Its been an adventure the past few days.... Nokia N95 released in all local shops since Monday, and most people I know have been pretty excited about it. As for the launch price, at the time of this post, I know that INCOMM Gadong is selling it at the lowest so far. BND1,288-00. Quite reasonable for a phone thats "got everything" AND a never-before-on-Nokia, a 5 mp camera. Of course, if you can afford one. I've yet to see it first hand before I make any judgements. A friend has just bought one today though, so you can be sure I will definitely look for him to get my "hands on" impressions soon!

AND, also!!! .... Like my new toy??

Yup, you better believe it. My Copper (orange) Treo 680! My buddy sourced it for me in Singapore, only 3 weeks old, and it arrived yesterday! Apparently, the (ex) owner bought it from the US, and didn't like the colour after using it. Too bright maybe? (And incidentally, he decided to sell it, and get the Arctic white 680 instead!) Just my luck! So I knew I had to jump on it!! Condition was perfect too! Its SUCH a rare find this side of Asia! In Brunei, I know of friends with the Arctic whites and Crimson reds, but no one's got a Copper orange yet! Ahhh, what a colour. I've always loved the colour orange. Its the new black.

Ok ok, some have argued with me today that I've broken one of my goals this year by changing a new phone. TECHNICALLY, I'm still using a Treo 680 alright? Its just the colour's that changed. So, my goal's still applicable. Argue all you like, but i'm STILL using a T-r-e-o-6-8-0.

In the coming week, I hope to get my hands on a Nokia 6300, e65 and N95 to review. And for those successful types, I'll try get my hands on the latest Sony Ericssons and Motorolas to review too. Will keep you posted.

Are You Over the Hill? Change your phone!

I am always a sucker for articles about mobile phones, either from newspapers or websites. Every night, when I'm free, one of the usual things I'd probably be doing is web surfing through my usual dosages of phone sites, news feeds and of course, blogs. Anyway, a relative of mine recently told me about this article from Engadget which she thought I would find interesting.

Needless to say, it sure tickled me!

Here's what it said.

"A survey of cellphone users in Australia, conducted by Panorama and released by Nielsen Media Research (*who are they anyway??), has proved what pretty much everyone already knew: people are likely to base broad, stereotypical assumptions about you on your cellphone (*surprise, surprise... I definitely agree), just like they do with everything else you use and wear (*sounds alot like Bruneians). We're guessing this breaks down a bit differently in Aussieland, but here's how mobile users tend to associate down under:

• Nokia: Family-minded, middle aged managers, balance seekers, health conscious
• Motorola: Fashion conscious, under 24, fun seekers, individualistic
• Sony Ericsson: Ambitious young men, professionals, success driven, individualistic
• LG: Favorite of mums, stay-at-home parents, success driven, harmony seekers
• Samsung: Young women, career focused, success driven, fun seekers

The upshot of this research is that since most phone service providers rate the same, people are for the most part picking a carrier based on phone selection -- again, we're not exactly floored by the analysis here. Now all that's left is how to pigeon hole HTC and Palm users. We're thinking "good looking, fun loving, Engadget reader" would be a nice start (*Now THIS I totally agree. Says it all about Palm users doesn't it?)".

*comments in italics mine.

Well, whoever Nielson Media is and aside from proving what we all know already, (that people look at your phone as a status thing, whether here in Brunei or other countries, the reality is that people DO look at what you wear, what you drive expecially, what phone you use.... to classify your status. How superficial), this article has definitely amused me in terms of stereotyping what type of user you are based on the BRAND of your phone!

Nokia for middle aged family minded folks?!! LG for mums and stay at home parents?!! Hilarious!!! I can see everyone's faces now. You're probably looking at your phone now and thinking, "Hey, waitaminute, that can't be right".

But then, SE for the ambitious, professionals, individualistic? That sounds about right.

Motorola for fashion conscious and fun seekers? That's spot on!

Samsung for ladies (???) who are fun seekers and career minded? I'm divided on this one. But guys, if you're reading this, and you use a Samsung... I guess its not too late to change, or at least, don't show anyone in Australia you're using this girly brand ok?

But I do think, that if we did such a survey here in Brunei, we'd find quite interesting results that could dispute against this Aussie one. Especially for Nokia users in particular. But it makes you think though, what impression ARE you giving by using the phone you're using now. Any comments?

Hot off the press!

Just a quick post.

Its now official, according to Nokia's press release (below), the N95 is officially being shipped. I was reading the press release, and it struck me, are we here in Brunei considered a "key Asian" country in the eyes of Nokia? I'm not sure who can answer that, but for a country with a mobile phone population that has potentially outgrown its own human population, I'd sure consider us "key"! But fret not, I'm sure our local shops will be rushing to bring them in as soon as they can.

(Press release) Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that the Nokia N95 started shipping in key European , Asian and Middle Eastern markets, with expanded shipments to other markets in those regions in the coming weeks. The Nokia N95 is an all-in-one multimedia computer with a unique 2-way slide design, integrated GPS functionality, a 5 megapixel camera and support for high-speed mobile networks, making it easier to watch and record videos, listen to songs, take high-quality photos, browse the internet, or catch up on email while on the move.

"The Nokia N95 is the ultimate multimedia computer and a fantastic example of what Nokia Nseries devices can deliver," said Juha Putkiranta, senior vice president, Multimedia, Nokia. "It easily replaces a number of single purpose devices with a well designed package that is with you and connected. The Nokia N95 is what computers have become - personal, powerful and connected devices."

Designed for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) networks and with support for WLAN, EDGE and WCDMA networks, the Nokia N95 provides excellent coverage and connection speeds. Browsing the internet and subscribing to your favourite news feeds is a pleasure using the Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map.

The Nokia N95 offers a well rounded entertainment experience with a sharp color display, built-in stereo speakers, a standard 3.5 mm audio connector and support for compatible microSD memory cards. With powerful 3D graphics, the Nokia N95 has a stunning user interface that makes it intuitive to find the features and services you want.

With its integrated GPS and Nokia Maps application, finding your way just got easier. The Nokia Maps application includes maps for more than 150 countries, enabling users to explore the world, find specific routes or locate services such as restaurants and hotels and covering more than 15 million points of interest. You can also purchase additional features, such as city guides and voice guided navigation.

The innovative 2-way slide design makes it easy to switch between different modes, going from reading maps to watching a video with a simple slide. With Carl Zeiss optics on the 5 megapixel camera, you can capture print quality photos and DVD-like quality video clips.

The Nokia N95 is based on the world's leading S60 software on Symbian OS, enabling you to personalize your device from a wide choice of compatible applications that can be downloaded to the Nokia N95, including games, navigation, entertainment, productivity and creativity.

Moving on... Sony Ericsson has been doing their own thang lately and keeping abreast with the constant changes in the mobile world. They have just announced the releases of two new models. The SE w580 (top) and z750 (bottom).

Apparently, the z750 is almost virtually identical to the z610 in terms of hardware, with a difference that the Z750 is the first phone based on Sony Ericsson’s Java Platform 8 (JP-8), supporting a range of new Java programming features. I won't mention too much on this. Lets just say, its a simple phone.

The w580 on the other hand, is a minor upgrade tweak of the recent w850 which everyone has been buzzing about over the past few months. According to Gsmarena, "the Sony Ericsson W580 is equipped with a 2 megapixel camera, a 2" 262K TFT display with a QVGA resolution, FM radio, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and is additionally enhanced by a Memory Stick Micro M2 memory card slot (512MB card included). This quad-band Walkman phone comes with a twist though - besides all the music goodies it also features a pedometer and some sports-oriented applications much like the w710 does"

Just great, they're releasing models that are pretty much the same as the previous model now? Doesn't it sound like the w580 can do exactly what a w850 can do? Nokia's tactics must be getting to them as well. Ok, maybe there is a difference ... the numbering of the model. "850=>580". Ah well, at least it looks cool.

My Nokia 6233 review

For those faithful to the brand of Nokia, the older models of 6230 and (subsequently) 6230i would perhaps ring in your memories as one of the best selling Nokias around at the time. When the 6230 was first released, many were awed by the sheer size and fully packed features it offered. It was the ultimate business phone. Until... that is, their owners spent more time with it. Issues with varying memory capacities, poor memory card support, mediocre camera quality and most of all, the nagging center Navi-pad became increasingly hard to ignore.

So what was Nokia’s solution? They upgraded and released a “newer” model, and plonked an “i” at the back. The 6230i was exactly what the 6230 should have been in the first place. It had a better screen resolution, a better camera (1.3 megapixels back then was revolutionary), better memory card support and best of all, the center Navi-pad which (then) featured a “mini-button” to satisfy even the biggest of thumbs! The 6230i sold like hotcakes needless to say, and quickly became a very familiar sight in Brunei. It was an all rounder. To this day, there are still owners of 6230i out there, unwilling to just let go.

Then, in 2Q of 2006, Nokia pulls another hat out of the bag, JUST when you thought they couldn’t possibly improve anymore on the 6230i (or JUST when you were starting to get bored, like me), the Nokia 6233 was launched! The best business phone around? A better improvement from 6230i? I certainly think so. Read on….

1. Physical Aspects / Build quality

• Available in either Black and Silver grey, the 6233 has a plastic body with a metallic shiny chrome frame and a matt surface finishing on the back. But holding it in my hands, it feels solid and classy. A nice touch by Nokia.
• The keypad layout is well designed and spaced out evenly, which is good news for those with big hands.
• The location of the camera sits towards the center at the back, with the camera button at the standard location (towards the center). One look at the 6233 and you would half expect it to be a camera. But then again, I suppose most phones these days now look like cameras anyway.
• The volume keys are on the top right hand side of the phone, which in my opinion, is ideal especially when you would like to increase / decrease the call volume during a call. Simple, just use your thumb!
• The memory card slot, located on the bottom left hand side of the phone seems almost invisible, being so small and camouflaged into the body. Here, you will need to use your fingernails to pry out the cover before being able to insert/eject the 64mb micro-SD that is included in the sales package. This could be a problem for some.
  

2. Display / User Interface

• Sporting a beautiful TFT display with QVGA (240x320 pixel) resolution, the 6233 looks absolutely gorgeous. Coupled with the last generation of Series 40 platform, I was impressed with the display. I couldn’t stop fiddling around with the menu due to this. You can also mess about with the usual customizable features like wallpapers and themes too, which I found myself doing quite regularly. Also, being a S40 platform, you can view your menu in either grid or list view, depending on your taste. Please note however, it’s exactly the same S40 platform you’d see in the Nokia 6280, 6270 and 6131. So if you're an owner of one of these models, forget about upgrading.
• The User Interface is typical Nokia. If you’re an existing or even a 1^st time Nokia user, you would not get confused with the interface at all. Nokia is arguably one of the best when it comes to user friendliness. You could pretty much start using the phone without reading the manuals at all. Of course, you could argue, at the same time, being so typical Nokia, it’s just plain boring. Overall though, no complaints here.
  

3. Calls / Messaging

In Brunei, these are perhaps the most used and most important factors in ANY mobile that people look for in this country. Particularly the messaging part. No one talks these days!

• The 6233 messaging features available are the standard SMS, MMS, email and Push to Talk. There are also features called Flash message (where are messages which simply show on the screen of the recipient, not appearing in the inbox at all) and Audio Message (self explanatory). As Push to Talk is not a service provided by Brunei at all, I will not bother expanding on this. SMS-ing, on the other hand, feels very comfortable with the 6233, with the feedback being just right and all buttons within reach for the average one-handed Bruneian sms fanatic. In a word, its EXCELLENT.
• Call quality on the 6233 is nothing short of expected. It’s a Nokia remember? Reception should not be a problem anywhere in Brunei. I had no problems with phonecalls either. Conversations between both parties was satisfactory (and loud!). Also, the (now) popular standard feature of loud speakers is by far, one of the best. People around me could hear my whole conversation when I switched on the loud speaker.
  

4. Multimedia / Camera performance and quality

• The Music Player on the 6233 does what its meant to do, play midis, mp3’s and wav files. The layout is simple and straightforward. The 6233 is one of the 1^st Nokia models sporting “stereo speakers”. Sound quality is definitely louder and clearer than any model before, or after, dare I say. You would not have a problem hearing your ringtones and calls coming in at all. Although. there were a few songs which I tried out, which did seem rather sharp to the ears though, but this could be the mp3 itself. But if you use the included earphones on the other hand, the quality is better, with possibilities to switch the equalizer modes according to your taste. Overall though, it is good enough. Plus, you can have all your songs saved in the micro-SD.
• Camera wise, photos taken (see provided shots; one taken in the daytime, and the other, at night in a bright room) are average. Capable of taking shots with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels, I would also not solely rely on the 6233 for my printed photos. Camera response is adequate, and you are able to use either the dedicated camera button on the side, or the 5 way navi-pad to snap away. But with the presence of auto-focus camera phone models like the older siblings, n73, n93 or n93i’s or Sony Ericsson’s Cybershot series phones, the 6233 simply fails in comparison. I mean, you can still take decent shots, but just for memory purposes I suppose. Otherwise, use a digital camera.

5. Other features - PIM-based features, Battery life, Connectivity

• Another current feature that is evident in all Nokias now too, is the Active Standby screen. As mentioned before, with the beautiful screen resolution, you will be able to select which applications you want to be displayed on your standby screen. This ties up with the Calendar feature very well. Being quite a busy person at times, I’ve often found that the Nokia PIM capabilities are amongst the most reliable compared to other brands. Simple and easy enough to set your meetings, calls, birthdays, memos and reminders, you will never miss another appointment. But as I said, Nokia excels in this feature. (Which is still lacking with Sony Ericsson, sadly)
• Battery life on the 6233 is good, but not great. Being a hardcore SMS user myself, and coupled with the occasional calls throughout the day, I find myself having to charge the 6233 at the end of the night, which shows that roughly 25% is left. This could be an issue.
• Connectivity wise, with Bluetooth, Infrared, Packet data, data transfer AND USB data cable capabilities available, you would be hard pressed to find any better phone out there to get yourself connected with! My testing with the Bluetooth feature was satisfactory, with transferring of mp3’s, wallpapers and photos going through quite easily. GPRS with the built in browser was also reasonably fast (better than the previous 6230i at least!) but then seriously, who uses these tiny mobile screens to surf anyway?

6. Problems / Issues

• Battery life is definitely an issue for me. It barely lasted 2 days with a heavy user like me.
• Being a 3G phone, where’s the front camera?
• The 2mega pixel camera could be better improved. No auto focus or flash? Disappointing.

7. d3xlabs recommendations

Having used the 6233 for a few days, I really grew to like the solid performer, despite the few nit-picking problems I had with it. But overall though, it is without a doubt, a much better model than the 6230 and 6230i before it. It exudes class, it feels solid and for its price (of roughly BND350-00), you would not be able to find another mobile this feature-packed with other similar priced sets. The Nokia 6233 is definitely ideal for those who want a phone that does a little bit of everything. It’s an all rounder in my books.

So would I recommend it? Yes.

Back to reality

Its been a good break. Three days away in Singapore. Take away the travelling time, and I was left with one and a half days worth of free time and shopping. Boy was it madness. I've got a super tired-out body to prove it. And a massage receipt from Pearl Health to match too.

When I left for this trip, I decided that I would try make my blog interesting by posting photos of myself (as a mobile i.e. my Treo!) wherever I went in Singapore, akin to a photoblog story. So, here I began, quite pleased with myself, my first photo taken of my(treo)self in the arrival hall at Changi International Airport. Living proof I did venture out of Brunei. (Disclaimer: all photos taken with camera phones. No digicam's used in this production. Mobile blogs only use mobile cameras remember?)


My second photo. In my previous post, I mentioned I'd be meeting up with my good mate from Singapore, from Hollermobile. We went to this (awesome) place called Brewerks, a German owned "micro-brewery" that just so happens to be a restaurant too. And boy what a restaurant it was! I ordered a rib steak and I think that was the best (ever) tasting steak in my life! I'm not kidding. (But since this isn't a food blog, so I won't dwell too much on this). And of course, as drinks, we had none other than the in-house brewed selections! This photo shows the menu (in black) with what Brewerks calls, a "Sample set". Basically, its a double shot glass worth of every brew variety! Definitely a first for me. To sample about 8 types in one sitting! NICE. (BUT, as this isn't a drink blog, I won't dwell too much on this either!) Needless to say though, we did order a more "manly" volume of the in-house favourite after that. (Manly = 1 jug)

I definitely left the restaurant, after a great time catching up about all things mobile of course, in full gratitude to my mate for this recommendation, and I resolved to make sure that I would visit Brewerks every time I set foot in Singapore.

Right, you may notice that in this second photo, my Treo is somewhat missing. (Yes I was still fully conscious). Ok I'll admit it, I totally forgot to take a snap with my Treo in it! But then again, this photo was taken WITH my Treo, so it would have been impossible anyway.

What I've also failed to mention, is that this was the last photo I took from the whole trip! I had also totally forgot to snap pics of my(treo)self wherever I went!! Geez, I totally suck as a photo blogger!!! In my defence though, it was a very rush trip, I just didn't have the time to even stop to take any photos! But then again, I suppose looking in hindsight, I would've looked rather weird anyway. Imagine stopping along Orchard Road, holding my Treo up in the air, and snapping a photo against backgrounds / malls such as Far East Plaza, Paragon, Takashimaya and the likes. That would SURELY draw many looks from everyone else.

So in the end, all I came back with were more clothes and absolutely nothing mobile related (for myself that is) (unless you consider a pen stylus for Treo 680 a worthy purchase). I did however, bring back a new Treo 680 for a friend, and a Sony Ericsson k610i for my cousin, which I asked my good mate to source for me from there. So all is not lost.

But its just hardened my resolve that I'm absolutely not a photo blogger like many of the excellent local bloggers that we have here. C'mon, my passion's mobiles, not taking photos. But at least I tried right?

Anyway, back to reality now. Just a quick note: 3 potential mobiles for sale.

• Nokia 9500
• Nokia 6600
• Nokia 6630

More details tomorrow!