I can remember when a dual sim phone that had a real time analog TV was considered a novelty and very innovative, as the “TV out” feature was more accepted. This is not true anymore. Today, there are a few brisk selling phones that feature real time analog television. Interestingly, many of these TV phones also have full keyboards / scroll bars which is preferred by many for texting. This makes them very sought after in some circles.

Likewise, the built in digital camera on many import clones has greatly evolved. Initially, many imports got by on 1.3 mega pixel cameras. This eventually evolved to 2 mega pixels. Today, anything above 3.0 MPs is in my opinion upgraded while 5.0 MPs is the gold standard. Of those, a few have electronic telephoto lenses capable of protruding and retracting when needed or not in use.

The new C9000 camera phone is a perfect example of this. Although there is a very similar phone (called the T200) which is dual band and works in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, the C9000 is tri band which allows use in the United States in addition to being dual sim. The 9000 is loaded with the features synonymous with the clones, like web browsing and texting (GPRS, WAP 2.0, SMS, MMS); full MP3 / MP4; an e-book reader; a 3.0 inch WQVGA TFT touch screen; built in television; FM radio, an extremely generous talk time of 460 – 500 minutes (standby of 450 – 500) and Bluetooth. You can download thousands of NES games for this phone online.

The TV on this phone has good reception and a clear picture and the speakers / sound system is sharp and crisp, but to me (and to most consumers) the real standout of this one is the camera. This is not like many camera phones that you can use in a pinch when you forget your stand alone digital camera. In fact, if you look at this phone from the front (and are not able to see the keys), you could well mistake it for a stand alone camera. This camera phone is as good as any digital camera I’ve ever owned. As a parent, this is a huge plus for me because I’m not having to lug around both a camera and a phone.

The C9000 is popular with texters too because of it’s full keyboard with real raised keys. Some folks just don’t like messaging on an iPhone type flat touch screen.

Price wise, this mobile phone is reasonable. You can occasionally get one for under $100, but you’ll more commonly pay in the low to mid $100 range. Considering a decent camera would cost this much (not to mention the MP3 / MP4 and portable television, as well as the ability to use whatever carrier you wish, you really can’t go wrong.

By: Rae Edwards