Alcatel OT-E801: Bargain music phone, great stocking filler
Looking for a music phone that won't cost a fortune? Check out the Alcatel OT-E801 -- it not only comes with an MP3 player and expandable microSD slot but it only costs £40
If you or a loved one craves a music phone this Christmas but don't have the cash to splash, then don't worry. The Alcatel OT-E801 is not only a very cute little music-playing handset, it's also pretty cheap at a mere £40.
For that bargain price you get a dual-band handset with a colour screen. It measures a pocket-friendly 47mm wide by 95mm tall by 18mm deep and weighs only 80g. Most importantly, the OT-E801 has an expandable microSD slot that can support up to 2GB of music -- or 500 songs.
The OT-E801 doesn't have a camera or 3G connectivity, so steer clear if you're looking for something feature-packed. Plus you'll need to buy an adaptor if you want to use your own headphones. We're not overly keen on the keypad, which is squashed together, but the OT-E801 does what it says on the tin and for a very low price.
You can drag and drop music files straight on to it and there are some nifty dedicated music buttons on the side. You can also set the music player to repeat certain tracks or all your music, and there's an iPod-style shuffle mode.
The phone comes in black or white, both of which are available at Woolworths. However, the white one is on T-Mobile and doesn't come with a microSD card, while the black one comes with a 128MB card pre-installed, from Orange. T-Mobile's version is cheaper at only £30, but if want to use it as a music phone you'll need some extra storage, and a 2GB microSD card will set you back about £40 to £50. -AL
Update: a full review of the Alcatel OT-E801 is now live.