Sagem my511X

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http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39030107,49295209,00.htm

Reviewed 25 January 2008

Reviewed by Andrew Lim

Sagem has gone from strength to strength, recently producing entry-level handsets that not only look attractive but also come with a few features you may not expect on pay as you go phones.

The Sagem my511X only costs about £50 from Argos or for £20 more you can pick it up from Woolworths with a bundled 512MB microSD card. Is it a bargain or should you spend some more money and get yourself a higher-end model?

Design
The Sagem my511X may be a budget phone but it's an attractive one -- it's thin, it's slim and it's got a glossy front section that you'd normally expect on a more expensive handset.

The my511X's screen isn't very large or very sharp

Unlike certain other thin phones, the my511X feels sturdy and shouldn't snap in your pocket if you sit down in a funny position. Unfortunately, the quality veneer starts to peel off when you start using it.

The my511X's screen is quite small and not particularly very sharp. The flat keypad that looks cool is actually awkward to use when you're typing quickly, because of how difficult it is to distinguish clearly between each key.

Features
So what does £50 get you in terms of features? A 1.3-megapixel camera for starters, which takes decent shots for MMS messages. There's also an MP3 player that doesn't support every format under the sun but it will play MP3 and AAC files.

On the back of the phone, you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera

You can store all your media on a microSD card and transfer files via Bluetooth. Overall, we didn't yearn to use the my511X as a music player or take pictures with it but if you want to then at least you can.

There is a WAP browser and a couple of Java games that will keep you temporarily entertained but don't expect the browsing power of the iPhone or games off the Nokia N81 -- it's simply not that kind of phone.

It is, however, the kind of phone that you'd ideally like to use for calls and to send text messages, but as we mentioned before the keypad lets it down. Text messaging and dialling are awkward at times, which disappointed us.

Performance
Audio quality during calls was fine and the loudspeaker worked alright, but wasn't very loud. If you need a better hands-free solution then you can use a Bluetooth headset.

Picture quality from the 1.3-megapixel camera was grainy as expected but good for MMS messaging. We wouldn't recommend you print out your images. Video footage was equally grainy but this is to be expected from the majority of entry-level handsets.

Battery life is quoted at 180 minutes talk time and 220 hours on standby. Due to the lack of 3G and any other power-hungry features, it lasted for over two days with moderate use.

Conclusion
The Sagem my511X is representative of the new generation of pay as you go mobile phones that look good and come with almost as many features as some higher end models. But although it looks the part, the my511X's keypad doesn't do it any justice and while we'd like to say that this is a bargain, we'd advise you to try the keypad out first before considering buying it.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday