phone 7 – nokia asha 202

another phone i bought on 2013, but was released on 2012. i really had no reason to buy it, but just to try it.

there is nothing special about this phone. call and sms are good. the size is just good on hand and the display is enough for what you can use it for. the resistive display is quite difficult to use as you really need to press it not just tap it. advertised as a “touch and type” phone, it still has t9 keypad and menu keys. everything else is on the resistive display – selecting icons, tracks, sms, some swipe gestures on home screen, too.

the phone accepts up to 32gb sdcard. it can be used to store music files as the phone has music player. it can also be used to save photos and videos taken with the 2mp camera of the phone.

a web browser is also present aside from music player and a radio tuner. it has its own app store, but i think it was already close, few years after i bought the phone.

it took more than 2 hours to charge the phone and lasted for almost 4 days, making this phone more ideal than my previous phones as backup. it might last more days if it will only be used for calls and sms. about 12 hours active use is already good.

battery score card

it serves its purpose – a backup phone that can last for a couple of days and also can fill the air with music (or just your ears as it has a 3.5mm audio port), web browsing if you really need to (since the experience is not that good), and allows you to snap and shoot photos and videos (which is, again, not of good quality).

phone 6 – sony xperia miro

this 6th phone is my first in many ways. this is my first xperia. my first phone having a touchscreen. my first android smartphone. bought it on 2013, but was released on 2012. i bought it for having a good impression on previous sony ericsson phones. my dad even had an ericsson phone before (without the “sony”). there was a time when i frequently visited sony ericsson concept store just to appreciate designs and capabilities of those phones.

i settled buying a lower midrange as i cannot afford the flagships that time. so i did not expect this phone to properly represent the brand, sony xperia. but i am still satisfied. though the physical design represents the nxt series of the sony xperia. it has a small led strip below the display (much smaller than the led strips on xperia u, s, p, sp), which is not obvious when it is lit off. by default, the led strip lights up at the beginning of each track on the walkman app, as long as the display is also opened. it can also light up when a notification from a social media app arrives. for missed calls, sms, battery status and other common notifications, the smaller led light above the display is used. to maximize the use of the led strip, an app should be installed first.

sony xperia miro, like other xperia during that period, were marketed as a social media phone. social media app is integrated into the user experience. a widget consolidates all social media feeds. you can browse, on a single feed, updates from facebook, twitter and others. facebook is also integrated well into phonebook as you can synchronize your friends list and consolidate it with local numbers. photo of each contact can also be based from facebook display photo. in a way, i can easily recognize who sent an sms, miscalled or calling as it shows the display photo from their facebook accounts.

despite of its size (lxh), i had no problem with handling it or putting it on my pocket. it even fits better on my pocket since it is slimmer than my previous phones. the adjustment is on using the onscreen qwerty keyboard. luckily, there is an option for t9 keyboard (or "phone keypad” keyboard). this allows me to use it one handedly and efficiently. though i need a wrist strap to prevent it from falling, especially when i was still adjusting to its larger, yet slimmer design, unlike my previous small and bulky phones.

display is good enough during those days. enough colors, quite pixelated images due to low pixel density.

the 800mhz processor and ice cream sandwich are responsible for powering up the device and making it usable. since xperia ui (it still follows timescape ui design) is almost bare or stock, the experience is quite fluid. but the ui cannot hide stuttering when some background apps start to kick in. sometimes, when the walkman app shift to the next song while i do typing, it stutters. even games show stuttering, as simple as subway surfer does (which is the game i used to test the battery). these hiccups are expected even before i bought it.

the phone can handle 32gb microsd card where i can store my music files and photos taken with its 5mp rear camera and vga front camera (which is useless without a bright ambient light).

for battery testing, sony xperia miro was the first one to be tested, despite being the 6th phone in queue. (the preceding phones on this series were tested after this phone) i tested music play using walkman app, web browsing using the stock web browser (which is different from chrome browser), subway surfer for gaming, stock apps for taking photos and videos, then the movies (videos) app for playing videos taken with it. the battery was fully charged for 3 hours and almost 30 minutes, but only lasted for almost a day – more than 4 hours for active use, the rest inactive.

battery score card

using it now as a music player and a backup phone. i prefer this over lenovo e156 as a backup phone. better sound than that lenovo, too. i can also use any wired audio device, like earphones and speakers; and wireless audio too.

overall, the experience on this phone is never disappointing. it makes me consider xperia or any android as my next phone. but i was still open to try other brands that time. this phone made some of my routines easier than on my previous phones. at the same time, it, somehow, made me dependent on it. i started having more time tinkering on my phone than on other things. some things i do on my laptop or on physical notepad previously can easily be done on this little device. of course, those "not so power hungry" tasks. satisfied.

phone 5 – lenovo e156

released on 2011, i bought it on 2012. my main reason for purchasing it, is just to try out the first generation of lenovo phones. i expected lenovo e156 as a decent phone just like their laptops despite of it being the cheapest one.

i had no significant issues with connectivity. but issues are somewhere else. during calls, i cannot be heard well. on texting, specifically typing, aside from relatively hardpress keys compared to all my previous phones, the feedback is delayed. i can literally finish typing, and the phone still needs to show the last three words i already typed. that kind of lag is worse than the lag on android phones i heard during those times.

the phone is good on hand and pocketable. it may not feel as sturdy as my previous nokia phones, as the back cover easily pops out whenever i dropped it. but at least it is still working as it is up to this day. that means, it is better than my nokia 1100 and nokia 1600 in terms of longevity.

lenovo e156 has sdcard slot, able to accept up to 8gb of storage. this is good for storing audio files and some photos. viewing photos on the phone is impractical due to its 128x128 pixels, 1.5 inches display and can only show photos with small data size as the memory of the phone is not capable of handling photos with big data size.

as for playing music, the loudspeaker is… loud. but, the quality is quite low. it is flat. the phone has no 3.5mm jack, but it uses the miniUSB port for both charging and audio connection. since it is difficult (if possible) to buy such earphones having a miniUSB connector, i need to take it with extra care. it does not have bluetooth connection, too. surprisingly, even after not putting extra care, the earphones that came with it still works. the earphones are useable, but as flat as the loudspeaker.

by the way, this has no camera. so most of my battery testing has to go for music playing.

the 650mah battery was charged for 2 hours and a little more than 30 minutes. it managed to lasts for almost 2 days which is normal as a phone with few features.

battery score card

currently using as a music player aside from a backup phone – sms and calls. the latter seldom happens since i have other backup phones. those are better as it can provide web access and android apps. but then, again, this will be useful during power outages and when i need to digitally detoxify – at least, it still put me into communication line and some music.

phone 4 – nokia n70 (a)

released on 2005, this was a dream phone that i cannot afford… yet on 2005. and my parents were not willing to spoil me with gadgets. but one day, i saw a used one, on a sidewalk on 2009, i went back the next day and bought it. it was a second hand device that still looks good and just in time for a good upgrade since i promised myself to replace my nokia 1600 (bought in 2006) before i graduate in high school.

it is bulkier than my previous phones but better in so many aspects. it was able to browse the internet better than alcatel ot c552; better colors and no problem with memory management. i was able to play snake and card games, and install applications. has bluetooth for data transfer and wireless music play. has radio app, but i have to use a connector for wired headset. in general, it is better for productivity and multitasking, unlike the previous nokias i had – nokia 1100 and nokia 1600. it is obvious, since nokia n70 is already on smartphone category. camera is good back then. loudspeaker is also usable and has acceptable sound.

currently, i am using it as one of my back up phones for calls and sms. i also use it as a music player with the loudspeaker on. it can fill my small room back at home, but not where i reside now. i also use both cameras, front and rear, not for taking a good shot but to just check if it still works.

this is the oldest phone that i can test the battery. so i made a battery score card for this phone. charging the 970mah battery from 0% to 100% lasts for more than 2 hours with standard charger that is similar with what comes with the phone (it is a charger that comes with another nokia i bought, also using bl-5c battery). my test for battery life lasts for more than 21 hours – only more than 3 hours for active use. you can check phone reviews –introduction and benchmark plans for the battery test standard i made.

battery score card

as for web browsing, i am already having problems opening websites; no successful opening of any website. so for my web browsing, testing was only for trying to connect to the network. games are good since i enjoy playing card games. the snake game is also there. for photo and video experience, it is good, but i cannot say the same thing for the output.

phone 3 – nokia 1600

because of features and issues on alcatel ot c552, i went for an upgrade that has potential less issues than that and few goodies than my nokia 1100. this was the time when nokia was already known as a sturdy phone and it is easy to buy just anywhere. so, i decided to get this nokia 1600. this was released on 2005, but got it on 2006.

it is comparable to my older nokia 1100, though typing is still better on that phone. but, keys on nokia 1600 is better and more comfortable than on alcatel ot c552. i just miss the rubbery keys on nokia 1100 though, since nokia 1600 has clear plastic keys.

nokia 1600 also has colored display but there is no way i can add images to make use of such display. it was just good for its user interface as you can also select themes for the phone interface. it has games, but no snake game on the unit i bought.

some of the features i enjoyed back then are “send to many”, “send later”, and “speaking clock”. the “speaking clock” was funny in tagalog though. i cannot remember what the actual time was but it mentions “pitumpong minuto” (70 minutes). i also tried to learn saying time in chinese before, as there is an option for changing the language and it affects speaking clock. the “send to many” feature was a good help for gm (group messages). i also used “send later” extensively. i used to set sms to my friends “happy birthday” to send at 12 midnight while i am asleep – pretty useful, right?

just like my two previous phones, this phone cannot boot anymore and kept on my secondary gadget box. so, no battery score card again. and upon checking the box, the phone is not there. i guess, it was left at home along with my broken electronic devices.

phone 2 – alcatel ot c552

released on 2005, i got hands on this feature phone on 2006. as a first upgrade, i considered this phone due to features my nokia 1100 lacks. replaced my main phone with this, it was not only used for calls and sms.

it is only a bit bulkier than my previous phone. but, i have to adjust my muscle memory for typing. the alpha numeric keys are all the same for most phones during those days, so no problem with that. my adjustment is due to navigation keys and how the keys are crammed and quite uncomfortable to type on. it makes me switch to nokia 1100 from time to time.

what made me enjoy it somehow is its colored display. larger than nokia 1100, too. though i miss the always on display of nokia 1100 – not the kind of always on display we have now, which means a backlight is needed. the older kind of always on display does not need a backlight, it is similar to digital wristwatch.

it also has VGA camera and it brought more memories than my nokia 1100.

i also managed to transfer music files and images after converting them into low resolution, low fidelity. also, the phone lets me browse wap sites where the phone manages to play some video clips.

it is a good feature phone, but it does come with issues. the most common, as i read from some forum sites, was the mismanaged memory and storage. sadly, i experienced it myself. when i filled up the 3MB storage, there were occasional reboots. when i deleted almost everything from it, the storage still shows it is near full. then the worst thing happens – one day, it reboots infinitely. if i can remember it right, i only used this phone less than a year. i was a freshman high school when i made memories with this phone.

currently, it is on my secondary gadget box where i keep my non working gadgets – or dead ones, like the nokia 1100.

phone 1 – nokia 1100

this phone was released on 2003. i was able to buy it on 2005. its main purpose is for my parents to contact me anytime. but, also used for keeping in touch with friends at school and everywhere i go. being a first time mobile phone user, i want to collect phone numbers of anyone i meet.

it was a sturdy phone. no nonsense. it just gets things done. handy. comfortable to type on its soft keys. the flashlight is a good add on. i used that feature everytime there is a chance, but a real flashlight is better, since the light is a bit diffused and dimmer than most dedicated flashlights.

the display is good. no need to unlock it to check the time. the screen is always on, except for the backlight that has a time out.

as a basic phone, you do not get a music player, internet, camera and most features that modern phones have – even the modern basic or feature phones have a lot to offer than nokia 1100.

the last time I tried booting this, the board seemed to be damaged already as i cannot boot using a working battery (BL 5C). so, there is no battery score card for this phone – the score card i planned to do for all the working phones.

if only this phone works until now, it will be good for social media detoxification. will i buy another one? no. aside from it would most likely be a refurbished item with counterfeit parts, i cannot justify to include another nokia 1100 on my collection. besides, there are other phones of yesteryears that i am considering.

overall, this phone left a good experience and memories even before i hit puberty. oh, puberty.