May 10
Lo and behold, a back-up phone that fits easily in your pocket, with the advantageous ability to accept any network SIM card, for all those vital calls and texts! The VX1i Party Phone does exactly as it states on the package; boasting a 100 number address book capacity, claiming a standby time of 90 hours and furthermore up to 5 hours talk time (this fact I find rather far-fetched), which brings us to wonder what more could one possibly wish for in a back-up phone?
Well, for starters, despite the initial wonderment of the VX1i’s petite proportions (measuring at 8cm x 5cm x 1.03cm) as I compared it’s size to that of a debit card, I couldn’t help thinking that the design was sloping towards the basic side. For a phone, it feels possibly too light and plasticky for a proper hold, feeling almost to the point of ‘cheap’ on my geek basis that expensive gadgets generally feel heavier with a magical steel sheen to emphasize the sheer scale of it’s technical godliness… However, with it in mind that the VX1i was designed to be a basic back-up phone, it does make for a rather retro looking accessory with it‘s disco blue lit keypad. At first, I couldn’t pinpoint what it reminded me of exactly despite having a strange urge to place it in a pencil case from my dear old school years. Then a friend confirmed my suspicions with the following comment: “Oh! I was wondering why you were tapping on your calculator throughout the whole journey!…”. Somehow this upped it’s appeal for me, on the scale of ‘cool’. I have a retro looking calculator that I can call and text from. Fab!
Furthermore, this snazzy-looking device features 9 polyphonic ringtones, which I must add are not for the faint-hearted - my first experience of hearing it ring nearly resulted in death by embarrassment in the middle of the toilet paper aisle of Sainsburys. Thankfully, I’ve recovered from the shock, have adjusted the sound volume (yes, it can be extremely loud). I currently have it on tone 4, which conjures up what I imagine life to be like in a cheesy suburban American town in the 50s. Unfortunately this phone does not feature a vibrate function, so you will either have to endure the loud retro polyphonic drone or live with it on ‘mute’.
The only setback I have about this phone is the short text function. Text talk is really not ideal on this phone unless you‘re of the extremely patient calibre. Even so I doubt you’d be able to maintain a wholehearted conversation without gritting your teeth as you attempt to fit a summary of how disastrous your day has been in the limiting 160 character capacity. A normal text that we are used to in this day and age, would be broken down into approximately 5 separate text messages. This as you can imagine can become less of a joy to receive, not to mention read. Yet, I shall stress again, how this basic phone is meant as a back-up, and is most ideal for the majority who are prone to losing expensive phones at parties or on holiday.
Overall, I would recommend the VX1i Party Phone for those of you in need of a back-up phone. It is easy to set up, with clear and precise instructions in a booklet included within the box, along with a charger that flashes a helpful blue LED light when in use. It isn’t an extravagant phone, but for a meagre price ranging from £16.99 online and £18.99 in Tescos, it does its job. It did come in extremely handy when my usual Samsung phone battery died on me when I was stuck in a place far from home.
Hurray for the VX1i! Rated 7/10