Mobile Brain Fart Aftermath

On Friday morning last week I left my mobile phone in the toilet of a McDonalds in Matamata. Realising what I had done, I was back in there looking for it within a few minutes, but it had gone. I think a young boy who went in not long after me probably nabbed it.

The phone was a "Vodafone 715" 3G wee thingy that had been serving me very well. It did Internet web browsing ($10 / MB - survivable for Gmail), SKY Mobile TV, MP3 playing and txting and could even make and receive phone calls. If you looked inside, you'd find that it was made by Huawei, in China. From what I could tell, it provided all the functionality of a more expensive phone at a fraction of the price. It also does video calls, but has the odd "feature" of the video camera being on the back of the phone...so whoever you call can see whatever is in front of you...not you.  If both of you turn your phones around to show yourself on camera, neither of you can see each other because the screen is now pointing away from you. Silly, really. I never make video calls anyway. 

The replacement cost $149 (on sale) at DSE in Levin. The "Sim Swap" to move my (blocked earlier in the day) existing number to the new phone cost $20. I was impressed. Based on recent experience in Canada, a new, similar, phone there - full price - plus number swap, would have cost a LOT more than that....Last year, the *cheapest* phone (not tied to a contract) I could find from any provider was C$199 + 14% PST/GST. Bell Canada did have a Nokia 1100 for $99, but after waiting for it on order for two weeks was told by the retailer that they weren't actually supposed to be selling those. Moments like that let you know there isn't really enough competition. 
On Friday, DSE had phones for NZ$59 including taxes. Canadians would be wetting their pants that is SO cheap at about C$43. Less than a quarter of what they have to pay. 

The Vodafone 715 isn't well supported on the Vodafone web site (error 404 on links is common) or via the 777 customer line, but the phone itself is fairly straightforward. If you're looking for a good, CHEAP 3G phone, this one is hard to beat. You just have to get used to the idea this Vodafone-branded phone won't be supported as well as Nokia or other brands. For example, the list of phones they support configs for doesn't include this one and when you try to access the help for "not listed"....you get Error 404. Also, none of the Vodafone-branded phones are listed on their "approved" list of handsets. 

Gaping holes in marketing and support aside, a Vodafone 715 3G handset is a good phone and cheap to replace when you forget it somewhere. 
Like I did.