Sagem myV-55 review from United Kingdom

The cover screen is too easily scratched or cracked. Buttons feel flimsy.

Keypad buttons are small, not at all suitable for those with fatter fingers, or large hands. It is a bit fiddly to use and you often push buttons you didn't think you had pushed if they are close in proximity to other buttons.

Incoming voices are too quiet compared to the Nokia I owned beforehand.

I bought this phone for the princely sum of £15 from a mate who had upgraded, and seeming as I was still using my trusty though evidently rusty old Nokia 3330, I felt I had been ridiculed enough about owning a "brick" and decided to change. And to be honest, at times I wish I'd never bothered. I would have been happy to put up with more witless insults than have a newer, but more stress-inducing phone. Plus, it is not that much smaller than the Nokia, and I'm talking millimeters!

There are some very good features considering this phone is only £49 in certain places when new, like the ability to take photos, edit them into Black & White or Sepia tones, give them a border and other such niceties, and the ability to record your own ringtone is a nice touch too, and not as publicly embarrassing as the bleepy monophonic sounds of the Nokia. It is also incredibly loud if need be when ringing, with a vibrate function as well for when you don't need ear-bursting loudness.

But I find the incoming voices far too quiet. If you're using the phone outside on a relatively windy day, or in a fairly noisy area, you can forget about hearing anyone on the other end of the phone, and you'll find yourself becoming increasingly unpopular as you continuously ask your recipient to repeat what he or she just said.

The Sagem MY-V55 does have a speakerphone function, and it is reasonably good. Don't think of using it in a noisy environment though, as the sound of the background noise will activate the rather sensitive microphone, cutting out the person you're talking to.

The battery life is great however, and lasts for a good three days if the phone is used "normally", without mass texting, or hourly chatting, before it needs recharging.

The reception is fine and has never failed me yet. I get a good, if not maximum signal indoors and out, in town and in the rural areas.

There are plenty of cover options for this phone, and I picked up a case for mine at the very reasonable price of £5.

The colour screen is large and easy to read, and with the built-in camera you can make your own "wallpapers", or download to your PC with the right kit. You can also download Java games to whittle away those long bus/train journeys... just remember to turn the sound off or the loudness will surely infuriate your fellow passengers!

The menus are easy to read, but hampered by the fiddly "joypad" style selector with "OK" in the centre.

All in all, if you want a cheap camera phone that looks good, and you can record your own voice/ringtone on, this is a worthwhile buy, but if you like your phones easy to use, with easy to use buttons also, there are better options than the Sagem MY-V55.