CNET Asia Review
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The bad: Stiff hinge; media player interface; bad camera position.
The bottom line: The BenQ-Siemens EF81 is a good phone with lots of features. Overall, the phone feels good and sturdy. However, the 2-megapixel camera is not only impractical because it faces you when you open the phone, but it also doesn't take good photos--it doesn't bear comparison with the Sony Ericsson K750i.
Read full review of the BenQ-Siemens EF81 »
Average User Rating
from 5 users
7.2
out of 10User Reviews
SO SO
Oct 7, 2006Rating: 4 out of 10 (Mediocre)
Pros: Nice build quality Good external speaker
Cons: Slow operating system
Opinion:
I bought this after having a V3.Thank god that after one week I was able to exchange this phone for something else.It drove me crazy.Where to start The battery lasted one day and thats within one week.The metal design is very sleek but its like making a Porsche and fitting it with a Lada engine.The menu is so slow its like its on mogadon.Having said that the external speaker is very good but this made the battery run down ,as mentioned above.I ended up with a lg choc but still keep returning to my V3.My advice is as a good as this phone looks dont be tempted.
Looks n feel great, UI disappointing
Jul 11, 2006Rating: 6 out of 10 (Good)
Pros: Great camera, nice packaging overall
Cons: Poor UI, very slow controls
Opinion:
Was very impressed by the camera and the overall outlook. Feels nicely weighted and sized.
Using it was another story. The user interface (UI) do not seems to have improved much since the days of the "scorpion" phone. Calendar was only means of having an organiser. No place to store notes. Alarm has no snooze funtion too.
To send a new sms, fastest way is to go to contact, select sms b4 typing your message. If not, expect to take about 6-7 steps to add a new contact/number for your message before it gets sent out!!
Getting to the sub-menu at times is quite trying when you are in a hurry. Although the phone allows the user to programme short-cuts to the sub-menus, activating them also requires some waiting. This is compared to my prev SE K700i.
It's launched in M1 Shop
Jun 3, 2006Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: High power 3G phone
Cons: No radio/Infrared
Opinion:
Guys, it's launched in M1 Shop as well, it's selling at $428 with a 2 year contract, very cheap
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