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| Sony CMD C1 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 |
| Announced | 1999 |
| Status | Discontinued |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 139 X 45 X 26 Mm |
| Weight | 107 G |
| Display |
| Type | Monochrome Graphic |
| Size | 97 X 32 Pixels, 4 Lines |
| | - Fixed Icons
- Jog Dial
- Blue Lcd Crystals |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Monophonic |
| Amount | 7 |
| Customization | |
| Vibration | No |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 80 |
| Call Records | 5 Dialed, 5 Received, 5 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| Data |
| Gprs | No |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms |
| Browser | |
| Clock | No |
| Alarm | No |
| Games | No |
| Colors | Several |
| Camera | No |
| | - Internal Antena |
| Battery |
| | Standard Battery, 500 Mah Li-ion |
| Stand-by | 115 H |
| Talk Time | 5 H |
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Sony - CMD C1Sony CMD-C1
GSM 900 compatible compact mobile phone; no external aerial; Lithium ion battery.
Advantages Light, no aerial, jog dial, cheap buy
Disadvantages No WAP
I will admit that this was an impulse buy and (ultimately) a successful one
I am an inveterate bargain hunter, so in you are ever in Edinburgh at Sales time you will find me 'scrapping' with the best of them on the first day of John Lewis and ‘Jenners’ sale, and mooching around on the last days of sales (when most of the best bargains are to be found.
Indeed, if I have not found inspiration (or heard strong hints) for close family Xmas presents before Xmas, then they receive only a token present with my comment “I’ll get you something in The Sales”.
Well just after Xmas, I went into the John Lewis store at 09.05 on the first day of their sale and immediately headed for the basement (hardware/furniture/kitchens/lighting/electrical/electronics/mirrors/ art – you get the picture). One of my remits was to buy a pre-pay phone for my father-in-law and I (quite correctly) assumed that there would be a bargain or two about. I was correct and a Siemens (of some description) on the pre-pay Orange Tariff for £12 (including a £5 voucher) found in an island display fitted the bill exactly.
Looking through the other motley range of items in that display, I came across three Sony CMD-C1 GSM handsets each boxed. Two boxes were rather tatty and very obviously ‘customer returns’, but the third was almost perfect and the handset was in its plastic bag and the instruction book in its (sealed) plastic wrapper and the battery in its little box. The price - £29.75 reduced from £159 (!!!).
I always look at the price before thinking about whether or not I might want something in a sale – no point in buying ‘rejected’ or potentially faulty goods for a 10% saving. I bought it straight away.
Did I need it – No!! – I’m happy with my Diga (see op) and was very pleased to pick up a Diga GSM phone at this same sale for £10 (which I am currently using for the battery and battery charger only).
GSM
Perhaps a word of explanation here for the uninitiated. As most of you will be aware, a pre-pay phone will generally only operate for the specific pre-pay company (with the exception of some Vodaphone pre-pay phones, but I won’t go into that here). As regards ‘monthly contract’ (i.e. Rip-Off) phones, both Cellnet and Vodaphone work with phones designated as ‘GSM’ phones.
When I say ‘work’, the I mean that they will work if you place a ‘SIM card’ into the handset that is designated by the appropriate company. When you sign up for a monthly contract you are given a SIM card which you install into the phone. And then you’re off. The SIM card can be changed from one GSM telephone to another. Instead of taking out a monthly contract, it is possible to buy a SIM card from operators such as ‘mobileshop.com’. Generally they charge £40 for a 12 or 13 month contract with Vodaphone or Cellnet. This gives you connection and a tariff giving up to 500 minutes off-peak calls a month). The only ‘problems’ with this arrangement are:
1 an itemised billing charge (of £1 - £2 per month);
2 the necessity of having to cancel the agreement in time to stop yourself being automatically being put on the normal monthly rental rate.
3 Having to change your mobile phone number at the end of each contract. You can retain your number but this is a costly operation.
On occasions mobileshop.com have limited special offers, and just before Xmas, they were offering Vodaphone 13 month SIM cards for £10 !!. I bought one immediately because I knew that my younger daughters SIM card was running out at the beginning of January !!! (and I had not yet bought very much for any of the children for Xmas presents).
Obviously to avail yourself of this ‘service’, you doo need a suitable handset. My younger daughter’s Ericson GSM had done sterling service for 3 years, but it was starting to look tatty and the battery would not hold its charge for so long ...;.
Sony CMD-C1
So there I was, at home with this lovely new phone (in the ‘pearl white’ finish). Fitted in the new 'Sim Card' and there I was ‘on-line. Daughter arrives. “OOOH it’s lovely !! Has it got wop ?” My reply of “Why on earth would you wanna make calls to your friends in Italy ?” was met immediately with a withering look and then an explanation that ‘her’ next phone must have WAP, so she could access her company via e mail when out ‘project-managing’ – back to the drawing board. Saved by entry of Son, who grabbed yon phone with exclamation of “Cool !!!” “Whose is this ?”, prompting an immediate reply from me –it’s your Xmas present”. He had been supposed to get the younger daughter’s ‘cast-off’ phone.
So, he has now used it for over a month and loves it. Having a Lithium ion battery, it is very light and compact.. The aerial is internal, so it does not ‘catch’ in his pockets, and it has the characteristic ‘jog-dial’ at the side which allows you to access the menu, volume control and personal phone book with one hand and without obscuring the screen. A Design Award winner in 1999, according to the box.
He also enjoys the comments that his cronies make of it (“cool” and "smart" being the ultimate accolade apparently among all the yahs and non-yahs in the university bars) – being ‘coolly’ different and not having a Nokia gives him extra ‘cred’, apparently. And best of all, it is shaped to fit the hand, having a ‘sexy feel’, as one of his girlfriends has described it –oooh that got me going somewhat ! !
Thus a really cool and sexy (belated) Xmas present for £39.75 (including SIM Card), plus £18 for the itemised billing.
Younger daughter ? She decided to ‘abscond’ to Orange, because that is the network used by her work colleagues – so serves me right for not checking with her first ! |
| Common misspellings on this brand: soiny , soby , sony6 , skny , sonty , so9ny |
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