need to find a new phone as my contracts about up. i tried the nokia 5800 but didnt like the size or plastic feel to it. looked in a few phone shops, and the only phones i like are the silver sony w995, and the LG Arena. im currently trying the 995, and its sort of ok. but i think im going to give the Arena a try before deciding.

ive done the usual research on the net, which seems to imply that the Arena is a cracking phone unless youre with Orange. yup, you guessed it 🙂

something to do with Orange removing google maps, messing with web browsers etc etc.

anyone on here got this phone? and ideally any Orange customers too? i certainly dont mind switching to another provider if necessary, but i dont think id get the same good deal that orange give me, as ive been with them since they year dot.

cheers

I've got the GC900, which the same as an Arena but with a better camera. The biggest disappointment on it is the web browsing, which is very slow. Apart from that, the screen is nice and responsive, battery life is good, sound quality is good, visuals of the O/S are a bit gimmicky, but fine. The menu system's not as sophisticated as it could be, ie it doesn't remember the settings you choose for the mp3 player once you close the app. Oh, and it's not really a smartphone, as you can't get apps for it in the way you can for iphones and googlephones. It's got GPS, but only usable with Googlemaps, and no good for tracking rides and providing stats. You can do MMS, it's got multitouch for zooming in, it's light, picture/video quality is good. I think no phone out there will do everything.

If the browsing is a problem, as it was with my Viewty stick opera mini on there and your problems are solved!

LG gt505 here – browsing is super quick with opera mini. Only downside is that even tho its running windows mobile 6.0 i cannot get into it to install memory map – grrrr

any tips?

The LG Arena:

Based in the center of the old battersea power station, the focal point of the venue is the spacious horse fighting ring which in essence is the "super fence" used to perimeter the glastonbury festival/G8 summit where you can see two spurred & drugged up horses do battle for approximately £160.00 (25 minute ladder rental), special mention should go to the ticktac men who sound like a cross between an agricultural auctioneer and a cockney barrowboy with wild flailing arms. In the out buildings there are a number of pimp run "relaxation facilities" which although not clean make up for it with their very welcoming and accommodation manner. Also available for purchase are various white goods and consumer electronics at affordable prices.

hmmm looks like orange are talking me out of this one. ive decided to go for it, but they quoting £127 for phone and then carry on paying £15 per month. ive looked online and can get it free for same monthly price. but i got contract with orange til oct.

told em on the phone, and they said that itd be cheapre to let my contract run out and let them 'entice' me back with a cheaper offer.

yeah right. as its recommended to not get one on orange, i might as well let it run out then, and get it on t-mobile or something :-/

for the love of god stay away from t-mobile, they *are* appalling!!

why?

hapless customer service, useless signal, despite paying for roaming it wouldn't roam in southern Ireland (Oxford T-moble shop later told me that they don't roam in S.Ireland!) despite assurances that if I took there £35.00 call plan I'd easly not pay more my bills came in at between 55 and 85 quid and when I tried to ask in the stores their systems were so slow all they could offer me was apologies ad suggest I speak with their useless call center!

Orange are much more helpful and give you loads of free stuff, about the best of a bad bunch tbh.