vB Easy Archive - I'd like feedback on the 310 (allure)

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I'd like feedback on the 310 (allure)
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Posted by: Treatz

hey all.
I'm on rogers AT&T in toronto canada and I have a few options.
I can go GSM, but have heard real bad things from friends and associates on rogers GSM.. all warn me to stay TDMA..

and as such, the TDMA choices are not that great.
I can either go V60t, which I heard has been real bad for quality controll and problems in the US, or I can go panasonic 310.

the 310 looks appealing and has a lot of features I'd use
(T9, 1000 number phone book up here, speakerphone, etc.)
my only concern is how the phone works.

those of you using a 310 (allure) have you also used a 8260?
are they comparble.. does the 310 blow the 8260 out of the water for sound quality and battery life etc?

can ringtones be sent to the phone via SMS like the 8260?
is the meny system easy to use, or wierd like Motorolas V60?

any feedback would be greatly appreciated as I think i want to stay TDMA for now and really, the panasonic 310 looks like a real nice little package.

Posted by: lost_rebel

Battery life is not so good with the allure compared to the 8260 however, I charge my phone everyday regardless so it is not a big deal for me and I used my phone heavily.

You can not download ringtones over the air, only by datacable and using an app that comes on CD with the phone or download it from panasonic-wireless.com

The audio is generally considered low but I have not found it to be a problem. I used the mobile for over a year, the audio is a little tinny but I got used to it quickly.

The phone book rocks on this mobile, it was the first TDMA phone to have such a phonebook with 4 entries/contact plus email. Even GD87 does not have such a nice phone book.

The menus are among the best structured that I have ever used in a mobile, far better than the motorola or nokia. It is generally easy to find what you are looking for. I was disappointed that this same ease of use was not in GD87.

The RF performance is much better than the v60 and marginally better than the 8260 but falls short of the 6160 in analog mode. (well what do you want in such a small package)

The phone is much lighter than any other TDMA mobile that I am aware of and fits easily in a shirt pocket without pulling it down. I had used a leather holster from my Panasonic Promax that looked elegant but is very durable. Heck sometimes I use it to carry my GD87.

One of the nice features of the allure that is not in the 8260 and I am not sure about the v60 is the voicecommand system. I used mine all of the time and makes the mobile very easy to use for speed dialing.

The T9 predictive text entry was a big improvement over the old style multitap, extremely useful for sending SMS/email from the mobile. The 8260 does not have such a feature.

Good luck with your decision

Posted by: Treatz

thank you. so basically it's a very good phone.

you said you charged yoru phone everyday as do I.
but do you use your phone heavily? or make the odd call here and there?

also, with the T9 on the panasonic.. can you insert words?
eg, Treatz?.. I know on the 8260 (it does have T9 BTW) that once you insert a word once it stores in teh dictionary for later use.

Posted by: lost_rebel

I know that if you add it into the phonebook I know that T9 learns it.
I use between 600 and 800 minutes a month.
I did not Nokia in general, I am just not a conformist. That is why I bought the pana to start with.

Posted by: seniorstew

Ive never had a worst phone in my life. The audio sucks. Ringtones are too low and it scratches easily. If you really must stay on TDMA get the V60 instead.

Posted by: lost_rebel

Yeah, go with the V60. Worst mobile I have seen for dropping calls and garbling voice. Not to mention that the user interface is one of the most difficult to get around (unless you are use to Motorola phones). Not to mention that the Antenna busts easy. I have had two friends who had them and returned them within a months time...Granted both went to Nokia phones afterwards and are very happy but they hated the moto phone.

I will admit that mine looks beatup but I used it hanging on the belt for over a year and do not take especially good care to protect it.

As for the ringtones, I covered volume already. I used the vibrator function in normal ring mode and had no problems.

I would not recommend the Motorola. If you want a loud phone get the Nokia. They have a newer one out that is similar to the 6160 but with an internal antenna, lighter and a much broader feature set.

Posted by: seniorstew

Panasonics UI is much worse then motorolas. Plus i do believe AT&T TDMA is selling the V60i's now....

Posted by: lost_rebel

Maybe but I will never go back to TDMA

If I can find the article (it is about 1.5 years old), it shows that Motorola has the absolute worst interface (given it was on the talk about) The Panasonic Promax had the best (Allure is almost identical). The 6160 was second best and the Ericsson KH668 was third.
The article stated that the Motorola users could actually perform tasks faster on the Panasonic phone than they could on their own mobile.
I have personally owned 3 of the 4 phones tested and agreed with the results when they came out and I still stand by them.

But everyone has an opinion, that is why mobiles are so different in presentation and style

Posted by: Treatz

thanks for the replies.
I appreciate them..

the only thing stopping me from getting the V60t is the dam iTAP.
I use SMS a lot and that iTAP just drives me nuts.

oh well.. I'll just look at a live 310 (allure) and decide. I may just go GSM and leave TDMA behind.. I just know that the GSM network can't be as good as the TDMA one for coverage...

Posted by: seniorstew

If i where you i would seriously consider GSM. Once you hear the voice quality you will be blown away! Also, the GSM phones can do a LOT more then TDMA ones. My suggestion is to try them both out side by side. Find someone who has the GSM network you want to switch to and do a live test using your TDMA phone and there GSM phone.

Posted by: Treatz

Quote:

Originally posted by seniorstew
If i where you i would seriously consider GSM. Once you hear the voice quality you will be blown away! Also, the GSM phones can do a LOT more then TDMA ones. My suggestion is to try them both out side by side. Find someone who has the GSM network you want to switch to and do a live test using your TDMA phone and there GSM phone.

that's just the thing. I did try out GSM for about 1 week on an unlocked V60g and it was so so, I could deffinately notice more weak areas then my TDMA.. so I'm deciding to Stay TDMA for another year or until Rogers launched 850mhz GSM.. once that happens then I'm all for GSM. the sound quality if phenominal, but realistically, TDMA isn't horrible like some CDMA phones I've tried out.

I appreciate the suggestion though.