The way I try to buy anything tech-related is by fixing a budget and then exploring my options- focusing on features I’ll need most and not want most. That doesn’t always work. Through extremely lucrative advertising, mobile phone companies have a way of turning “wants” into “needs.” Long time ago, I didn’t care about games in a mobile phone, but Nokia changed that with Snakes. And now Sony/Ericsson has released the T310 featuring one of the most popular games: Tony Hawk Pro Skating. I want THPS on my mobile phone- no, hang on, I NEED THPS.

Design and Feel

The T310 is quite a good looking phone- lots of people have asked me about it. The blue/grey combination is certainly eye-pleasing and the small size is comfortable in yours hands as well as your pocket. The front of the unit features a colored screen which is of the same size as the T68 but not as bright or sharp as some of the other phone. We think that Sony/Ericsson should start using TFT screens with 16-bit color. Right below the screen, you have a four way pointing stick as well as four buttons. And below that is your key pad. The keys are small but are far apart to not get accidentally pressed while using them.

At the top left side of the unit you have an up/down button that mainly controls the volume levels of the phone although it can be used for other things as well. The right side features the infra-red transmitter/receiver whereas the bottom end is where you can connect the charger and the head set. The back cover can be released and you can slide your battery and your SIM card here. Like the P800, the back of the T310 felt quite flimsy and a couple of times that I accidentally dropped the phone, it came off along with the battery.

Features

The T310 has a pretty decent amount of features- it has almost everything you’d expect from a standard phone. Starting off, it supports Poly ring tones and our unit came bundled with quite a few popular Arabic tunes. You can personalize tones for specific contacts so you know whose calling even without looking at the phone. You can store three numbers for each contact and associate a picture with it as well. The T310 also allows you to set it to vibrating mode if you prefer to keep the ringer off during meetings or other improtant activities where you dont want other people disturbed.

All sorts of messaging is also supported on the T310- from SMS/MMS to Chat and Email. Since the unit supports GPRS, you can always stay connected and check your email at any time. Connectivity is also supported through WAP and IrDA however, Bluetooth is not supported. The T310 features a small “Organizer” section that lets you set alarms and calendar events. It also features a calculator, a stopwatch and a timer- all of them pretty handy things.

Games, is of course one of the key features of the T310 and SE does a smart thing by building a “Download” option in the fun and games menu which will connect you to the Internet and show a list of games available for download. The download can probably be extended get more themes and ring tones for your phone as well. SE does provide lots of backgrounds and tunes including popular Arabic songs. Games-wise, you get three on the phone- Ace of Spades, MiniGolf and of course, Tony Hawk Pro Skating 4.