The HK$1,000 mark used to be a major consideration when buying a mobile phone. Previously, companies selling handsets below this price had to give up a lot of features, making them unattractive and unpopular. But that's about to change with SonyEricsson's K220i, which comes with an amazing price of HK$880 but looks and feels like many of the more expensive models on the market today. Measuring 102.5x45.5x16.7 mm, it's about the same size as many of the SonyEricsson's candy bar-shaped models. The K220i also features the two elements that all new handsets have - a colour display and a built-in camera. On closer inspection however, the K220i reveals the reasons behind its affordable price tag. The colour display features only 65,000 colours, compared to the 260,000 colours of more expensive models, and is only 4x4cm, instead of the standard 5x5cm. The camera on the K220i only offers 300,000 pixels rather than the multi-megapixel capabilities of new models today. There is also no memory expansion slot, no Bluetooth, and no 3G. Another major limitation of the K220i is its dual-band GSM connectivity, which means it won't work in the US or Japan. In fact, it is one of a few handsets on the market today that doesn't come with tri-band or quad-band GSM support. The K220i is available in Ocean Blue. Pros: costs less than HK$1,000, but has 65,000-colour display, built in camera (300K pixels) Cons: dualband GSM only, no Bluetooth, smaller display than most models, low-res camera Contact Gadget Geezer at syp_gadgets@hotmail.com
