This article is more than 1 year old
Phobile retro mobile phone headset
Those were the days...
Review Following on from the huge success and notoriety of the Pokia handsets, online store Firebox.com has jumped on the bandwagon and released a cheaper version it calls the Phobile, writes Stuart Miles.
Unlike its Pokia siblings which are custom made from original handsets and then sold for vast amounts of money on eBay, the Phobile is a mass-produced and therefore considerably cheaper handset.
The premise is simple. Create an exact replica of a Western Electric 500-series model phone handset from the 1940, afix a curly cable, bung on a mobile phone connection and you've got the latest retro headset - well handset to be more precise.
The handset is standard and you plug on different adaptors depending on your phone. Most Nokia, Siemens, Sony Ericsson and Motorola models are supported.
The handset, just like the original, is basic and the main annoyance we have is that the makers haven't even added an answer or hang-up button. Not a problem if you're a candy bar phone user, but a pain if you've got to open up your clamshell just to answer the call. Perhaps it was cost, but it wouldn't have been hard to add a button on the accompanying cable rather than the handset.
Build quality, however, along with the speaker and earpiece is superb, with the people we talked to saying they could hear us loud and clear. We had no reception problems either.
Verdict
Okay, as the press release we got in the post with the handset says, this is like attaching a typewriter to your computer. It's obvious that the Phobile is just giggles, but then this is gadgetry at its finest - pointless but funny. Combine this with the amount of comments we got when using it - not all good we have to be fair - certainly made us the talk of the office. If you've got £35 to spare and looking for a five minute wonder then this fits the bill nicely but doesn't break the bank.
We love it.
Phobile | |
Rating | 80% |
Pros | Retro design; sturdy build; good sound. |
Cons | No answer or hang-up buttons. |
Price | £35 |
More info | The Phobile site |
Related reviews
Recent reviews
ATI 512MB Radeon X800 XL
Seagate 400GB Pushbutton Backup HDD
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Gigabyte GA-8N-SLi Royal nForce 4 Intel mobo
Nokia 7710 smart phone
MV Cubik GamePro small form-factor PC
Sony DSC-T7 digital camera