Ef 81

damn, it always takes me weeks to decide wich new mobile i want to pick,every
three years the same struggle....
now that i was quite sure the motorola RAZR V3x is the right mobile for me,
BenQ got this new EF81 wich looks very similar....
does an yone know the advantages and disadvantages of the EF81 ?

No question, the EF81 is more powerfull than the V3x, it has a better camera
and better multimedia in general.....
It is a bit slimmer although the look is quite similar.there are several special features like the two displays and you dont have to open the phone to use the menu...

Where can i get the EF81, is there maybe a cheap alternative to the normal
mobile stores? maybe there is a retailer who sells it for less than the average
price. I mean, man the phone is damn great but also not very cheap.....

I just found this review on the web and I couldnt say it any better:
Design:
The design of the BenQ-Siemens EF81 was the first thing i recognized. It was very important for me to have mobile without rubber or plastic, because I had negative experience with that.
It was not that important for me to have a brand mobile, but the design convinced me. It had to be slim and light so that I can carry it around comfortably even in bermudas, plus it had to be suitable for business matters.

Material:
Because of the different kinds of metal (stainless steel, magnesium) the EF81 is very robust, even the keypad on the backside is made of steel.I have to clean it from time to time because stains are easily visible,but this makes the phone even more classy.

Machining:
The workmanship is really what you would expect from a Siemens phone carrying the label Made in Germany, very solidly crafted.The hinge is robust too and very durable indeed.

Functions:
I havent missed a function yet, the adress register has extensive options
(Outlook alike) but I had to search for the Birthday function. An Onlineforum knew what to do, I had to klick all the way to the bottom and there I could link every person in the list to theit Birthday.
The instruction manual wasnt helpful in this case but apart from that qite good. The use of media player and camera is easy but i havent tried the video telephony.
Display:

BenQ provides the EF81 with very sharp digital readouts and a high resolution display- It is fun looking at it!

Camera:
Of course the camera works best in good lighting conditions. 2 Megapixels are quite propper, the quality of printed photos is O.K.
The Ef81 camera rotates, wich I like very much because the handling with the outer keys is unhandy.

Battery durability:
I was positively surprised that the battery lasted quite long- especialy for a siemens mobile. Its helpfull putting the UMTS function off if you dont use it and you want to save energy.

Connectivity:
Up and downloads on the pc and from the pc were no problem.midi mp3 and pictures are quickly loaded. The synchronisation with Outlook makes it easy to update the adresses.

Siemens:
After some time with siemens mobiles, I had a motorola last time. I realy must say that motorola made a step back with the V3x. I think the Siemens-BenQ marriage has lovely children.

specials:
If you purchase early ( like I did) BenQ-Siemens provides a free personal gravure of the phone on their webpage, i am looking forward to that.

Recommendation:
I would recommend the EF81, now that UMTS starts off i wouldnt purchase a GSM cell anymore, and the EF81 is a very good looking one. For Anyone who sets high value on a well crafted product with design and good businessfunctions, it is the right choice even I you dont use UMTS

try the s86 its cheaper and just as classy as the ef81