Sagem MYC5-2T mobile phone

Posted by T3 Online on Fri 26 Oct 2007

Push to Talk for pittance. But at what cost?

One of the biggest developments in mobiles since someone whacked in a camera is here at last: Push to Talk (PTT). This is one of the first phones designed for use with Talk Now, Orange's version of the technology.

It's a budget handset, so there's no designated PTT button as on the more upmarket LG 7250T. It took us around 40 seconds to log in, and sometimes it wouldn't work at all, but once we were connected, the service worked well, with the sound clear and loud enough for walkie-talkie use. There was a slight lag, but no more than you'd get with a call to the States. Pricing is reasonable at 20p for 30 minutes, with up to nine people taking part in the conversation.

PTT aside, however, this is a pretty basic, nasty handset. It feels plasticky, navigation is tricky - the directional buttons are far too close together - and the screen is dull and blotchy. The VGA camera isn't great either, and there's no Bluetooth. Call quality is clear, though, and we managed to get well over a week of standby time from the battery.

All in all, this is a cheap affair with no outstanding features - though it does show that Push to Talk isn't exclusively for the travelling businessman.