Mobile Phone Telstra ZTE F165 -Next G

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

These are said to be the best Next G phone with the Blue Tick.

Anyone got the unit in the Prado, with Antenna, cradle and car kit.

If so comments and photos please, as I am thinking seriously of getting one.

[Big Fella Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Big Fella]

Pedro,

Just bought one a couple of weeks ago. Not very good at all. It died after 2 weeks and no I have to wait about 3 weeks for a "brand new refurbished phone". Have not been happy with it even when it did work. Maybe I got a dud but who knows?

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Thanks Big Fella, What did you not like about it?

On another forum it got some good reports for coverage which is what I am after.
Check out



http://groups.msn.com/Caravanforum/g...63693841461206

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Pedro, i spoke to the Telstra dealer about these, most unreliable phone that they have ever sold quote un quote, from the telstra dealer himself.
The ones he suggested with carkit was a samsung, i ended up buying a nokia 6120 with a force cradle kit. Only because i have always been into nokia.

[plucker Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close plucker]

I have heard the samsung and the LG are crap. So too is the bluetick so said the telstra man. Nokia 6120 I know works fairly well over north, western, and far north Qld. The force cradle creates a handsfree device, but I dont think it increases the signal strength.
Perhaps some tech savy person could clear that up.

[Chuck Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck]

There was some discussion on this a while ago

Here & Here

[Big Fella Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Big Fella]

Thanks Big Fella, What did you not like about it?

Looking back in to my gold fish memory bank I am not 100% sure if I had the phone you were after or the 156 (sorry), but anyway heres' some more info for you

The user interface is not nice the Nokia's that I am used to. The key sounds are crap, volume adjustment is not good enough for a noisy environment, battery life stank to hi hell.

Unfortunatley it's not heavy enough to use as a boat anchor, otherwise that is what it would be doing right now..

Go to zte.com.au and they have a forum over there hidden on their web page. It can make good reading/research.

[Fazza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fazza]

Pedro,
it all becomes to hard, everyone has their different opinions :wink:

I do a lot of trips in country Victoria where telephone reception can be a problem. I have a LG550 & it outperforms the Samsung & so far, all other Next G phones.
I also have a aerial kit but have not needed to use it so far.
It also outperforms my previous Qualcomm CDMA phone.

Interestingly two people I go away with both have identical Samsung phones & one is far better than the other regards reception???
(May all come down to the luck of the draw)

My only gripe is the screen is hard to read outside in bright light.

Best of luck with your choice,
Fazza

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Thanks to all who replied.

I have the Samsung 701 and Telstra agreed to break my contract and give me whatever Blue Tick phone I wanted as they said the 701 was not the right type of handset for my use.
I had told them I wanted it for outback travel.

Conflicting reports make it difficult to come to a decision about the 165, but that forum has some interesting answers from the admin like
1. the battery needs to be charged from flat about 5/6 times to be right (this might have been Chuck's problem)
2. Use of a Patch lead will bugger the unit and is not covered under warranty

Might give it a bit more time before changing.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Fazza,
Our posts made around same time and i missed yours.

What model Samsung do your mates have?

My 701 worked fine except at Silverton , outside Broken Hill , but as I heard the Blue Tick was the way to go I put it to telstra and they agreed to cancelling my existing contract which allows me to go to a new contract with any phone I like.

[Chuck Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck]

Pedro,

It was not the battery charging, it just had no battery life.

[Fazza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fazza]

Pedro,
Both have the Samsung 701.
If if it means much the LG 550 has the blue tick.

If you really go out back a Sat phone will be your best choice, but for cost

Cheers,
Fazza

[plucker Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close plucker]

You will probably find that the phones have improved greatly in the last 6 months or so. So perhaps some of the shaky brands have come up to speed.

[whiteman Member Find all posts View Profile Close whiteman]

My "blue tick" Samsung A711 is a load of crap. Reception is marginal at best. Called Telstra and they said "Attach an aerial" - $150! And Samsung is interface is rubbish compared to Nokia. There's probably something good about it but I am yet to discover it after 4 months.

[Chuck Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck]

The general consensus at the moment seems to be the Nokia 6120 is the best phone in the bush, mine gets a lots better coverage than the wifes blue tick which is a bit of a sore point around here. :lol: :lol: