Holiday gift guide 2006: On a shopping spree

Among the finest things

Now when all is said and done, having fun is still a concept deeply rooted in the holiday season. Buying a new fashion mobile is something like buying a new party outfit and it can equally impress others. If you are the type of person that wants everybody's heads turned at the next holiday party, then you should definitely take a look at this category.

Stylish doesn't always mean expensive as you would be quick to find out. There is one more fact about fashion mobiles that needs to be underlined - expensive doesn't always mean feature-packed.

So if you mean to buy an eye-catching candy for your loved one, don't worry that you have to break the bank. Priced at entry level, with a fascinating sliding clamshell design and with plenty of color options, the Motorola PEBL U6 ($139*) might be just the party phone for you.

Motorola PEBL U6 | review

Recent additions in the clamshell form factor are also the Sony Ericsson Z610 ($269*) and the Motorola KRZR K1 ($279*), which are priced almost the same. Bear in mind though that glossy mirror surface usually means a lot of fingerprints. The Sony Ericsson Z610 scores better with UMTS (3G) with video calls support, an external OLED display, and a more durable battery. Plus, Sony Ericsson mobiles traditionally have a better user interface than Motorola's and although the KRZR interface has received a facelift, it still drags behind when it comes to graphics and customization.

Sony Ericsson Z610 | review • Motorola KRZR K1 | review

One of the market hits this year, the LG KG800 Chocolate ($249*) most certainly manages to impress with its touch-sensitive navigation keypad glowing in red. If you are buying a mobile for a fashion girl that might just be your best pick this holiday season.

A great revival for the high-end Nokia 8-series is the new Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition ($835*), which not only possesses style and elegance but has that all-important exclusiveness that only a matching price tag offers.

LG KG800 Chocolate | review • Nokia 8800 Sirocco | review

 

Fashion phone: LG KG800 Chocolate

Also to consider

Trying to build on the success of the famous Motorola V3, the American manufacturer has two more eye-pleasing offers that would make you proud. Those are the Motorola RAZR V3i D&G ($325*) and the Motorola RIZR ($295*). While the RIZR is a slider-styled reincarnation of the RAZR, the V3i D&G is its full copy but in gold. It didn't gain much popularity may be because it lacked exclusivity or because it has the same trite design that you see almost every day now in the different versions of the RAZR. Nevertheless, it would make a great gift choice as long as the person it is for is into gold accessories. Not every one likes the bling-bling style.

Fashion mobiles are not meant for women only. The Samsung P310 ($459*) is a nice example with its elegant minimalist design and connoisseur accessories. The price is hefty too, no doubt about it. Samsung tried to follow the success of the LG Chocolate and produced a manlier handset that most definitely deserves a look. The Samsung E900 ($249*) features touch-sensitive navigation keypad and is nicely feature-packed but failed to gain the popularity of the fans in the same way that the Chocolate did.

This year was not the best of all for Benq-Siemens but still they managed to produce an impressive slim clamshell entirely made out of metal. The BenQ-Siemens EF81 can easily grab your attention and it most certainly deserves it.

Motorola RIZR • Samsung P310 • Samsung E900 • BenQ-Siemens EF81

And in the end, if money are no object when choosing the ultimate fashion mobile, you may as well browse the exclusive Vertu phones that easily capture imagination with exclusive materials and design to make you stand out in the crowd in every possible way.

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* All prices are taken from Plemix.com. Your local street prices might differ. All prices valid at the time of publishing.