I’ve obtained a Nokia 6600 mobile phone. It’s a fantastic gadget that does nearly everything except wash the dishes and vacuum. It’s made my Palm V handheld redundant.

The phone has a large full-color display screen with a computer-style interface. It features a calendar and contact book that can be synchronised easily with my PC via infrared transmission.

The phone also has a digital camera and video recorder. Files can be copied to computer via infrared or multimedia card. There is also Bluetooth capability, the phone is WAP enabled and it can connect to the Internet or send faxes.

I decided to get the Nokia on a $55 monthly plan after hearing that landline phone rental costs are going up again. I have three phone lines and will cut these to one, saving about $55 a month. I’ll use the mobile mainly for long-distance calls.

The point of this blog is not really to rave about the phone or complain about Telstra. Rather, I’d like to stress that people should shop around when choosing a mobile plan.

The Nokia 6600 retails for about $750. On a plan with Optus it would have cost $650. I’m connected to the Optus network, but the provider is a company called B Clear and Simple. They seem to have better phone deals on their plans.

I was sold to them by one of their agents called Mobile Stop, who seem to have better deals again.

In fact the Nokia 6600 wasn’t available on any of the advertised B Clear and Simple plans.

The call costs I face on the $55 per month deal are the same as for the regular Optus plan, but I picked up the phone for around $600 cheaper.

The only difference I can see is that I’m locked into a monthly direct debit, instead of receiving an invoice.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the clarity of reception on the Optus GSM network. It’s clearer than my CDMA phone and worked well today in rural areas.