Hyundai HGC-601e

This Hyundai HGC-601e mobile phone has some good points - it is handy and comfortable but not for the young as they want to change faceplates and screen tattoos on the screen.

The Hyundai HGC-601e is a compact mobile phone, easy to use, lacks some features ie. games etc.. Reception is excellent plenty of memory for numbers. Allows phone search by location # or alphabeticial. Easy to customise to your needs/wants.

The Hyundai HGC-601e is an otherwise good phone let down by its unusable UI (almost identical to the Motorola StarTac clamshell) and WAP service.

Phone book

Uses 'locations' numbered 00-99 instead of names to navigate. e.g. names are stored in order of location, not alphabetically. It takes 5 key presses to get a list of names starting with a letter - cf Nokia 5110 takes 2.

Phone book is second in the menu options, after a meaningless "Downloads" option.

Received SMS messages

While you can read a message, there is little else you can do with it. c.f. Nokia 5110 is able to extract phone numbers from VCards and other messages.

Phone number format

Hyphenates in US (xx-xxx-xxxx) format and not Australian +xx-xx-xxxx-xxxx. Must store numbers in local format, complete with international dial codes - a UK number must be 0011 44 1227 1234 5678 and not +44 1227 1234 5678. Ditto for long-distance numbers.

Poor Text editing

Can't move the cursor back to insert or edit text - must delete all text up to the edit point. Clumsy access to special characters such as @ , . - via a combination of keypads and the navigation keys on the side.

Misaligned letters

Letters such as P and G are misaligned. Poor font definition is to blame.

Display crowded by meaningless icons

Such as one indicating "vibrate before ringing".

Poor WAP service by Orange Australia

Cricket scores from a live game were delayed by 15-20 minutes. Competitor Telstra's scores update instantly.

Navigation into some services such as the weather leave you stranded without a way to get back.