Vodafone 555
Touted at Facebookers, this £30 basic blower features a dedicated button to take users straight to their news feeds. Wahoo! While it bears a slight resemblance to the HTC ChaCha, the 555 lacks its finesse. Powered by a lowly 200MHz processor, its basic UI appears on a bog-standard 2.4in display.
With no Wi-Fi or 3G, at least it has a half-decent Qwerty keyboard to preserve some dignity, which despite its slight squeakiness, was easy and quick to use. Indeed, apart from typing messages or making calls, there's little else I would choose to use this Alcatel-built phone for.
ZTE Tureis
Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Pro Y, the ZTE Tureis feels well put together, although the smooth finish can be seem slippery and needs a firm grip when used one-handed. Just like the Samsung though, the 2.6in, 320x240 touchscreen looks unrefined, especially running the vanilla Android 2.3 Gingerbread build. The handset can also be a bit sluggish at times.
The keyboard is comfortable to use though, and here it impresses. Error-free typing was easy to get the hang of and it has a certain clack to the keys that feels more reassuring rather than bothersome. If you want a Qwerty Android, with a touchscreen to boot, and don't want to pay too much for the privilege, then the ZTE Tureis seems like a decent workhorse. ®