Minifon TDS-12 review from MegaFon

Since December 31, 2009, the mobile operator Megafon has been holding a promotion: when connecting to their network and replenishing an account with 500 rubles, the TDS-12 Minifon mobile phone is presented as a gift. About him and will be discussed in this review.

He packs in this box


The package is modest, although there is nothing more to put on such a phone.



This is how it looks in comparison with other objects.

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The buttons are small, but quite comfortable. Missing them is quite difficult.



The reverse side is decorated with the Megaphone logo almost the entire cover.



From the left end there is a miniUSB port for charging.



The device itself is not folding and the SIM card is sewn inside. But by simple manipulations this drawback can be circumvented.




But still, this instance works only with Megafon and Just for communication SIM cards. But there are unlocked copies.




The main screen of the phone looks standard. At the top - the line for the notification icons, below - the name of the operator, even lower - the date, at the very bottom - the soft buttons.



The main menu has six points.








The phone can store SMS-messages and contacts only on the SIM-card. There is no built-in memory in the phone. The device does not support glued messages, they are saved as several separate ones.



The message editor looks quite simple, allows you to write in Russian and English languages ​​in different registers. T9 and other accelerated input methods are not yet available (thanks to heap for the hint).



The address book looks like this.



Memory on the megaphone card is enough for 250 contacts.



The phone has 4 sound profiles, 9 polyphonic ringtones. There is no vibration signal. The call volume is sufficient, but on the street you can not hear it. During conversation, audibility is good, comparable with modern budget models. The battery lasts for 2-3 days with moderate use (10-20 minutes of talk per day).

So let's summarize.

+ Cheap
+ Sizes
+ Performs all necessary functions.
+ Acceptable audibility
+ Acceptable battery
+ T9

- No internal memory for contacts and SMS
- Does not support glued SMS
- Lost (but not all copies, then how lucky)
- No shakes

I think that this phone is suitable for those who need a second or third device to be always in touch. For such cases, it is a good choice.

UPD.
A few additions to the article from sky_lord .

1) In the early installments of the phone in the miniUSB connector, pins 1 and 5 are swapped, which is why the Minifon will not charge from standard charges, and its own can easily and naturally kill the equipment connected to it. So be careful.

2) Unlocked phones rarely come across, but VERY rare. In general, I met only one mention on the forums in the internet ... So the easiest way to consider the phone completely locked up. Unlock through the codes, most likely, will not. There is no free cable unlock yet. I track the situation - when there will be news - I will write in my blog. ;-)

3) And yes, about the cable. Sequential testpoints are located under the sticker on the battery compartment. Work through any adapter serial-ttl. Here is more, if anyone is interested.

4) The unused for charging pin of the miniUSB connector has contacts for a wired headset (even the call accept button is supported if the memory does not change). You can buy some cheap and rewire. :-)