UK Mobile Phones - BenQ-Siemens EL71 Review

Your BenQ-Siemens EL71 Reviews

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Reviewer: John Thuku - Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 27th Jun 2008

I hate the battery since it won't last any long especially if you take pictures with flash. Common Benq Siemens you can do better than this.

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Reviewer: Bobby - Scotland, UK
Date: 22nd Jun 2008

I used to have one of these phones & I'll tell you it was a solid, non freezing phone & I had dropped mine & everything even on concrete & it still worded fine but I found 2 faults the battery lasted 2 days at the max & it was a bit slow going in to some menus but that's just maybe because I had about 150 songs I don't know.

I got rid of this phone & bought a Samsung D900! I 100% regretted getting rid of a solid well built phone for a flimsy d900. The only reason I got rid of the el71 is because it only had a 1.3 megapixel camera & the d900 had a 3.2 megapixel & was a new phone then.

Now I have a Nokia 5610 & it keeps freezing up but I am getting the new Motorola z10.

I would recommend the el71 a year ago but now it's a bit out of date. P.S. the speakers on the el71 are very loud! BEST POINT!

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Reviewer: Alex - Gaborone, Botswana
Date: 12th Jun 2008

I am wondering why should a brand like Benq Siemens do this to the global market. Put up a phone that attracts people to purchase it while they know it won't last beyond 6 to 12 months. These guys have to repay us all, whoever has a problem with the freezing & a battery that won't last a day, we really don't deserve this from Benq Siemens. As a globally corporation operating in the highly competitive world, Benq Siemens must sell us products that gives value for our money, not this sub standard EL71. Lets demand our money back from these guys.

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Reviewer: Lynda Muthoni - Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 20th May 2008

My battery blew up on me but I managed to import one from Hungary. The new battery has lasted for about 8 months now & I don't need to charge it every day like before though it still freezes whenever it feels like.

LOVE the features hate the durability! I've had it for 2 years now & I am not getting rid of it anytime soon though I have an extra phone.

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Reviewer: Lee - Cambridge, UK
Date: 3rd May 2008

This phone is useless. I have had it for about 14 months, for the first year every so often the phone would just cut out once every two weeks, just in the last 2 months the phone's screen has been playing up, inverted colours, blank screen, it was like it had no power connected to the screen, as for the battery, well I had to charge it up every day.

Features were all good so was the design but I could never get a good signal, I was on Orange, never again!

The phone is rubbish! The companies even withdrawn most of this model due to problems, they should have never sent it out in the first place my advice is to throw it away, & get a new one not from the same company.

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Reviewer: Simon Grimbly - Maidstone, UK
Date: 20th Apr 2008

Had phone now for 1 year 4 months & today it DIED. Testing the battery showed it to be dead, so after a new battery, the phone now turns on for just enough time to see the home screen then freezes up with the little churp it makes upon locking up, as it's done for ages. Apart from that the phone was great when it behaved itself. (See review 5 May 2007). TO SUM UP ONLY BUY THIS PHONE IF YOU FEEL LUCKY.

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Reviewer: L. Collins - Hengoed, UK
Date: 25th Mar 2008

Had this phone just 18 months love it. It's sleek elegant & easy to use. But now the battery has died on me! & just found out from Carphone Warehouse that they no longer make this model & I am unable to get hold of a battery anywhere local! The company packed everything into this phone super camera & excellent music etc but made a rubbish battery! Which needed to be continually charged! Shame this phone could have been the best.

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Reviewer: Michael - UK
Date: 14th Mar 2008

Very good phone.

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Reviewer: Mr Loy - Leeds, UK
Date: 7th Feb 2008

Luv the style hate the duration. Great for 1st month :) had it for a year & the battery won't make the day now an if someone offends its work-shy attitude by having the audacity to call it (full bar) it mumbles in a huff & goes to sleep!

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Reviewer: Faridah - UK
Date: 5th Feb 2008

Well what can I say, after a year of showing off, life caught up with me, it turns off unexpectedly & now it can't even charge. I don't know if it's the charger or the battery, but it just won't work again.

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Reviewer: Bee - UK
Date: 17th Jan 2008

I loved this phone! Well for the first few months of its life anyway. After about 4 months it had given up on life. The battery would not last a day, if you texted too quickly it would turn off, if you did anything too quickly it would turn off, if you ignored it for too long it would turn off, it rejected random calls, & wouldn't send or receive messages until I made a phone call then they all came & left at once.

A very disappointing phone I now have a Moto V3 which is a major improvement. I would not recommend this phone to anyone! AVOID!

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Reviewer: Mr Grumpy - Essex, UK
Date: 15th Jan 2008

Thought this phone was excellent until it started to slow down, turned out that deleted messages weren't actually deleted, they were sitting there but invisible. The phone jammed up once it hit 120 undeleted ones! Only found this out when I checked the capacity in the sent message screen. Said there was 100 on memory & 20 on sim card. I had to do a total reset to make them visible & then re delete. Orange Shop couldn't help & weren't really interested.

Other complaints are switching off when it feels like it, battery life equivalent to that of a mayfly, & it doesn't bounce when you drop it!

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Reviewer: Jamie Richards - Portland, UK
Date: 12th Nov 2007

Basically this phone is perfect for the first few months or so. The music capabilities are by far one of the best I have ever seen & it has so many more extras that make it the perfect phone.

HOWEVER, Benq Siemens have CLOSED DOWN. Benq bought out Siemens factory & discontinued their production (apart from the exclusive phones). So now, they no longer make phones or parts & the only way to repair your faulty Benq Siemens is through the Carphone Warehouse. This costs money & a lot of time & usually they cannot repair the phone.

SO, unless you can get this phone for a good price which works fine, do it, but if you are looking for a phone that is reliable & will last & is easy to get new parts for, stay clear.

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Reviewer: Lynda Muthoni - Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 16th Oct 2007

My phone is barely a year old & it's already messed up! It keeps on dying on me no matter how long I charge it for! Am VERY disappointed! I have tried looking for another battery but I have been told that the suppliers in Dubai have closed down. How are we meant to get accessories for the phone then? This is very annoying.

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Reviewer: Sammy - Nairobi, Kenya
Date: 23rd Sep 2007

I am disappointed with the cell which has to be recharged time & time again.

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Reviewer: Amy - UK
Date: 3rd Sep 2007

I think the phone looks great but it drives me mad by constantly switching its self off for no reason & its new 'quirk' is to keep asking me to change the time zone! It's driving me crazy & I am taking it back to Orange as I have put up with it for 10 months & it's getting worse every week - DO NOT BUY!

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Reviewer: Jenny - St.Helens, UK
Date: 2nd Sep 2007

Stylish phone but keeps freezing when you are trying to do lots of things at once such as emptying your inbox also battery life not very long & turns itself off a lot.

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Reviewer: Charlie - US
Date: 29th Aug 2007

The battery life on this phone is minimal, it barley lasts a day. Also, when the battery is half way used my phone always seems to freeze. I notice the phone has two inboxes, one is a shortcut on the main screen & another is under messaging in the main menu. The inbox on the main screen allows you to delete all the messages in that inbox at once, but it doesn't delete the messages in the main menu inbox. I can not figure out how to delete all the messages in the main menu inbox without deleting every text message one by one.

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Reviewer: Connor - UK
Date: 18th Aug 2007

I've had this phone for 6 months & I've had to have it repaired 4 times now it also freezes a lot.

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Reviewer: James - Kettering, UK
Date: 16th Aug 2007

My EL71 broke today! It has worked fine but needs a memory card because the memory is woeful. I think the phone is good but the worst thing about it was that it does freeze when on low battery & you cannot get extra features such as games & themes.

Overall, unreliable but a good phone while it lasts.

P.S. The battery consumption is poor.

Buy this phone if you want a good MP3 player.

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Reviewer: Chan - Pakistan
Date: 26th Jul 2007

I think this mobile phone is absolutely amazing. Picture quality, tones almost every thing is so nice. I love it

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Reviewer: Alan Scott - Rosyth, UK
Date: 25th Jul 2007

Great Looking phone but unfortunately freezes, best to look elsewhere for a mobile.

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Reviewer: Aky - Halifax, UK
Date: 2nd Jul 2007

Very good phone, nice & smart with lots of good things on it.

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Reviewer: Matt Wright - Liverpool, UK
Date: 30th Jun 2007

This phone has a lot of good features, which is a shame because its usability is diabolical! It breaks down if you attempt to use it with any speed, its reception is terrible, its battery life is terrible & it freezes or crashes if you try to delete a lot of messages. Not only this but it cannot even do the basic requirement of a mobile phone, that is, deliver & receive messages within a day of it being sent! I sent a text to my friend which he didn't receive until a week later! I received ten messages all at once sent to me four days prior. This phone is a disgrace! I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy! But apart from that it's OK.

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Reviewer: Semore Butts - Birmingham, UK
Date: 29th Jun 2007

I'll make this simple, I love it ;-).

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Reviewer: James Dowl - Maidenhead, UK
Date: 29th Jun 2007

I love this phone, its great. I am so glad I got it, don't you just love the design how cool is this phone man, I love it.

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Reviewer: Elaine - UK
Date: 28th Jun 2007

Don't even think about buying this phone I have nothing but trouble since I got it! Carphone warehouse TRIED to repair it on three occasions, then just didn't want to know any more, phoned BenQ Siemens who told to send it to there repair people, after three phone calls, again was told to try for refund but still no joy. I am left with just a useless mobile phone, it does not hold its charge even though the battery has been changed on three occasions.

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Reviewer: Jeremy - California, US
Date: 28th Jun 2007

Great phone & awesome features, this phone is awesome. I've had it for about a week & it was great the only complaint is that the service is poor. There's no way this phone is a 'Tri-Band' phone it is absolutely rubbish on the service. I wish I could have kept it but it wasn't of any use. Besides that though the music player was amazing & entertaining, the pictures, Bluetooth, videos were awesome, very good phone, just wished the service was better because that was my only disappointment.

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Reviewer: Shawn Thornton - Settle, UK
Date: 27th Jun 2007

The phone is so cool, I have been doing lots with it. It's so fun. I love it, its much better than my sisters phone.

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Reviewer: Jonathon Robinson - Manchester, UK
Date: 27th Jun 2007

Yes I do like this phone it is a great design. However I am not so keen on the amount of battery life, it is a bit short & I have to recharge every night & it can get annoying especially if I forget, but overall I do like this phone it is so good.

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Reviewer: Sandy - New York, US
Date: 27th Jun 2007

Oh my, I like totally love this phone, it's so great I love it. It can do so much, it's so cool & small & sleek.

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Reviewer: Berty - London, UK
Date: 27th Jun 2007

This phone is like totally awsome. I am lovin it.

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Reviewer: Mr Cool - Yorkshire, UK
Date: 27th Jun 2007

I love this phone its great ;-) so glad I got it, it's so fun:~] one of the best phones I have had !

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Reviewer: Adam - Skipton, UK
Date: 19th Jun 2007

Very good phone, easy to understand & use, lots of fun & a great design.

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Reviewer: Roxy - Kent, UK
Date: 18th Jun 2007

I've had this phone for 4 months now & I am suitably impressed with it.

Bought it for £60 on Orange from the Carphone Warehouse. It was already unlocked so I could switch it with my O2 Sim card.

Best features:
- Slim looking design.
- Small & compatible.
- Value for money.

Worst features:
- Sometimes it randomly turns itself off.
- Battery life.
- Is not compatible with Windows Vista (if someone can find a solution, please let me know)

Overall, not a bad phone. However, if you are looking for a flawless phone or one that is very robust & reliable, this may not be the phone for you. It is more ideal as a 'fashion phone', because of its slim design.

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Reviewer: Alexander - Birmingham, UK
Date: 20th May 2007

A good value phone. However the camera seems to be bad quality, & generally the 'feel' of the menus are cheap, & some parts of the phone, such as the back, & number keypad-also seem cheap.

The phone is very slippery & easy to drop, & the memory card functionality is very hard to access & is therefore very hard to use efficiently.

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Reviewer: Lorrain - UK
Date: 9th May 2007

I got this phone at Christmas. It's a great phone stylish and I really liked it. Until every so often it froze on me. I didn't think much of it until 1 day it wouldn't turn back on. I have now sent it back & unfortunately are having financial difficulties. Which leaves me without a phone. Apart from that it was a great phone!

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Reviewer: Simon - Maidstone, UK
Date: 5th May 2007

Had this phone for 5 months now. I am getting to grips with it now. When it turns its self off you need to push the on button for about 10 sec then it starts up OK.

The phone seems to lock up only when you work it hard rushing through menus etc. the camera is only good in bright light, in the dark don't bother taking the photo, the flash is rubbish (but it does make a handy torch though) in 'normal light' always turn the brightness up in settings to +3 to get a nice picture, when the light is right the el71 takes great photos for a phone.

The screen it very good viewed from any angle & the loud speaker is good for MP3 music.

For some reason the software & lead doesn't allow file share with my laptop, or Bluetooth to my phone but allows Bluetooth to my laptop!

There is a nice noise when opening the phone up but you here it as you walk if it is in your pocket.

The best way to get music/video on the phone is to take the SD card out, put it into a card reader & stick it into your USB port.

OTHER THAN THESE PROBLEMS I LOVE the PHONE.

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Reviewer: Jadie - Derbyshire, UK
Date: 1st May 2007

This phone really is the best I have had so many phones & I mean so many! But this comes out top notch I love it its great the features are cool, & if you compared it with my LG chocolate or my Samsung lily, you will soon see how fantastic it really is. (Number of phones I have had is around 24 in a month, but sold all now phew!)

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Reviewer: J - UK
Date: 21st Apr 2007

It's an OK phone but it turns off whenever it wants & the back case feels like its gonna drop off at any second & you have to charge it like everyday the battery life is something like 5hrs!

It looks good & feels good but I really do want to get another phone have only had this one 4 months!

I wouldn't really recommend it.

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Reviewer: Jimbo - UK
Date: 21st Apr 2007

Having had mobiles for 17 years! This is the worst phone ever! Floating reception. Freezing & turning off! Not being able to hear people! Messages indicated on voicemail but not there! Enough said DO NOT GET THIS PHONE!

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Reviewer: Kimberly - EK, UK
Date: 10th Apr 2007

This phone is the best £60 I'v ever spent! I have no problems with it at all, I'v never found it to switch off, or the back cover to come off. For £12 I got a micro SD chip & now with 512MB of extra storage, I can get the most out of this phone! I highly recommend it! :-)

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Reviewer: Beth - UK
Date: 9th Apr 2007

Hey, great phone but, as everyone else has said it turns itself off a lot. One day, I turned it on to see what the time was & the screen went black & I haven't been able to turn it back on again. Also, I wasn't able to get MP3 files on it.

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Reviewer: Vanessa - Manchester, UK
Date: 28th Mar 2007

EL71 is OK but needs improving. Its lovely but it annoys me when its switches itself I mean. But except from it brill the memory the & I how slim it is. PEOPLE BUY this phone LOL.

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Reviewer: Scott Birney - Erskine Renfrewshire, UK
Date: 24th Mar 2007

Great phone. Had a few problems with it like it switching itself off but its still a cracking phone. I was struggling to put games I had downloaded on my computer onto the phone & I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to do it?

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Reviewer: Seppe - Belgium
Date: 24th Mar 2007

A nice phone. On the outside. I have had this phone for 2 months & then it started turning off automatically. Sometimes I even can't turn it on because it turns itself off too fast. Is there someone else with this problem? If I didn't have these problems, it would be a very nice phone in features/price combination.

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Reviewer: Annie Dymond - Ilfracombe, Togo
Date: 22nd Mar 2007

Terrible phone, took it back after 2 days, & would not recommend it to my worst enemy. Do not buy it.

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Reviewer: Mani - Birmingham, UK
Date: 22nd Mar 2007

A brilliant phone, I don't need 2 carry my camera round no more cus its got a half decent camera (6x4 photos), & I don't need my MP3 player cus I got a memory card 4 the phone (512MB) & I got bout 75 music tracks on der, the only phone you can compare as a slide phone is d900, which is lighter & a better camera but then you do pay a extra £100 4 it, but this phone is brilliant.

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Reviewer: Martin - UK
Date: 22nd Mar 2007

Heap of junk. I am not really into mobile phones. I just want it to work, not take up too much space in my pocket & maybe take & receive pictures. A few games to play on the train doesn't hurt either. So, when it doesn't tell me when I get texts, decides when & when not to lock the keypad more or less at random & most irritatingly of all has a battery that runs down in less than a day if I actually use it, that's a problem for me. Looks very pretty, but since it sits in my pocket most of the time, I really don't care what it looks like, it doesn't actually function as a phone. If you spend more time looking at your phone than using it, this is the one for you, otherwise, get something that works!

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Reviewer: Dominique - Manchester, UK
Date: 18th Mar 2007

I am 16 & I have had my phone for 6 months so far, it seemed to be everything I wanted in a phone but once I continued to use it a bit more the phone kept on switching of plus the memories is really bad, I don't no if I can still get a replacement but I hope I can because I like the phone just I think am looking for one that doesn't turn its self off!

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Reviewer: Ryan - Wednesbury, UK
Date: 17th Mar 2007

Class phone.

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Reviewer: Zoey - UK
Date: 14th Mar 2007

Its look brilliant & is really easy to use but mine has stopped sending messages and hacks me off I won't o smash it I want a new phone I got this one 3 weeks ago.

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Reviewer: Jme Muscat - UK
Date: 6th Mar 2007

The EL71 is a great phone but it tends to turn itself off every now & then. It's easy to use & it drowns out most phones with its music as it is quite a loud phone. I would recommend buying an mmc for it as it hasn't got much memory but it's a great phone.

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Reviewer: Nick - UK
Date: 28th Feb 2007

My reviews are from what I've read I am commenting to see if anyone can tell me where I can get one of these phones. All the major phone shops have either stopped selling them or never sold them at all. Please help!

P.S I don't want to go down the Amazon or eBay route as I feel I need to try it out first. Cheers

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Reviewer: Rayhaan - Leeds, UK
Date: 22nd Feb 2007

Best phone ever.

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Reviewer: Stephnaie - Coventry, UK
Date: 12th Feb 2007

Hi I think this phone is an outstanding use. The only problem is I don't no how to down load music into the phone & that's what I wanted the phone for so I could listen to music I know it can do it but I just don't know how, besides that it's a beautiful phone.

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Reviewer: Arlette - Chichester, West Sussex, UK
Date: 8th Feb 2007

I got this phone for my birthday in the Orange shop & didn't check out any thing about it before hand - so I wished I read these reviews as its been very helpful to forward plan the things that may be wrong it in the future. In saying that though the only problem from having it for one day is the constant menus. But anyhow - wish me luck folks for the future!

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Reviewer: Rachel - Belfast, UK
Date: 4th Feb 2007

My mate had this phone & it was terrible. It was slow & sometimes never sent texts when she tried 2 send them. She hated it & after only 3 months got an LG chocolate instead.

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Reviewer: Paul - Peterborough, UK
Date: 4th Feb 2007

This phone is really nice, but. Once you've had it for a while, you will get fed up with it. I've had to, because the first one wouldn't even turn on. Anyway, got on with it for about a week. Then it started to go wrong. It kept turning itself off, wouldn't go off when I received a message or a missed call. Just basically. Was a bit rubbish.

Current problems are:
Backlight won't turn off
Battery lasts about 5hrs
Doesn't tell me when I have a new message or missed call
Turns itself off a lot
Doesn't let me delete any videos I've taken, so memory is full all the time
I can't get it unlocked, so it's stuck on Tesco network

Other than that, it's a very nice phone. But, it's going back to the shop, & I am looking once more. If you can put up with the problems & its occasional problems. Go for it. Very good for the money.

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Reviewer: Greg - Blackpool, UK
Date: 30th Jan 2007

I think the EL71 is fantastic.

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Reviewer: I - UK
Date: 12th Jan 2007

I've only just got this phone but I can't seem to work out how to put music on. Can anybody help me?

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Reviewer: Sam Harrison - Derby, UK
Date: 1st Jan 2007

Personally I think this is a great phone. It has all the media capabilities I wanted.

The MP3 player speaker is great as even at high volumes & loud basslines, it still fails to let me down.

The battery life could be a problem for those who like their music, or those who take a lot of photos, but this is not a problem for me as I can charge it every day.

I marked 10% off the usability of this phone, because in the mew messages menu, there is no SMS option, only MMS & e-mail. Instead I have to go through forward & delete the message I received. This however is only a minor annoyance & so doesn't overshadow the overall quality & style of the phone.

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Reviewer: Robiz - Latvia
Date: 30th Dec 2006

This is worst Siemens that I ever had. Only design is good. Battery capacity is low (1.5 days max). Camera is very bad. Even CXV70 with 0.3MPix VGA get 5 times better quality. Speaker for rings & MP3 is good, but second speaker for talking is out of any critics.

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Reviewer: Padaruth - London, UK
Date: 23rd Dec 2006

This phone is rubbish, I cannot put it on. Really regret buying it. But a good looking design!

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Reviewer: Jim - UK
Date: 20th Dec 2006

When the phone works its OK but batt life is rubbish & now the charger doesn't work & I can't get a replacement anywhere. Also on a number of occasions it has frozen & I could not even turn the thing off so this weekend I will be buying something else. It is only about 5 months old & is waste of £100.

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Reviewer: Kim - UK
Date: 17th Dec 2006

I got this phone about a month ago now for my birthday. All in all it's a good phone. It's got some good features on it like photo editing which you can draw on the picture etc. Which I found really kwl! Only let downs on the phone is that it sometimes gets a bit slow, there isn't much memory & occasionally it freezes up. Also the back flap on the phone is loose & flaps around a bit but otherwise it seems very reliable!

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Reviewer: Ryan - US
Date: 16th Dec 2006

This phone has everything I need: Clear phone calls (no drop calls, static noise) even when it only shows 2 bars of signal. The Bluetooth function could be perfect if it's the newer generation standard, but what can I complain about what this phone gives you at this price with such excellent built quality. Very easy to use folder management function, I could browse through pictures & other files with navigator. It also has very clear & loud speaker that you hardly would miss a call; of course, the vibrator works very well (it has different types of vibration), too. ;] Last but not least, DESIGN, very simple straight lines & clear design; the metal brushed finish goods great in both black (mine) & silver. The sliding part also has great built quality, unlike many other sliding phones. OH! & how could I almost forget to mention: Excellent Screen! Bright color on clear & big LCD.

Now comes to downsides:
1. This phone is not sold in America. I have to ask my friend in Taiwan to buy it for me, which also means no customer service nor technical support (although this phone has 2 year warranty by the Synnex Grp in Taiwan).
2. Battery life really could be better, yet it really depends on users.
3. The back side of the sliding up part could use some other design to cover it up. This is why I gave it 4% off on design part. The other 1% is the 'EL71' below the screen, but it's just my personal opinion.
4. Phone book management was a challenge for me to edit on the phone (compare to my previous Nokia). Easier way: BenqSeiemens phone manager! Just plug the phone into the computer & edit there. But I am getting used to it now.
5. User's Manual could be better~ There are a lot of hidden functions that manual didn't tell us. I found many information online~

Overall: An excellent phone to buy in areas that are avail!

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Reviewer: Ryan - UK
Date: 13th Dec 2006

I am getting this phone for Xmas & it looks great. I have a Siemens mobile now & it is alright so I thought I would get one again. Does anyone know how much the USB cables are?

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Reviewer: Nadia - Stranraer, UK
Date: 10th Dec 2006

This is the worst phone I have ever owned I only got it cuz I had an accident with my Sony & my upgrades not due yet it turns its self off in the middle of calls & can't even manage to hold a charge it takes ages to charge as well I've only had it three weeks & am just going to buy a decent phone Sony Ericsson w850.

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Reviewer: Bob - Bread, UK
Date: 9th Dec 2006

The phone is so kool, I have been doing lots of stuff with it.

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Reviewer: Hrnjicic - Mostar, Bosnia
Date: 3rd Dec 2006

This is what I call good job!

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Reviewer: Steven Mead - Leighton Buzzard, UK
Date: 22nd Nov 2006

I got this phone a month ago & it is really great. Unlike the other reviews the back cover is not lose & the battery is good enough.

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Reviewer: Louie - Fakenham, UK
Date: 19th Nov 2006

I really like this phone, There as so many positives e.g. Brilliant 1.3MP camera. The video is good, MP3 player is very good, good crystal clear sound. & goes very loud without crackling up. My only negatives are the themes seem to be very old looking & when you set a picture as your bg it takes ages to load up, this can be very annoying, also my Internet on my phone doesn't work, I am not really bothered hugely by this as I don't use it. Also I have rubbish signal. It's nothing to do with the network as its Vodafone & my previous phone had brilliant signal. So I guess it must be the phone/Siemens. Any way. I do hugely recommend this phone as it's cheap & features the same as a phone double its price. So do buy!

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Reviewer: Sheky - UK
Date: 15th Nov 2006

LOOKING GREAT 4 ME, GREAT PHONE WORTH the MONEY

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Reviewer: CG - UK
Date: 12th Nov 2006

I bought this phone on recommendation of the retail shop. I have found some features hard to use & have had to change it once within 28 days as the battery wore down quickly & it kept switching itself off. I have had the second phone 2 weeks & it is exactly the same. I wouldn't recommend buying this phone.

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Reviewer: Gavin - Northampton, UK
Date: 4th Nov 2006

The phone is OK, but Siemens are so rubbish, I have tried to get a new charger for 2 months & still unable to get one.

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Reviewer: Anni - London, UK
Date: 3rd Nov 2006

I've had Siemens phones for years now. But before this one I tried a Motorola V3i, but couldn't get on with it. This phone has all the features I am used to from the SL75 & SL65 I've owned previously. The battery life is annoying, but it seems a usual thing for Siemens, they don't seem to be able to design a phone that can last more than 2 days (on a good day!) without charging. I have turned the brightness down to 30% which is still bright enough & it does extend the battery life a bit. My phone did keep turning itself off, but someone suggested that it might be a faulty battery so I ordered a new one (I bought this phone secondhand, so didn't have a warranty option) & its not happened since, no matter how quickly I navigate through the menus (which was when it did it most). The phone does slow down or freeze sometimes, to the point where I have to remove the battery & start again, but for £20 I got a 1GB memory card & moved what I could from the phone. This has helped I think. All in all, this is a great phone & I am really pleased with it. I love the green flashing light when you have a missed call or text, my previous phones just showed a symbol on the screen which wasn't always easy to see without opening the phone.

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Reviewer: Ryan - UK
Date: 30th Oct 2006

Its good. Looks great & all but it keeps on turning itself off! So annoying but otherwise amazing.

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Reviewer: Michael - Manchester, UK
Date: 23rd Oct 2006

This is a really great phone. I lost my Nokia 6230i on the bus which is a great phone (but has a shocking media player) so I wanted a new one which could live up to it. I ended up getting this one. Not only does it look cool it's a good price. I got it for £90 when it first came out at the carphone warehouse. BenQ Siemens have really gone to town with this one! The only things that annoy me are the flashing green light which is good when you get a text or call, but when you get something from Bluetooth it doesn't switch off. The battery life is low... but I recharge mine every night, so I'm not too bothered. Media player is good & the speaker is good quality. I found the 1.3MP camera to be better quality than the Nokia as well. I'm a bit sad though as it got 2 really deep scratches on the front at a party & is really annoying me! It's a shame cos it spoils the beautiful design. How's does it compare to the EF81 cos phones4U are selling it for £110?

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Reviewer: Jessica - Bournemouth, UK
Date: 21st Oct 2006

I wanted an average phone & that's exactly what I got, it looks good other than the battery case chips, its feels good too! The phone freezes, turns on & off by self & slows down dramatically! Battery power doesn't last, ridiculous! I will not be getting a Siemens phone again! This is my 3rd replacement now & was told I couldn't exchange to different phone completely! I do not recommend this phone at all!

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Reviewer: Tony - Birmingham, UK
Date: 17th Oct 2006

Great phone, nicely finished, don't use the tricks too much as the battery life is absolutely atrocious. Mine can just about last a day providing I don't take too many calls. Shame as the phone is fine...

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Reviewer: Jack - Norwich, UK
Date: 16th Oct 2006

I am definitely probably this mobley 4 crimbo nd it looks gr8.It has great features & is definitely value 4 money, would have been nice 2 have a 2 megapixel camera on it but not everything is perfect. I would say it is one of the best fones out 4 what I want. I really like dis 1 n I think it is gd but the Samsung x700 is the exact same price nd has exactly the same features which 1 do you think I should get?

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Reviewer: Anne Marie - Wales, UK
Date: 12th Oct 2006

I dunno wot I relli reckon 2 dis fone cuz me m8s got it n am savin up 4 one I relli wanna no wot the memory is like but from the look feel & things on it really makes me want it xx

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Reviewer: Dee - Norn Iron, UK
Date: 12th Oct 2006

This fone, although look very stylish & expensive, doesn't quite live up to its expectations. The cover is light & flimsy, the back case is lose. The slide is squeaky & either slides with a bang or has to be forced open. Not something to be admired. The memory is awful, four short songs & the memory is full. It also has a very short battery life. I am having to charge it every day. Its constant need to switch off & becomes very annoying. If I can advise you don't get this phone!

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Reviewer: Mark - Leeds, UK
Date: 4th Oct 2006

The phone is a very good phone which has everything you need & is very easy to use. The design is great & sleek & who ever is looking for a phone I would recommend this phone straight away.

It is very good 2 watch videos on.

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Reviewer: David - UK
Date: 4th Oct 2006

This phone is so nice. It looks classy & expensive although it isn't the features are great. The camera & video are of such high quality & for £25 pounds I bought myself a 1 GB memory stick for it holds 750 photos & 100 songs the same as an ipod this phone is the best ever.

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Reviewer: Willie Eckerslike - Ilkley Moor (Bah Tat), UK
Date: 10th Sep 2006

What a phone........
This time round I went for the Benq-Siemens EL71. It is everything & more.

The upside:
The design is good & sleek. It looks great & weighs less than most phones on the market which is great when you consider the amount of stuff it has packed into it. It's easy to use, & the speaker on it is far superior quality to any other phone I've used before. The screen is a good 1.75" x 1.25" in dimension & has a really good resolution (but not as good my old Motorola v500 but better than a Nokia 6210/6210i). The video & mp3 player are very good quality & the Bluetooth is easy to use. Slide the phone up & it reveals an excellent keypad with very good size keys for those with large digits like me. If you are used to Nokia then this will throw you a bit but it doesn't take long to get on with it. It has space for a mini SD card under the back panel for extra stuff you wanna store (I just got a 512mb for £9.50) although it already has a fair whack of memory to store onto anyway. The GPRS is spot on & the inclusion of msn/hotmail/yahoo is a real bonus especially if you have an email account with these as you can check your mail on the move.

Now the downside:
The main downside to the EL71 for me is the battery life. If you use it a lot you get 1 1/2 days use. If you don't use it but have it on it'll go for 2 1/2 days before charging. As I can't compare to other 3G phones then this may be good but this may be poor. Another downside isn't the phone itself but the lack of accessories. If you want a car charger or phone case/pouch & use eBay you have to look under BENQ-SIEMENS EF81 as there is nothing for the EL71.

Other than these 2 minor problems this phone is excellent & I doubt you'd disagree.

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Reviewer: Russell Harrison - Sheffield, UK
Date: 8th Sep 2006

I've only had this phone a couple of days, but I can certainly tell you one thing...

It's WAY better than a Pebl!

I've been struggling with a Pebl for about 3 months. Yes, I admit it looks cool (& feels nice too!), but I just hate the Motorola interface. I had a V500 over 18 months ago & couldn't get on with it. The Pebl doesn't seem to have progressed!