Nokia 2255

A no-frills member of Nokia's increasingly utilitarian CDMA range, the 2255 is a clamshell with few pearls. While the promo material states that the phone offers a "pleasing way to manage your busy social calendar", it's likely that social butterflies and business users will gain far more thrills from a phone in the GSM collection, which offers better looks and a lot more features.

Upside
Probably the main advantage of this solidly built model is that it would be difficult to break. In fact, while we don't encourage it, we reckon you could probably drop this phone from a fifth-story window without any harm being done.

An FM radio, speakerphone and inbuilt torch elevate the phone beyond the bargain bin category.

Downside
At first glance, the 2255 reminded us of Motorola's StarTAC phone. There's only one problem with such a resemblance -- the StarTAC was released in 1997. We find it a bit odd that Nokia, a company known for its experimental, even whimsical approach to design, have released a blocky black flip phone topped with a chubby antenna. Although we don't wish to be unkind, it has to be said: like a few others in the new CDMA range, this phone has been smacked pretty hard with the ugly stick.

The main downside of this phone is that we've seen all its features before -- in some cases, many years before. This is fine if you're simply after a functional mobile, but anyone wanting a bit more for their money, such as a music player, connectivity or a camera, should head straight for the GSM range without looking back.

Outlook
The future of Telstra's CDMA service is looking a little shaky, and there is an ever-widening gulf between Nokia's GSM and CDMA phones in terms of the cool factor. While regional users may have no option but to buy a phone with CDMA coverage, this model barely differs from previous offerings in terms of functionality.