Telstra T7 Mobile Phone

Submitted: Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 14:39
ThreadID: 69839 Views:6029 Replies:7 FollowUps:4
This Thread has been Archived
How good is this phone?

My old phone contract ran out and the telemarketer pushed me to renew my $30 plan which I did. Having read a few of the posts re mobile phones in this forum I insisted that I wanted one THAT WORKS IN THE COUNTRY.

At Camooweal last October when I really needed the phone (Telstra 98% coverage ;-) ), mine had no reception. The bloke that helped me out; his phone was exactly the same. Borrowed his wife's (different brand) phone and managed to get a signal.

Back to the telemarketer.... Whilst talking to him I was searching the Internet. He said he could do a Country Phone that does blah, blah, and wait there's even more .... comes with free steak knives. No. not really. But I told him that I just wanted a phone that can make and receive calls whenever I needed to. We signed off on a $30 plan with the ZTE F165 phone. It was delivered today .... a T7 phone !!! Not what we agreed on. Have not opened the package and MR TELSTRA is going to get a visit from yours truly.

Just to be sure of my facts, I would appreciate any comments, best plan, etc. that other members have.

TIA

Malcolm
living the 'good life'

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Member - Troll 81 (QLD) - Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 15:55

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 15:55
Gday

From looking at the Telstra site they don't have this phone on their "recommended for rural areas list" We recently went through this and ended up with a LG KF390 and found it really good. Where my blackberry doesn't work with Vodafone this one did and we got full data access as well which meant I could plug the phone into the laptop and access email and the web. I have by no means taken it out into the outback or anything but so far we have been happy with it.

Just remember that 98% is population not land mass. But if you want 100% coverage then get a Sat phone
AnswerID: 370090

Follow Up By: DesF - Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 19:22

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 19:22
Hi, if you can get a Nokia 6120 Next G phone , you will be very happy with the coverage , I have had mine now for almost 2 years and found the coverage excellent , mate has the same and he had coverage over most of the outback QLD and NSW on a trip this year, even at Undara lavae tubes. We both have data packs ( $10.00 for 150Meg)and use the phone as the modem on the laptop, works really well and is fast, we also talk on Skype . other friends have TZ phones and no where the coverage of the Nokia, I see they are now available on a $20.00 plan , when we got ours we had to take a $30.00 one , had a $20.00 one on the old CDMA.
Cheers Des.
0
FollowupID: 637485

Reply By: StormyKnight - Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 19:30

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 19:30
Just about to buy a new phone for country use myself....so I have any in the field answers but...

Three phones have been recommended...
Telstra T165i
Telstra T7 Easy Touch Discovery
Nokia E51

all have bluetooth for hands free operation...

Both the Telstra phones have a physical socket for an external aerial, the Nokia is passive only...
Both the Telstra phones require the full car kit ($279) if you want external aerial connection & charging, The Nokia only needs the cradle kit tyo do both($79).

Now, only the Telstra models are blue-ticked, but several retailers & a few users on explorOz have said that they have had good coverage with the Nokia standalone & also with an external aerial....

Battery Life, Nokia 300hrs (13 days), T165i 250hrs (11 days) , T7 180hrs (8 days)

Cheers
AnswerID: 370160

Reply By: Member - extfilm (NSW) - Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 20:02

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 20:02
I have the Nokia N95 and find it great in the country..... But hey when I am out there I do not want the phone on. I am out there to forget the world... LOL
peter
AnswerID: 370177

Reply By: Member - Dazza- Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 20:54

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 20:54
Following Stormy Knight's claim that both the Telstra phones mentioned require a full car kit......I haven't used these phones, but our old CDMA Nokia 6385 had a similar socket on the back. We used an aerial and patch lead connection and a simple car charger into the base of the phone thereby avoiding use of a full car kit.
This also had the advantage of portability as the aerial was on a magnetic or clip-on base fitting depending on the vehicle.
Can anyone confirm that a full car kit is really needed?
Chers Dazza
AnswerID: 370188

Follow Up By: Krakka - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 06:12

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 06:12
Dazza, A full car kit is NOT reqd for the T7, can be used the same as you describe for the Nokia 6385. Don,t know about the other phones but would imagine the same.

Cheers

Krakka
0
FollowupID: 637544

Follow Up By: StormyKnight - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 21:02

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 21:02
Yes thats right a full kit is not required, you can use a cigarette charger & an aerial fly lead...

In my case I wanted some form of cradle to charge the phone & also to provide a connection to an external aerial....in that case you do need the full cradle kit on those telstra phones....

I didn't want to have to chase cables & have to hook up the power & aerial each time I got in the car...I already have enough fly leads with the gps, inverter & laptop to worry about :)

0
FollowupID: 637723

Reply By: Member - Heather G (NSW) - Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 23:52

Monday, Jun 15, 2009 at 23:52
H Malcolm,

I have had a Telstra T165i phone, on $30 plan since the end of January, and have had phone reception in many places where others with different phones havent. Have been travelling since mid March- from coastal NSW, through Vic and SA and now in WA.

I have also used it with a patch lead and low gain antennae which I previously used with my Bigpond USB wireless modem, and it enables me to get 1 extra bar of signal, in areas where it has been intermittent.

I am very happy with it. Not sure what the T7 phone is like, have no knowledge of it.

Heather
Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 370228

Reply By: paulnsw - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 07:17

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 07:17
T7 is a great phone and approved Rural phone for maximum reception. The T7 and T165i are the best phones ZTE has released. T7 has good sized numbers and buttons. If you want to use a data pack on phone ZTE offers the easiest connectivity and the JoinMe software included keeps a good track of your data usage.
For those that may have T7 ZTE has on the website a firmware upgrade which gives improved battery life on an already good battery life. Make sure you exactly follow the instructions.
AnswerID: 370243

Follow Up By: Krakka - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 09:11

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 09:11
Thanks, didn't know about the upgrade.

Krakka
0
FollowupID: 637571

Reply By: Member - Malcolm (Townsville) - Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 22:24

Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 at 22:24
Thanks to all for constructive advice.

Seems T7 may be way to go. Only just found out that this is the same phone my wife bought on a $20 plan a few months ago. Why do Telstra now want to charge me $30pm for the same phone? What am I missing?

LOL. Problem may arise with us having same brand phone. Are there different colours or is it just choose between black and black?

Malcolm
living the 'good life'

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  Send Message

AnswerID: 370427

Sponsored Links