Does your phone support Hair-Band GSM/GPRS/BONO EDGE and HSBC capabilities? If you think a 3G phone is under gravitational stress, or WMV music is a highstreet store...there’s no point paying for a cutting-edge handset. Alcatel is attempting to remedy this by launching a back to basics mobile phone.

Register Hardware would usually spend several paragraphs describing a handset’s features and capabilities, but this isn’t necessary with the £15 OT-E201, because it’s just so basic. It has a 65K colour, CSTN, (96 x 76 pixels) display and operates over GSM 900 and 1800 bandwidths.

The OT-E201 won't break the bank

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There is no 3G capability or camera to speak of, but the phonebook can hold 250 contacts and its call records has an internal memory for 10 dialled, received or missed calls. Don’t hold out too much hope for a memory card slot though.

Available in black only, the handset’s remaining features include up to 250 hours of standby time and five hours of talk-time, two games and a calculator.

On the plus side, the OT-E201 is available now and is cheap-as-chips, meaning you won’t have to save-up for months and then wait in line before you get hold of one.

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