Updated 24 May, 2012, 9:39 am IST

Funky Phones Under Rs. 10,000

02 Mar, 2009, 2:00 pm IST | by Shayne Rana

For the funky at heart, here are a few mobile handsets that embody that certain funky functionality or form factor.

This list is for those looking for handsets that aren’t necessarily as feature rich as others but manage to adequately cover all the basics and then some. But let’s just leave that aside and focus on their... what I like to call – Funk Factor. This list of phones are what I like to consider funky, not only because they happen to look that way but also because some of them come equipped with features that appeal to that particular crazy fashion sense the ‘Today’s’ youth demand.

LG KS360 – Rs. 9,999

I’m currently reviewing the KS360, so stay tuned for the review that should be up tomorrow. From my testing so far I’m a fan of the design with the slide out QWERTY form factor, although it does have a few quirks here and there. Even with the keypad, the handset still manages to retain a certain slim look. The navigation system is really simple with individual direction keys and a touchscreen system specifically for dialing and looking up contacts. It may look simple enough to be just another handset but not with these input options. I’ve also seen some of the colors that the phone is available in viz. - Black and Red, Black and Silver, White and soft Pink, Titanium and bright Blue, and all may not look too great but most manage to give off that funky vibe. The handset also has a 2 megapixel camera.

Motorola A810 – Rs. 8,000

The zany TV ad may have had something to do with the handset’s appeal, but it does seem like a pretty neat looking handset otherwise. The A810 looks like a miniaturized version of the ROKR E6, only instead of a circular navigation pad it’s equipped with a joystick. So far it’s the cheapest or most affordable touchscreen handset on the market. The 2.2-inch TFT Touchscreen combined with the UI support handwriting recognition for quick input in certain conditions. The A810 also comes with a 3.5mm earphone socket and a 2 megapixel camera. I’m particularly fond of the Black/Gray versions but the White does have its appeal. I would have gone with the EM30 as I’m sure a lot of you readers would mention, however the Red and Black combination just didn’t thrill me.

Samsung Beat F270 – Rs. 8,700

The Beat looks like a neat and fashionable slim slider. I particularly like the dial shaped nav-pad that has dedicated music keys. Even though it’s just 16.9mm thick it still has room for a set of speakers that pops up from the top. Yup, it’s dual slider. Part of Samsung’s Beat series of music-centric mobiles, the F270 comes with a microSD card loaded with Karaoke music files to sing along with. Not that I’m a particular fan of the pastime, but I do happen to have a family that is and a whole lotta friends who go ape-sh*t over the same. Samsung’s DNSe music engine is also part of the handset’s make up to help boost audio quality and the F270 also has a 2 megapixel camera.