Please be gentle.  This is my first mini-review of a product. 

This year my smartphone is being turned off while on the annual family camping trip, but I wanted an emergency contact phone should our very capable team want my input on an unexpected issue. I also wanted a cheap phone I could take to the beach and not worry about damage. Having a quick browse of what is available, one option really stood out, so I placed an order.

2 days later I am trying out the Dakota mobile phone from French company MobiWire. Its 'claim to fame' is that it is IP67 rated, which means for all intents and purposes it is waterproof (to 1m depth) and dustproof. It survived a 5 minute bath in my fish tank at home just fine, where my iPhone would have perished in the watery grave. This summer I'll give it a try at the beach, taking photos at wave-level.

Going back to a 'candybar' shaped phone feels a bit odd after carrying one of the larger iPhones around for the last year. No business-grade email. No facebook. No touch screen. No daily recharge, either. I had almost forgotten that some mobile phones used to have batteries that lasted 1-2 weeks, and this is a welcome return. Manufacturer claims are 15 day standby time and 600 minute talk time. Even if they were slightly optimistic figures, this NZ$120 phone (currently $80 on special) puts the battery life of my $1000+ iPhone to shame. In fairness, the two devices are used quite differently.

The plastic body of the Dakota feels solid. Really solid. The screen is Gorilla Glass. The 5MP camera is good enough for victim identification, but is not going to win any awards. The FM Radio coming from the speakerphone has limited volume adjustment. The LED flashlight is bright enough to be helpful. The menu is reasonably intuitive. The keyboard feels good to use, though being a rubber sheet I would be a little concerned about this being damaged if the phone were mashed around in a bag of heavy tools.

For $80 (locked to the Vodafone network, $30 unlock fee), or even $120 (assumed to be full price with no provider lock), I think this phone is a fantastic buy for someone who does not need smartphone features and is happy to multi-tap out the occasional text message. Perhaps a phone for older relatives who need less complexity and a long battery life, or a parent-supplied mobile for younger kids who might have an accident with a higher value phone.

Vodafone NZ Shop Link: http://www.vodafone.co.nz/shop/mobileDetails.jsp…
Offical web site: http://mobiwire.com/dakota (limited information)