The problem with every smart phone, is that from the get go, they're competing with the intuitive system laid down by Apple's iPhone.
Nokia Lumia 800, the hottest phone they've released in a long time, is no different.
The beautiful curved body and matte finish give it great handle, and the screen is big, but not too big. Yet from the moment you've synched your Facebook and Gmail accounts with your new phone, the Windows Mango 7.5 OS obfuscates and dictates.
You want to use a nice, clear email client or Facebook app? Bad luck. They're integrated into the phone. "People" is the new name for Facebook. If you run a couple of accounts on there, such as one for work and a personal account, forget about accessing both.
Then there's the typography. Letters overhang and words appear incomplete, giving the impression you've got the wrong screen resolution, or that you should pinch to re-size it.
You haven't and you can't. So "people" reads "peopl", "flagged" in the email app reads "flag", "pictures" reads "pictur". This feature could be considered a typographical quirk, or just annoying. In the mum and dad test, that type would infuriate mine.
On launch, you're supplied with apps from British Airways, Ministry of Sound radio, Sky New and Trip Advisor. You might like air travel and music, but how much do you need those two apps? Nokia dictates that they're so essential, you need them on start up.
It has also decided that all your Facebook photos should appear in your image folder here, which seems an unnecessary duplication as they're well-stored in Facebook.
A great feature of the Lumia is Local Scout. The guide to restaurants, shops and things to do near you is the information we wanted from Siri, but that's not available on the iPhone assistant here.
Like really really ridiculously good-looking people, the Lumia 800 can't give you good directions. Type in a London postcode - so very crucial for find your way around the capital - and it will either not find it, or give you shopping options in that area. If you just want to get home, not buy a sofa, that may irritate you.
The camera has more features than iPhone, including light metering, exposure, effects, and sharing straight from the image.
Did you want to use your phone for calls? Or texts? Both of those features work just fine.
The Nokia Lumia 800 is part of a brigade of hot smart phones ready to take on Apple. But in general, with all phones, there's no need to do away with good useful information in an effort to be different.
Why on the eBay app can you not easily view a seller's other items? Why in the app store is there no shopping section when mobile shopping is such a booming area for trade? They both work well, and more clearly on the iPhone.
Key features:
· Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) operating system
· 1.4GHz processor
· 8MP camera with flash and Carl Zeiss optics
· Seamless polymer design
· Dimensions: 61.2x116.5x12.1mm
· Micro SIM
The deals:
Three: £30 a month or £37 a month on The One Plan with all-you-can-eat data, 2,000 minutes and 5,000 texts.
£399.99 outright.
All in One 15 costs £15 300 any-network minutes and 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for a 30-day period.
All in One 25 costs £25 and offers 500 minutes, 3,000 texts and all-you-can-eat data for a 30-day period.
Vodafone: £36 a month on 24 month price plans, including 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of mobile data, as well as 1GB of BT Openzone Wi-Fi access.