Enjoying the best of both worlds

MANILA, Philippines - With the advent of touchscreen phones, you would think that everyone would prefer to use a touch phone. But surprise! There are a lot of users who revel in the feel of keypads. And then there are the multi-tasking types who prefer to use both, depending on the tasks they want to accomplish using their mobiles.

For musician Toni Reynes, a keypad is preferable when typing SMS. “I also use the keypad when chatting on mobile. But when it comes to surfing and checking my Facebook page, a touchscreen that lets me click on links and view photos with gentle glide is preferable.”

Toni is the vocalist of the acoustic band Chiro, one of the fastest rising acoustic bands in the country. Toni is currently using the Nokia X3-02, a unique phone that combines a touchscreen and unique 12-button phone keypad. The phone is one of Nokia’s most popular Touch and Type phones featuring a large touchscreen with clear icons and menus, and the familiar full keypad for quick fire text messages and phone calls. “I also love its dedicated music key, which instantly plays our songs on the music player,” adds Toni.

Like Toni, Faelmar Ocampo, the band’s guitarist, is also a fan of the Touch and Type phone. “I’m happy that my Nokia X3-02 is very versatile. I can use the keypad to send personal messages to my friends or post updates about our next gigs on our social networking sites, which are easy to browse because it’s also touchscreen,” says Faelmar.

A touchscreen is also great for entertainment according to bassist Erick Gabriel. “While on the road, I never get bored because I can easily play games and open favorite apps with my phone’s touch-based interface. I can also flip through my albums with just one touch. But I’m more comfortable using the keypad when typing mails because I use only one hand.”