Design
The Brick is fittingly named. At 275x47x45mm plus external aerial it is more than a handful, though at a mere 70g, lifting it should not mean you get too much of a workout. It will certainly turn heads, and there is very little chance of you losing it. The trick with the Brick is that it is not just a mobile phone. Yes, you can put a standard SIM in it and it will operate like a low-end mobile, but you can also connect it to a modern smartphone via Bluetooth and use it as a microphone and earpiece. There is an LED torch in the top in case you are doing so in the dark. It will be on sale soon for around £30.
Fuzzy pixel display
Switch it on and it starts up very quickly with a bleeping tone right out of an 80s videogame to reveal time and date on a luridly bright and authentically fuzzy 160x128-pixel display on the 1.8-inch LCD screen.
Features
You can add a microSD card up to 32GB to store your texts and contacts, though we could not get it to play back any music stored on ours. It will however play back music via Bluetooth using the Brick's speaker. You could say that the results offer an authentically tinny eighties sound.
FM radio
There is an FM radio on board, which is great in theory, but in practise we struggled to get a decent signal out of it for any length of time while moving around, though if you're likely to stay in a fixed position it can sound okay.
Gaming
You can play games on it too, in theory. Yes, it is got Snake built in but that is your lot, and there is no option to add more.
Battery life
The back-to-the-old-school vibe is reflected in the battery life too. Unlike the mayfly-style battery life we have grown accustomed to, The Brick will keep going for up to a month on standby or 14 hours talk time on a single charge. There is also room for an additional battery pack that promises up to six months' use if you really feel the need.
Conclusion
It is a bit of a daft gimmick, but not without charm, and at least you can actually use it as an accessory to your real phone. Keep it on your desk or at home and tuck it into your neck for those long phone conversations. It is likely to have niche appeal, but if you are stuck for a Christmas present for your eighties-obsessed significant other, this could be just the thing.
Exhausted
Looks ridiculous TBH, cannot add additional games. It is 2G only, and there is no email. You can send texts though.