I have been into the Carphone Warehouse twice, enquiring about a smartphone I wish to buy. I've heard that some places will let you have a play with it to see the features firsthand before committing, but wasn't offered this on either occasion I went in the CPW.

I need to try the phone out to make sure I can hear with it, as i've heard that the sound is quiet on it, and I have pretty crappy hearing. I don't want to be spending several hundred pounds on a phone if I can't hear through it!

Is it okay to ask to try it out? Are any companies better than others for this?

Nothing to lose by asking, and if it's the difference between a sale and a no-sale, I'd have thought most stores will let you have a test. Whether they have a "live" phone available is debatable but if they have a demo model they ought to let you whack your own SIM card in it and test out the call quality.

Out of interest - which smartphone? I haven't heard (no pun intended) of any recent ones with bad call volume.

It's the HTC Desire. I really have my heart set on this phone! I've just read a couple of comments that it's on the quiet side, and I'm not so good with hearing on phones anyway.

Good tip on putting my own SIM in, I'll ask this when I go back tomorrow, thanks.

They wouldnt let me play with the Desire before I got it.... it sits in my handbag and my sim is in my old sony... it is very quiet and something has happened to the signal as I have no signal at work with it yet my old phone is fine! They claim the software update fixed it but I havent noticed.... The phone is very good apart from these issues which to me outway the better bits!

I can't really recommend the Desire if you've got crappy hearing, the call volume is fine as are txt/email alerts but the ringer is too quiet. My hearing is OK but if the phone is not in the same room I miss calls. Some people have suggested putting an MP3 through this site with the normalise box checked to make it louder and then using that as a ringtone. I would give a quick test now for you but it's 2am and it'll be death by rolling pin if I wake the Mrs up.

So is the quiet issue just the ringer volume? I always have my phone on silent anyway, so it's just the volume of the person speaking on the other end that is the issue.

It's a bit crap if they don't let me try it out, I mean, who wants to spend several hundred quid on something they can't try out?

most o2 stores have all their display phones as live phones now. Go in and have a play

The volume in calls is fine, it's only the ringer. Still give it a try before you buy, there must be somewhere that will let you. Other than the quietish ringer it's an excellent phone.

I hate the way you order a phone over the phone and they come out with the stupid saying "if you dont want it then return it unopened"

How do you know you dont want it or like it if you cant open it? crazy.

I can personally recomend the HTC Desire, I have had it for a month or so now and like it. As for testing I would ask, there is no harm in asking and I think if a sales person is worth their salt they will, they might not get commision any more but they do want to make a sale, if someone does not want to do this I would try another shop. The only reason I can think they wouldn't is either they don't care or they are just looking for a quick sale.