After many years of experimenting with different electric shavers when I was younger I settled on the Philips rotary shavers. My present one is a 3000 cordless wet and dry which I've had for a long time and the battery is slowly failing - such that instead of getting about a week's worth of shaving on one charge as it did when new I'm now getting one day at full speed and two more at reduced speed. So, new shaver needed.
Looking at the options but decided to stay with the "devil I know" so got to be a Philips. Got a big shock at how they've increased in price - but hasn't everything? Anyway, I got on well with my old 3,000 so I'll just have another. Mrs J says "How much is it? About £50 just Use my Boots Advantage Card, I've got easily enough on it to buy that". Back onto the computer and it turns out the 3000 is now a "series" The cheapest is the 3000X which is on offer £54.99 reduced to £49.99, Looks identical to the one I have just now and that's a nice surprise, saves me £5, very nice. Wonder how the other models in the 3000 series differ. Oh look , there's one at £59.99, must be the next one up in the range? So started to compare features and then noticed "on special offer, usual price £139.99. Must be a mistake? Looked again, it's the top of the range model. Let's ring up the Princes street branch and see if that price is right. Blimey, it is! it's on special promotion. Can you put one behind the till for me? Certainly sir, collect before end of business today, we're open 'till 7pm. Jumped straight in the bus and shot up there and here it is:
View attachment 449520
It's quite similar to the old one - the one with the red trim in the next picture:
View attachment 449523
But it has 3 oblong lights below the on/off switch (you can see them in the picture on the box) which light up when you turn it on or when it's charging to let you know the state of the battery. The old one had one light which lit up to tell you "I'm nearly flat" which you knew anyway because it would be running slow!
The cutting heads are very similar.
View attachment 449524
The circular metal grills float in the three plastic holders which themselves are also hinged to allow movement to follow the contours of your face, however, the new one's entire head is also hinged:
View attachment 449525
They call it 5D. older one doesn't have this "feature" and is now called 4D:
View attachment 449526
Seems a bit of a "gimmick" to me but time will tell if it allows it to provide a better shave.
The only rather strange thing is that it doesn't come with it's own charger - all the one's I've had in the past included a charger in the box - This new one just includes a UBS lead. So I could charge it from the laptop I suppose? Then Mrs J said "I've got a spare UBS charger from my old iPad, would that work"? Luckily it's got specs written on the outside - output 5v DC @ 2.4A. Yippee, the spec for a charger for the shaver is 5v DC @ greater than 1 amp. Sorted. And the old apple charger is dual 110/240 volt input so I can use it anywhere if needed. In fact it's been connected for about 45 minutes now and the 3rd light has just come on so, Happy days!
Interesting, perhaps? that the website shows many models, including this one, out of stock. but when you ring the branch they still have some. Maybe reducing stock of a model soon to be replaced? Anyway, if you're looking for a shaver and you want one of these, I'd get on the phone to your local branch double quick time before they're all gone. Slightly less than half price? I never get bargains like that!
.
