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Pro-active with the Nokia 5100
16 April 2003
Written by Kinny Cheng
Nokia 5100
Take a closer look!
Major features
* Unique rubberised housing design for users with active lifestyles
* Tri-band compatibility
* 4096-colour LCD screen
* Polyphonic ringing tones
* Handsfree speakerphone feature
* Automatic volume control feature
* Built-in FM radio feature
* SMS/MMS/picture messaging support
* Data access using dial-up (CSD/GSM Data) or GPRS
* Built-in WAP browser
* Connectivity with external PC devices via either data cable or infrared (IR)
* Java application compatibility
* Built-in organiser features, with synchronisation capabilities
* Pop-Port accessories interface
* Convenient built-in flashlight/torch
* Built-in thermometer – with standby screen display
* Sound meter, calorie counter, and timer/stopwatch features
Problems/Issues?
* Buttons slightly harder to press than other typical handsets
Sales package (should contain):
Sales package
* 1 x Nokia 5100 handset
* 1 x lithium-ion battery @ 720 mAh (BL-4C)
* 1 x fast travel charger (ACP-12 type)
* 1 x Pop-Port stereo headset
* 1 x hand strap
* 1 x Nokia 5100 user manual
Overview
For those people who take up a somewhat active lifestyle, trying to find a mobile phone that suits your needs may not be all that easy. From the top of my head, I can only count a handful of handset models that you or I would take trekking, climb cliff faces with, or just simply take out to the beach or park without having to worry about it getting knocked around or possibly damaging it.
Nokia was one of these manufacturers who came out with a model to satisfy such a need, with the 5210. It was truly something unique at the time, although there are many of us that may just favour the traditional mobile phone design.
And now, with the 5100, Nokia brings its updated set of features and functionality to people who would like some level of durability from their mobile phones. Its design is somewhat provocative, and again is not a handset for the masses. However, after having used it for a while, there’s no denying that the 5100 certainly offers something unique from the rest! 
New/outstanding features
The Nokia 5100 can be considered as a major upgrade for those users who are currently using the 5210, or even other brand models that possess some levels of durability and protection. It is the first model in its class to come with a colour screen, to support tri-band compatibility (GSM 900/1800/1900), and being capable of sending and receiving multimedia messages (MMS).
Based very much on some of the other recent Nokia models with colour screens, the 5100 provides a very similar feature set – including support GPRS data connectivity, the ability to link up the phone with other PC devices via either data cable or infrared (IR), handsfree speakerphone feature, and possibly attaching a variety of accessories to the handset (such as a camera). This is, of course, in addition to the above features.
Physical aspects
You know… at the beginning when I first saw the 5100 on the Nokia web site, I was like going “what’s that?!” I could not really accept how such a design actually made it to market – even the 7210 wasn’t as unbelievable, especially when they showed off the pastel blue and orange colours which made it even more challenging to accept.
But over time, I actually found the design to be quite interesting and certainly provocative enough for me to show off to people and hear what they have to say about it. “Fresh” and “striking” would be the word I would use to describe the 5100’s overall design, especially when you consider the keypad area. However, most people didn’t seem to share such sentiments…
Getting to the nitty-gritty, I certainly found the 5100 to be a worthy successor to the 5210. What comes first, apart from styling of course, is the phone’s ability to handle possible “rough” situation where torture from the elements (and possibly from its user too) can be a reality. I can confidently say that the 5100 should pass such tests with flying colours – thanks to the excellent Xpress-on shells design providing sufficient protection to internal components, integrated seals within exposed parts (microphone and speakerphone), and a cover over the base connector and battery areas (on the inside) providing protection from the possibility of water seepage.
However, for most new users of the 5100, you will find that the Xpress-on shells are not as easy to remove in the beginning. I found that I had to press down really hard on the sides to remove the bottom shell, where then I could subsequently pop the top one off by simply nudging it left-to-right (or vice-versa). Putting it back on is as easy as click-clack top-and-bottom!
Another thing I found with the 5100 was its improved ergonomics, specifically in terms of its hold-ability. Alike those other new colour models from Nokia (6610/7210), it seems that the Finnish manufacturer has realised that good ergonomics has precedence over smaller, more compact handsets.
User Interface & display
The 5100 adopts a similar interface used on the current 6100/6610/7210 models, named Series 40 by Nokia. In essence, it is colour-enabled and comes with improved screen resolution – resulting in sharper display of graphics and the possibility of more text being displayed on a single screen.
Although the 5100 uses a similar display as the 6100/6610/7210, I have found the actual display used on this model to show improvements in terms of display quality. Physically, the screen is actually larger than the 6100/6610/7210, but it does a better job at displaying text and graphics. For those people who have had a personal encounter with a 6100/6610/7210 may have realised that there is an inherent problem with the LCD when a high definition graphic is displayed (for example, as a background or wallpaper). However, don’t expect the quality of the screen to be as fantastic as that of the 7650.
Another difference of the Series 40 interface is the 4-way navigation capability. This two-dimensional movement can become quite useful in functions, such as messaging, where moving around the screen is not simply restricted to scrolling front and back only. For those people who love writing SMS essays will find the 4-way key of great value and practicality.
Making and receiving calls
Alike other Series 40 phones, the 5100 allows its user to conduct phone conversations through one of three ways – using the handset itself (earpiece/microphone), via the handsfree speakerphone or using the included stereo headset (which can double as an FM radio headset/antenna). One is probably never short of options here…
Nokia has added a new feature to enable better voice call performance on the 5100. Appropriately named as “automatic volume control”, this feature will adjust the volume levels in the phone’s earpiece based on the environmental noise level. For example, if you commenced a call in a very quiet area and you proceeded out to a very noisy one, this function will automatically raise the volume of the earpiece to an appropriate level and lower it back when it has detected a drop in noise levels. It saves its user having to muck around with the side volume buttons.
However, you can still adjust the volume during a call if you found the sound coming through the earpiece is insufficient.
Lastly, I must say that the many times that I held the 5100 up against my ear was never the most comfortable, when compared to most other Nokia phones. It’s probably because of the phone’s width, being somewhat wider than the 6610/7210 and narrower than a 7650, that caused this slight discomfort. But I guess this is more of a personal opinion and really depends on how each individual has their mobile phone up against their ear.
Messaging
The 5100 offers its user a choice of basic text messaging through SMS, the ability to send and receive simple graphics (picture messaging) and photos (MMS).
But being able to compose messages is probably the most important ability of all, and having a keypad with good levels of usability is vital. The 5100 offers large-enough keys for virtually everyone, but found that these same buttons can be a bit hard to press.
In the beginning when I first got hold of the phone, I found that I really needed to have muscular fingers so that I could compose messages on the 5100. When compared to other phones, each of the keys on the 5100 seemed to be quite stiff and required that extra “umph” to have the keypress register successfully. This issue becomes slightly more apparent if you are quick at the keypad (for example, when using T9) or when you’re just feeling tired physically.
Build quality
No complaints here! The 5100 is definitely well-built and will survive most mishaps (or intentional durability tests!) whenever one surfaces. Some of the things that I did with the 5100 included dropping it off a bunk bed onto a concrete floor, throwing it against a wall, and briefly putting it under a tap with running water. Surprisingly, the Xpress-on shell’s exterior suffered only minimal scratching/damage after the brutal exercise!
Even with the cover off, the internal housing has been well put together, following its design being orientated towards protection from the elements.
Battery life
The BL-4C lithium-ion battery used for the 5100 should provide sufficient talk and standby times in most usage scenarios. On average use, the phone should provide for up to 2-3 hours talk time and 3-4 days standby. Prolonged usage of the FM radio and flash light feature can relatively lower these times, while using the screen saver function can save precious battery power when the phone is not used for prolonged periods. Pro-active with the Nokia 5100
16 April 2003
Written by Kinny Cheng
Major features…
Unique rubberised housing design for users with active lifestyles
Similar to its predecessor, the 5100 comes with rubberised Xpress-on covers that provide added durability and protection from the elements. What’s good as well is that you can opt for a different colour shell set to match your mood or wear. For people who lead active lifestyles, the 5100 is your next best companion and won’t let you down!
Tri-band compatibility
Mobile phone (or cell phone) users in North America can finally look forward to a durable phone for their market, with the 5100 supporting all three major GSM frequencies used throughout the world (GSM 900/1800 for Europe and Asia-Pacific countries, GSM 1900 for North American GSM-enabled markets). This also means that it will work for you even if you do a lot of moving around or globe-trotting.
4096-colour LCD screen
The 5100 comes with a 4096-colour LCD screen that is capable of displaying text and graphics in a wide variety of colours. Although photos may not look all that fantastic on this screen, you will find that most text and simple graphics (such as those used for the main menu) will appear quite sharp.
Polyphonic ringing tones
Support for polyphonic tones is also included on the 5100, where the volumes for such tones being greatly improved (when compared to the 6610/7210). Such tones can be assigned to incoming calls and messages, as well as for different caller groups and profiles. Custom tones are also supported by the 5100, and can be loaded on to the phone via the “Nokia Sound Converter” software (part of the Nokia PC Suite version 5).
Handsfree speakerphone feature
A handsfree speakerphone option is available on the 5100 which allows calls to be taken without the need to physically interact with the handset. This feature can be enabled by pressing the right soft key when a call is in progress.
Take a closer look!
Automatic volume control feature
Primarily designed for convenience, this new feature automatically adjusts the volume in the 5100’s earpiece by detecting the surrounding noise levels. Should environmental noise levels be very quiet or loud, the phone will decrease or increase the earpiece volume respectively when this feature is enabled on the phone.
Built-in FM radio feature
The 5100 comes with an FM radio feature that can be set to receive such broadcasts when the supplied stereo headset is attached to the 5100. You can either use the headsets to listen to your favourite stations, or channel it through the phone’s speaker instead (but you will still need to have the headset plugged in, as it acts as the antenna for the FM radio feature).
SMS/MMS/picture messaging support
A host of messaging capabilities are included on the 5100 – including basic text messaging (SMS), picture messaging, and MMS (the inclusion of photos and other multimedia objects as well as text). The 5100 also supports the sending of emails over SMS – but this feature will depend on whether the network provider has this functionality on their servers.
Data access using dial-up (CSD/GSM Data) or GPRS
Standard (CSD/GSM Data) and high-speed (GPRS) data access are available on the 5100, and can be used by either the internal WAP browser or when connected to an external PC device (through either data cable or infrared).
Built-in WAP browser
The internal WAP browser allows the viewing of WAP-based (WML) pages, as well as providing download capabilities for Java games and applications, as well as polyphonic tones and images (for example, backgrounds and wallpapers).
Connectivity with external PC devices via either data cable or infrared (IR)
Two connectivity methods are available on the 5100 should one ever want to hook it up with an external PC device. A data cable connection can be established with the DKU-5 Pop-Port USB cable, while IR can also be used to link up devices such as PDAs. Where is the IR port? Try looking on the bottom right-hand side of the 5100, where you can see a little break in the pattern of the cover (see picture on right).
Java application compatibility
The 5100 is capable of running Java-based applications, which can be either loaded onto the phone using the “Nokia Application Installer” software (included with Nokia PC Suite version 5) or downloaded using the phone’s internal WAP browser.
Built-in organiser features, with synchronisation capabilities
Several organiser functions are included on the 5100 – including a month-view calendar, to-do list, calculator with currency converter, and dynamic (multi-entry) phonebook support. The data from most of these functions can be synchronised with MS Outlook (software to do this is included in Nokia PC Suite).
Pop-Port accessories interface
On most new Nokia models is the Pop-Port interface, which allows specific accessories to be connected to the phone that can enhance the experience. For the 5100, current accessories compatible with this phone include the Camera Headset (HS-1C), allowing pictures to be taken, saved, and sent to other users via MMS; a desktop charger; USB data cable, and boom and stereo headsets.
Convenient built-in flashlight/torch
One of the things that I really like about the 5100 is the built-in flashlight (torch) feature, which is located at the top side of the phone. By holding down the “up” navigation button at the standby screen (and while the keypad is unlocked), this will activate two very-bright, white LEDs that works very well in dark places. You can have the flashlight stay on by pressing the “up” button quickly twice, and off by pressing on it once more. But don’t expect it to perform like a Mag-lite! (click to see picture!)
Built-in thermometer – with standby screen display
The thermometer feature has been retained on the 5100 (this was also available on the 5210), where vast improvements have been made in approximating the temperature (much quicker than before). While the temperature can be displayed in either Celsius or Fahrenheit, it can also be set to have the current temperature approximation displayed on the standby screen just on the left hand side of the time (if enabled).
Sound meter, calorie counter, and timer/stopwatch features
And to top it off, the 5100 comes with two new novelty functions – a sound meter that can approximate the sound levels within the current environment by decibels, and a calorie counter that gives general estimations of energy costs for various physical activities (dependent on age, weight and gender). Of course, the traditional countdown timer and stopwatch features are included too. Problems/Issues?
Take a closer look!
Buttons slightly harder to press than other typical handsets
One of the undeniable facts of using mostly rubber parts for buttons is their poor reactivity to user keypresses. Although tactility of the keypad is quite good, there is still the slight problem of being able to press buttons properly and possibly needing to put a bit of extra effort into it.
If I consider all the buttons on the 5100, the 12-button numeric keypad is probably the least of my troubles. Buttons like ANSWER and END were not all that press-able, and would possibly require the use of your nails to actually get to them. Inadvertently, you may accidentally press the respective soft keys above instead.
And the winner of the “hardest button to press” contest would be (undoubtedly) the power button at the top of the phone – which can hurt if you are not thumbing it the right way; followed by the two volume buttons on the left-hand side – which one would need to really press hard to get some sort of response.
I suppose these are design limitations of the current Xpress-on shell design. Personally, I can live with the current responsiveness of the 12-digit keypad – but as for the other buttons, Nokia should have made them slightly easier to press. No one wants to be in pain simply because of having to turn a phone on!
In Summary
Well, Nokia has really done it with their latest get-out-there phone. The 5100 is definitely a big improvement on the 5210 model, where it also brings much of the latest mobile phone technologies to users with active lifestyles. Unfortunately, for them, there isn’t much choice out there if they want something tough, have the ability to withstand knocks and bumps, and it (the phone) being able to protect itself somewhat from the elements.
And even if you are not the active lifestyle individual, the 5100 certainly sets an example of how far styling of a mobile phone has come. Considering that its design is also in conjunction with an orientation towards durability, I certainly commend Nokia on this fine product of a mobile phone! 
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