SIM only deals analysed and reviewed.

Today you will notice that many telecommunication companies are offering special discounts for customers in a combined or as they would call it a combo package where one would get a phone along with the SIM (subscriber identity module) card for a cheap price. It is well know that every phone needs a SIM card in order to operate, so taking this in mind the telecommunications are promoting this special price of both items to their customers. This special combo of phone and SIM are found to be much lesser than the price of an individual phone if bought at a local telephone gadget shop.

This special discount on a combination of phone and SIM by the telecommunication companies is excellent and profitable for people intending to get a new phone, as it would save them quite a sum of money rather than if they went in separately to buy a phone and the SIM card. While on the other hand it would not be of much use to a customer who has already a phone and is just seeking a SIM card. So for a situation like this customers would not benefit from the combo as there best shot would only be in purchasing a SIM card which might turn out to be cheaper.

As mentioned buying a SIM on its own is the most sensible option that a customer should consider rather than taking up the combo package and wasting the money on the extra phone which would not be useful. So in order to ease this confusion it would be helpful to all telephone users if telecommunication companies could offer only SIM card contracts. The issue of SIM on their own would save the customer money by not buying the combo pack where it would be no sense paying for another phone. In addition the SIM alone on its own would help customers that are seeking new numbers and those wanting to change their existing numbers or mobile phone operators. The idea of selling the SIM card on its own would be great where it would be most useful to phone users and would definitely become a popular item of sale.

Today with the internet in vogue SIM deals are easily available with the various companies that are in the business of offering SIM only to customers. When purchasing SIM cards online one should be alert as to the company offering this product. Today many of these online distributors have close association with mobile telecommunication operators and therefore are dependable, trust worthy and can afford to give a good price. One can notice that most of the mobile telecommunication operators are in a habit of providing online customers through these operators a better SIM only tariff, for promoting online SIM selling.

One of the SIM only comparison sites that have excellent association with mobile telecommunication operators is SIM Only Contract Deals which can be accessed by the visiting http://www.simonlycontractdeals.co.uk/. You could access the site and witness the excellent deals that SIM Only Contract Deals has to offer from all the big names like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and 3. These big names in the mobile telecommunication field offer great deals that in turn is passed down to their online customers. So next time you’re out shopping for a new SIM make SIM Only Contract Deals your first choice.

Sony Ericsson C905

The Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot has managed to create a real stir in the mobile community. It’s the first GSM handset that ships with the whopping 8 megapixels worth of camera goodies and such things simply cannot go unnoticed.

You’ve probably already gone through the news scoop and you know the sweet details – face detection, smart contrast, both a xenon flash and a photo flash, as well as geotagging complete the camera feature set. A 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display with scratch-resistant mineral glass cover will serve you as a viewfinder.

The Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot also comes with a built-in accelerometer for screen auto rotation, TV-out port, GPS and, wait for it … Wi-Fi support. Yes, that’s true wireless networking on a regular feature phone.

And did we also mention the quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, the UMTS and HSDPA support, stereo Bluetooth (that’s A2DP for the nerd group), USB and FM radio with RDS? Well, it is a nice feature combo by all standards. And it so happens, that we managed to sneak it for a quick hands-on.

Truth be told, the Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot has obviously never heard of diets and healthy food. With a thickness of 18mm (up to 19.5 in its thickest part), it’s a seriously fat fella – at least by feature phone standards. There are other really popular smartphones that take the thickness problem even further, but the C905 Cyber-shot is not a smartphone.

Sony Ericsson C905

The Sony Ericsson C905 Cyber-shot measures 104 x 49 x 18mm. Those quoted 18mm are actually the thinnest portion   of the device. The area around the camera lens reaches up to 19.5 mm

The C905 weighs 136 g and size-wise it’s almost identical to the Nokia N81.

Now back to the C905, the front panel design follows the latest Sony Ericsson trend seen in both low-end and high-end devices. All the keys are comfortable to use and with nice tactility. Above the display there are two additional shortcut keys – the left one shows you the last photo that was taken, while the right one opens the image gallery. Those two serve additional purposes, when the camera is on. The left one opens the Shooting mode menu, while the right one starts the Scene mode menu. But we’ll say more about the camera later on.

Flat keypads usually look good but suck at real-life typing – well this is not the case with C905. The keypad offers excellent tactility and touch orientation.

Sony Ericsson C905

The Sony Ericsson C905 features the graphically updated Sony Ericsson user interface that’s been used on all recent Sony Ericsson handsets. And just to mention this again – the C905 is not a smartphone despite the presence of GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Media Center is present of course to give you access to all the stored multimedia content. It features automatic screen rotation thanks to the built-in accelerometer and a TV-out port. Music player sports the MegaBass audio equalizer preset for die-hard Walkman fans.

Sony Ericsson C905

There are so many different mobile phone deals out there at the moment, it can be very tricky to choose one that suits you. The best thing to do is to find a handset that you like and then use a comparison website to help find a contract that suits your needs. There are a couple of handsets that are worth mentioning at the moment as we feel they will be a huge success upon their release. Firstly there is the Sony Ericsson Satio, originally named the Idou, this handset is the ultimate camera phone with features aplenty. Watch out for this handset later this year as it has great looks and even better features. The other handset that we think is truly excellent is the Samsung Omnia 2. The Omnia 2 will be based on the Windows Mobile platform, currently the 6.1 version, but Samsung have confirmed that it will be fully upgradeable to 6.5 when it is released later this year. You are best watching this space for more information as and when it becomes available, but overall these are the 2 that we would recommend.

Nokia N86 8MP at a glance:
- General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
- Form factor: Dual-slide design
- Dimensions: 103.4 x 51.4 x 16.5 mm
- Display: 2.6-inch 16M color QVGA AMOLED display with scratch-resistant surface
- Memory: 8GB storage memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
- OS: Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 UI 3rd edition with FP2
- Platform: ARM 11 434 MHz processor, 128MB RAM
- Camera: 8 megapixel auto focus camera with dual LED flash, wide 28mm Carl Zeiss lens, variable aperture, mechanical shutter, geo-tagging, time-lapse shooting and VGA@30fps video recording
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, standard microUSB port, standard 3.5mm audio jack, GPS receiver with A-GPS and Ovi Maps
- Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate, active kickstand, FM radio with RDS, FM transmitter, digital compass
- Battery: 1200 mAh battery

The Nokia N86 is certainly an interesting device. We did enjoy the short time we spent with it and most of our first impressions are positive. We may have a grudge or two with its ergonomics and screen size and resolution, but that’s about all that can be said against it.

The first 28mm cameraphone most certainly won’t be able to stay out of the spotlight even if it wanted to. An interesting device it certainly is, but if it deserves the GSMArena thumbs up badge remains to be seen.

Our upcoming proper should clear up any remaining uncertainties about the N86 8MP full potential.

Nokia N86 preview

Sony Ericsson K310i Review
The Sony Ericsson K310i is an attractive, compact & light camera mobile phone. The K310i comes in a choice of two colours which are shadow blue or misty silver & both colours bring an element of subtly & sophistication to the K310i. The handset can fit very comfortable in the users hand as the overall size is 101 x 44 x 17 mm. The phone is fairly light to hold as the total weight is 82 grams which is a nice weight to handle. The K310i is an updated version of the Sony Ericsson K300i & they are both very user friendly & well equipped mobile phones marketed towards the middle of the mobile phone market.

The K310i comes with a very good 65k ultra bright colour (USB) screen (128 x 160 pixels) which really brings this phone to life. The phone comes with a VGA camera complete with 4 x digital zoom which is very simple to operate. The user can press the camera button once to select the camera facility then a second press of the camera button & the photo will be taken. The camera comes with useable photo effects feature which includes a face warp feature that allows the user to disfigure a photo of a face to provide a funny alternative. The photo of the face can be bent, twisted & stretch to produce a very funny outcome. The K310i has a picture phone book feature which allows the user to select a photo or image & attach it to each contact in their phone book. The selected picture will then be displayed each time the contact calls which brings an element of fun to the Sony Ericsson K310i.

Sony Ericsson K310i Mobile Phone Front View
Sony Ericsson K310i Mobile Phone Back View
Sony Ericsson K310i Mobile Phone Angle View

The user can recording video clips very simply on the K310i which is a great way to capture all of those funny moments in action other than capture them as a still photo. The video comes with a VideoDJ™ feature which allows the user to put together selected video clips & to add sound to the clips.

The phone has a media player which can play music tones in MP3 & ACC formats. The media player comes with a MusicDJ™ feature which allows the user to create their own polyphonic ringtones. The PlayNow™ feature allows the user to download music ringtones very quickly & efficiently.

The phone comes with great messaging tools which include email, text messaging (SMS), multimedia messaging (MMS) with MMS video & instant messaging. The user can carry out & instant message conversation with any contact that is online at the same time as the user & it is a very fast way to communicate with a messaging service. The MMS service comes with MMS video which allows the user to send video recording via a MMS message along with text input & sound. The phone comes with a QuickShare™ feature which allows the user to share their photos with friends & family very quickly & easily.

The K310i comes with an Access NetFront™ Internet browser which allows the user to enjoy the perfect mobile Internet experience possible. The user will be able to access all Internet sites & view them very easily on the K310i.

The Sony Ericsson K310i comes with a very useful calendar which allows the user to insert birthdays, meetings, parties, anniversaries & other celebrations which the phone will then set a reminder to let the user know when something important is coming up in their calendar. The phone has many useful features which include a calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch, timer, notes, vibrating alert, voice mail, voice control, conference calls & a speakerphone.

The user can enjoy a very bright & colourful gaming experience with the 3D games on the K310i. The phone comes with Java™ games already installed or the user may choose to download games of their choice.

Do not copy content from the page. Plagiarism will be detected by Copyscape.
Sony Ericsson K310i Specifications & Features
Screen
65k UBC Colour Screen (128 x 160 Pixels)

Imaging
VGA Camera
4 x Digital Zoom
Picture Editor
Picture Effects
Video Clip
Video Record
VideoDJ™
Macromedia Flash Lite™
Picture Phonebook
Picture Wallpaper
SVG Tiny 1.1
Screensaver
Themes Display
Viewfinder Display
Wallpaper Animation
Vibrating Alert
Voice Control

Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
EMS (Enhanced Messaging)
E-mail
Instant Messaging
QuickShare™
MMS Video
Predictive Text
SMS Long (Long Text Messaging)
Sound Recorder
Voice Mail

Sound
Media Player
Polyphonic Ringtones (40 Voices)
Music Tones (MP3/AAC)
MusicDJ™
PlayNow™

Entertainment
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games
Java™ Games
3D Games
Style Up™ Covers
Organiser
Calendar
Contacts
File Manager
PIM Sync
Alarm Clock
Business Card Exchange
Calculator
Code Memo
Conference Calls
Phone Book
Speakerphone
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer
Notes

Connectivity
GPRS
Infra Red
USB Support
Fast Port
Synchronization PC

Network
Tri Band Technology (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)

Internet
Modem
Access NetFront™ Web Browser
RSS Feeds

Memory & Talk Time
15 Mbytes Dynamic Memory
7 Hours Talk Time
360 Hours Standby

Weight & Size
82 g
101 x 44 x 17 mm

Sony Ericsson Phones Best Deals
Key Features
Camera with 4 x Digital Zoom
MIDI MusicDJ™
WAP
Video Clip
Multimedia Messaging Service

Design
62%
Usability
62%
Features
62%

The above ratings are average figures, which have been generated from submitted mobile phone reviews.

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Sony Ericsson K300i Review
The Sony Ericsson K300i is a very sleek & elegant classic camera phone. Sony Ericsson marketed this particular mobile phone towards the middle of the market which makes the K300i a very affordable phone with many features. The K300i offers the user great value for their money. The K300i is full of superb quality built in features which includes a camera that is very user friendly. It takes one simple press of the camera button to operate & the camera is ready to use. If the user would prefer to take a video clip then all they need to do is switch the function to video & then it is ready to use. Sony Ericsson made the K300i a user friendly phone by using some very simple function keys. The video clips feature on the K300i offers the user the option to download & play short video clips of recent sport & movie trailers on their own phone.

Sony Ericsson K300i Mobile Phone Front View
Sony Ericsson K300i Mobile Phone Back View
Sony Ericsson K300i Mobile Phone Side View

The phone comes complete with embedded Java 3D games & the 65k colour screen is an excellent quality for playing the games. The MP3 player is a really fun feature that is very popular as users can choose some of their favourite artist music as their music tones. It is very easy for the user to transfer their favourite artist music on to the K300i.

The K300i really gives the user so much freedom when it comes to messaging. The user can send & receive messages using text messaging service (SMS), email & multimedia messaging service (MMS). The MMS message gives the user the freedom to send a message complete with text, sound & pictures to any other MMS compatible device.

The K300i is very similar to the Sony Ericsson K500i & the Sony Ericsson T610, but the K300i has a fuller style casing which makes it feel very solid. The phone comes in a choice of visual blue or smooth silver coloured casing & both give the K300i a great modern look.

This mobile phone is such a fun mobile phone to use & it is full of great features. The K300i is the extremely user friendly mobile phone & all at an affordable price.

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Sony Ericsson K300i Specifications & Features
Screen
65k LCD Colour Screen (128 x 128 Pixels)

Imaging
Built In Camera
4 x Digital Zoom
Video Player
Video Clip
Video Recording
QuickShare™
Wallpaper & Screensaver
Picture Phonebook
Viewfinder Display

Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
EMS (Enhanced Messaging)
Email
Predictive Text

Sound
MP3 Player
Melody Composer
MIDI (MusicDJ™)
Polyphonic Ringtones (40 Voices)
Voice Dialling
Vibrating Alert

Entertainment
Embedded Java™ Games
Organiser
Calendar
Alarm Clock
Business Card Exchange
Calculator
Conference Calls
Speaker Phone
Stopwatch
Timer

Connectivity
GPRS
Infra Red
USB Support

Network
Tri Band Technology (GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)

Internet
WAP

Memory & Talk Time
12 Mbytes Memory
7 Hours Talk Time
300 Hours Standby

Weight & Size
85 g
99.9 x 45.2 x 19.4 mm

Site Features
Dealer Search
Phone Comparisons
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Manufacturers
Service Providers
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Phone Reviews
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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!

Nokia 5070 Review 2 Nokia 5070 Review – The Nokia 5070 is an easy-to-use handset, and has a bar design, measuring 105.4×44.3×18.6 mm, weighing only 88 grams. It is a light weight mobile phone, easy to carry around where-ever one goes. The phone is available in colours, with the casing remaining mainly white. A choice of red or blue coloured side panels, presents an attractive of the phone. It has a CSTN 65k Colour Screen, with 128 x 160 Pixel resolution, having 65,000 colours. The keyboard of the phone and its navigation control are quite user friendly. Nokia 5070 has H263 & MPEG4 video player.

The phone has a VGA camera, with a Self Timer, featuring video recording. It has a music player and a FM Radio as well. Nokia 5070 is an entertainmentwith a Nokia 5070. The camera in the phone can be used to capture still or moving footage. The camera functions allow the user to add frames to the still pictures taken by the camera. The phone comes with integrated music player, which plays MP3, AMP, AAC, eAAC+ & WMA music formats. The FM radio allows the users to tune into their favourite stations at any point of time to enjoy the music, or any other news and sports channel. The phone has polyphonic ring tones, and can play MP3, true tones or MIDI format also.

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The user can use the voice features of Nokia 5070. Voice commands allow the user to activate functions and controls. The phone has call features which allow the user to avail the answering service, speed dialling, and hands-free call option. The push to talk feature is just like the features found in walkie talkies, where the user keeps the button pushed while talking to the other party, and releasing it, the user gets to listen to the person on the other side. The hands-free feature in the phone allows the user to carry on with the conversation without having the phone in his hand. The phone includes a calculator, clock, alarm clock, a calendar, and a built in phone book, which can be edited in the way the user wants. Nokia 5070 Review

Nokia 5070 features EDGE and GPRS for high speed data transmission, and also has a Pop-port and USB connector and Infrared facility. The user can connect the Nokia 5070 to any other compatible device to print their photos, or download music and video files. The USM and Infrared can be used to transfer data, and enjoy fast data transfer speed with the help of EDGE/GPRS technology. The phone has a 16 MB of internal memory, which can be used for storing music files and phone book entries. It is a tri-band phone, responding to GSM 900, 1800 & 1900 network frequencies. It has a XTML browser, which can be used to explore the internet. The battery of Nokia 5070 provides up to three & a half hours talk time, and up to three hundred hours of standby time, when it is fully charged.

The Nokia 5000 is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2008 with an estimated retail price of EUR 90, before subsidies and taxes.

The Nokia 5000 will set a new standard for functionalty and affordability. For mobile entrepreneurs as well as people on the move, the Nokia 5000 supports email and other essential benefits.

The 5000 is a Bluetooth capable handset with a 2? 240×320 pixel display. There’s an FM radio, web browser and email client plus a range of PIM functions, all running on the familiar S40 operating system. With this low cost, it’s surprising that the 5000 has a multimedia player which can play back MP3 files, but with only 12MB of internal memory and no card slot, this may be of limited use.

It’s a little bit of a surprise to see that the Nokia 5000 is a very ordinary looking handset. This is actually an entry-level phone aimed at emerging markets, and as a result the 5000 is very inexpensive. Overall though, this looks like a pretty good phone for the money. There aren’t many handsets in this class with a display like this. Better still, the whole package weighs only 74 grams. Talktime is up to 4 hours 45 minutes with a maximum of 14 days standby time.

Besides Nokia 5000, Nokia also introduced 3 more others new mobile phone at the Growing Together 2008 conference held today in Johannesburg on 2 April 2008: Nokia 2680 slide, Nokia 7070 Prism and Nokia 1680 classic. This new batch of phones contain some of Nokia’s most affordable phones with features of mid-end phones.

Written by martin on April 3rd, 2008 with 2 comments.
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