Nokia 3510
The 3510 is the latest low-end offering from Nokia. If you want a phone that does the basics of allowing you to talk and/or send text messages to people, this is the phone for you.
This phone does all the basic things well. The call clarity is crystal clear, the messaging is simple and easy to use and the buttons are easy to press. It has speed dialling and voice dialling, and the ability to assign different ringtones to different callers. In many ways this phone resembles a 3310, but there are some differences.
First, the screen is slightly larger and the keys are laid out differently. There is the answer key and end call key, two soft keys and two arrow keys. Nokia are also touting changeable covers, for those who like the individualistic touch. Some are just different colours, some glow in the dark, and some are so-called "game covers". These give a different pattern to the keys, supposed to make playing games on the phone easier.
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The covers are easy to change, and Nokia have included a rubber matt that lies between the cover and the hardware. We're not sure what it's for, but it may prevent the problem that affects most phones with changeable covers, where the buttons don't work very well.
The messaging menu has many sections, including Chat, archive, voice messages, info messages and my folders - where you can create your own folders to store messages. As we've said before, we think this is a great feature.
The 3510 also has a multimedia message inbox. Up to three messages of 30 Kb each can be saved. We were a little surprised by this, since the phone doesn't have a colour screen. Still, the phone can receive (but not send) messages containing text, graphics and sound. The graphics can be saved for use as a screen saver, and the sound can be saved for use as a ringtone.
The ringtone uses polyphonic sound, which means the phone has sound components from over 40 different instruments, and can play up to four at once. It sounds better than the tonal beeps that normally come from a mobile, but you won't mistake it for a nearby radio. If you configure the WAP settings on your phone you can download extra ringtones from the Nokia site.
The phone also has GPRS and WAP. There are some fairly cool things that can be accessed using these services, and Nokia is trying to promote it by offering free downloads from its site, but we're yet to be convinced of a sufficient value in return for the cost, at least when using phones with the traditional screen. However, this connectivity has become standard, and it is undoubtedly better to have a feature that may become vital rather than be left behind with useless technology.
From a game perspective Nokia has gone out on a limb by removing the perennial favourite Snake and replacing it with some others. We are alarmed to see the recent craze of arcade games based on dancing has found its way onto the mobile platform with 'Dance 2 Music'. There's a Kart Racing game, which is a good concept but the controls don't work too well, and Link 5, a connect-five style game, which is quite good. You are able to download additional levels from the Nokia site via WAP.
With a recommended retail price of AU$399, the Nokia 3510 appears to be the next generation of low-end phones. The ability to accept MMS messages will undoubtedly give the 3510 a little more traction in the lower end market.
Nokia 3510 Communicator
Company: Nokia
Price: AU$399
Distributor: Nokia
Phone: 1300 366 733
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I have read mainly positive reviews and comments about the V70. I decided to buy one. What was I thinking?
The phone is a disaster, if it were not for its looks, I would never have bought it.
For an expensive phone, the features are shocking!The phone book is hard to use, the key's on the keypad have become almost unuseable (from only 6 months of use), the screen is hard to see and the 2 or three lines of text is just not enough.
The games, well, can you actually call those applications games? And I have found that no ringtone download sites will download to a V70. There are no web pages which show you the notes to put in your phone, for a V70. 30 spaces for your own ringtones wasted!
The V70 is no where near loud enough as it should be. Even on the maximum ring volume setting, I and everyone around me cannot hear it ringing if we are in a medium density area, such as a mall. And the vibrating alert just makes a sound, you can barely feel it vibrating when it is in your pocket.
The last awful feature I have found since I started using the phone 6 months ago, is that that stylish rotator, blocks the antenna. My phone is constantly dropping calls, people I am calling sound robotic, as do I they tell me. All because the rotator sits in front of the antenna!
Better luck with the new V70i Motorola!