If you liked our article on Short Reviews for Nokia High End Smartphones but are on a budget and want to choose a cheaper entry to mid level Nokia mobile, then read on. We help you choose amongst the current Series 40 based Nokia mobiles in the market. All the phones considered below are not smartphones but have all features which were considered high end until a couple of years ago and which have now become basic expectations for a mobile.
Tthe 5 models selected for this comparison are:
- Nokia 2700 classic
- Nokia 5130 XpressMusic
- Nokia 3720 classic
- Nokia 5220 XpressMusic &
- Nokia 6303 classic
All these phones are equipped with the following features which qualified them to be considered for this comparison:
- MP3 Player
- FM Radio
- Bluetooth
- GPRS Internet with EDGE support
- Memory Card slot for expanded storage
- USB Connectivity
We have deliberately avoided creating a comparison chart for these 5 mobiles as you will only end up with a chart with a tick mark in front of all these features for all these mobiles. What can set one model apart from the others are factors such as size of the display or specifications of the camera.
Camera Specifications:
The Nokia 6303 is the only phone of the lot which has a 3.2 MP camera equipped with autofocus & LED flash. The image quality is just about average though.
None of the phones except the Nokia 6303 & the Nokia 3720 have a LED flash for the camera. The Nokia 5220 makes it up partially with its Nokia Proprietary Processing Algorithm (NIPS) technology which takes decent photos in low light.
Disappointingly, most of these mobiles are notorious for taking an annoying long time (as much as 10 seconds in some cases) for saving the captured images.The Nokia 5220 is quickest of the lot saving images in less than a couple of seconds. Nokia is trying to rectify this issue as can be found with the latest firmware on the Nokia 5130 which tremendously improves the picture saving speed over previous firmwares.
All the phones mentioned here can only do QCIF video recording at a maximum of 15 fps (we sorely missed the 30 fps video recording of the discontinued bestselling Nokia 6233)
Audio Quality:
The Nokia 5130 has arguably the best audio quality followed closely by the Nokia 5220. All the models have a 3.5mm standard audio jack, except for the Nokia 3720.
Display size:
The Nokia 6303 & Nokia 3720 lead in this category with a larger 2.2 inch display as against the smaller 2 inch displays found in other models.
Internet Browser:
While most of these phones come pre-installed with the java based Opera Mini browser, the newer ones based on the 6th edition of Series 40 such as the Nokia 3720 & Nokia 6303 have a Webkit based browser which is the same engine used on the iPhone browser!
Phone Contacts:
All these models can store upto 2000 contacts with the exception of the Nokia 2700 which can only accommodate 1000 contacts.
Battery Life:
The battery life of all these models is remarkably good with the Nokia 6303 having the best specifications of 450 hours of standby time & 7 hours of talktime.
Recommendations based on Pricing:
If you are on a shoestring budget & want to spend the least but still want all the functions mentioned above, then the Nokia 2700 fits the bill perfectly.
If you are willing to spend a little more, then the Nokia 5130 is your best Value For Money (VFM) phone as it has a decent mix of good picture quality and excellent audio quality.
At an even higher price point, the Nokia 6303 with its larger display, 3.2MP camera with autofocus & flash isa good buy
The Nokia 3720 can be chosen if you need a sturdy unbreakable phone to protect damage from water, dust or accidental falls. The Nokia 5220 has superb camera as well as audio quality in a slim form factor but many buyers may choose to ignore this model only due to its asymmetrical design.
While choosing the phones based on pricing, it may also help to check the memory card provided in the sales package in your region as buying a memory card separately can increase your cost.
Phones not considered:
Other phones in this price bracket include the Nokia 7210 Supernova, Nokia 5310 XpressMusic and Nokia 6300. There is no reason to choose the Nokia 7210 whatsoever considering that it has a poor confusing keypad & the Nokia 5130 is available for only a tad bit more. The Nokia 6300 and Nokia 5310 are aged models now having been released more than 2 years ago While the Nokia 6300 was always dogged by its below par battery life, the Nokia 5310 cannot justify its present price when compared to Nokia’s cheaper & newer offerings.
