Nokia 5730 XpressMusic review: Full musical keyboard

No news is good news and the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic is quite keen to go about humming that tune like it didn’t care. Recruiting Symbian for an entertainment job is nothing new really and no, we’re not surprised that yet another handset wants to be the N97 of its neighborhood. The Nokia 5730 XpressMusic doesn’t really shine but it’s fit enough to handle quite a workload. Whether you need a smartphone for the knack or for the fun of it, this all-in-one messenger promises a bit of everything: music, web, gaming and connectivity.
XpressMusic has long crossed the smartphone line but only just starting to take multitasking so seriously. WLAN, GPS and a full QWERTY keyboard go side by side with enhanced music and N-Gage to make the Nokia 5730 so universally appealing. We guess we’ve had enough proof that Symbian can handle it all, so let’s see how the 5730 XpressMusic lives up to its claims.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic official photos
It’s pretty obvious there will be quite some Nokia 5630 XpressMusic here. It’s virtually the same handset – add or take. So, what’s the deal in the end with adding QWERTY and a bigger screen and taking some processing power?

Key features

• 2.4" 16M-color TFT display of QVGA resolution
• Four-row side-slide QWERTY keyboard
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G (with HSDPA) support
• Symbian OS with S60 3.2 UI
• 369 MHz ARM11 CPU
• 3.5mm standard audio jack
• microSD card slot, 8GB microSD card prebundled
• 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera with a dedicated shutter key, geotagging and VGA video at 30fps
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g with UPnP technology
• Built-in GPS receiver and preinstalled Nokia Maps
• USB and stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) connectivity
• FM radio with RDS plus Internet radio
• Dedicated music keys
• N-Gage support
• Dedicated gaming keys
• Ovi Contacts integration
• Office document viewer
• Smart dialing
• Contacts bar on the homescreen
• N-Series-like gallery
• Nokia Say and Play (voice control to music player)

Main disadvantages:

• Fingerprint-prone cheap-looking plastic build
• No DivX/XviD support out of the box (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• Average camera performance
• Poor battery life
• No TV-out functionality

The Nokia 5730 XpressMusic is treating the younger crowd to the all-round skill of dad’s E75. Alright, it may not be as simple as that but the 5730 is only just some corporate email (and plenty of steel) short of Eseries excellence. The XpressMusic QWERTY messenger is heavy on entertainment of course - dedicated music keys and N-Gage-conscious design, along with full pack connectivity. The complete keyboard, elaborate organizer, the office package and GPS are enough to start talking business.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic live shots
Well, even if the dedicated gaming buttons and the digital-style alphanumeric font used on the keys leave little doubt about the target audience demographics, the Nokia 5730 XpressMusic looks too big for its niche. The first QWERTY messenger in Nokia’s music lineup is a solid smartphone package that’s definitely worth the test ride.
Be you young in age or spirit, you are welcome to stick around. Back with unboxing right after the jump.

Nokia 6710 Navigator review: Destination: Anywhere

Introduction

GPS is a must-have for every self-respecting phone these days. And it doesn't even have to be a smartphone. From geotagging, through location-aware services and gaming, to full-featured in-car SatNav solution - at some point GPS is likely to have become essential to you even if you don't need to be told to take the next right turn. Anyway, we guess it all boils down to whether you need it or whether you want it. A dedicated in-car sat-nav device is the more than obvious choice if you need that. But then, there's always something for those who simply want more of their phone.
For one, the Nokia Navigator line will not only make you want one but probably encourage you to think you need it. Third generation into it already, they may as well have a point. The Nokia 6710 Navigator has the pedigree and the native software, but also the right kind of innovation. The touch-sensitive zoom bar is a bold step ahead, and so relevant to navigation. It sure is a strong point in favor of the Nokia Navigator against touchscreen devices.

Nokia 6710 Navigator official photos
Be that as it may, the 6710 Navigator will perhaps never be entirely convincing against a full-touch operated phone that takes navigation seriously, not to mention dedicated sat-nav equipment. But when it comes to another important question, the latest Nokia Navigator is emphatically a winner. It's a phone before anything else and such a major upgrade it almost dooms predecessors to the scrap heap.
Keeping the same size as the preceding Nokia 6210, the latest Navigator by Nokia brings a larger and better screen, the impressive touch zoom bar beneath, Wi-Fi, better imaging, faster data, faster processing, updated interface, more power efficiency and incomparably better looks. Not bad at all, is it? There's plenty to discover on this one, so let's get on with it. Our plan is to help you find the Nokia 6710 Navigator before it finds you.

Key features

• Symbian OS 9.3, Series 60 3rd with FP2
• 600MHz ARM 11 processor
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Dual-band HSDPA 10.2 Mbps; HSUPA 2 Mbps
• 2.6" 16M-color QVGA display (bigger and better than the Nokia 6210 Navigator)
• Accelerometer for screen auto rotation, call silencing and alarm snoozing
• 5 MP autofocus camera (Carl Zeiss optics) with dual LED flash, secondary videocall camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, USB v2.0
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• microSD card slot, up to 16GB, hotswap (4GB card included - region specific)
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Convenient USB and memo card slot cover
• Fast and responsive user interface
• Office document viewer
• Ergonomic design

SatNav-centric features

• Built-in GPS with A-GPS
• Digital compass (magnetometer)
• Ovi Maps 3.0 with lifetime drive turn-by-turn navigation license and landscape view mode
• Dedicated Navigator key (starts Maps or centers map on current position)
• Touch-sensitive zoom bar below the screen (fluid zoom in/out action in Maps, as well as gallery and web browser)
• Windscreen suction stand and car charger included in retail package

Main disadvantages

• Camera lacks trendy features such as face, smile or blink detection
• Video recording maxes out at VGA@15fps
• Alphanumeric keypad is somewhat crammed given the space available
• No smart dialing
• No DivX/XviD support out of the box (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• Awkward battery cover removal routine (pry-to-open)

Nokia 6710 Navigator live shots
The Nokia 6710 Navigator is the direct successor of the Nokia 6210 Navigator and the model designation alone is pretty telling of how far things have come. The third-generation handset has jumped a few steps in the chronological progression Nokia Navigators used to follow. Even with a cursory glance at the specs, it's clear the new 6710 is an overwhelming update to the 6210, let alone the first 6110 Navigator: larger display, touch-sensitive zoom bar, 5 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Wi-Fi, better ergonomics, car stand and charger, etc.
Oh, we guess deep inside we'll always miss the superb Route 66 that powered the first Finnish navigator and that Nokia Maps will never really match - not so much for performance as for the feel. But it would be foolish to expect else: the home-brewed Maps application is perhaps the very reason Navigator phones exist in the first place. They're not best-selling mass-appeal devices but rather the platform that promotes the capabilities of the software. That said, a touchscreen Nokia **10 Navigator sure looks like the obvious next step.

More Nokia 6710 Navigator views • the car stand is standard equipment finally
The Nokia 6710 Navigator is undoubtedly keen to get as much use in onboard navigation as it will as a smart all-in-one communicator. Stay with us as we explore all the rest it has to offer besides its ability to get us from A to B. It all begins on the next page.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic review: Winner by design

Introduction

The XpressMusic lineup is fired up and coming after you with all they've got - from QWERTY smartphones to touchscreens. In fact, with the arrival of 5530 XpressMusic, the Nokia music line has more touch phones than the Nseries. We told you, they're dead serious about it.
With the 5800 XpressMusic shaping up as quite a blockbuster, Nokia had hardly any choice but to build on that momentum. The way up from the 5800 goes into Nseries territory really, so a lower spec'd device with an even sweeter price tag seems quite the right thing to do to reach the masses. And well, strategically expand the user base for the Touch UI edition of Symbian S60.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic official photos
The Nokia 5800 offered value-for-money that very few could match. The 5530 comes in even more affordable but tries to deliver as much goodies as possible, pushing the value-for-money meter well towards the "must have" end of the scale. Here's what the 5530 XpressMusic offers and what was left out to keep the cost down:

Key features:

• 2.9" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)
• Symbian S60 5th edition
• ARM 11 434 MHz CPU, 128MB RAM memory
• 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and VGA@30fps video
• Quad-band GSM support
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• microSD card memory expansion, ships with a 4GB card
• FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth with A2DP and USB v2.0
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Stereo speakers
• Stylus, with its own compartment inside the phone
• Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
• Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, motion-based gaming and turn-to-mute
• Office document viewer
• OVI integration (direct image and video uploads, OVI Contacts)
• Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Excellent audio quality
• Price tag on the cheap side
• Nice battery life

Main disadvantages:

• No 3G support
• No built-in GPS receiver
• Display has poor sunlight legibility
• Default font size is a bit small due to the smaller screen
• Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
• Average camera image quality
• Video recording quality is unimpressive
• Doesn't charge off its microUSB port
• No smart dialing
• No DivX/XviD video support out of the box
• Shaky back cover compromises build quality
• No TV-out functionality

Trade-offs were obviously inevitable but many of the important features are on par with the 5800 - the CPU, the Wi-Fi support, the camera. And further on the positive side, the 5530 is much more compact than the 5800.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic live shots
The XpressMusic badge usually guarantees great music experience - from the audio quality to the way music is organized, played and delivered. With Nokia's recent track record of excellent audio quality in the headphone department and the pair of nice sounding stereo speakers, the 5530 is a mini-jukebox.
What hurts it the most is the lack of 3G, especially for those with unlimited data plans. Others will barely wait to jump at this affordable touch-operated and WLAN-enabled smartphone. As always, we're here to help you make the decision.

Size comparison between the iPhone, the 5530 and the 5730
It's time that we set off exploring the Nokia 5530 ins and outs - so join us on the next page where a proper unboxing is due.

Nokia 3720 classic review: Handle without care

Introduction:

The Nokia 3720 classic is putting on its boots, pulling on its anorak, slinging its rucksack over its shoulder and striding out into the unfriendliest of environments: water, dust, tough ground…you name it, this device promises to shrug it off and keep on going.
After countless Nseries, Eseries, XpressMusic and classic releases and facelifts, Nokia look keen to revisit an almost forgotten niche of users - those who need a tough phone.
Well, the Finns have finally put that right and they seem to have a promising candidate on their hands for those who care less about features and even less about the weather. So, if you're after a handset that can survive the elements, get ready to check out the rugged Nokia 3720.

Nokia 3720 classic official photos
As a part of the Nokia classic series, the 3720 has a stylish oval design, nice handling, S40 user interface, decent display, FM radio and a 2 megapixel camera. But that's not all. As a ruggedized device, the Nokia 3720 classic has been designed to resist water, dust and to survive some pretty extreme situations.
Here is a list of what the Nokia 3720 classic can do for you and another one of the things that just didn't fit in that sort of tough body.

Key features:

• Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display of excellent sunlight legibility
• 2 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash
• VGA video recording at 15fps
• S40 user interface, 6th edition
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (4 GB supported, 1GB included)
• Rich preinstalled application package
• Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
• IP54 certified - dust and water jets resistant
• Metal screw lock mechanism on the battery cover
• Respectable BL-5CT battery (Li-Ion 1050 mAh)
• A dedicated key to use the camera flash as a flashlight

Main disadvantages:

• No 3G
• No dedicated camera shutter key
• No smart dialing
• No multi-tasking
• No office document viewer
• No lens protection
• Memory card slot under the battery
• No USB cable in the retail box

Well here we are, holding the rugged Nokia 3720 classic in our hands and just itching to submerge it in water or run over it with a car. It's not too often that we get the chance to play with devices from this specialized sector of the mobile market, so we hope you'll share our enthusiasm as we put it through a battery of tests.But we'll come to that eventually.

Nokia 3720 classic live photos
For now, let's not waste any more time and get straight to it with the design and ergonomics after the jump.

Nokia E55 review: Five by five

Introduction

Sometimes, a phone is nearly perfect, except for that one small thing you want to change. If you felt that way about Nokia E52, the E55 claims to have the answer. Don't get us wrong - the E52 has killer looks and specs. And the E55… well, like we told you, it's the same phone save for that one little thing.

Nokia E55 official photos
If QWERTY keyboards are for heavy texters where does half-QWERTY fit? Some would say it's the same target but different goal. You know, like heavy texting is a bad habit and half-QWERTY is the therapy. Now, now, no need to be too smart. But does it really make typing faster or slower, and how hard it is to learn the new layout? We ran a test to find out.
But more on that later. Thanks to the excellent connectivity options and Office editing out of the box, the E55 keeps your office at arm's length - whether you're out to lunch or out of town. Emails, presentations, spreadsheets, memos - you can bring all that everywhere you go. But hey, we're not saying you should. Thanks to Modes, switching between Business and Personal homescreens makes sure you don't have to bring work home.
Texting and email go without saying, but the Nokia E55 is one of the best-equipped Symbian devices around. Here's the rundown:

Key features

• Compact metallic body and extra slim girth (9.9mm)
• Quad-band GSM support
• 3G with HSDPA 10.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2 Mbps
• half-QWERTY keyboard
• 2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
• Symbian OS, S60 UI with FP2
• 600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, DLNA support
• Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS support, digital compass
• Accelerometer for screen auto-rotation and turn-to-mute
• One-touch shortcut keys mean "business"
• 3 megapixel enhanced fixed focus camera with LED flash
• Secondary videocall camera
• 60 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 2GB card
• microUSB v2.0
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• FM radio with RDS
• Class-leading audio output quality
• N-Gage gaming support
• Ovi Maps preinstalled with trial turn-by-turn navigation license (10 x 1 days, to be used within 3 months) and lifetime City Explorer license
• User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
• Office document editor (with free MS Office 2007 update)
• Remote lock/wipe over-the-air
• Comfortable keypad
• Smart dialing
• Great battery life

Main disadvantages

• Disappointing camera features and performance
• Video recording maxes out at VGA@15fps
• No DivX or XviD support (can be installed, possibly requiring a purchase)
• No TV-out functionality
• Keyboard takes some time getting used to (not too long though)

Nokia E55 live shots
The Nokia E55 has something of a split personality. The business features are complete but wait till you see what it offers for recreation. N-Gage support gives you access to a host of games, the audio quality is up there with dedicated music players and the huge battery won't run out of juice until after hours of games and music.
The weekend getaway is also covered - just punch in your destination into Nokia Maps, and the E55 will take you there. It'll even suggest a list of local attractions.
Head to the next page where we open the box and share our experience with the Nokia E55 and its keyboard.