Nokia 3560: This thing doesn't DIE!
Written: Sep 28 '03
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Pros: Light, Durable, Long-lasting Battery
Cons: Not Much
The Bottom Line: A sweet little phone.
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| tbthorn's Full Review: Nokia 3560 |
Where I Got It: AT&T Wireless
The Nokia 3560 was one of about 3 phones offered to me as an equipment upgrade through AT&T Wireless.
Why I Got It
I decided to retire my old clunky Ericsson because it had to be charged every single night, whether I used it or not. Needless to say, I wasn't too ambivalent about its retirement. I have long avoided getting a Nokia, for fear that someone would actually think that I was trendy or stylish. Not to mention the fact that I always get the $20 phone, because nobody ever calls me anyway. This time, I decided that I would spend a few extra bucks to get a phone that would last. For $99 ($79 after mail-in rebate) from AT&T Wireless, the Nokia 3560 is a spectacular deal.
Display: Ooh, Pretty Colors
The full-color display is attractive, although not particularly useful. You can select from a random assortment of natural and psychedelic wall-papers, or engage in a single-player version of pong. Without the ability to take pictures or surf the internet, the display is more of a status symbol than anything else. One feature that is useful is the large clock displayed while the phone is in idle mode. This makes checking the time very easy (and discrete).
Keypad: No More Accidents!
My favorite feature of the Nokia 3560 is that the on/off switch is a stiff button on top of the phone, and needs to be depressed for several seconds to be activated. This means that you can't accidentally turn it on while you're fidgeting through a really boring seminar. Otherwise, it's your pretty typical keypad. 10 numbers, * and #. The keypad lock can be set for any time increment that you wish, which is another great feature. The fact that the display light doesn't come on until the phone is unlocked is a minor nuisance.
Navigation: KISS
The menu is extremely easy to navigate. One button is reserved for editing contacts and one button brings up the settings and features menu. The contact list can be immediately accessed by using the up or down scroll buttons, depending on whether you want to start at the beginning or the end of the alphabet. The menu navigation is intuitive, making it simple to locate the features that you wish to change or access. The large icons are another one of the few uses for the full-color screen.
Talking: Yap, Yap, Yap
The phone has a powerful, well-hidden speaker. I can generally hold a conversation on the lower volume settings when I have decent signal strength. I just wish that they would kick the bass up on the ringer a little. The ring tones would sound a whole lot cooler.
Battery Life: It keeps going, and going...
After the first charge, my Nokia 3560 went for 8 full days without charging. This only included about an hour of total talk time, but I am still impressed. Charging generally takes 2-3 hours. The battery life has remained stable over the last month, requiring a charging once or twice a week. The battery indicator is similar to a car, since you can go quite a ways on Empty. Finally, a phone that understands how people think.
Durability: Takes a licking and keeps on ringing
In the short time that I've owned my Nokia 3560, I've dropped it about 4 or 5 times on a variety of surfaces from pavement to ceramic tile (I no longer include soft surfaces like carpet in my tally). Well, the display is still in mint condition and there isn't a scratch to be found. I don't know how they do it, but it must be some sort of space-age polymer.
The Antenna: How can I work with something so...small?
The antenna is completely invisible, but the phone still gets excellent range. I'd say it's better, or at least on par, with any previous phone that I've purchased. It does appear to deal better with low signal strength than previous phones, as there is less static and fewer disruptions.
Special Features: Back to basics
There's nothing spectacular about the Nokia 3560's bonus features. You get your basic alarm clock, calculator, calendar, stop-watch, etc. If I really needed this stuff, I would have gotten a Palm.
Email, Messaging, Chat
Yup, it's all here, provided your service supports these features. Mine only gets text messaging, but I hardly use it. The Nokia 3560 supports predictive text entry, making things easier or more difficult depending on what you're sending. I'm not even really sure why they call these things phones anymore...
Ring Tones and Graphics: Spend more $$$!
The ring tones are somewhat expensive, but when you've just have to have Nena's 99 Luftaballoons, you've got to have it. The phone also has a built-in vibrate alert that sucks down battery power like I do pudding paks. There are several profiles available, to make switching between silent and normal modes simple.
Games: Pong Enters the 21st Century
The Nokia 3560 comes with 5 standard games: Racket, Sky Diver, Backgammon, Bowling and Air Glide. The color screen makes playing Racket -- a reincarnation of Pong -- more enjoyable, but it's still no fun without the ability to play with others. I'm sure that feature will come soon, but this is a cell phone and not a gaming system.
Bottom Line
If you're not a flip-phone person (I haven't yet attained that level of coolness), then the Nokia 3560 is a great phone. It's tough, long-lasting and hip.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 99
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Epinions.com ID:
tbthorn
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Member: Tom
Location: lost in thought
Reviews written: 196
Trusted by: 192 members
About Me:
Vacation (vA-kA-shun) 1. Eating too much 2. Drinking too much 3. Getting a tan
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