Large and in charge...
Written: Dec 21 '03
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Pros: Features, display, bluetooth, quality/reception.
Cons: Keypad, keypad, keypad. Size.
The Bottom Line: If you have the money and like having a ton of features and don't mind the large size and clunky keypad - this phone is for you.
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| piacoa's Full Review: Nokia 3650 |
I'll start this review off the same way I start most cell-phone reviews -- I've incurred several early termination fees in my quest to find the best phone/plan/provider combination. And in my travels, I've encountered this rather unique phone.
Did I say phone? I sometimes had to repeat that to my friends who saw this PDA-looking device. It's large screen and equally large keypad led many onlookers to believe that this device was more than just a cell phone. And it is.
Instead of the typical "Messages, Display, Sound, Settings" menu items, this phone has about two screens full of options - from RealOne Player enabled video recording/playback to bluetooth connectivity.
The phone comes with a 16 MB memory card, allowing plenty of fun taking pictures and movies, and provides decent interaction with a SIM card (it would be nice to have a mass copy from local address book to SIM directory function).
We'll start from the outside in. The #1 complaint -- the keypad arrangement. The circular design keeps Nokia on the top of the pile for unique and creative designs, but makes text messaging or quickly dialing a number very awkward. On an unrelated note, this phone's next model will include the same form factor, but with a more traditional keypad. The reverse of the phone has the camera lens sticking out of it, the position of which creates a certain degree of difficulty when trying to aim for the perfect picture. Overall, the external design is attractive and unique -- the only problem is the keypad! Bah!
The screen is giant, vivid and gives plenty of room to compose text messages, view address book entries and browse the internet.
The menu system is great, however some features aren't always where they should be or as easily available as one would imagine (for example, phone settings, SIM card options, etc.)
Making calls both from address book and from normal dialing is easy and intuitive, however accessing one's address book based on the phone's out-of-the-box configuration requires pressing a directional key, instead of a soft key as most phones do.
Once you're in a call, navigating and using your provider's features is easy! Using the directional keys and softkeys, one can easily place calls on hold, place a second call and access plenty of functions.
Overall good points:
- Battery life is decent considering the featureset (4 hours talk/8 days standby). However, using features such as camera and video will reduce this life.
- Vivid, colorful display.
- Attractive user interface, usually intuitive.
- Clear calls, good reception.
- Camera quality (VGA) is fairly decent, darkness adjustment.
Overall bad points:
- The keypad organization.
- The keypad organization.
- The key... you get the point.
- A bit large and heavy. Would be nice if this was a flip model.
- Sometimes hard to access SIM vs. phonebook
If you like a large display and phone that wont get lost in your pocket, this phone is for you. However, it's a bit pricey for its design flaws and unless you're a diehard Nokia fan who likes the quirky deisgn, I would advise purchasing a less-expensive model or sending a comprable amount on a different, smaller camera phone.
All said, I enjoyed this phone (I ended up returning it due to the keypad), but inputting your contacts and sending text messages using the circular keypad proves an annoyance and the overall large design of the phone makes it difficult to be truly portable.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Epinions.com ID:
piacoa
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Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 1 member
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