With GPRS, Java, GSM 850 and polyphonic ringtones, the Nokia 3590's feature list makes it a worthwhile upgrade from the popular 3390. The phone has equal reception and call quality as its successor and can uses the same battery, charger and headset. Its 96x65 pixel screen is larger and of a higher resolution than the 3390.

4-note polyphonic ringtones are loud and clear, although most phones feature 24 or 32 note polyphony. The phone includes a selection of classic Nokia ringtones in both polyphonic and monophonic versions.

Java support is included, although MIDlets for the small screen are not very common.

A major con with this phone is the lack of an official Nokia data port or IR. This precludes the use of the phone as a modem, or the ability to download ringtones or Java MIDlets from your computer. An aftermarket cable, which requires removing the case and battery is available, but is too unwieldy for everyday use.

The biggest issue is a number of annoying firmware bugs that plague the phone. Whereas previous Nokias were reliable, this phone has a surprising number of problems for an entry level device.

I used firmware version 7.04. Unlike previous Nokias, this phone will shutdown by itself and not reboot, leading to missed calls. Everyday tasks, such as exiting out of a menu cause shutdowns. Another problem was that the voicemail number would be deleted and could not be reentered until the SIM was placed into another phone and returned.

Update: Nokia took a week to update my firmware to 7.14, skipping at least one release. Not only are the problems of missing voicemail and crashes still there, now GPRS fails along with the voicemail. Furthermore, nobody must have tested the firmware, as the phone annoyingly and regularly flashes a "Connection to server secured" message, interrupting and slowing down WAP browsing. Nokia's complete inability to fix their firmware while not introduce other problems lead me to conclude that this is my last Nokia.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 50