The G-Shock of mobile phones, 5210
Written: Apr 19 '03
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Pros: Trendy, Tough AND Unique
Cons: The case gets dirty rather easily
The Bottom Line: The 5210 is value-for-money. You can drop the phone and it still works well. This is for the road warrior who demands reliability.
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| dpsyc's Full Review: Nokia 5210 |
I needed a new phone a year back because my 3210 was problematic. Was having a toss-up between a Nokia 5210 and a Siemens M35 (water and dust resistant too). Decided on the 5210 for various reasons -- the user friendly interface, the generous screen, the familiarity of the Nokia, and the unique sporty outlook of the 5210.
It was love at first sight because I love the fact that an arm strap was provided for jogging purposes. Though, I must admit that the grey colour strap does not really colour coordinate with my Californian orange case.
The case: The phone has an interesting two-piece shell that splits into the top and bottom sections. You have to hold down the sides of its hips and pull the top shell out. Subsequently, hold on the skeleton of the phone and pull the bottom shell out.
The shell is made of shock-resistant materials, thus, making it resilient to shocks -- can be the g-shock of mobile phones. The stark contrast between the Californian orange and blue makes it outstanding. On the case, there are 5 attachment spots for you to put your cute mobile accessories or hang it off a neckstrap. Somehow, these attachment spots are more sturdy compared to other Nokias because it is integrated into the case. There is a cover to close up the ear piece and charger part of the phone. This is useful for someone like me who enjoys lying on the beach for hours. Sand could not get in at all. However, do not put your phone in water -- it is water resistant (not 200m like the G-shock) NOT waterproof. Take it to the warm shower with you, no problems.
The non-Nokia shells have really bad button pads. The non-Nokia top and bottom shells also do not fit properly over the phone properly, leaving gaps in between. The cover for the ear piece and charger also does not do the job.
The display: I really love the generous and high-resolution no colour display. It has a screensaver quite unlike the 3310 and 3315 -- the time is shown with the DATE on the entire screen. This also functions as an indication as to whether your phone is getting any reception. If there is no reception, the clock will not show up. I find this a really useful feature. The screen is illuminated by a warm orangy light -- unique considering most phones are going blue these days.
The buttons: The buttons are a lot easier to press. The shell of this model actually has the button pad integrated into the shell. The quality of the buttons are gr8 -- firm to press down, good size for big fingers and good response from the springs.
Size: Well, if you compare the skeleton of this phone with that of a 6510, the 5210 is slightly bigger by 1 mm or so with each dimension. However, the case has made it seem a lot bigger than it is. This is to improve the shock resistant properties of the phone. The size of this phone is comparable to the 6100s and 7000 series Nokia polyphonic phones; though the 5210 is thicker. However, from playing with my friend's 6100, I find the 6100 not sturdy enough.
Clarity: The reception is a lot better than the 6510 and the 3310. The clarity is gr8.
Battery life: Not bad. Runs out after 2 hours of talktime. However, these days, batteries are cheap and can afford to get a spare. Generally, lasts around 1 day easily.
Ear piece: The normal non-Nokia ear piece which worked well with my 3210 and 6510 did not work with the 5210. However, the original ear piece for the 6510 that is used for listening to the built-in radio worked really well with the phone.
Infra-red: The infra-red feature is the same as other Nokia phones. It communicated with a Fujitsu computer and a Palm m505. No major problem except for the occasional stuff up with the Palm OS. After upgrading the software for the 5210, the problem occurred less frequently.
Other features: Stop watch and thermometer. The thermometer does not work that well and I always have to subtract the degrees Celsius reading by 2-3 degrees. Sometimes I wonder if the thermometer really works or whether it incorporates a number generator that tells you the temperature by random. The calendar is really a norm now -- so I won't bore you with it. Though I must say, I hoped that Nokia was able to put 4 weeks into each view like the 6510 rather than the 2 weeks.
Oh yes, I am excited to tell you this... The Nokia 5210 actually has a built-in lunar calendar... No other phone offer that, I believe.
Though this phone was sold at a way cheaper price than the 6510 and the 8310 a year ago, this phone offers better value. Currently, the 5210 holds its value compared to the 6510 and 8310 for various reasons. The 5210 retains its resistance while the 6510/8310 is no longer trendy. The 5210 is no trendsetter at this moment but it still delivers beautifully. I won't change to another phone for as long as it works.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 200
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Epinions.com ID:
dpsyc
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Member: Belinda Khong
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
How many psychologists does it take to work a gizmo?
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