After 1 year going back to Ericsson
Written: Sep 07 '01
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Pros: Small size, stylish, takes a beating
Cons: Poor build quality, high price for features
The Bottom Line: Overall I think this is the best phone available for TDMA networks like AT&T or Cingular, but it is simply too poorly built for me to recommend it.
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| pgray007's Full Review: Nokia 8260 Cell Phone |
I travel constantly so my mobile phone is my primary means of communication. I'm also a gadget freak so I've used everything: Ericsson GSM phones, Motorola CDMA StarTAC, Nokia 6100 series, and AT&T's Ericsson web phone. My current, although soon to be replaced phone is the Nokia 8260.
Styling
The styling of the phone is definitely cool. I think smaller gadgets are better, and I am a big guy with big fingers, and I really haven't had too much trouble using the small buttons. I have the blue phone, and when I first got it everyone was asking about the phone, although now they are far more common.
The phone is incredibly small and light, and fits just about anywhere. The only size-related problem is that I've had the phone fall out of my pocket on a few occasions, especially in taxis or cars where it can slip out of a pants pocket fairly easily. Talking on the phone is no problem, although some of my friends don't like talking into "nothing" since the phone will not be in front of your mouth while talking.
I've had no real problems with the button size, although I know a lot of people complain about the buttons being small. The keypad buttons provide a fairly solid feel when pressing them. The only really annoying button is the power button. It is on the top of the phone, and provides no real tactile feedback when it's pressed.
Features
I've always been somewhat underwhealmed by the renowned Nokia menu system. It is fairly easy to use, easier than my old StarTac or Ericsson, although it does not provide as many features as I would expect for a phone of this cost. The address book works well, which is the funtion I use most, and allows for several speed dial numbers as well as the usual address book functions.
This phone is one of the first to support two-way SMS messaging, although it is limited to your carrier. (i.e. I am on AT&T so I can only send SMS' to other AT&T users) You can also send short emails from the phone, although entering addresses is tedious. When a message is received the phone does not map the sender's number to the name in your phone book as several GSM phones do, which is somewhat annoying.
Downloadable ring tones and group pictures are also supported. The group functionality is fairly interesting, although I found I did not use it as much as I would expect. You can assign entries in your phone book to several groups, and assign a custom ring for each group so you could have a certain ring tone for work callers, and one for friends. The biggest problem I had with this feature was that I was used to a certain ring tone, and would often ignore my phone when it was making a ring for a different group.
My favorite feature that has become relatively standard is the profile set. You can assign ring tones, vibrate modes, and SMS tones for each profile. For example I have a "Meeting" profile that makes the phone beep once for a call, rather than ring and disrupt a meeting. I also have a "Crowd" profile that rings at the highest volume and uses the vibrate function.
Battery life is fair, and the phone comes with a rapid charger rather than the slow charger vendors usually provide. Talk time is about two hours, and with moderate use I get 2-3 days of use. With heavy usage expect to charge every day or carry an extra battery. Extra batteries are rather expensive and around $80. Since the battery is inside the phone, rather than a battery pack, there is only one size battery.
There are no WAP capabilities, or any provisions for data, which I find rather annoying on a phone at this price point.
Reception
Reception on the phone is fair, although in analog mode it is not as good as most other dual-mode phones. This phone does seem to have problems connecting calls though, although that may be a function of AT&T's network rather than the phone.
Sound quality can vary widely based on position of your head or a number of factors. Reception in digital areas is better than with my old Ericsson WAP phone, but analog is not as good.
Durability
This is my biggest issue with this phone. I probably use my mobile harder than most people, but this phone shows a lot more wear and tear than other mobile's I've had. The blue paint that makes the phone look so cool easily clips and flakes off, although this is purely cosmetic. The really annoying problem I've had is that dust collects under the display, in two different layers, and since it's internal to the screen there's no way to get it out without disassembling the phone. In direct sun the glare on the dust makes the display nearly unreadable.
I have dropped the phone several times and it keeps on ticking, although it shows signs of use fairly easily.
The phone also is a bit flaky sometimes. For example I'll plug the phone in to charge and the display will say "Charger Connected," and then in a few seconds say "Not Charging." The phone will also mysteriously turn off on occasion, or the battery meter will not read accurately. I've gone from four bars on the meter to the phone shutting off with no warning on several occasions.
The Verdict
This phone is very stylish and good looking (before the paint chips and the dust gets under the screen), and it can take a beating, although it will show it. The size and weight are a huge plus, but the quality issues and lack of features are making me upgrade to an Ericsson T39.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 199
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Epinions.com ID:
pgray007
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Location: Orlando, Florida USA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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