8290 - Durable communications companion.
Written: Mar 15 '02
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Pros: Goes anywhere. Nice battery life, and packed with powerful features.
Cons: Small size cuts both ways-- hard to handle and dial.
The Bottom Line: Anytime, anywhere access to communication services make the 8290 a bargain at under $150. The 8290 packs a lot of power with its SMS, email, and even instant messaging abilities.
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| dsmeyer's Full Review: Nokia 8290 Cell Phone |
I have been a VoiceStream wireless customer for a couple years now. I started out with a Nokia 5190 handset which served me well for over a year. I then decided its increasing lack of features and bulky size would eventually prompt me to upgrade to a newer phone. One of the models offered by VoiceStream happens to be the 8290, so this is what I ended up getting. At a low price of $150 at the time, I couldn't go wrong -- the features were appealing and the phone could go anywhere I could. And when I wanted to upgrade from my 5190 all I had to do was change the little SIM card.
The 8290 operates on the GSM 1900 MHz PCS standard like its many sister phones. GSM is much like TDMA networks in that it operates in the same frequency spectrums. One of GSM's cool features is the SIM card -- I previously mentioned that to switch from handset to handset you simply change out the SIM card in each phone. Your phonebook and its up-to 250 entries, and other phone settings, automatically go with you. Quite cool.
One of the new features enjoyed by 8290 users is that of hands-free voice dialing. Instead of pushing the clumsy little buttons, you can assign a voice tag to your friend's phonebook entry on your phone and use your voice to command the dialing process instead of scrolling down to his entry. This is a safety factor while driving.
Another practical feature in the 8290 is the infrared port. Depending on your needs this can be used for transfering messages, phonebook entries, reminders, calendar items, even for rudimentary low-speed dial-up Internet access if you have a laptop or PDA device which can handle these functions.
This phone fits almost anywhere in your lifestyle. It weighs less than a deck of cards and is almost just as small. In fact, it's so small that you can easily lose it. It will fit in your jeans pocket with no problem. However the main drawback here is that it's nearly impossible to crane your neck to talk hands-free unlike conventional telephones. You also might not be used to how far away the mic is from your mouth, but it's pretty sensitive. This is pretty much acceptable considering how small and light the phone is. Its built-in vibrate feature will alert you to calls and messages during meetings and class. You can customize several different profiles based on your ringing tone and volume preferences, as well as vibrating alerts and other options.
I have on many instances dropped this phone on hard concrete surfaces in the middle of a phone call and remarkably it hums right along. I think Nokia engineered these phones to be be durable for all the klutzy people like me in the world. It's one solid cell phone, just like my old 5190.
Sound quality is just as good if not better than any other cell phone. Most people think I'm calling them from a regular land-line phone, sometimes if I am getting a weak signal from the tower they might be able to tell. Their voices also come in just as loud and clear on my end.
Oddly enough there is one place where my 8290 doesn't get a signal. High atop the 8th floor of my dormitory on the Purdue University campus, a reinforced concrete/steel frame prevents my phone from working in my side of the building as the VoiceStream towers are far on the opposite side of the structure. Therefore the phone sits next to the window while I'm in the room to obtain at least a minimal signal. Everywhere else, however, it seems to get perfect reception...except in basements or elevators of some buildings.
The battery with the Nokia 8290 is a Lithium Ion. This differs from the older Ni-Cad and Ni-Mh batteries which suffered from the dreaded 'memory effect' when you did not fully discharge them before recharge. Instead, the Li-Ion battery prefers to be topped off every 2 or 3 days of standby or heavy use. In any case, my battery lasts about 6 days in standby...and if I use it heavily it will last about 3 or 4 days maximum.
I could go into all the technical specs of the 8290 but I'll leave Nokia's website up to that duty. What is important to me is that it contains all the convenient features that I need, from the phone book, to the customizable alert profiles, long battery life, and its infrared capability. This tiny phone packs a lot of power, and I have been nothing short of impressed while owning it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149
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Epinions.com ID:
dsmeyer
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Member: Doug Meyer
Location: Austin TX
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 13 members
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