Good things come in little packages
Written: Jan 07 '03
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Pros: Really small, easy to use, good clarity when there is reception
Cons: Low volume in loud places, small buttons
The Bottom Line: Sure its small, but there are some bad things about this phone that others don't. Good middle of the road choice for its money.
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| jvatt24's Full Review: Nokia 8290 Cell Phone |
I have always had Nokia phones. I have found them to be the most user friendly and feature packed phones out there. Most of the people I know who have cell phones have Nokias. I know that they aren't the best out there and probably never will be, but they are a good value and perform as good or better than more expensive models.
First off, people should know how small this phone is. It is no bigger than a standard mouse in both length and width, and weighs about the same. This is a good feature most of the time, but sometimes you wonder if you lost it or where you put it. It also isnt good if you have trouble dialing without looking at the keypad, because there is almost no way anyone will be able to figure out what button is what, let alone pressing it. They are so close together that it is easy to put your thumb over most of the buttons at once. The volume control is in a good place; it is on the side and is easy to press. The power button, on the other hand, is almost blended into the top of the phone and gets annoying at times to turn it on or off. This phone (like many other Nokias) has removable face plates that come in about 10 different colors, which isnt as much as other phones, but at least you get the option if dust gets in between the screen or it gets scratched up. The buttons do light up on the keypad, enough so that you can read them in the dark easily, but it could always be brighter. The screen lights up as well (in green) and stays lit up for about 5 seconds after pressing a button. It has a cool metallic look to it with the cover off, can serve as a mini flashlight if needed.
The interface of this phone is very easy to use. Anyone can learn to use it without reading the manual much or at all. There are about 10 different menu options that in turn, have more options off of them. It is just like all the other Nokia interface menus out there, and it works just as well as any of them. There are seperate menus for messages, phone book, call logs, settings, games, a calendar, a calculator (pretty basic stuff there), and an IR port to connect it to your computer or PDA or other cell phone. Theere is voice activation and speed dial for up to 10 numbers or so, which comes in handy when all you want to do is start talking.
I got this phone for a discount with the activation of it (T-Mobile, once Voicestream). It uses a different network system than other providers; it uses the same one they have in Europe. So you can expect that the coverage from T-Mobile wont be the best out there because they have to build almost all of it on their own. It gets good reception almost whereever I go, except for where I live. The reception is either good or bad, most of the time is it clear and there are no problems. But when there are only 1 or 2 out of 4 bars of reception, it can get choppy and hard to understand what is being said. As I said, this doesnt happen too often, but when it does, it is a pain. The volume is a little too soft in some places, like at a sporting event. Even at the max, it is lacking, and I need to press it to my ear to listen in. Some may think that the microphone is so far away that the sound is not loud enough on the other end; that is not the case at all. It is extremely sensitive, as the microphone lies halfway down the face at most. You just have to trust that the sound is going through to the other person. I know that at first I was skeptical, but now I have grown accustomed to it.
With the exception of the volume, reception at times, and keypad size, this phone is a good choice. While it doesnt have all the things you might want form a phone these days, such as web browsing, it has all the basic features one could want with a few extras. Talk time is respectible, stand-by time is also fairly good. If you can get a good deal on this in an area that gets good coverage from your provider, think twice before overlooking this one. If you are looking for a phone with all the bells and whistles, look for something else as that is not what this one is. This phone is a solid performer for its size and little more could be asked out of something so small and light.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 90
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Epinions.com ID:
jvatt24
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 1 member
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