Mobiles Review

Nokia 5500 - Established high market segmentation, and constant attempts of manufacturers aimed at making up new niches have brought up to life a couple of cutting-edge projects. Particularly one of them is springing up before your eyes ??“ so called sport-centric handsets, designed specially for people going in for sports. The first sign of this infant line-up is Nokia??™s very own the 5500, which can be considered as a pioneer of the field not only in terms of feature set, but its announcement time.

To cut a long story short, all devices having knack for the sports are equipped with somewhat different casing, featuring splash resistance, media capabilities, built-in pedometer and other functions which may come in handy in course of exercising. The most elementary form of pedometer is a 3D-sensor detecting number of steps made. For instance is Samsung E750/E760 similar technology is applied to managing media player and several games, yet in sports it finds no application. If you turn the review of these handsets you will see us complaining about absence of steps counter ??“ in fact that capability would have increased overall utility of the devices. But the chance missed by the Korean engineers was taken advantage of in Finland. However the truth is a couple of years ago we spotted Pantech introducing a phone with pedometer at CeBIT ??“ in Asia these solutions even if not widely adopted, are at least well-recognized, while the Europeans were experiencing lack of these gadgets until now.
Sport-centric models have direct connection with a class of outdoor phones. Nokia 5500 have been known for quite a while and appeared in the first place as solutions for kind of people working in the open air in adverse environment. I remember my first stunning impression of a commercial starring Nokia 6250 where a doctor walked on dirty and worn out road in the rain, and the phone remained ok. In other words at that moment such devices were targeted at certain groups of consumers, where they were little success due to both pricing and physical aspects ??“ where can you see a roadman showing off a phone at the cost of 400-500 USD?! The workers themselves could not found those among them as well, actually.

But Nokia 5500 did their own part and revealed certain interest in similar solutions, thus the manufacturers started developing a platform which would appeal to the mass market. Siemens M35 with its semi-proof casing proved to be a decent phone, since it featured acceptable price combined with the same set of functions as that found on Siemens C35. Siemens deserves a special credit; in light of the fact only owing to its efforts the market of Outdoor phones proposes wide model range. As a matter of fact on entering the market this company was looking for some free niches to fill, and therefore managed to start up a completely new trend in this field. In its turn, Nokia came up with its own protected models in reaction to corresponding developments by its major competitor back then, Ericsson. As these plans of Ericsson were slipping away, Nokia consistently canceled its activity as well, but eventually didn??™t abandon this offshoot.

In 5000 series, retaining all signs of youth handsets, there were some splash-proof models up to now, namely Nokia 5210, Nokia 5140, Nokia 5140i. All these devices were promoted as extremely durable models with sporty capabilities, like Fitness Coach, Sport Diary and various additional accessories. Nevertheless in view of price at some sorts of extra gadgets and lack of advertising, these offsprings of the sport class were not much of hits.

Nokia 5500 adopts both rich sport-centric functions and proof casing, but the sporty applications bear the palm ??“ in fact it??™s emphasized in the index itself, which is unusual for Nokia (Nokia 5500 Sport).

Nonetheless uniqueness and highlighting of the phone are not only that ??“ this model is also the first handset to incorporate smartphone??™s capability into a proof casing.

Nokia 5500 - Design, casing and keypad
The design found here is markedly youth, but by no means defiant. What really make it look youth-aimed is display??™s edging, turning into pick/hang up keys. The frame??™s color is striking only on titanic finishing (we are talking about trim, not the material used) ??“ on black it??™s painted into white and perfectly matches the outlook. Apart from aesthetic purposes, the edging protects the screen so that one can simply put it face-down without worrying for scratching or somehow damaging it.
The Nokia 5500 comes in two colors ??“ titan with yellow framings and black with white ones. The first trim will look more appealing to youth or more active part of older people. The other finishing is not so flashy and thus will fit in office environment. Widening trim pool works fine and widens target audience ??“ I suppose this handset will be bought primarily by men from 18 to 40 (as for the second color scheme ??“ from 25 to 40), women will occupy nearly 20 percent of the audience, which is uncommon for a product of such type. This affinity originates from the fact that these are women who continue having a run every morning and badly need a gadget for counting distance covered and calories burnt.
The casing??™s protection isn??™t just a marketing trick ??“ it really fulfills its part and is almost alike that of Siemens??™s best solutions residing in Outdoor class. Firstly, the handset itself is entirely made of metal, while the sides feature rubber as the main material used and the rear panel is composed of thick plastic layer. The battery cover is fastened with a screw. In view of all pros, there is a minor draw about the design ??“ the interface connector??™s hood (made of soft rubber) comes loose after a short period of usage and on top of that there is no way to remove it.
While made of rubber, the keypad is solid and don??™t have any obvious flaws ??“ the buttons are somewhat soft with good click sensation. The keypad is lit in bright white, and thus visible in various environments. The navigation block, measuring very little in size may cause certain inconvenience especially with pressing the OK key incorporated into the navi-pad. Personally I didn??™t spent much time on getting used to the buttons without experiencing issues, one more thigh of note is that accidental presses are so rare that you can forget about key lock. Having checked out photos on the net, some users have expresses worries about size of pick/hang up buttons, though I assure you they are big enough to fit any finger.
Many have been at a loss where the correction key (pencil) is gone to, since Nokia 5500 is a smartphone and that key should be somewhere on the casing. Over limited space available on the front, the developers relocated it to the right side a bit lower its normal position. When working single handedly such mounting is not quite convenient, as you have to use your second hand to do corrections.
Infrared port, as well as function key for switching between player, sport and standby modes, can be found on the right side as well. The left side holds rocker volume key and Push To Talk dedicated button. Using the power button on the top rim, you can not only start up or shut down the phone, but also perform fast profiles switch. Just right here you will find a flashlight, basically it??™s a separate LED, getting activated by pressing * key.
The rear feauter a 2 Mpix CMOS camera module, similar to those embedded in other smartphones of the company (no auto-focus and flash).
And now hang tight, because we are publishing dimensions and weight of this all-round protected device. So, It weights 103 grams, which is quite normal for a smarphone, while its measurements of 107?…45?…18 mm make the 5500 the smallest S60-powered powered device nowadays. It??™s size which makes all the difference here ??“ until today all smartphones were considerable bigger than standard phones, but Nokia 5500 breaks this tendency and obviously demonstrates possibility of an opposite. In future we are to see more smart handsets making use of compact casings ??“ against that background Nokia 5500, Nokia E50, Nokia N73 seem to be only the first signs.

Nokia 5500 - Screen, battery, memory, CPU, Bluetooth, USB
The Nokia 5500 carries a 208?…208 pixels (31?…31 mm) display capable of reflecting up to 262 K colors (TFT) ??“ implementation of such screen results from considerably small dimensions and safety requirements (it??™s widely known that display is the most fragile and unprotected part of any phone). Nevertheless it performs quite well and boasts fair color rendering and image sharpness, but if it comes to comparing the 5500??™s screen with handsets by Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson residing in the same price bracket, it would not be able to withstand. On the other hand we should set it off against smartphones ??“ and if that??™s the case, Nokia 5500 is way ahead.
Thanks to low screen resolution (relatively low!) it retains only 3?—3 main menu grid therefore you??™ll have to turn to scrolling pretty often; the icons themselves are good in quality-wise.
Moderate size of the casing didn??™t let them to include better battery and thus the handset operates only with 860 mAh capable BL-5B. As the manufacturer claims it remains good from 2 to 4 hours of talk time and for 150-270 hours in standby mode. In conditions of Moscow networks the charge lasted for one day on average, at 1 hour of media player usage (radio of player), up to 45 minutes of calls and nearly 20 minutes of web-browsing. By the end of the day the charge was falling down it the very bottom and we had to recharge the phone. Though it??™s worth saying that all smartphones based off S60 3td Edition consume pretty much and this model isn??™t an exception. Some not demanding users may be able to squeeze almost 2 days of life time, but for the majority of audience everyday recharging is inevitable, on top of that recharging in course of the day may prove useful as well. On the whole the life time is the only critical flaw of this model, all other specs are great.
The bundled memory is may be expanded using microSD cards, which are plugged in a slot located under the battery ??“ evidently there is no hot swap as it should be in a truly protected phone.
The model runs the same platform as other smartphones of the company ??“ the CPU works at the frequency of 220 Mhz, while amount of RAM reserved for applications equals 32 Mb, thus nearly 10 Mb of internal memory are at user??™s disposal, yet it??™s not a big deal since all data may be stored on the memory card.

The Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity features supports EDR as well as the following profiles:

BIP-ImagePush;
DUN-GW;
FT-Server;
HandsFree-AG (1.0);
Headset-AG;
OBEX;
OPP-Client;
OPP-Server;
SIM Access-Server.

Unfortunately A2DP profile standing for transmitting sound to wireless headset is not on board here. On the other hand, in light of the device featuring pedometer, I doubt someone would put somewhere else but on his body when exercising (otherwise what??™s the point of buying it?), so necessity of a wireless headset is unclear.
On USB connection the handset requires you to check one of the following options defining which mode you would like to use: Data Transfer, Media Player, PC Suite. In many ways the handset shares many of Nokia 3250 capabilities by being able to get tunes via Windows Media Player (curious fact ??“ only the N91 features Microsoft??™s Janus DRM support, while neither this nor any other device does). The phone also takes advantage of USB 2.0 and USB Mass Storage.
Of troublesome aspects, common for this platform, I should note the following one: when synchronizing messages with a desktop, data transfer mode does not get activated until you select memory card as main storage type. Although this approach is justified in 100 percent of cases due to minor built-in storage size, the system has several annoying bugs. Switching destination place without copying data from the mail box allows activating data transfer. However there is one serious ???but??? in all this ??“ in this mode all mail boxes tied to the memory card become invisible and appear again only when memory type is changed. Such way of moving data puts into question full-fledged usage of all handset??™s functions at the same time.

Nokia 5500 - Sport mode
The built-in 3D sensor makes it real for the Sport mode to exist in this model. Observation accuracy is just enough for most cases, yet similarly to other phones with a pedometer on board, there is a certain measure of error possible, including random start ups when driving in a car (it??™s a drawback of all sport-centric devices). But for routine trainings the 5500 provides more than satisfactory accuracy.
The key found on the right side allows starting up the sport mode ??“ this key also stands for switching between player, sport and standby modes (or the last launched application). The button is very handy in use ??“ it would really nice to see something of this kind on other phones by Nokia as well. While in standby mode the navi-pad is lit in while, but once Sport mode has been started up it turns into red. Such visual alterations are essential when running ??“ there you don??™t have time to cast a glance at the screen. A very fetching peculiarity.
The Nokia 5500 main menu of Sports mode holds three icons, which are: Quick Start, Diary and Tests. Let us reverse the order and start from the end, namely from Tests. There are two tests available on the phone ??“ cooper and bike test hard. In the first case you??™re offered to run a certain distance in set time and then compare the acquired result with special table to clearly see you optional goals. The test itself is meant to determine your physical state. So all you need to do so is to find a stadium where you can precisely evaluate the distance. One more thing of note ??“ the handset does not provide individual adjustment, in other words you cannot set the functions according to you liking as on Sony Ericsson W710i.

Nokia N93 camera phone :
Nokia today introduced the Nokia N93, the ultimate mobile device for spontaneous video recording. Offering uncompromised digital camcorder, telephony and rich Internet communication functionalities, the Nokia N93 features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, DVD-like video capture and 3x optical zoom. You can connect the Nokia N93 directly to your TV for a widescreen movie experience or upload your images and video to online albums or blogs. Moreover, you can create high-quality home movies and burn them to DVD with the included Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0 software. The Nokia N93 is expected to become commercially available in July 2006 with an estimated sales price of approximately 550 euros.
Digital camcorder:
“The Nokia N93 marks a new era in the digital camcorder market,” said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president and general manager of Multimedia, Nokia. “Incorporating all the features you need for great quality movie-making, the Nokia N93 is a fantastic example of a multimedia computer with true digital camcorder performance at its core. Thanks to its connectivity, it allows you to immediately share the memories you’ve captured, taking the entire camcorder experience to the Internet age.”
Video & Photos:
Offering the best mobile video and photography experience, the Nokia N93 is packed with exceptional camera features that enable high-quality photos and DVD-like quality video. Unfold and twist the main display, and the Nokia N93 is ready to shoot video and photos using the color landscape display as a full screen viewfinder. Whether special events or just fun, impromptu everyday life, you can capture moments conveniently and impulsively and share them with others as they happen.
Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens:
Featuring MPEG-4 VGA video capture at 30 frames per second, the Nokia N93 delivers an unparalleled video experience with stereo audio recording and digital stabilization, enabling smooth and shake-free movies. The Nokia N93 incorporates a 3.2 megapixel (2048 x 1536 pixels) camera with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, 3x optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom, as well as autofocus and close-up mode for amazing clarity and accuracy. Furthermore, the Nokia N93 has an active camera toolbar which displays all available capture features, from exposure value to color tones and white balance. There are dedicated keys for shutter, zoom and flash and also a camera mode key that enables you to switch quickly and easily between image and video capture.
MiniSD memory card:
The Nokia N93 features large internal memory of up to 50 MB, which can be further expanded with a hot swap miniSD card of up to 2 GB, allowing users to capture up to 90 minutes of DVD-like quality video or close to 2500 high-quality photos. Furthermore, you can easily transfer your photos and video from the memory card to a compatible PC for storage, and yet always carry a collection of your favorite resized images on the Nokia N93.
Video clips:
Sharing your photos and video clips captured with the Nokia N93 is a snap. Show off your content on the up to 262,144 color 2.4″ QVGA display (240 x 320 pixels) featuring a super-wide 160 degree viewing angle. Share your uncompressed photos and video clips instantly via email, Bluetooth technology or by uploading them directly from the Gallery to compatible blogs. You can even share your captured memories with family and friends on a large compatible TV screen, using either the included TV cable or wirelessly over integrated WLAN and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology. Furthermore, from browsing the web to reading your emails and office documents, you can even play games on the Nokia N93 using the screen of your compatible TV.
Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0:
While editing your photos and video clips directly on the Nokia N93 is simple, you can also easily transfer them to your compatible PC, allowing for more creative control over your video output. The standard Nokia N93 sales pack comes bundled with Adobe Premiere Elements 2.0, which makes it easy to import video clips, photos and music and to start experimenting with hundreds of transitions and effects, as well as create professional looking home videos with customizable templates. And to top it off, you can effortlessly burn those great home movies to DVD and export formats for Web streaming and email.
Multifunctional mobile computing:
Part of the Nokia Nseries multimedia computer range, the Nokia N93 offers great functionality in one beautifully shaped connected device. Designed to work on WLAN, 3G (WCDMA 2100 MHz), EDGE and GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) networks, the Nokia N93 provides broadband Internet access for browsing, uploading content, and sending and receiving emails, allowing you to stay connected on the move. You can also set the device on a surface, flip the display horizontally and use the landscape screen to browse the Web, watch TV over 3G networks, or make hands-free video calls.
Price & Availability:
The N93 camera phone includes a stereo FM radio and a digital music player that offer a fantastic music experience. You can create playlists and enjoy your music hands-free via the speaker or use the stereo headset provided. With the Nokia Music Manager, you can also easily rip your CDs and transfer your music collection to your phone. In addition, you can store up to 1500 songs on your Nokia N93 with a separately available 2 GB miniSD card. You can also enjoy high-quality 3D games with the pre-installed N-Gage franchise System Rush: Evolution. The Nokia N93, which is based on S60 3rd Edition software on Symbian OS, is expected to become commercially available in July 2006 with an estimated, unsubsidized sales price of approximately 550 euros.

Introduction:
The 6061 version is one of the newest babes to be churned out from the Nokia stable. It is good news for all those matter-of-fact cell phone users who had all along been clamoring for a set that would provide all the very basic amenities without being overpriced.
Nokia 6061, serviced by Cingular and Immix Wireless, is geared to provide all that is favorable for communication and especially voice communication.

Design:
The Nokia 6061 means business right from the word go. It comes in an attractive flip design with a non-retractable antenna and at 86mm x 44mm x 24mm and weighing only 92 grams, it is pretty handy enough to clutch in the hand or snuggle inside the pocket.
Basic Features:
Nokia 6061 is a GSM phone supporting 850/900Mhz. Its high-speed data transfer capacity is ably maintained by the GPRS technology.
It supports multiple languages so that you don??™t feel linguistically challenged while operating the phone.
It works on a Li-ion battery, which has digital talk time of 3.5 hours and a phenomenal digital standby time of 16 days. Therefore, it means that people on the move need not constantly worry about frequent battery recharges.
Screen:
Nokia 6061 comes with a standard 65k color display and the LCD supports a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels. So you can be sure that the pictures come to you in all their clarity and detailing.
Audio:
Nokia 6061 incorporates audio support of a wide range. It is basically a 16-chord polyphonic sound engine with support for MP3, AMR, WB-AMR (True Tones) and MIDI formats.
Organizational Features:
The organizational freak would love to have the Nokia 6061 around. It comes with a mind-boggling array of features all designed to ease the burden off the minds of the stressed out individuals.
There is a mammoth 500-entry phone book. You will run out of friends and acquaintances before you run out of space in the phone book.
You have an alarm clock with reminders so that you do miss an appointment or return home on your wife??™s birthday with empty hands and a sheepish grin. Those with deadlines to meet will have the benefit of a calendar with day/week/month view. The Nokia 6061 also comes with a To-do list, which will guarantee that you are always up on your toes. Those who do not have a head for figures need not fret either, for there is even a calculator on board the Nokia 6061.
Internet:
Those who like to have the world at your doorsteps or rather in your palm, will be glad to know that the Nokia 6061 comes with Wireless Internet WAP 2.0/ xHTML, TCP/IP. You will be able to send and view all your emails while on the move and also access information on the web whenever and wherever you desire to.
Conclusion:
The Nokia 6061 is trendy without being drop-dead gorgeous and it does not bewilder you with an array of worthless and therefore seldom used features. Rather it packs in a punch with a set of solid base features, and all at a reasonable price.