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(More customer reviews)As a Nokia fan, I'll be the first to admit that my favorite Finnish phone maker hasn't been a smartphone leader for some time. They've been hemorrhaging marketshare for multiple reasons and even the diehard aficionados are hoping for the best from Meego and updates to S^3. This, however, isn't a review about about smartphones or top end OSs. This review is about the C3-01, a device that Nokia hopes will set a standard from which to keep feature phones in pace with their smartphone brethren.
The meat and potatoes of Nokia's business is feature phones and it shows. The C3-01 feels like a quality device right out the box. The hardware seams are very small. The primarily metal construction, rounded edges and weight lend this candybar a solid feel in hand. The hardware fonts are very legible and just bright enough. One thing to note is that the warm grey unit has its keypad backlit in white while the silver unit has blue backlit keys. The volume and camera keys on the right work just fine but the lock key will take some practice since it sits flush with the side.
The touchscreen is obviously one of the big attractions of this device and it works decently well for this application. Nokia disappointingly went with a cheaper resistive unit. Even though it's one of the most sensitive resistive displays I've used, the OS still needs confident presses and drags to function properly. Not having a capacitive screen dashes any hopes of multitouch gestures through software updates but on a 2.4" display, multitouch doesn't make much sense.
People have called the touchscreen element of the C3-01, and by association the X3-02, a gimmick which simply isn't true. The customizable homescreen and drop-down app menu enable users to put almost all crucial functionality(opening apps, dialing contacts, setting alarms, etc.) within two taps of unlocking the device which isn't possible on a non-touchscreen handset short of having dedicated hardware keys. That isn't to say that this new touch enabled Version 6 of the venerable S40 operating system is perfect. There are a number of quirks which I hope get addressed in upcoming software updates. It can't set more than one alarm at any given time. Even though you can set contacts to the homescreen, tapping them will bring you to the contact details from which you can dial out. There isn't an option for 1-touch dialing from the homescreen, among other things.
The C3-01 has Ovi Store access for apps and content but since this and the X3-02 are the first implementations of S40v6, the app selection is very limited. Previous S40 version apps were designed with a d-pad in mind and won't function properly on the touchscreen. However, the SDK for S40v6 recently became available and since Nokia will be pushing the "touch-and-type" paradigm for the foreseeable future, users should see much more content and apps in the coming months. S40v6 currently lacks multitasking and app switching although you can play music and do other things at the same time. Also, Nokia's Internet radio app for S40v6 currently in beta will run in the background, suggesting that more advanced functionality such as push email might be possible. The integrated apps such as the photo browser, music player, email client and so forth work well enough but sadly, there's nothing innovative about any of them in terms of function or interface. The stopwatch, countdown timer, and LED flashlight were actually surprisingly nice additions. The stock Nokia web browser is painful to use both in load times and overall usability. Luckily, they've included Opera Mini which actually works very smoothly on the 320x240 display. Opera will also help cut down on data use since it pulls data-optimized pages through the Opera servers.
I think the C3-01 is a pretty good buy. I picked up two of these to replace my parents' aging LG Shines(as well as to do this review) and they're very happy with their C3-01s. If you just want to phone calls, this phone would work great but would be completely overpriced. If you're looking to multitask, enjoy video content or a web heavy experience, this devive won't deliver the experience you're looking for. If, however, you're in between those two extremes, the C3-01 is a compelling combination of price, features, and build quality that's definitely worth considering.
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Nokia C3-01 Unlocked Touch and Type GSM Phone--U.S. Version with Warranty (Warm Gray)When your top priority is staying connected to friends and family, sometimes all the flashy new cell phone features only complicate things. The Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type unlocked mobile phone is a straightforward, smart, and simple device that brings clarity in the middle of a complicated technological world.
Sleek and classic design with a 2.4 -inch touchscreen display and easy text entryfrom alpha-numeric keypad.
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