Nokia 3310 review - better, faster, cheaper... (Nokia 3310)

Member Name: hedgehog1971

Product:	Nokia 3310
Date:	16/11/08 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ease of use, fast texting, good build quality

Disadvantages: Not for the gadget freak!

It may be old and outclassed by today's "bells and whistles" hi-tech gizmo's, but for me, the Nokia 3310 is still the best mobile phone I've ever owned.

It's fast and simple to use; the beautifully responsive keypad makes texting lightning-quick, it's shape makes it easy to slip snugly into your pocket and if you drop it, you can be reasonably assured it'll still work perfectly (although I wouldn't recommend trying it!) This phone is fairly heavy, but personally, I like the weight; it's reassuring, it feels solid and dependable - and it is.

Tip: If your 3310 has a rubber keypad, replace it with the silver-coloured plastic keypad - available for pennies on e-bay, it makes a huge difference when texting at speed.

The monochrome screen is simple and uncluttered and phone settings are a doddle to work through. The 3310 also comes with a voice-activated dialling feature - very useful for people with poor eyesight.

The 3310 also has a few other handy tools: a stopwatch, a countdown timer, a calculator and, of, course, an alarm.

As for ringtones: well, don't expect too much from this model and bear in mind that it hails from the dim and distant days of pre-polyphony, let alone MP3! Most of the tones packaged with the phone were embarrassing to begin with. I recommend using "ring ring" or "low", both ringtones sound perfectly respectable today and won't humiliate you in public. However, if you're more practical than fashion-conscious, you won't care either way. The 3310 also comes equipped with a vibrate function, allowing you to switch you phone to "silent" when needed.

Sound quality when holding a conversation is perfectly acceptable, although of course you will have to factor in the network you use and where you live, as with any phone. I use the Nokia corded hands-free set when cycling and find that wind-noise is cut out almost completely, enabling the person on the other end to hear me well. (Do NOT hold the phone to your ear whilst on a bicycle, the same rules apply as they do to driving and it's a very silly thing to do anyway!)

The one feature lacking is a loudspeaker, which would be very useful whilst multi-tasking.

Ringtones can also be assigned to different entries in your phonebook, so you can ignore a caller you don't want to speak to without having to pull out your phone to see who it is!

Cons? Well, the only major problem I've ever come across with this model is a tendency to switch itself off at random if you drop it TOO often, and battery life isn't excellent so picking up a new one if you purchase this phone is recommended.

Despite it's age (the best part of a decade old now) the 3310 and a host of spares for it are still readily available online for a very modest sum; I picked up my current 3310 for less than £10.

This phone still has a deservedly strong following and I wouldn't be surprised if it finds a place in history as a design classic, along with the likes of the Black Bakelite and the VW Beetle. You can also dress it up any way you like with an almost unlimited range of fascia's.

When friends show off their latest internet-enabled, 5 megapixel camera, MP3 playing gadgets, I reply: "Hey, guess what? I can call and text people with my phone!" Because that's all many of us really need: a no-frills phone that "does exactly what it says on the tin" so to speak. For this reason, I have given the 3310 3 out of 5 for variety of features; not because it HAS a good variety of features when compared to modern phones, but because, if you are looking for a basic phone, then this has pretty much all you need.

So, if you're thinking of buying a practical, user friendly phone and don't want to be drawn in by lots of extra's that you don't need and probably will never use, I strongly recommend the Nokia 3310.

Summary: If you want speed and simplicity with no frills, you couldn't do better - recommended.

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