A fonetastic phone :) (Nokia 3510i)

Member Name: racing_gawp

Product:	Nokia 3510i
Date:	04/04/04 (606 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Robust, Organiser

Disadvantages: Bad games, Cannot be unlocked

My good old trusted 3310 was killed off by my girlfriend messing about with it, after my hour or so of grieving i thought i need a new phone. The new mobile i got was the nokia 3510i due to its similarity with the 3310. If you need a simple phone with a large array of features which is reliable for a half decent price, please read on.

Looks...........

This nokia 3510i is basically a slightly redesigned 3310, while bigger and heavier than most phones i don't believe it is very noticeable. The colour design is a dark blue facia with orange running down the side which lights up due to a incoming call or a text message. The buttons also light up and the buttons are simple with a set of cursor keys at the top, a answer button, a reject or finish call button and the main number buttons which are large enough and are not fiddly even for those with big fingers. The general look is one of fun and ease of use but should not be seen as a fashion item!

Durability.........

Though this mobile has been dropped on the floor many times it has never broken at any time. The facias and buttons are easily replaceable and as with all nokias will last many years.

Features.....

The mobile contains most modern features which will be described in detail but the ones most people are looking for are Wap, GPRS, MMS Picture messaging, SMS.

The menu is seperated into catergories, each catergory contains a feature, we will discuss these in more detail.

***Phonebook***
Depending on the memory used this phone can store around 400 numbers which should meet most people's requirements. A useful feature over most models is the ability to store a home number, mobile number and email address under one name. Speed dialing can be accessed from here and useful if you ring a set number of people, thi
s is easy to set and once ready all you do is press a set number to access a individuals number.
Another useful feature is the abililty to save numbers on the sim card AND the actual phone this can increase the amout of numbers immensely. But this does have the flaw that if the phone breaks you will also lose the numbers connected, so maybe keeping all the numbers to the sim card may be sensible.

***Messages***
The messages you can send off this phone is the basic text message (SMS) and also MMS but the flaw in this is that you can only send pictures that you have downloaded so the use of this is very limited. The menu's are basic and easy to use for most. It stores outgoing messages and stores many incoming ones. But folders can be developed to keep those funny text messages in.
Chat option again is again on the nokia phone but have not used this due to the high price of sending the messages. Its basically a instant messenging system but you pay the standard text price for each message you send. You can imagine this can cost alot of credit in the long run.
Oh one final advantage over past phones is the ability to send a text message to a email address which can be useful in some circumstances.

***Call Register***
Not the most exciting feature but important all the same, provides information of call durations, missed calls, recieved calls etc. A very useful feature is a text message counter so you can see the amount of text messages used. This can be vital for anyone on a contract to keep track of the amount of text messages used each month.

***Tones***
There are a large array of tones for messages and incoming calls. The sound is adequate and is polyphonic so has a nice sound to it. But i just keep to the basic nokia tune, which has been updated.
The vibrate function does well to
alert all to a message or a phone call, all can be personalized to your own settings to make the phone truly yours. Nokia also provides a online service where you can download new tones including songs in the top ten.

***Profiles***
This allows certain settings to be present which a touch of a button. The main default is normal but there is also silent and loud. But personalised profiles can be named. These profiles can also be timed to come on and then off but in my experience this can only cause problems and embarassement at the mobile ringing when i was sure i set it on silent.

***Settings***
This is the core of the mobile which provides the settings for the most important features. Call settings provides options for the general calling device and also allows the user to view a summary after a call has finished which can be useful to see how long you have been chatting for.
From here you can also choose the wallpaper which is the same as on a computer. The display is bright and colourful. The ones already on the mobile are a bit dissapointing but can be downloaded from the nokia WAP service, my current one is a wavey blue.
There is only one screensaver which cannot be changed, this is a clock. The only setting you can change is when this screensaver comes on. But i cannot complain with the array of screensavers as this clock does the business well!
You can also change the colour scheme as well so the entire phone is to your liking, keeping in with my wallpaper being blue, i have chosen a blue colour scheme. But the more outrageous people can choose a colour scheme more clashing such as a red.
Security settings are also present on the phone so a PIN can be asked to access the phone and it has varying levels on the security level, most useful to keep out thiefs or more commonly those nosey people.

***Galler
y***
This provides folders of all your pictures and ringtones from the default ones to the downloaded ones, easy navigated in this and from here you can also change the ringtone of the mobile or even the wallpaper.

***Games***
All three basic games are in full colour and are backgammon, racket (tennis game) and sky diver (navigate the sky diver through the hoops). These games do look of fairly high quality but i am generally dissapointed with the quality of these games and does not have addictive fun such as snakes. But the games are not the reason i bought the mobile. But for those game addicts again nokia provides games such as bowling through their WAP service. These games seem alot more higher in quality.
Another quick moan in this department is the amount of loading it takes for exit the games, one or twice the phone has got bored and switched itself off at this point.

***Organiser***
Getting away from the dissapointing games comes the essential calendar and alarm clock. The calendar is in colour and is beautifully set out, you can write a event on any day and can even set a alarm to remind you of this. Doesnt sound like alot but is incredibly useful for day to day use, would be lost without it.
The alarm clock is also one of the only alarm clocks which can wake me up. It has a loud piercing sound that gets loud and louder. Useful for those Monday mornings.

***Extras***
Within this appropriately named catergory you can use a calculator (which again has become essential for me) and also provides a countdown timer and a stop watch probably for those sporty persons. The final part is the Wallet which can be password protected where personal notes can be stored aswell as credit card numbers.

***Services***
This is the access point of the WAP services. The connection rate is fai
rly fast but the use of WAP is quite limited to downloading items for your phone. But the main thing i use WAP for is to access the national rail network service when travelling to check on arrival times and timetabled journeys. This has become essential (this service can be found from the network rail website.)

***Vodafone***
The network provider for this phone, it should be noted this is one of the few nokia phones that CANNOT be unlocked to other networks. So once your on a network on this phone, your stuck on it! But vodafone services are adequate and provide you with useful links such as news, weather lottery. And you can also locate your current location, nearest vodafone shop and even cash machine. I have used this in the many times i have become lost due to my no sense of direction.

Battery.............
The battery is very long lasting and can usually last me 5-7 days before it needs charging. It provides approx 2.5 hours of talk time. It also charges very quickly aswell if the need for extra talking becomes a issue.

Accessories........
Included with this mobile is the charger, a hands free kit and full instructions. All the basics needed.

Call quality........
In most areas the signal for vodafone is very good compared to other networks. The call is usually loud and clear and meets most requirements.

Conclusion.....
This mobile is ideal for those who enjoy modern features but does not want to waste time and money on non-essential cameras and other gimmics. Its a robust quality phone which has a competitive price. I would recommend this phone to all including children due to its ease of use. You should now find this mobile in the shop for £79.99 to £99.99.

Thanks for reading.

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