Nothing more than a toy? (Nokia 7210)

Member Name: DaftScotsLass

Product:	Nokia 7210
Date:	31/01/03 (3652 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick to charge, Pleasing to look at, Nice and light

Disadvantages: MMS network incompatibility

So, after deviating to a Sony phone for a year, I decided to splash out on the long-awaited and much raved about Nokia 7210. This phone is very much the eye candy of 2003, sporting a turquoise (changeable) Fascia with the revolutionary new "oval" design.

So, down to the features. Having no basis for comparison when it comes to phones with colour screens, I would say that the quality of this model is pretty reasonable. For something of that size, you could hardly expect television quality, could you? Though initially a bit confusing, the keypad layout is easy to get used to for SMS. I especially like the fact that when composing an SMS, holding down the clear button no longer results in the whole message being deleted at once, merely deleting it faster. And, if you hit the wrong button while writing an SMS, or you receive a call, your half-typed message will be there waiting for you when you get back.

As for MMS, it's in the early stages. What most phone companies won't tell you is that the multimedia messaging service is not yet available cross-network in the UK. This is slightly irritating as, unlike the 7250, the 7210 doesn't carry its own camera (though a Pop-Port camera headset is available around the £50 mark). So, I can't receive photos from friends on other networks. Even so, with Nokia PC Suite 5.0, I'm told you can download your pictures from your PC to your phone through an optional data cable.

The Polyphonic ring tones are novel but uninspiring compared to that of the ones found on Sony phones even two years ago. I miss the Trigger-happy TV style bleepy nokia ring! As for the games, they're fun for a while but limited. But it's easy to find games to download via WAP - which gives you more freedom to choose what games and applications you have on your phone.

As for Triband, chances are I won't use it because of the price, but it's there for business users. Oh, a


nd, the radio. What a good addition, but maybe an MP3 player would have been a nice touch, given the PC connectability of the phone?

Finally, on my particular network I have encountered a few problems with rejecting the SIM card, warranting a switch on and off of the phone. I am on my second handset now with no change. Just unfortunate coincidence for me or a firmware problem?

Overall, I would recommend this phone to personal users rather than business users. It lacks the functionality of phones such as the 7650, but it's very pleasing to use and look at, and offers everything that the home user would want from a mobile, anyway. Prices are coming down each day, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a friend, despite the few hiccups I've encountered.

*** Update - 29/3/03 ***

Arrgh! As soon as I get back from my holiday, this one's going back to the shop too. I'm told that the SIM card rejected message is also common to the 8310, and that it's definitely a Nokia firmware problem. It's a pity that you're not warned of these things when you by the phone. It's happening on average 5 times a day now - Insert SIM card, SIM card rejected, SIM card not ready. And it's irritating. It can't be coincidence that this is the second phone I have had that this has happened to.

Summary: