I wouldn't if I were you! (Nokia 8210)

Member Name: idodoyou

Product:	Nokia 8210
Date:	10/06/01 (2040 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: -)

Disadvantages: Battery, Small keypad, :-(

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you overlooked the cons and bought it anyway, only to have increasing thoughts as to why did you, and that you shouldn't have done it??
I have!!

Oh yes, the 8210 may look cool, and you may be the envy of all your 'Motorola 520c'd' friends [there's nothing wrong with that phone, its just the heaviest/biggest model phone that I can think of at the moment!!] when you whip out this 79g mobile, especially since its been 'dressed' in a new metallic pink fascia!! But it has it faults.

Should we do those first, or plough straight into the good points??
Lets do the good points, and there are plenty.

First, lets talk size and staying power [Ohh watch the men shrink into their chairs ~ hehehehe]

Weighing in at an itty bitty 79g and measuring 4.5x10.0x2.0cm approx. This isn't actually the smallest or lightest phone on the market today, but pre .. tty damn close. Of course, with something so small and dainty, it's maybe common sense that the staying power isn't going to be what you are used to from other 'wonka chonka' mobiles. And by wonka chonka I'm talking the 3310 (well, compared to the 8210, it's a heavy little monster you know?)
My electricity bill has gone up since I bought the 8210. It is forever on charge! Although, about the charge time, I mustn't grumble. I've known much longer, so I'm happy with the 100 minutes or so. What I'm not so pleased about is the other specs. Up to a measly 150 hours standby time, huh, generous aren't they? And that's an 'up to' as well, so I guess we could probably say 80 hours of standby time!! And if you think the standby time is poor the talk time is equally as bad. A mere 120 minutes. Of course, these are just guidelines from the manufacturer so, they will probably be a little on the generous side. I've noticed that a 10-minute call will wipe a 'p
ower bar' off the screen. It also loses one when you are texting, and stuff.

You do have an abundance of functions on this phone. Although, for those of you familiar with the Nokia range, these are not new to you. I've been, after a few horrible experiences and c**p phones from the likes of Motorola, Eriksson, and Sagem, been a fan of Nokia for around 5 years now. So really, the range of functions didn't come as much of a surprise

* Phone Book *
Can contain a whopping 250 numbers .. why that many I'll never know, surely there's nobody out there with that many numbers to put into their phone book and actually use all of them??!! If you actually run out of space in your phones memory, why not move over to the Sim card and have another 99 spaces at your disposal.
~ Caller groups ~ the option to set up your phone so that when certain types, family, friends, or business ring you know by either the ring tone or the pictures that can flash up. This is a cool little gadget that doesn't do much except to bring a grin to my kisser when my somebody from the family rings up and a row of smiley happy faces flash up at me. Sad I know ... but I like it!
~ Voice dialling ~ just speak to the phone and tell it which number you want!! Of course, you have to set it up first, its not that intelligent ... yet!! And, it doesn't always work. When this phone was new and voice dialling was a novel, boy did I make myself look a t*t in the middle of the street shouting into the phone trying to get my number dialled. This function is now extinct for me!
~ Speed dialling ~ always handy when your fingers hurt for some reason or another (!!!) After the phone has been set up, it's just one key to dial the relevant number. I admit, I haven't set this up. In fact, there are several little 'functions' that this phone has the ability to supply, and I don't bother with them either.

* Messaging ~ the current
craze that has been sweeping the nation for months now. This phone can cope with it all, you can send em, edit em, write-em-save em-and-send-em-later. You also have at your disposal, a T9 predictive text dictionary. This is meant to be a quicker and easier way to input text, the phone finishes off the words for you, I've never quite got the hang of this feature.
~ Picture messaging ~ a whopping 10 pre set pix which can have text added to, or just sent as they are. You can of course, head on-line, or check out the adverts for more pix, but there are no spaces available for new pix. To save any will mean over writing one of the pre set ones.
~ Voice messages ~ instead of fudging around for your voice box, or your answer phone numbers, just head for this menu category and the jobs all done for you. It's a simple case of following the on screen instructions.

* Call registers ~ Lists. Lots of lists. Lists of the numbers that you missed. Lists of the numbers that you received. Lists of the numbers that you dialled. The chance to erase all those lists. You can see how long you were on the phone for the last call. You can see how long you have been on the phone for all the calls you made. You can even see how long you have been on the phone for when people have rung you. And you can have a look and see how much the last call cost you. However, this last function can only be activated via your network, and if the network actually offers the service. I like these options, and frequently check out the call duration menu options.

* Profiles
Set your phone up to suit you, fancy a change, set another profile up and flick between the two [or three] to suit your moods the phone comes with 5 pre set profiles ~ General/Silent/Meeting/Outdoor and Pager. All can be customised to your preferences.
This is probably, apart from the Messaging and the Games, the most 'fun' function of the phone. For in profiles you control your ring t
ones. The 8210 comes with 35 pre set tones, but room for 5 more to be 'sent and saved'. If you have a mobile, even if you haven't, you will have seen the numerous adverts for mobile tones and logos. But I advise you check out the Internet first. They are much cheaper online.
Apart from your tones, you can also set up message alerts [choice of 3] vibrating alert, Keypad tones [do you want a beep or a click when you press the buttons?] ringing volume [low or loud] and incoming call alert [have the Death March played when the boss rings up!]

* Settings

~ Alarm clock ~ early morning wake up calls hey (what fun)
~ Clock ~ Basically, this speaks for itself doesn't it. A clock tells the time yeah? Well, in this menu you can set it to either 12 or 24 hour. Or whether or not you want it shown on the screen or not. This is handy. I don't always wear a watch so ....
~ Auto update ~ To me, there seems no point in having the chance to turn this function off? Basically, what it does is to update the time and date automatically every time the phone is turned on. Why would you want it off?

* Call Settings
~ AnyKey Answer ~ This should speak for itself really. But just in case it doesn't, all it means is that by setting this function, you can pick up a call by using any key instead of the other choice of the menu key.
~ Auto Redial ~ If the number you have called has been unsuccessful, this handy little function will make up to 10 attempts to connect for you
~ Call waiting options ~ Firstly, if your network supports this function, activate it. Then, when you are in the middle of a call, the network will notify of the new incoming call. A nifty little function.
~ Own Number sending ~ Again, if your network supports this, and most do, you have the choice whether you want to 'send' your number to the callers phone? If you don't, just switch it off [Remember to switch it off if you are in t
he habit of making dirty phone calls yeah?]

* Phone Settings
Here you can change the language [although, make sure the instructions are handy, or you can speak the language that you switch the phone to. I turned my fathers to German ... We couldn't understand it to switch it back!!] your welcome note [Yep, your phone can call you sexy every time you switch on if you want?] see the cell info on screen [the area code of where ever you are] and Network selection [Orange, Vodafone etc, ect]

* Security Settings
Lets face it, when it comes to mobile phone security, how many of us actually make use of the numerous safe guarding measures that comes with the phone? I know I don't. I should do. But it's just so tedious to keep tapping in codes when you want to make a call. And then there's the problem of doing something wrong and barring your phone unintentionally [a friend of a friend barred his new phone 3 times. New Sims all round hey?? ? Of course, he was, and still is, a plonker but still?] Anyway, if you do actually make use of the security functions on the phone, you will not be disappointed with the range on the 8210.
You can bar all sorts of calls ~ outgoing, incoming or International calls. If you are abroad, you can bar incoming, outgoing International except to home country or bugger the lot, and don't have any barring at all. If you want to, you can change all the access codes that come with the phone. Change security codes for the sim, for the phone, or even see what security level the phone is on. But follow instructions carefully or get ready to ring the helpline.

* Call divert
Busy, no signal, got another phone or just don't want to talk, get the caller diverted to another number [mobile or home] or your voice mail. Of course, you could have fun with this, especially if you have a couple of friends' mobiles. Just keep getting the number diverted .... hehehehehe!

* Games <
br>4 to choose from, play em on your own or you have a two-player option.
Snake ~ everybody knows this yeah? Guide the snake and eat the bits of food left about. The longer the snake, the more points you score.
Memory ~ Just like pairs but with another name. Nothing new to world of games. Fun, but can get a tad tedious after a while.
Rotation ~ This one always reminds me of those little pocket money toys with all the shapes in the square, and you have to shuffle them along, up and down to re arrange to make a pattern. This game has been known to make me lose my temper.
Logic ~ Just when I think I have got the hang of this ..... I realise I haven't at all. And I really don't know what I'm doing at all. You have to arrange four symbols in order through the process of elimination. As it is called, it should be logic??!!

* Calculator
Err, this one really does speak for itself. Must admit, I have never used this function. Either I'm good at maths or I've always had easy sums to add up!??

* Calendar/Reminder Service.
Set it up so that you never forget a date again, or just use it to check out what day a certain date lands on. If you have the correct software, you can also print out your data from calendar. I do use this. I have set it up for birthdays, and the alarm goes off a couple of days before the due date. Of course, I still end up forgetting, but still, the phone has done it's job right.

Other 'buyable' factors ....

* Volume
Neat little gadget that can be found on the side of the phone. I've found you don't need it on the highest setting either, the quality of the reception on this phone is exceptional [I'm with Vodafone so maybe that helps a bit?] But it does come in handy when I'm in Virgin and I get a call, at least I don't have to shout so loud that I block out the music. But word of warning, you don't need it turned up full blast w
hen in quiet surroundings. Talk about loud?

* No aerial
Nothing to snap off, nothing to poke you in the leg, arm, eye, or up the nose when you bend down or move suddenly. Of course the risk of being subjected to one of those injuries all depends on where you keep your mobile about your person!

* X-press-on covers
So handy when your bright pink mohaired cover is just not right with lunch with the boss!! Unless of course your boss is Dale Winton? At the moment I'm sporting the original red case that the phone came with. But in the past I have been know to slip it into something metallic pink. But what ever. Covers can be bought from all kindsa weird and wonderful places. From the official stockists, to some dodgy old codger on the back of a lorry on the market. I'd check the cover fits if your are buying 'al fresco' and from the lorry though. Cheaper prices usually means cheaper and less quality.

Oh ...

* And you can actually ring people too .. my god is this just a phone?? :)

Right, the bad points [cue Vincent Price and his evil laugh .... was it him, or was is Boris Karloff?? Anyway ...]

Whilst the small compact lightweight size of the thing is practical and totally cool, the keypad is just too bloody small!! I know, I know, I can't have it both ways, a neat little phone with a big keyboard, but surely they could have been a tad bigger. I'm not saying its an impossibility to use the keypad as small as it is, its just irksome after a while, I mean, how many times can you hit the wrong key with out getting annoyed?

And the biggest of my two gripes about the 8210, the battery and its staying power!! Or should I say, the poor excuse for a battery and lack of staying power!! You know about the paltry battery power. I told you that up there. I don't wanna talk about it any more. I want more power. It's as simple as all that.

As you can see, my gripes a
re clearly over taken by the good points of this phone, I like this phone, and some times [when its fully charged and ready and rearing to go] I love this phone. Its up to the individual to decide whether they could live with what I consider to be the down falls of this phone, if you can, well then you wont be disappointed, if you buy one and find that you can't ... well don't come crying to me, I did try to warn you!! :)

Since I have had the phone (April 01) the phone has been back to the shop twice. I took it back because the screen kept sticking. Y'know, telling me messages were waiting, and the then finding that the Inbox was empty. The keyboard was dying too. Numbers 3 and the # key just didn't want to know.
Of course, the problems might have been because I actually tried to drown the poor thing in hot sweet tea while on the boat one afternoon?? [not intentionally either!] Didn't tell the people at the phone shop that though ;) Believe me, a hairy half-hour with the phone in bits, and kitchen paper galore!! But in my defence, and bragging about my recovery skills, the phone did work wonderfully for about 3 weeks after the hot sweet tea event.
But anyway, apparently the 'screen sticking' thing is quite common. I hadn't actually heard of it being a problem until then. I was, and still am, waiting for the screen to die on me [now, this is quite a common occurrence on 8210's over 6 months old]

I look back, and yes, the good points out way the bad points. But the bad points just keep on rearing their ugly, ugly heads and the majority of good points all fade away.
So small may be good. And the 'cool' thing to do. But if 'small' doesn't deliver, what good is it really?
The funny (!!??) thing is, I'd read another op before I bought the 8210, which as with mine had described the lack of battery power and the small keypad, and then what did I go and do ...... and what have
I just done!!!

Thank God I've still got my 3310 .... gonna take a while to part me from that one!

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