Why you should and why shouldn't buy Nokia phones (part 2) (2005)
Submitted by marcin on Thu 15-Sep-2005

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GSM
Nokia
English article

I have prepared page "Why you should and why shouldn't buy Nokia phones" in 2002 year. I decided to make continuation now in 2005.

I wanted to show some weak Nokia things for Series 40 and 60 phones, because they're used the most for ordinary people.

First Series 40. We will look into menus now (based mainly on 6230i):

  • Messages - Nokia phones have MMS and SMS here.
    • Latest models (like 6230i) have even shared folders for both and this is good.
    • Memory for SMS is for 150 messages (only one model 3200 has space for 50 messages) and this is enough.
    • But even now after light years Nokia programmers haven't made it fast - I don't know, if this is one language thing only, but all models with Polish package (it's enough, when you have Polish as one of languages) after each operation on SMS (opening SMS folder, deleting SMS) displays for a moment (one, two seconds) message "opening folder" or similar. These messages aren't available in the same phones with West Europe languages. Ignored by Nokia Poland.
    • no EMS
    • no option for sending class 0 SMS (available in single models only)
    • no option for switching SMS alphabet between Unicode and Default (like in some 3310 and 3410)
    • no option for enabling Pending Delivery Reports
    • no assigning Delivery Reports to sent sms (when SMS from Sent Items is delivered, it could be nice to have info there)
    • phones don't inform, when you read SMS saved on SIM (no SIM card indicator)
  • Contacts
    • OK
  • Call register
    • after so long time we still don't have call time (how long it was) for each call
    • message counter doesn't contains list of numbers, where SMS were sent and where they were received from (it was in 3510i and 6230, but not in 6230i)
    • message counter can be deleted without asking for security code
  • Settings
    • automatic locking keypad (with code) should be rather setting in each profile (when you're at home, you don't need lock it)
  • Gallery
    • no selecting and copy operations
  • Media
    • Radio still needs headset as antenna
    • No RDS and AutoSearchingForStation in Radio
  • PushToTalk
    • OK
  • Organizer
    • OK
  • Applications:
    • it's not possible to copy applications from Games to Collection (it's new name for Applications folder) and vice versa
    • Calculator even in phones with very big screen is still too easy - no many required options, no memory, only one last calculation on screen in one time
  • Web
    • OK
  • SAT menu
    • OK

and some general:

  • no possibility of saving incoming files automatically to Inbox (like in Series 60)
  • you can't have phonebook under cursors in Read-Only mode (no options for editing pbk, only some for reading, calling, etc.)
  • USB cable must have POP-port connector (no standard USB socket)
  • no ability for downloading T9 without service
  • you can't enable disabling phone screen (phisically disabling) and CPU throttling after some inactivity time
  • no netmonitor :-(
  • you have more and more buttons (IMHO, 6220 had it enough)
  • no call time (how long) during call
  • no BT blinking icon (when there is no connection, it should blink; when there is connection, it should be constant)

and my personal notice - you don't have phone for active people with MMC and BT (something like 5140 with 6230 features)

What can we say about Series 60 ?

It's getting more and more stable and you can run many things and there is some limited netmonitor available unofficialy for ordinary people, but still:

  • it's SLOW - maybe because all the time you have in memory all stuff for fax, data calls and other thousands of things. You need time to load it on startup and later on switching between tasks
  • you can't replace main components - for example SMS editor should be replaced with version with EMS, encoding (if you want to use Unicode or not), sending class 0 SMS options
  • you can easy install viruses inside
  • almost each new model doesn't have irda - in first Symbian phones it was fun to use it as TV remote control, now you can't
  • no standard USB connector for cable
  • calendar should have all Series 40 options
  • no ability for downloading T9 without service
  • you can't enable disabling phone screen (phisically disabling) and CPU throttling after some inactivity time
  • RS-MMC (after using MMC over years)
  • you can't enable Loudspeaker during incoming call

In my conclusion I will say, that Nokia phones are better and better, but very often you see new cover, better camera, bigger screen and nothing more - many "old" things are still ignored (for example EMS).