Reviews, News and Opinion with a Canadian Perspective

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The Nokia 5230 on Mobilicity is a surprisingly robust and lightweight handset which is heavy on the features. As we test the new entrant's voice and data service, we also had a good opportunity to dissect Nokia's device and its features. More photos and information after the break.

Available for $170.00 from Mobilicity, the Nokia 5230 is a well-rounded midrange feature phone that's sized just right. It is lightweight and has a decent sized 3'2 inch screen with a 640 by 360 resolution.

Below are the complete specs:

Operating System: Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
Frequencies: HSPA AWS(1700/2100) and 850
Screen Resolution: 640 x 360 pixel
Screen size: 3.2”
Colour type: 16M colours, TFT
Stereo Bluetooth 2.0²
Internal Available User Memory: 70MB
Dimensions: 111 x 51.7 x 15.5mm

Weight: 115g
Talk time: Up to 4.5 hrs¹
Standby Time: Up to 430 hrs¹
Camera: 2 megapixel camera with video capture
Productivity: Alarm Clock, Calculator, Currency Converter, Calendar, Dictionary, Maps
Web Browsing³
Text: SMS & MMS³
Media Player

This is running the Symbian OS and has access to Nokia's Ovi Store which has a host of applications and games that can be downloaded for a fee. Unfortunately, our experience with the Ovi store was less than stellar due to an older version of the client having come with our review unit.

An iPhone 3GS, Nokia 5230 and the Motorola Backflip hanging out for scaleThe Ovi store offers users a number of compelling apps, many of which are free.

There are a number of useful apps built right into the Nokia 5230. The browser is relatively fast and typing on the software keyboard, specially on landscape mode, is very usable. The browser, however, seems to be unable to scale websites properly so you need to scroll around a full size website which is a bit unwieldy.

You get a 2 Megapixel camera and an FM radio (which requires the headset to be connected since this is where the antenna is). Music and video are also readily accessible and the 5230 handles these well even if the screen quality can me a bit washed out.

Mobilicity's network around downtown Toronto is consistently good and clear. We used the system for two days and have another week to put it through its paces.

Overall, the Nokia 5230 is a good option for a budget touch-enabled handset. It is easy to carry, has very good battery life (three days between charges with moderate voice and some internet usage) and will be familiar to Symbian users. Access to free GPS and the Ovi store is an added plus.

Rating: 4 out of 5