Nokia Nuron 5230 Phone, Frost White (T-Mobile) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A lot of reviews on the web have rated this phone pretty low (like Engadget) which I think is extremely unfair because they're comparing the capabilities of this phone to other high end Smart Phones like the iPhone, Droid or Nexus One. If you take the approach that this phone isn't meant to compete directly with the latest Android, iPhone, or Blackberry phones, you'll find that the Nokia Nuron fits in nicely and affordably between your basic call and text only phone and the high end phones mentioned above. There's a lot to like -
First, the price. The main appeal of the Nuron is that it's far cheaper on or off contract then other smart phones. From T-Mobile it's $69.99 or $179.99, and even better if you're buying from Amazon where the phone is only 1 penny. In addition, unlike your Blackberry, Android, or Windows Mobile data plans that run you $30, the Nuron is able to take advantage of the $10 web2go plan. Not only does this mean a lower cost of entry, but also a lower cost of total ownership. Over a 2 year contract, that's a savings of $240 which is pretty significant, for a phone that gives you much of the same capabilities as those other options.
All of the major capabilities of a smart phone are here, including internet access and real web browsing (including the ability to run Flash), receive email, a 3G connection, built in free GPS, and a number of applications available for free or purchase from Nokia and other sites online. Having used the phone for a few days, for a casual user that doesn't need constant email and web access or a gigantic touch screen display, the Nokia fits great and all of these features have worked as well as I expected.
There are some minor cons with the phone though. For one, the low price comes at a cost of a better camera and the lack of WiFi. The camera is disappointing, because Nokia has the model 5800 series that has a 3.2 MP camera with flash, while the 5230/Nuron only has a 2 MP camera and no flash. For those who are hoping for something better to take pictures with, this certainly won't replace your point and click digital camera. The lack of WiFi isn't a big deal for me, only because I don't really need regular data access and I live in an area where 3G is available readily. I don't have any complaints, but for those that want to sit in a coffee shop and connect wirelessly on their as the lounge around, it might be an issue.
The other minor quirks are probably due to the fairly old OS that the Nuron runs off. The Symbian S60 V5 is fairly old, and has seen numerous revisions as it adapted to touch screen displays, meaning it isn't quite as responsive as the operating systems built from the ground up like the iPhone or Android. Still, I had no issues using the touch screen, and it felt very responsive and dialing or texting was accurate. I have some small quirks with the accelerometer when tilting the phone for landscape view, but the complaints i've seen online about having a resistive touch screen versus capacitive haven't really been apparent to me. I've been able to navigate the phone with ease, having made calls and sent texts with very few mistakes due to the touch screen.
All in all, obviously an iPhone or Nexus One user wouldn't revert back to something like this, but for someone looking for a cheap phone for some basic web access, GPS for maps and directions, and checking email or IM's, this phone fits the need very well at a low cost. I really can't complain, especially given the big savings in data plans alone.

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A stylish and affordable 3G-enabled touchscreen phone, the Nokia Nuron 5230 for T-Mobile is packed with applications, maps with turn-by-turn directions, access to downloadable music and games, and more. Enabled for T-Mobile's expanding high-speed 3G network, the Nuron offers a fast Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites.
The Nuron features a 3.2-inch touchscreen display that offers a tactile feedback and an accelerometer that auto-rotates so you can quickly view videos and Web pages in widescreen mode. It offers integrated GPS with free Ovi Maps Navigation and the pre-loaded Ovi Store by Nokia for discovering and downloading more apps and games.
Other features include an included 4 GB microSD memory card, 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, multi-format digital audio player, FM radio, support for both personal and corporate e-mail, and up to 4.5 hours of 3G talk time (7 hours on non-3G networks).
Free Ovi Maps Navigation With its integrated GPS sensor and the newest edition of Ovi Maps (full version pre-loaded on this phone or available as a free download from nokia.com/maps), you'll enjoy all essential car and pedestrian navigation features as well as the ability to use navigation features even when not connected to a cellular network--great for extending battery life and saving on international roaming charges. Features include turn-by-turn voice guidance, over 6,000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities for quick recognition of the landscape around you, access to Lonely Planet travel guides, and detailed maps for over 180 countries (see more details below). You'll also be able to keep moving in the right direction with the integrated electronic compass.

Key Features
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service below)
Quad-band GSM phone for good global voice connectivity. (850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands)
3.2-inch touchscreen with responsive, tactile feedback (640 x 360 pixels, 16.7 million colors).
2-megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom, center-weighted auto exposure, white balance settings, and on-phone photo editor.
Video capture capabilities with recording up to 640 x 480 pixels and up to 30 fps.
Digital audio/video player with compatibility for MP3, WMA, and AAC/eAAC+ formats
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.0) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 16 GB (4 GB card included).
SMS and MMS messaging
Instant messaging via AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Live, and Google Talk
Supports e-mail accounts from more than a thousand ISPs (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), as well as Gmail, Yahoo! mail and Hotmail. People who use Microsoft Exchange at work can access their e-mail using the Mail for Exchange mobile e-mail client, which comes pre-loaded (an Exchange e-mail account is required and your Exchange Administrator must have enabled your account for synchronization).
Full HTML Web browsing
Organizer tools including calendar, alarm clock, notes, world clock, converter, and calculator.
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off
USB connectivity
Ovi Store by Nokia with access to thousands of applications and other exciting content.
Symbian OS v9.4,Series 60 5.0

Vital Statistics The Nokia Nuron weighs 3.98 ounces and measures 4.37 x 2.03 x 0.61 inches. Its 1320 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.5 hours of 3G talk time (7 hours on non-3G networks), and up to 438 hours (18.25 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).
What's in the Box Nokia Nuron handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 4 GB microSD card, quick start guide, user manual

T-Mobile Services
High-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's 3G network:In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web.
In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.
While this phone is optimized for use with T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, many of its functions will also work well on the moderate-speed EDGE network. If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best.
Activities that work well on EDGE or 3G networks:
E-mail, instant messaging, and texting
Downloading ringtones, CallerTunes, wallpaper, light data files
Sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging

Activities that work best on a 3G network:
Viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing)
Viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time)
Uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites
Downloading large files from an e-mail or a website

T-Mobile's 3G network is currently available in more than 220 cities nationwide and covers more than 160 million people.


Learn More
Free Worldwide Walk and Drive Navigation Nokia now offers its Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation application free across the globe. Drivers receive turn-by-turn voice guidance including lane assistance, traffic information (in 10 countries including the U.S.), and safety camera and speed warnings, while pedestrians will be guided on shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only zones in over 100 cities across the globe. And unlike other mobile navigation mapping solutions, Ovi Maps works offline--no cellular service is required.
With the new Ovi Maps for mobile you get for free:
Maps for over 180 countries and free map updates
Drive and Walk navigation available in over 70 countries with real-time voice guidance
My Position enables you to find your current location easier and faster than ever.
New one box search for quicker access to finding places and addresses.
Save your favorite places and routes, then synchronize them with your Ovi account over the air.
Car navigation with voice and visual instructions, lane assistance and speed limit information. Now also with text-to-speech voice guidance.
Pedestrian navigation with routing through pedestrian zones and shortcuts, pathways through parks and buildings, stairways and plazas. Now with text-to-speech voice guidance.
Get real-time weather information including a 5-day forecast, for your current or any location found via search.
Lonely Planet and Michelin offer you dynamic access to the best and most relevant editorial travel content for over 1000 destinations. Find thousands of listings for sights, restaurants, hotels, shops, nightlife, and more. Look these places up on the map and get to them with Walk and Drive navigation.
Discover the events happening nearby your location on the map or any place found via search.
Share your location on Facebook--where you are, what you are up to and finish with a photo.

No Hidden Costs The new version of Ovi Maps comes with all the maps and high-end, car grade navigation features you need for free and is yours to keep for the life of the smartphone. No additional licenses needed for extra countries, regions or services like traffic information or city guides. Data charges from network operators may apply.
Voice Guidance and Traffic Information Turn-by-turn, voice guided navigation comes free for both drivers and pedestrians. For drivers this includes lane assistance, traffic information, safety camera, and speed warnings. For pedestrians, this includes shortcuts through parks and pedestrian-only zones for over 100 cities around the world as well as 6,000 3D landmarks in over 200 cities to help you find exactly where you are.
Unique Hybrid Technology Ovi Maps is built on an advanced technology called hybrid vector maps. Vector maps are high quality but less data intensive and allow you to continue to navigate even if you lose your network connection. This means that maps downloaded or updated across a network connection are about half the size of bulky bitmaps used by other mobile map providers. The hybrid technology ensures that, unlike other providers, any downloaded map data is stored on the device for future use.
No Network Connection Required When Navigating Avoid expensive, battery-draining network connections with Nokia's unique hybrid technology. Maps can be pre-loaded on to your Nokia smartphone so you can set Ovi Maps to offline mode, saving battery power, and the navigation system will still work. This is particularly useful for those worried about data connection costs when travelling abroad or when you are travelling through areas with little or no network coverage.
Best Global Coverage You take your mobile with you wherever you go in the world so, as standard, voice guided navigation for both pedestrians and drivers is available for 74 countries in 46 different languages and there are maps for over 180 countries. This gives you the best maps with the largest global coverage for free.

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