Nokia X5 Review and Rating

Nokia's newest experiment with its x-series the "Nokia X5" is here. The X5 is the fourth installment in this series after the X2,X3 and X6. This is the first time that Nokia has launched a square shaped phone and this of course is the main selling point of the X5(or that is what Nokia expects). Will the X5 grip the market or will it fizz out like the X6? Lets decide..

Built: One of the finest things about this phone that caught my eye is the fantastic reflective metallic finish (its so good that it can act as a mirror) that the phone endorses. This metallic finish gives the phone a "expensive" feel. The phone is sturdy (like all classic Nokias').Its compact enough to fill just your palm.The X5 is available in a variety of vibrant colors like the candy pink ; bright blue ; deep purple and suave gray(check pics below).. Unfortunately only the pink and gray variations will be available in the Indian market as of now (check pics on the side).. The X5 is a slider phone with qwerty keypad which is comfortable enough to be handled by one hand. Qwerty keypad features highlighted number keys. The phone has a 2.3inch screen. The screen could have been a bit bigger if it wasn't for the name section(NOKIA) which has taken up a lot of space. [See picture] The navigation keys(scroll pad) ,menu and music keys are layed out on a single pad(no separate buttons----See picture), so it becomes a little difficult to press the keys if you have Khali like fingers ;)

Specs: The phone has a 320 x 240 pixels(now you know which resolution of games to download) display with 262,000 colors [which is a little on the lower side :( ].The X5 operates on a Symbian S60 3rd edition operating system(which is not that exciting given the fact that much better operating systems are in the market). Connectivity includes blue tooth 2.1 ; WI-FI ;3.5 G and USB 2.0. The USB port is on the top of the phone. The memory can be expanded up to 32gb. A 2gb memory card is included in the box. Internal memory available is 200Mb (not bad isn't it?)

The X5 has a 950mAh battery [its a turn off for talk time capacity :( ] which gives the phone following usage capacity:

Talk time (maximum):

• GSM (band 850) up to 4 h
• GSM (all other bands) up to 5 h
• 3G up to 3 h 30 min.

Standby time (maximum):

• GSM up to 400 h
• 3G up to 400 h

Music playback time: up to 30 h

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW!

Camera: The X5 comes packed with a 5MP camera with a good LED flash. The camera provides full focus and a 4x digital zoom. The video capture is a bit disappointing due to VGA capture at 15fps. Common formats like Mp4 and 3gpp are playable.

New features: The X5 boasts of a new feature named "Surprise me" in which if the phone is rotated on a smooth horizontal surface, it plays the next random song. No need of pressing any keys, just place it and rotate it. This feature is not upto the mark , as very smooth surfaces are required. Another feature is the "shake preview message" in which if you press the volume key and shake the phone, it emits a 'beep" sound to tell you how many unread messages you have. The number of beeps equals the number of messages i.e 5 beeps means 5 messages (your girlfriend is really mad at you.....call back asap :P) Er.. by the way the phone doesn't say that. Sounds interesting, isn't it? Another feature is the "SHAZAM" which helps you find songs online after hearing it.(old-school eh?) Also the X5 has the Nokia X press audio messaging facility.

Music : The phone has a dedicated Music key. There is an application called the Playlist DJ which helps you create a play-list suiting your mood. There r dual speakers at the bottom and one on the top above the camera. Phone has a regular 3.5mm audio jack at the top (very conveniently placed). 50 free songs voucher is provided in the box. The phone also has a Standard FM radio..

Other Features: All the social networking short cuts are built in namely facebook, myspace etc. The new OVI chat and OVi mail are built in. X5 has a built in Quick Office for all you office junkies. Direct you tube streaming is available. No need for a separate player. The Home Screen is customizable along with the contacts.. A torch light function is also available.

The Nokia X5 has a MRP of above 10000 but its available at Rs.9499\- in the market.

Pros: Brilliant finishing; good qwerty; a good camera; compact; Playlist DJ feature; Surprise ME feature; and a modest pricing.

Cons: Very ordinary talk time battery life; display colors; screen could have been bigger; S60 OS.

In the Box : Nokia X5; A battery; a 2gb memory card; a head phone (not in-ear headphones); USB cable; song voucher; user guide.

Thank you,

Amol Nair

(contact me at anamysterio@gmail.com)