Smartphones and communicators are something complex and incomprehensible for most people. Another thing is an ordinary mobile phone that can make calls and play music. Realizing this, manufacturers are trying to disguise smartphones as regular phones. The new Nokia C5-00 is just one of these. This is a full-fledged smartphone that costs less than some phones.

Among all Nokia smartphones model C5-00 is the most affordable solution. The price of the device is similar to what is asked for most mid-range phones.

The manufacturer did not want Nokia C5-00 to be associated among users with something complex and incomprehensible. In our opinion, this did not work out. We were faced with the same standard smartphone on the Nokia S60 platform with a rather complicated menu layout.

Meanwhile, the new product captivates with its appearance: a large keyboard with large letters and numbers, a metal back cover, matte plastic. Thanks to this, the C5 is attractive. But let's look at the device in a little more detail.

Dimensions. Scope of delivery

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Nokia C5-00 measures 112x46x12.3 mm and weighs 89.3 grams. It has comfortable dimensions and weight. They say about these: “neither big nor small.” It fits well in the hand. The metal from which the battery cover is made can be felt in your hands. It's cold. The device fits well in a shirt or jeans pocket.

The scope of delivery includes:

• Battery BL-5CT
• Charger AC-8E
• Stereo Headset HS-125 [3.5mm Jack]
• USB Interface Cable CA-101D
• 2 GB microSD memory card
• Instructions
• Nokia Maps navigation guide

Design, construction

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The appearance of the new Nokia C5-00 is quite calm, if not conservative. The situation is corrected by the colors of the model’s body: gray and white. The latter, in our opinion, looks the most advantageous.

Most of the smartphone body is made of matte plastic. Runs along the contour of the front part chrome-plated outline that gives solidity apparatus. The keyboard navigation block is also made of plastic, but stylized as metal. But the back cover is made of stainless steel.

On the front of C5 there is 2.2-inch screen, above which there is a speaker for phone calls, front camera for video calls, as well as a light sensor [it regulates the operation of the keyboard backlight, for example, the backlight does not turn on in a lit room].

Below the screen is the keyboard. We'll tell you about it a little later. At the bottom, next to the “0” button, there is a built-in microphone.

The headset jack, the hole for the charger [usually thin] and the microUSB connector for connecting to a computer [charging is supported] are located on the top end of the device.

Stereo speakers are located on the back of the smartphone. Music files sound relatively high quality, spacious, with stereo effects. The volume is sufficient for most cases. But at the maximum level, the dynamics begin to wheeze unpleasantly.

On the right side you can see a paired volume key, below is a camera button. There is also a slot for microSD memory cards. It is worth noting that removing and inserting a card by hand is extremely difficult, especially for males who do not have long nails. We have to look for an “auxiliary tool”.

On the back surface of the smartphone there is a built-in photo and video camera with 3.2 megapixels without autofocus, but with LED flash.

The battery cover is securely attached to the body with special clips. Below it is a lithium-ion battery and a mount for a SIM card.

. During our two-week stay in our editorial office, we did not notice any problems with the design of the device. The C5 model is assembled at the Nokia plant in Hungary.

Keyboard and information input

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The first thing you notice when you pick up the Nokia C5-00 is the large keyboard. The soft keys, as well as the “Receive” and “Hang Up” buttons are large in size. Working with them is very convenient. But " Menu" and "Delete" made extremely small. However, you quickly get used to them and do not feel any discomfort. The navigation key is standard; there is a light indicator around it that flashes when various events occur.

The alphanumeric keyboard is normal: the buttons are large, smooth, and pleasant to work with. The backlight is white, it is clearly visible in different conditions. In addition, the font of numbers and letters is also large, which provides greater comfort when typing texts and phone numbers.

Graphics capabilities

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To be honest, we were not pleased with the display in the Nokia C5. It's small enough - only 2.2 inches, and even with small viewing angles. As soon as you take the phone at an angle, the image fades. However, the screen has a resolution of 240x320 pixels and displays 16.7 million colors. At the same time, the physical resolution of the display is 31x41 mm.

The screen displays from two to eight lines of text depending on the font. The default font in the main menu is merged. Therefore, we recommend installing a larger font.

The screen of the Nokia C5 does not behave well in the sun. Under the sun's rays it fades almost completely and the image is extremely difficult to see.

Interface and navigation. Functionality

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Runs under control Symbian OS 9.3 - S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2. We tested a phone with software version v 031.022 03/23/2010 RM-645.

In standby mode, the user sees a desktop with a quick access panel to six menu items. All these items can be configured in the appropriate section. Network and battery charge indicators are displayed at the top left and right. Next to them are the clock, date and operator name. There is also a panel for quickly dialing your favorite numbers. At the bottom there are inscriptions of one or another action for which the function keys are responsible.

The menu of the phone under test is represented by twelve items. In this case, the user has the right to choose one of four options for presenting the main menu: icons [matrix view], list [ordinary horizontal], horseshoe [animated icons of three menu items are displayed one by one], V-shaped [the display displays seven menu items lined up in the form of a “V” symbol]. Thanks to the motion sensor, the menu (portrait or landscape) and launched applications are automatically oriented.

The first menu item is "Calendar". It allows you to view events by date, time and action. The application is a high-quality planner-organizer, all in one.

IN "Contacts" Detailed information about telephone numbers and subscribers is stored. You can choose one or another data presentation option: groups, phone numbers, etc. You can also assign a different ringtone, photo, or video ringtone to each contact.

In third position is "Magazine", where information about calls, events, GPRS sessions and even location is collected. It is worth noting that for missed calls, incoming SMS or MMS, etc. A special indicator, which is included in the joystick, begins to blink [it looks very impressive, especially in complete darkness].

In fourth place in the main menu is the Internet browser. It has full support for HTML, XHTML, WML and JavaScript 1.3 and 1.5.

At point "Messages" contains all the options and options for working with mail [the built-in e-mail client supports POP3/IMAP4/SMTP/APOP protocols], SMS, MMS, voice messages, etc. This section also contains settings that are necessary for the correct operation of the listed services.

In addition, the list of pre-installed utilities now includes "Ovi chat". This is an IM messenger, a direct competitor, for example, to ICQ clients, which are often installed by buyers from third-party resources. Logging into the chat is carried out using a single login/password combination (which is also necessary for registering in the store, maps, Ovi contacts), so separate registration is actually not required.

Unfortunately, this chat initially has a significant disadvantage - the lack of contacts in it. How quickly and completely the user will be able to fill out the list of interlocutors in it is an open question. The chat involves the exchange of text messages, it is possible to indicate your status, and also keep the chat active in the background.

A kind of thematic browser for the phone’s memory is the item "Gallery". All files are divided into folders: photos, clips, music, themes, graphics, signals, audio recordings, received files, etc.

At point "OVI" There is a store with the ability to download mobile content to your phone. There are paid and free pictures, music, films, programs, games, etc.

"Cards"- built-in OVI Maps application. What follows "Camera". We'll talk about the camera interface separately.

IN "Settings" Each user can personalize the mobile phone interface. Almost all configuration actions are concentrated in this menu item. This subsection includes all options related to the operation of bluetooth, packet data transfer GPRS, UMTS, as well as data synchronization. In addition, settings for graphic themes, call tones, display design, installed applications, and much more are also available here. In the same item there is a “File Manager” and “Journal”, where information about calls, events, GPRS sessions and even location is collected . An interesting point was the notification of the user about a missed call, SMS or other event: the phone’s backlight flashes periodically, thus attracting attention.

Last section "Applications" is a “garbage dump” in which there is everything that comes in handy. As we noted earlier, the “Games” folder ended up here. Scattered separately are “Radio”, “Music Player”, “Organizer”, “Voice Recorder”, “Application Manager”, “RealPlayer”, Flash Player.

"Music Player"- full-featured player. You can view and listen to mp3 songs. The following file formats are supported: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, M4A. There is sorting by artists, albums, genres, composers. Important observation: when downloading to a phone or memory card, changes in the player will be displayed only after updating the music library.

It is worth noting that Nokia C5-00 has a separate sound chip. This allows, on the one hand, to increase system performance and reduce power consumption, on the other hand, the quality of sound processing increases.

"Radio" It only works when a headset is connected, it also serves as an antenna. The application interface is quite simple, it provides manual and automatic search for radio stations. There is RDS support. The radio can be set as an alarm clock, but don't forget to connect a headset. There is no possibility to record radio broadcasts. The sound in the headset is normal, without distortion. The radio can run in the background.

"Dictaphone" Records voice files mediocre. It all depends on the distance to the sound source. The sensitivity of the microphone is low, so at least some quality can only be expected if the sound source is very close to the phone.

Folder "Organizer" I was completely amazed: suddenly “File Manager” appeared in it [I had to hiccup for about five minutes]. In addition, it contains the most necessary functions for any person, such as notes, a unit converter, a barcode scanner, a software package for reading office documents and Adobe PDF.

Navigation capabilities

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The GPS antenna is located at the top of the device, but this does not significantly affect the speed of navigation.

As a basic navigation program in Nokia C5-00 The OVI Maps package has been integrated. This application can be launched from the phone menu. The latest updates and maps are available for download on the Nokia website.

In addition to the navigation maps themselves in OVI Maps synchronization with the weather service and online travel resource Lonely Planet appeared. Perhaps, of this entire set, only the weather forecast is truly relevant for our region; the content of the Ovi map in the case of Russian cities is practically absent. The situation is saved by the presence of a built-in GPS module, which can also be associated with third-party applications designed for navigation. When personalizing a smartphone, this will allow you to install a program that already has a detailed map of our country or at least the capital.

When the program is launched, information from satellites about the location, current time is downloaded for some time, and maps are downloaded. This procedure in our case took about three to five minutes. After receiving the coordinates, you can easily determine where you are currently located. The program menu includes a search for objects by text information, address, geographic location, history, and contacts stored in the phone. All objects on the map are displayed with a corresponding icon. It is possible to display street names and other information in Russian.

When navigating, large bold arrows display a pre-designated route. Among the nice features you can find information about the weather, the situation on nearby roads, etc. In the GPS settings, you can view the power of the satellites in which the device is located and other useful information.

Photographic Opportunities

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Nokia C5-00 classic has a camera 3.2 megapixels without autofocus, but with LED flash, which can also turn into a flashlight.

Released in 2010, the C5 became a prime example of the manufacturer's greed. Although the phone is not bad in its own way, Nokia managed to instantly spoil the positive impression by announcing the price.

Design

Despite the fact that it is an inexpensive device, the appearance turned out to be very solid. In addition to plastic, the case also contains metal elements. This gives it similarities with more expensive models from the E series.

The solidity of the C5 is diluted by the rounded shape and outline of the body. The device looks softer and is less noticeable. On the other hand, the device does not stand out at all from its peers.

The user will also like the dimensions 00. The device is lightweight, only 89.3 grams. The thickness of 12.3 mm is a little let down, but for a cellular phone this is a completely acceptable characteristic.

The front part of the C5 model is covered with painted plastic, similar to metal. A panel with a black border is used to protect the display. A keyboard was placed under the screen, and at the top there was a front-facing camera and a speaker.

The top end was reserved for the charging socket, a 3.5 mm input, and a USB connector. Although the manufacturer significantly overloaded the side, this did not affect comfortable use.

On the left side there is only a place for a strap, and on the right there is a slot for a flash drive. The memory card goes deep into the device, and it will be very difficult to get it out without foreign objects. Problems will also arise with the volume control, which is deeply recessed into the body. The user will find it inconvenient to use the buttons.

At the back of the device, the manufacturer placed the main camera, flash, two speakers and a logo. The cover hiding the battery is made entirely of metal. However, the material is very susceptible to scratches. Damage to the lid is immediately noticeable.

Display

At 00, a 2.2-inch screen was installed. Unfortunately, the manufacturer saved money by installing a TFT matrix. This decision affects when working with the device in the sun. The Nokia C5 display loses brightness, but the situation is not critical. Outdated technology has also reduced viewing angles. Even with a slight tilt, the image is noticeably distorted.

The pixel resolution is 320 by 240. Considering the small diagonal, the picture is acceptable. If you look closely at the screen, you may notice small pixels. Compensates for the lack of 16 million colors.

The display will delight you with its brightness and saturation. You can't expect more from a simple smartphone.

Camera

The C5 Nokia model received a regular 0.3 megapixel “eye”, which acts as a front camera. The front camera is designed for video calls, which it does very well. It is possible to take self-portraits, but the quality leaves much to be desired.

The main camera of the C5 Nokia was equipped with a 3.2 megapixel matrix. The device also has a flash. The device’s camera is very weak, and high-quality images can only be taken in good lighting. The flash won't be very useful either.

It is possible to shoot video. The cell phone is capable of recording videos at fifteen frames per second and a resolution of 640 by 480. This is not enough for a good video; most likely, the owner will not use this function.

Hardware

The “filling” of the C5 is noticeably different from the later model Nokia C5 03. The characteristics of the first one are more reminiscent of a cellular one, and the updated version is a powerful smartphone. However, even a simple C5 00 can surprise the user.

The device received an ARM11 processor with a frequency of 600 GHz. This is more than enough to work on the S60 platform. The small amount of RAM is confusing, only 128 MB. However, the phone is capable of handling up to 15 active applications simultaneously.

The amount of native memory also let me down. The device received only 256 megabytes. Brightening up the situation is the possibility of expanding it using a flash drive with a capacity of up to 16 GB.

Connection

The C5 Nokia works in the usual networks: 900, 850, 1800, 1900. The device also has GPS. To connect to the Internet, the usual B-class GPRS is used. Bluetooth 2.0 is also present.

Autonomy

The manufacturer installed a removable battery with a capacity of 1050 mAH. The battery charge lasts approximately 3-4 days of average use. More active work with the device will shorten its life to two days.

Price

Surprisingly, the cost of the C5 00 fluctuates around 7-8 thousand rubles. For a device with such weak characteristics, the price is definitely too high. It will not be difficult for a buyer to choose a smartphone that has superior hardware to the C5 at a similar price.

Positive Feedback

The main advantage of the C5 is its excellent autonomy. The phone will provide the user with uninterrupted operation for several days.

The small dimensions also appealed to many owners. The device is much lighter and smaller than modern smartphones, which has a better effect on ease of use.

Negative reviews

The C5 has significantly more disadvantages. The most alarming thing is the inflated cost of the device. Paying 7-8 thousand for a frankly weak smartphone looks stupid.

The camera does not inspire confidence in users either. The 3.2 megapixel matrix is ​​not capable of taking high-quality pictures and can fail in poor lighting conditions.

For a 2010 device, 256 MB of memory is definitely not enough. The user will have no other option but to install the flash card.

Bottom line

Nokia C5 looks interesting and quite attractive. However, the greed of the manufacturer reduces the popularity of the device. The only advantage, the high autonomy of the device, does not justify its price at all.

Problem solved

Pros: Looks stylish and cute. Convenient numeric keypad (soft keys with sufficient travel and a pleasant “click”). I use OVI-maps - full-featured navigation with route planning and voice prompts, the license is included in the price. It works quite at the level of typical auto-navigators, although the interface is not ideal. Low price for a high-quality smartphone from Nokia, and for a high-quality phone in general 3.5 mm headphone jack, you can plug in normal headphones or connect a car or portable audio system External slot for a memory card (no need to remove the cover and take out the battery to replace the card) Charges both from Micro USB and from a thin 2mm Nokia charging connector, but it does not charge from a computer via USB. Disadvantages: No Wi-Fi (it turns out there are smartphones without Wi-Fi, it was a surprise for me after the purchase). For some this is not a problem. Small display, 2", like the E51 (the E52 already has 2.2") Not the strongest battery. 1000 mAh, while the E52 already has 1500 mAh. No light sensor (backlight). The display and keyboard are the same in brightness in the dark and in bright sun, the setting is only manual) There is no dedicated on/off button. When you press “end call,” a menu appears with a profile selection and a suggestion to turn off the phone; I often inadvertently turn off the phone when I just want to go to the home tap. The “home” and “c” (delete) keys are too small, and they are also located directly above the function keys and the accept/hang-up keys, due to their softness, false positives of the latter are possible. It is especially inconvenient when typing SMS, when I press “c” and end up on End, the SMS is saved in drafts. As always in all Nokias, the menu is mixed up. You never know where to look for an alarm clock in this particular model. Fortunately, you can sort and rearrange the menu items yourself, divide them into folders, which is what you did. Unbearable T9. I used T9 in 2006 on Windows Mobile, then on SE K750 and K790, then on Nokia E50 and E51, and it always satisfied and made me happy! Here... a completely incomprehensible logic of work (instead of all combinations of 2 letters, it immediately offers words of 5, then a mix of 3, ...) The desire to switch to Multitap immediately appeared. Then I turned off the “Auto-completion of words” function, and it became a little better, although it is also surprising that the most common words are often missing, and in general, compared to the E51, the dictionary is much poorer and apparently cheaper for the manufacturer. The metal battery cover often falls off when dropped, and in general quickly wears out and loses its appearance. Comment: I bought it from one of the networks when the E51 broke down, at first I thought of giving it to someone when I discovered that it didn’t have Wi-Fi, then I got used to it. Overall, the phone was a pleasant surprise. In the photographs it looks too childish, but in reality there is no such effect, I can’t even call the design too “youthful”.

Display type: LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) - Liquid crystal displays. The very first displays used in mobile devices, and not only in phones. Their main feature is that they have very low power consumption, due to the inability to display color images. They do not emit light and therefore phones are upgraded with backlight lamps. Some phones had several different backlight colors based on the presence of different LEDs around the perimeter of the display. This extraordinary solution was used, for example, in the Ericsson A3618 phone. On this type of display, pixels are clearly visible, and such displays cannot boast of high resolution. In order to extend the life of such displays, they were made inverse, i.e. text and symbols were not displayed as filled pixels, but, on the contrary, inactive against the background of filled ones. This resulted in light text on a dark background. Currently, this type of display is used in the cheapest budget models (Nokia 1112) and as an external display in some clamshells (Samsung D830).

TFT (Thin Film Transistor) - Liquid crystal displays based on thin film transistors with an active matrix. For each pixel there are three transistors corresponding to three colors (RGB - red, green, blue). At the moment, these are the most common displays and have a number of advantages over other displays. They are characterized by minimal response time and rapid development - ever-increasing resolution and number of colors. These displays are most common in mid-range and higher phones. Working resolutions for them: 128x160, 132x176, 176x208, 176x220, 240x320 and others, less common. Examples: Nokia N73 (240x320, 262K colors), Sony Ericsson K750i (176x220, 262K colors), Samsung D900 (240x320, 262K colors). TFTs are very rarely used as external displays for clamshells.

CSTN (Color Super Twisted Nematic) - Color liquid crystal displays with a passive matrix. Each pixel of such a display consists of three combined pixels, which correspond to three colors (RGB). Some time ago, almost all phones with color displays were based on this type. And now the destiny of such displays is budget models. The main disadvantage of such displays is their slowness. The undoubted advantage of such displays is their cost, which is significantly lower than TFT. Based on simple logic, we can assume that in the future TFT will displace this type of display from the mobile device market. The color evolution of such displays is quite extensive: from 16 to 65536 colors. Examples: Motorola V177 (128x160, 65K colors), Sony Ericsson J100i (96x64, 65K colors), Nokia 2310 (96x68, 65K colors).

UFB (Ultra Fine and Bright) - Liquid crystal displays with increased brightness and contrast on a passive matrix. We can say that this is an intermediate option between CSTN and TFT. This type of display boasts lower power consumption compared to TFT. For the most part, Samsung used such displays in mid-range phones. This type of display is not widely used. Examples: Samsung C100/110 (128x128, 65k colors).

TN is one of the matrix types of TFT screens. Roughly speaking, TN are the simplest and cheapest TFT matrices. Viewing angles are the narrowest.