I was invited to the press launch of Nokia’s latest and cheapest QWERTY handset, the Nokia C3, and was able to learn a lot about this phone.
The Nokia C3 comes in hot pink, slate gray and golden white. The pink one looks a bit toy-ish for my taste but the slate gray looks real sleek. I wasn’t able to see the golden white one. They say that other colors will be available in the future.
The Nokia C3 feels quite good in my hand. Not too wide or too thick.
They say that the C3 is a toned down version of the E63 but I think the two shouldn’t be compared. The built-in social network apps found on the C3 makes it easier for you to use e-mail, Facebook, etc. Here it is side-by-side with the E63 though:
The Nokia C3 is geared towards users who need to stay connected with friends and families most of the time via social networking sites. You can connect via three ways (aside from the traditional SMS and voice):
- Social Networking Sites: Facebook and Twitter (they will add more soon)
- Instant Messaging: Yahoo!, Google Talk, MSN and Ovi Chat
- Email: G-Mail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, Ovi Mail and POP e-mail
You can have two Facebook accounts on simultaneously and just switch between them. You can also login to all your Email accounts and IMs at the same time and have them push data when you’re connected to the net.
You can also take photos with the 2mp camera and easily share them with your friends via Facebook, chat, email, etc.
Browsing is done via Webkit based browser or Opera mini.
Internet connection is via WiFi and EDGE. No 3G but it shouldn’t be much of a problem if you’re only dealing with small data. Every time it needs to connect to get data, you will be prompted which method (WiFi or 2G) to use so you don’t have to worry about getting charged unexpectedly.
The Nokia C3 is not for the tech-savvy phone user. But if updating Facebook status and chatting with friends via IM anywhere you go is the only thing you want more from a phone then it’s a pretty good choice. Besides, at Php7,295, I think it’s a pretty good deal.
Nokia C3 Specs
- System: GSM/EGSM 850/900/1800/1900
- UI: Series 40
- Display: 2.4″ QVGA (320 X 240)
- Weight: 114g
- Standby time: Up to 20 days
- Talk time: Up to 7 hours
- Memory: Up to 55MB internal memory with support of up to 8GB via microSD
- Connectivity: WLAN, EGPRS, Bluetooth 2.1
- Additional Features: Full QWERTY keypad, FM Radio, Media Player, 2mp camera
- Colors: Slate Grey, Golden White, Hot Pink
- SRP: Php7,295