Nokia recently re-launched their 5310 Xpress Music phone with a new design and form factor. They are calling it their original series device just like the 3310. The original Xpress music device was quite popular in the Pre-Android era. It was powered by the Series 40 operating system and dedicated music control keys was the USP of this device. The newer version too maintains the dedicated music keys.
Specifications
The specification might seem less when you compare it to Android smartphones but this might be a great backup phone if you need another one to put in an extra SIM card or just to listen to music or FM radio.
| Key Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Display | 2.40-inch 240x320 pixels |
| Camera | VGA-megapixel No front camera |
| RAM | 8MB |
| Storage | 16MB. Expandable up to 32GB with SD card |
| Operating System | Series 30+ |
Design and Form Factor
The body is mostly poly-carbonate and is built well. The back cover is removable and battery can be removed as well. There are 2 SIM slots and a dedicated SD card slot. SD card up to 32GB can be used in this phone. Back side has a VGA camera with flash and the front has a 2.4-inch display with a numeric keypad. There are also 2 front firing speakers above the display and below the keyboard. You also get a very basic headphone bundled in the box along with a USB charger. The headphone however has good sound quality and you might actually use it as a backup option in case your wireless ones drain out of charge. On the right side there are dedicated music buttons that can play/pause and change tracks. Micro USB port and 3.5mm headphone jacks are present on the top.
Display and Sound
The display is very basic and nothing fancy about it to mention. The resolution is 240×320 and bright enough for basic tasks. There is FM radio with built-in antennae so it can work without headphones also. Although the reception is much better with the headphone plugged in. The phone supports MP3, 3GP and AMR file formats. The sound is very loud while playing music from the loudspeakers. The quality of the sound might not be great but it’s very good for the price. The sound from the headphones is also not very great considering that it’s a music edition phone
Connectivity and Apps
The phone has Bluetooth 3.0 for file sharing and you can also connect your wireless headphones to enjoy music and take calls. The phone is dual SIM capable and has 2G connectivity on 900/1800 MHz bands only. Full size SIM cards are required to be used with this device. 2G internet is also available and you can browse using the pre-installed Opera Mini web browser. The internet is slow compared to today’s standards but can come handy sometimes. There is also a lite version of Facebook pre-installed. There is also a weather app and other basic utilities like calculator and calendars are present in the phone. Only the FM and music player can play in the background after you exit the App. There is also an App Store to download apps and games.
Overall Experience
The Nokia 5310 Xpress Music is not a smartphone, but it can be your backup phone or a phone that you might give to you parents who find smartphone difficult to use or a phone that you keep in your car for emergencies. It has a talk time of 7.5 Hours and a standby time of 22 days. So, you can just charge it and leave it around for a month as a backup phone.
It can’t really be your primary phone as it has very limited connectivity options. There is no 3G/4G and obviously no Wi-Fi. Social media apps are limited to Facebook and Opera Mini browser. Even the music part is not very great so it won’t make much sense to buy it just for listening to music. You can easily find other Nokia phones with almost the same features at half the price to use as a backup phone. Except for the nostalgia part, this phone might not be too appealing.
Image Credits : Nokia