Nokia 5200 Review

Launched at the end of September, Nokia's 5200 mid-end handset has one of the most desirable targets - youngsters.

By the look of it, the phone will surely attract young people with ages between 14 and 20. That's something new from the Finnish giant manufacturer, thus Nokia will be able to meet the demands of a new segment of customers. Both design and features are embedded together to offer users a fresh and trendy experience. Nokia 5200 was launched at the same time with another model, 5300, that looks and has the same features with two exceptions: display and camera. So, if you like the phone and want an enhanced experience (larger display and better camera) you can get the upgraded version of 5200 (5300), which of course will cost you more. But does it really worth it? I won't give you a straight answer because there are people that might like it or not, instead, I'll just point out some of its strong as well as weak points of the handset.

Design

Nokia 5200 seems to have borrowed LG's Chocolate design, like many other phones that were launched after LG's big market success terminal. Oh yes, it's a ''flip, flip, flipper'' ladies and gentlemen. Unfortunately, it's totally made of plastic. If you don't mind this, you will surely love Nokia's 5200 model. Further more, the handset has been designed like a music phone, thus it has music controls on both sides. On the left side, there's the music button, used for opening or closing the MP3 player or the FM radio, and also the 2.5mm stereo jack for headset. On the right side of the phone we can find other two buttons that control the volume of the music, and one button which controls the camera. All buttons are greatly embedded in the frame of the device making them hardly noticeable. Like all Nokia's handsets, the power button states its business from the top of the device. Just near the power button, there's the charger port and the USB port. On the bottom of the phone there's ... nothing. Lastly, on the back of the handset we can find the camera for taking photos. I have to mention this because it's important: I had big troubles opening the back lid, be very careful 'cause it's very fragile. Oops, forgot to mention the microSD card slot, but I'm entitled to do that and you'll see why. When I took the phone, I knew its specifications and was looking for the microSD slot all over its frame. Didn't find it, so I opened the back lid thinking that it has a motoRAZR-like layout. Took out the battery only to find that there is no card slot there whatsoever. So, the only thing left was the manual. I opened it and ... Evrika, we have the microSD slot card up on the left side (just near the headset port), but you have to open the back lid otherwise you can't reach it. Wicked :)! If you are more of a math guy, here are its numbers: 92.4 x 48.2 x 20.7 mm and 104 grams weight (including battery).

Processor and Memory

We have no processor this time, Nokia 5200 it's just a simple music phone. It features only 5MB of internal memory, which is so low for a music phone. I know we have the microSD and that we can expand the memory up to 2GB, but still more of that should've been better. Anyway, the menu is user-friendly and anyone will be able to handle the phone with ease.

Multimedia

Thinking about its multimedia capabilities, I was trying to figure some unique features, but couldn't find any (except for the microSD card slot layout, which has nothing to do with multimedia features). Anyway, here's what you can do with Nokia's little toy: play MP3, AAC and AAC files, listen to the radio, or take photos with its VGA camera. Sound is good, reception of different radios is rather mediocre, and camera is bad. In fact,it's almost useless, because you can only see a few things on its 128 x 160 pixels CSTN display. Basically, the small display makes the VGA camera useless. Like I said, bear in mind that the handset has a specific target and doesn't need any high-end features. Of course, the handset will be cheaper.

Communication

Besides having GPRS connectivity, this phone includes EDGE connectivity. Might be useless for youngsters, but it's there and it probably helps users download ringtones faster. There's also a 2.0 Bluetooth necessary for multiplayer games or fast data transfers. For synchronization with the PC, the handset features an USB 2.0 port, and there's also the infrared. Good communication features for 5200 and I don't think it would've needed more of these. Nice thinking from Nokia's part.

The Good

Design comes first and maybe the price. You can use it as an iPod if you don't like phones:). It doesn't have any new or incredible features, but it does its job. It's the ideal solution for music freaks with low budget.

The Bad

Well, for its price, I can't point out the weaker points of this handset, it wouldn't be right. It's worth exactly its price, so it's normal to include lower features than usual. Anyway, I don't know about the material ... plastic. Hmm, it's pure plastic and I assure you it's very thin so watch it. Maybe you'll want a better camera because as I have stated above, the 640 x 480 pixels VGA camera is almost useless.

Conclusions

For what it's worth, this handset can make a good job as a ... gift. You can buy it for your kid with no fear, the handset is pure plastic and it can't hurt anyone:). And if he drops it, there's no problem, its price recommends it for a second buy. So, have a nice buy ...

Standard kit:

- Handset
- Stereo-headset
- User manual
- Charger

Here are some snapshots of the device:




Photo: Tudor Raiciu