The Nokia C5 is a candybar phone running the Symbian S60 3rd Edition smartphone OS, so if you want a powerful phone without it looking like a tech-toy this could well be the phone for you. It’s slim, it’s smart, but is it worth your dosh? Find out what we think of it in our full Nokia C5 review.
Read the rest of our Nokia C5 review
Nokia C5 review: Best budget Nokia ever?
Nokia C5 review: Build and screen
Nokia C5 review: Symbian S60 slimmed down
Nokia’s been filtering its high-end features and tech down into ever cheaper and more every-day devices, so bringing the S60 to what is very much a traditional for factor phone is a natural move for the company. That said, the Nokia C5 looks and feels very much like any other candybar phone. The 2.2-inch screen and standard numeric keypad offers nothing new but the addition of the Symbian S60 OS does make it a great deal more powerful than the standard phone.
The styling and build quality of the Nokia C5 is top-notch with the stainless steel body, it feels great to the touch. What’s more, you’ll be able to treat this phone rougher than most and it’ll forgive you every time. The screen is bright but the keypad is the most appealing feature, as the large buttons have a great size and feel to them. Texting and messaging is smooth and navigating around the screen is quick and easy.
Nokia has made it pretty easy to get up and running with the Nokia C5, with a host of social media apps pre-installed, so your Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and even Friendster are just a couple of clicks away, without needing to venture on to the Ovi Store. The homescreen even allows you to plonk them right onto the front page. Being the same OS as you’ll find on more business orientated Nokias, email plays a large part of the C5, which means you can set up and receive email either from your Ovi account or any online service with relative ease.
Storage is limited to just 50MB of internal memory but a 2GB microSD card comes in the box and you’ll be able to add cards up to 16GB in size. So, plenty of space to make the Nokia C5 your music device too. There is a well placed 3.5mm audio jack on the top of the phone and the music player while a tad basic works well enough. There’s access to the Nokia Music site, so if you want to download the odd track when out and about, you can do so.
When it comes to features, the Nokia C5 is something of a mixed bag. The inclusion of Ovi Maps with free navigation for life will no doubt be appealing to most but the screen is a little small for making the most of it in the car.
The 3.2 megapixel camera meanwhile may be a little entry-level, when you think that most Nokia smartphones have moved to 5-Megapixels as the norm. Still, it’s easy to use and you’ll found the results from the Nokia C5 camera more than acceptable.
The only feature to really stand out as lacking from the Nokia C5 is Wi-Fi, as it means you’re limited to using the 3G connection for downloading apps and staying in touch. This isn’t a problem as long as you have a decent data tariff with your contract – and a good 3G signal where you live.
Incidentally, when it comes to cost, the Nokia C5 is something of a knock-out. Right now you can find the Nokia C5 for £150 PAYG, SIM-free from the likes of Play.com and we’ve even find it for as little as £10 a month on contract. This makes it one of the cheapest smartphones on the market right now, beating the likes of other budget smarties, such as the HTC Tattoo or Samsung Tocco Ultra.
There’s no denying the Nokia C5 is a great looking and stylish phone. It’s compact, lightweight and a pleasure to use. However, it may have trouble finding the right market, as on the surface the feature-set looks a little pedestrian and it’s not until you start to delve a little deeper than you actually see how powerful it actually is.
Read the rest of our Nokia C5 review
Nokia C5 review: Best budget Nokia ever?
Nokia C5 review: Build and screen
Nokia C5 review: Symbian S60 slimmed down
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