 |
|
Welcome to the 2012 Nokia 710 review. The 710 is one the latest Windows OS based phones to hit the market in 2012 aimed at the mid-range and inevitably lower end of the smart phone market. At the time of writing this post (2012) the Nokia 710 phone's specifications in general are excellent for the current outright price of around $350 outright. (We purchased one for $270 in May)
The construction is typical Nokia which means it looks and feels good in the hand despite being made of plastic. The rubberized rear cover is a great and useful touch. The 710 is not the best looking phone but to be honest everyone has some sort of protective case that changes the look of the phone for the worse usually. It also included some of the most useful hardware features missing from the latest phones like a replaceable battery an FM radio and a standard mini-USB slot for charging.
In terms of hardware the 710 has all the latest connectivity options and sensors. However due to price it is missing a high end screen and resolution but it is a relatively cheap phone it is hard complain - especially more so when you realise the phone has a high end 1.4Ghz CPU! It is a bargain in this respect. The only flaw with the phone is that is is missing at least a micro-SD card for memory expansion we believe it is a Windows hardware flaw - which is completely unacceptable. The other trade off for the high powered CPU is that its battery does not last very long.
In terms of software the latest version of Windows Mobile (Mango) adds a number of features missing from the original version and closely matches the iPhone OS. However both are still behind Nokia or superseded Symbian OS and Android. Symbian may have been harder to use but everything is already there. We think Android has a slight lead in terms of functionality but for the majority of phone users these functions would not be of use. Other features include XBox LIVE and of course Microsoft Office which includes compatibility over a number of levels.The availability of off-line GPS maps in the Drive App is selling point.
The latest version of Windows Mobile 7.5 is impressive and smooth but spartan to look at. It has the functions that the majority of phone users will want except the key customisation options (and selling point) like those on Android and other Nokia phones. The music player though still needs some work. The Windows App store does not have many apps that are the equivalent of those in the Apple store that are certainly useful enough. However the key thing missing is being able to save files on the phone and NOT sharing it with the rest of the world. That said the requirement to store all your details on the Hotmail account is disturbing but convenient.
The Nokia 710 is a very good phone for the price and definitely on our best buys list. As one of the few Windows phones you can't go wrong giving it a go. That said, once it falls below the out right price of $300 price barrier and hit the $250 outright price you are looking at a sell out.
Specifications
- Nokia 710
- Network
Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Penta or Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download)
HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
- Design
Touch screen
- L119 x W62.5 x D12.5 mm
- Weight 125.5 grams
- Display/s
3.7 inch External 480 x 800
- Camera
5MP
LED Flash
- Video Camera
720 HD pixel main video camera
- Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth V2.1
- CPU
1.4 Ghz
- Memory
Up to 8 Gig on board
- Ring tones
MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
- Features
Micro-SIM
MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint
A-GPS
Compass
Accelerometer
Windows Mobile Store for Apps
Proximity Ambient Light
Music and Media player
Organiser/Calender
SMS, MMS, IM, Email
FM radio with RDS
Speaker Phone/Hands free
Li-Po 13000mAh battery
Up to 400 hours Standby
Up to 7.4 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Approx $350 AUS 2012 (Outright)
