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Nokia 5700 XpressMusic
Having an MP3 player is one thing and I think it’s extremely sensible to have one in your mobile phone so you don’t have to worry about carrying too many gadgets with you. The 5700 hasn’t accomplished something new in that field however. It’s not the first nor will it be the last. But what phones like these have that can be construed, as distinguishing factors, are their designs and how user-friendly they are, from transferring your files and data to even the speed at which the phone operates. Let’s see how the 5700 holds up with regards to these and other factors.
Form Factor
The design concept of this funky phone I can’t say is unique. It’s a reinvented and sleeker, or should I say rounder, (for want of a better word) version of the Nokia 3250 and a little bit of the 5300 I’d have to say as well. On the top and bottom you’ll find the Power switch and 2.5mm earphone socket respectively. At first I was quite disappointed to see the 2.5mm socket but like the 3250 model, this one comes with a converter as well that’s attached to a control clip. The controller has everything to control the music player, voice dialing and taking and ending calls. So you can attach any other earphones to this if you don’t like Nokia’s ‘In-your-Ear’ earphones that come bundled.
What you may find a bit odd is that there’s one speaker on the left at the top and the other on the right side at the bottom. The reason is when you twist the bottom all the way round to the media mode keypad, both speakers will be on the same side. Ingenious. Half way around is the 2 megapixel camera of course. The bottom can also be twisted the other way although it won't go all the way round but the camera will point at you in case you wanted to be a narcissist and take a shot of yourself.
On one side of the phone are the volume/zoom keys, and on the other side underneath a flap just below the infrared sensor is what houses the charging port, the microSD slot and miniUSB port. The 5700, like most of Nokia’s new models also has a light sensor located at the very top near the headset. What it does is gauge how much light is present and adjust the settings in your phone so the keypad doesn’t light up. If you cover it or if it’s dark enough the keypad will light up. The ‘Clear’ and ‘Menu’ buttons on either side of the screen would seem oddly hard and unworkable till you realize that the button itself is located just above the symbol. On the whole the keypad itself is extremely easy to use for messaging or otherwise.
Audio and Video Features
Being part of the MusicExpress series I actually hoped for more out of the music player. To be brutally honest, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The earphones provided, although comfortable enough to use, didn’t thrill me. Though when tested on another player, sounded awesome. So that wasn’t the problem. The phone’s player itself was. It has a great interface, easy to use keys, a few preset EQ setting that can be edited and stereo widening that all make a difference to the quality but the output was still too low for my liking. What I’m saying is that even though the 5700 has a good music player, it’s not loud enough to keep the outside world at bay. But the output through the speakers oddly enough, is great. It's loud and even has a bit of a thump to it. NICE! What the 5700 also has are a few visualizations to entertain you as well.
The Nokia 5700 can read MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA and 3GPP formats, which are plenty. Videos are clear and of course you have the option of watching them on the full screen. Among the other media option there’s also a pre-installed version of flash player and a moviemaker software that allows you to... well truth be told I’m not entirely certain what it does as it didn’t seem to do much except tell me that the files chosen were not supported. But what it does, is join 2 videos or more that you’ve taken with the camera and add a little background sound and music with a few frames as well to jazz it up. It’s just a fun way to pass a little time.
The 5700 also has a radio that supports both visual radio and FM. It also has a voice recorder for voice memos. Among its other audio and video features the 5700 also has a message reader. But of course you have to select particular messages you want read or all messages and initiate the application. It’s a good option to have but it could have been made easier to use by reading all messages in a go without having to select specific ones.
Click and Capture
The 2.0 megapixel camera is great. It’s doesn’t have too many settings but it does have a Panorama mode, a sequence mode, timer, white balance and color tone settings. Like I said it may not have too many options but what it does have, works just fine.
The pictures look extremely clear on the phone's 240 x 320 pixel display but of course the truth is revealed only when transferred to the PC. Outdoor pictures are quite good. Details are relatively clear but not perfect. This is not a camera that’s meant for close ups of course.
In low light areas the pictures appear extremely grainy with too much noise. The 5700’s camera is ok as is, but not anything different form any other in its class. But it’s quick to start up and the zoom is quite smooth.
Connecting People
The 5700 is a 3G enabled phone that uses EDGE for net connectivity. The browser is not different from any of the other S60 phones out there today. It has an option for a page preview and I do like the mouse style pointer. Gives the browser a bit of a PC feel to it. This phone is also set up with Nokia’s GPS software so all you need to do is get the Bluetooth GPS module that’s an external device and you’re good to go. Of course you can also download Google maps for a less detailed layout.
Nokia’s 5700 is also Bluetooth A2DP compatible and the depending on the headphones or earphones you’re using the music experience is great! I tested on two different headsets and enjoyed the quality and output from both. Apart from Bluetooth v2.0 the 5700 is also equipped with infrared and USB v2.0 connectivity. So it’s easy to transfer files and back up your data. The phone can also be used as a modem in USB mode and it’s also equipped with Push To Talk technology.
Other features
With regards to other features the 5700 is pretty average. Nothing that’s out of the ordinary. It has a converter, calculator, notes and a calendar to save dates, memos and reminders along with an alarm function. There are plenty of themes out there that would really enhance the already cool design of this phone. So go nuts. Another great feature is the 3D ringtone option that gives you a few options for enhancing the ringtone you may have chosen. Settings in this feature include Sound Trajectory that gives you settings like – Fly-by, or zig-zag etc. that just makes your tone a little better. There’s also a speed control for these effects.
Some of the preinstalled games are great. They really help pass time away. There’s the Marble game that’s like the ever popular Luxor styled games on the PC, 3D snakes of course and City Bloxx. You can get more though. There are also plenty of help features like the settings wizard and transfer options that allow you to systematically make changes to the settings and transfer data in a more efficient form.
My one major complaint about the menus however, is that unlike other S60 phones the main folders like Games and Connectivity the Download application are not placed correctly or out in the main menu where you’d usually find them. Nor can you change that. It’s not difficult to work around, but why have it like that to begin with.
The battery life of this phone is great with a talk time of at least 3 hours and 50 minutes on a single charge. For music it’s even better. I clocked it in at just around 9 hours and 35 minutes of non-stop music. So no problem here. There was also no problem I could find when it came to reception or voice clarity of the 5700.
The Bottom Line
I LIKE THIS PHONE! Sure it may have its kinks but there’s a certain Feel Good factor when you have it in your hand that’s quite unmistakable. All it’s functions and features work just fine and smooth as ever. The battery life is great, and on the whole pretty much caters to all your multimedia requirements and manages to meet them head-on with ease. For a Price of Rs. 12,250 it’s well worth it. This is going to be my next phone.
Form Factor
The design concept of this funky phone I can’t say is unique. It’s a reinvented and sleeker, or should I say rounder, (for want of a better word) version of the Nokia 3250 and a little bit of the 5300 I’d have to say as well. On the top and bottom you’ll find the Power switch and 2.5mm earphone socket respectively. At first I was quite disappointed to see the 2.5mm socket but like the 3250 model, this one comes with a converter as well that’s attached to a control clip. The controller has everything to control the music player, voice dialing and taking and ending calls. So you can attach any other earphones to this if you don’t like Nokia’s ‘In-your-Ear’ earphones that come bundled.
What you may find a bit odd is that there’s one speaker on the left at the top and the other on the right side at the bottom. The reason is when you twist the bottom all the way round to the media mode keypad, both speakers will be on the same side. Ingenious. Half way around is the 2 megapixel camera of course. The bottom can also be twisted the other way although it won't go all the way round but the camera will point at you in case you wanted to be a narcissist and take a shot of yourself.
On one side of the phone are the volume/zoom keys, and on the other side underneath a flap just below the infrared sensor is what houses the charging port, the microSD slot and miniUSB port. The 5700, like most of Nokia’s new models also has a light sensor located at the very top near the headset. What it does is gauge how much light is present and adjust the settings in your phone so the keypad doesn’t light up. If you cover it or if it’s dark enough the keypad will light up. The ‘Clear’ and ‘Menu’ buttons on either side of the screen would seem oddly hard and unworkable till you realize that the button itself is located just above the symbol. On the whole the keypad itself is extremely easy to use for messaging or otherwise.
Audio and Video Features
Being part of the MusicExpress series I actually hoped for more out of the music player. To be brutally honest, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The earphones provided, although comfortable enough to use, didn’t thrill me. Though when tested on another player, sounded awesome. So that wasn’t the problem. The phone’s player itself was. It has a great interface, easy to use keys, a few preset EQ setting that can be edited and stereo widening that all make a difference to the quality but the output was still too low for my liking. What I’m saying is that even though the 5700 has a good music player, it’s not loud enough to keep the outside world at bay. But the output through the speakers oddly enough, is great. It's loud and even has a bit of a thump to it. NICE! What the 5700 also has are a few visualizations to entertain you as well.
The 5700 also has a radio that supports both visual radio and FM. It also has a voice recorder for voice memos. Among its other audio and video features the 5700 also has a message reader. But of course you have to select particular messages you want read or all messages and initiate the application. It’s a good option to have but it could have been made easier to use by reading all messages in a go without having to select specific ones.
Click and Capture
The 2.0 megapixel camera is great. It’s doesn’t have too many settings but it does have a Panorama mode, a sequence mode, timer, white balance and color tone settings. Like I said it may not have too many options but what it does have, works just fine.
The pictures look extremely clear on the phone's 240 x 320 pixel display but of course the truth is revealed only when transferred to the PC. Outdoor pictures are quite good. Details are relatively clear but not perfect. This is not a camera that’s meant for close ups of course.
In low light areas the pictures appear extremely grainy with too much noise. The 5700’s camera is ok as is, but not anything different form any other in its class. But it’s quick to start up and the zoom is quite smooth.
Connecting People
The 5700 is a 3G enabled phone that uses EDGE for net connectivity. The browser is not different from any of the other S60 phones out there today. It has an option for a page preview and I do like the mouse style pointer. Gives the browser a bit of a PC feel to it. This phone is also set up with Nokia’s GPS software so all you need to do is get the Bluetooth GPS module that’s an external device and you’re good to go. Of course you can also download Google maps for a less detailed layout.
Other features
With regards to other features the 5700 is pretty average. Nothing that’s out of the ordinary. It has a converter, calculator, notes and a calendar to save dates, memos and reminders along with an alarm function. There are plenty of themes out there that would really enhance the already cool design of this phone. So go nuts. Another great feature is the 3D ringtone option that gives you a few options for enhancing the ringtone you may have chosen. Settings in this feature include Sound Trajectory that gives you settings like – Fly-by, or zig-zag etc. that just makes your tone a little better. There’s also a speed control for these effects.
Some of the preinstalled games are great. They really help pass time away. There’s the Marble game that’s like the ever popular Luxor styled games on the PC, 3D snakes of course and City Bloxx. You can get more though. There are also plenty of help features like the settings wizard and transfer options that allow you to systematically make changes to the settings and transfer data in a more efficient form.
My one major complaint about the menus however, is that unlike other S60 phones the main folders like Games and Connectivity the Download application are not placed correctly or out in the main menu where you’d usually find them. Nor can you change that. It’s not difficult to work around, but why have it like that to begin with.
The battery life of this phone is great with a talk time of at least 3 hours and 50 minutes on a single charge. For music it’s even better. I clocked it in at just around 9 hours and 35 minutes of non-stop music. So no problem here. There was also no problem I could find when it came to reception or voice clarity of the 5700.
The Bottom Line
I LIKE THIS PHONE! Sure it may have its kinks but there’s a certain Feel Good factor when you have it in your hand that’s quite unmistakable. All it’s functions and features work just fine and smooth as ever. The battery life is great, and on the whole pretty much caters to all your multimedia requirements and manages to meet them head-on with ease. For a Price of Rs. 12,250 it’s well worth it. This is going to be my next phone.
Specs
Nokia 5700 | |
| Network | UMTS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900, 3G, EDGE |
| Physical | 108 x 50 x 17 mm, 115g |
| Display | TFT, 240 x 320 pixels, 16m colors, 2.2" |
| Memory | 35MB internal, microSD |
| Media | MP3, AAC+, 3GP, WMA, Voice memos |
| Camera | 2 megapixels, flash, video |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth v2.0 (A2DP), mini USB, Infrared |
| Battery | 290hrs stand by, 3 hrs45 minutes talk (Li-ion battery - 900 mAh), 10 hrs music |
| Street Price | Rs. 12,250 |