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The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was a big hit when it was released earlier this year, and with good reason – it was a decent first stab at mixing the safe and comfy Symbian Series 60 OS with a touchscreen.
Even so, it wasn’t cheap, so the Finnish phone maestros have addressed the budget market with the 5530 XpressMusic. It has a slightly smaller screen at 2.9in, and is missing two important toys from its predecessor – GPS and 3G.
Slim Jim
Since a 3G receiver is pretty sizable, Nokia was able to slim the 5530 – it’s much flatter than the chunky Mars bar-shaped 5800. As a result this is a phone that fits the hand very comfortably. The styling – black with a red outline on the edge – is familiar and snazzy enough.
The 5530’s screen is particularly impressive. The high resolution disguises the fact that this is a resistive screen, and it’s bright, colourful and highly pleasing on the eye.
Smart homescreen
Then there’s the S60 operating system, which includes a configurable home screen that displays your favourite contacts in a filmstrip of pictures and names.
You can also put email in the middle of the screen with the latest message header on display – this works well though the default white text on black background of the messages themselves can be hard to read. Since there’s also a Facebook shortcut on the home screen, there’s plenty of information at your disposal.
The touchscreen operation is less successful. Sometimes you need to press a menu item once to activate it, sometimes twice, and working out which is which can be frustrating.
You can at least use the built-in stylus to poke the screen and use the handwriting recognition, which is surprisingly successful.
Review continues after the break...
Basic features
Other features include a reasonable 3.2MP camera with flash, Wi-Fi to partly make up for the lack of 3G, a decent FM radio and the distinctive media button pioneered on the 5800.
This is a touch-sensitive panel at the top of the screen which launches shortcuts to music, video clips, internet browser and more.
Music fans will be pleased to note the 3.5mm headphone jack and speakers, which adorn the front of phone at either end and go surprisingly loud. Storage is via memory cards, and a 4GB-capacity one is included.
It may not be the ultimate all-rounder, but Nokia fans who want a strong, easily usable touchscreen phone with a pleasing price tag should certainly audition the 5530 XpressMusic.
Tech Specs
- Bluetooth
- Yes
- Dedicated MP3 player software
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 104x49x13mm
- FM radio
- Yes
- Main camera resolution
- 3.2MP
- Memory card slots
- Yes
- Memory card type
- microSD
- Optical zoom rating
- n/a
- Quad band
- Yes
- Screen resolution
- 360x640
- Standby time
- 27hrs
- Storage
- 70MB
- Supported music formats
- AAC, MP3, WMA
- Talktime
- 5hrs
- Video resolution
- VGA
- Weight
- 107g
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
- Xenon flash
- No
Comments
kacey68
2 years ago
I like mine. Bought it as an update to my knackered contract lg. Had to sell my Iphone to pay for my 3g netbook so opted to get another music type phone. Apart from tiny text, i like the touchscreen, never be an iphone but its still quite good and a bargain at 139.99 inc 10 credit. Plus open to all networks. E mails good and easy to set up. Its just a bit weird going through the menu's to find stuff, sometimes a bit confusing.
Overall bloody great phone for 139 at CW on Virgin.Quite easy to use Nokia music player too and upload straight to phone in a few seconds.
csd
2 years ago
TOO GOOD SMARTPHONE, VERY CAPABLE AND AN IPHONE "KILLER".
Hi,
I purchased the 5530 a few days back. Black/Red model. Used it vigorously and let me assure you that it is a "fantastic device", a charm to interact with AND definitely an IPhone KILLER! Here's my user opinion of it:
PROs:
-Slim & trim
-Good Looking [head turner]
-Great memory [16 Gb]
-Quality shooting (pics & vids) [3.2 Mp cam]
-Lovely music [+good online store]
-Easy user interface
-Easy messaging [nice virtual QWERTY pad]
-WiFi
-Value-for-money [low priced]
CONs:
-None.
INTER-COMPARISON:
-Vis-a-vis Nokia 5800, this is a better phone. More sleek & faster. And cheaper too.
-It doesn't have 3G & GPS. But I didn't feel the need of both since the time I used phones.
-It has Wi-Fi; and that suffices for internet.
-Due to no GPS & 3G, the Nokia 5530 got to lose weight & size. And that's what drew me to it.
-5530 is definitely better than Samsung-Star (Tocco lite).
MY REVIEW:
Besides having all the bells & whistles (the specs. are available in every site, so technicalities avoided here & speaking of ground realities) it's a thriller phone, which is capable of doing everything that we need / look-for in today's mobile phones. It's thrills are in: a) Super-Slim body, b) deadly user interface, c) great shooting capability (both pics & vids), d) top-of-the-line music quality, e) No 3G (its's a boon, it made the phone slimmer & most of us do not need 3G, WiFi being enough) AND e) Amorous Price Tag.
Dear IPhonites, my Nokia 5530 beats you guys all the way thru (I do own an IPhone and am done with it). Why shell-out that dough? The 5530 is better (cheaper) having all it's functions and upscaled! (16Gb card, 3.2Mp camera, good stocked nokia music store that is cheaper than ITunes ...etc.
LAPTOP INTERFACE:
A nice factor of the 5530 is it's ease at managing thru the laptop. There is a cool USB Cable (in box) that connects it with the laptop and thru the OVI Suite (DvD in box) I have downloaded / uploaded all the files (pics, vids, music, contacts, messages and touched every part of the phone, arranged them, modified them without any qualms at all. And the Vids shot looked good too, contrary to what others say.
Overall, I am deeply satisfied with this lovely product. It's getting rave reviews too from my pals & colleagues. And my wife adores it. What more do we need?
So much so that I have put-up my Black IPhone 2G 8 Gb for sale / Gift, rather than getting the new 3G model. Mainly because I never needed 2G / 3G capability during my 1 yr. of usage (Wi-Fi being enough) and I do not wish to shell-out further (and huge) amount just to get more memory. Note, IPhone doesn't have secondary storage capability (Micro SD cards, like the 5530). And then IPhone's cam (2 Mp) is also well beaten by 5530 (3.2 Mp).
PHOTOS:
I say, "the 5530 cam is good enough". The pics are absolutely stunning. Though low light is a bit wanting, so does all camphones. And IPhone was poorer. The pics shot with my 5530 were flawless even when blown-out in my 42" LCD TV. Thus, I do not see the requirement of 5 MP & more cams in the other models. Vids were good too, for a phone shot. Better than lots of other smart / camphones. And then, for a dedicated movie shoot I do not see the usage of a phone. We would rather use our camcorders, no? I do so with my JVC HD-7 (another great FHD camcorder, whatever the websites say, it beats all. -No, I am not dwelling on it here further).
END NOTE:
I find the 5530 a wholesome package, fully loaded smartphone, too good for its price tag. And well above the requirement of any other present models, including the other Nokias. It is beyond value-for-money. Actually, the Nokia pricing is a surprise, they could have easily priced it higher.
COMPARISONS:
I have, as you see above, compared the 5530 basically with the IPhone. As that seemed to be the most "wanted phone" by everyone. I have also compared the 5530 on ground with Nokia 5800 (which is good, but bulkier and not as smart looking as the 5530). This phone [Nokia 5530] is "Classy". And again compared it with similar models of LG, Samsung, HTC and Palm, while doing my market research for an IPhone replacement. I found all the others were "very similar" to the Nokia 5530, Albeit at a "heftier price", which to my opinion, is a pure farce. If Nokia could do it, sure can others. That prompted me to assert that the other brands are "not selling right". Which is why, I definitely advocate the Nokia 5530. It is the Best in the market.
FINAL SAY:
Thus, my friends, I say, "Go for it... now", before the 5530 is sold out of the market; or Nokia re-thinks on it, takes-it of the shelf and brings-out a modified 5530 with another name (model no.) & higher price tag.
I HOPE THE ENTHUSIASTS GET MY POINT.
***HAPPY 5530ing, Friends***