Nokia 3220 review: Game of light

Contact list and calls

For speed dialing users can use voice dial (10 records maximum) or hold 2-9 keys, which can be assigned to any number from the contact list. In the contact list you can write down mobile, home, office phone and fax number for every name. A number, which is set as default, will be dialed directly from the contact list; you can get the rest by displaying name details. Besides numbers, you can add also an e-mail, web and postal address to every contact. You can also save a text note in length up to 60 characters and an image for certain name that will be displayed during ringing.

Contact list view • searching in the list • contact details • sorting the groups

You can sort the contacts into five groups, which can be assigned with a special ringing tone and image. It's possible to search the list by entering up to 8 characters and the phone can display the contact list on the SIM card and in the phone memory together or separately. The Nokia 3220 mobile phone can ring out a sixteen-voice melody with quality playback or a record in AMR format. Sounds can be supplemented with light effects by the diodes on both phone sides and vibrations. The display illumination is also blinking simultaneously, which is quite unpleasant if you would like to read who is calling you.

You are able to control the volume during a call by using the left and the right arrow navigation keys. Surely you would appreciate a loud handsfree that plays the sound in a high quality and loud enough. Of course the phone is not short of ringing profiles. There are six of them available and they are timed.

Writing SMS and email

The phone supports SMS, MMS and the so-called flash messages. These are special text messages that can be only 50 characters long and the received message appears straight on the phone display. And as usual by Nokia, it supports Smart messaging instead of EMS. T9 dictionary can be a good helper by writing SMS. Another pleasant feature is fast smile insertion from the menu, which you can open by double-pressing the star key. The phone keeps you informed about remaining number of characters and the number of SMS written. It's also possible to send a message to more recipients at once.

With small font you'll see entire SMS on the display • easy insertion of smiles • useful feature - message counter

You can choose from two different fonts in the message setting menu: with smaller font eight rows fit on the display, with bigger - only five rows. You can store up to fifty messages in the phone. There is also a useful feature called Message counter, which counts sent and received messages.

Working with the MMS editor is very easy. It's possible to page messages, insert up to thousand characters to every page and add a picture and a sound clip. Unfortunately, the editor doesn't display final result; it only inserts a text link instead of a picture or a sound. To view the final MMS before sending it, you should select Preview from the menu. Size limit for one MMS message is 100 kB. It's possible to save fifteen of them in the phone memory.

Inserted pictures are not displayed during creating an MMS... • ...this is possible with the Preview function

The integrated email client is in fact a Java application, but common users wouldn't notice that. It supports POP3 and IMAP4 servers and is very simple. The client can't work with attachments, neither download only headers of emails. Well, it's sufficient for easy email operation. You can use Instant messaging with Nokia 3220 also.

Integrated email client

Organizer

You can schedule your time by using the Calendar. It's the same as in other Nokia Series 40 phones. By default it's presented in a monthly view but can be displayed also in a weekly view or as a task list for a given day. It's possible to choose beginning of the week: Monday, Sunday or Saturday. In monthly view days with recorded event are highlighted in bold font, in weekly view the events are displayed in relevant day and time as icons according to an event type. The phone offers you five of these: meeting, call, birthday, memo and reminder. You'll be warned of the event only by one type of sound signal with a show of lights.

Montly view in the calendar • weekly view • list of daily events • records menu

Another traditional feature is the To-do list. There you can enter notes with maximal length of 160 characters. You can assign a priority to single tasks but you will never be warned of them. It's possible to transfer the tasks simply to the Calendar. It works also contrariwise.

List of tasks with assigned priority • view on a task record

Of course an alarm clock can't miss. It can wake you up with any melody you want and it's satisfying that it's possible to set a repetition. You can add a note that can be long up to three thousand characters.

Alarm clock setting • notes font is small only

What next?

The integrated calculator is very simple. It ignores priorities of the mathematical operations; on the other hand it can calculate the square and the square root and converts currency values.

Calculator • you can find the square and the square root among the functions • currency converter is also integrated in the calculator

Furthermore you'll find a voice recorder, which can record pieces of speech, sound or an active call up to a length limited by the memory. Records are saved in AMR format and it's possible to send them via MMS or use them as a ringing tone.

There are some other functions, such as a countdown timer, a stopwatch or a wallet - feature popular among Nokia users. Wallet allows users to keep secret information - e.g. PIN codes - under one password.

Voice recorder • stopwatch can also measure an intermediate time • Wallet application

Phone of this type can't be short of the games. Five of them are waiting for you:

Water Rapids: Your task is to go downstream on a raft. There are six wild rivers to go through. To go to the next river, you must reach the end of the previous one. For passing the rapids and waterfalls you gain points that you can also loose if you turn over you raft or touch a dry land. I find this game most interesting.

Adventure Race: This is a race, consisting of four disciplines: mountain bike riding, run, kayak riding and orienteering. Riding a bike bored me quite quickly, same as the run. Kayak riding is more amusing. Orienteering is more like a logical game.

Phantom Spider: Action shooting game with a view from above. You're a pilot of a flying spider and your mission is to fight against the army of evil tarantula. You'll enjoy the game if you like spiders.

Club Pinball: The name itself suggests that this is a classic Pinball game. The game is well made, with nice graphical environment and it'll bring you a lot of fun.

Dance DeLight: A figure is dancing on the screen whilst line of balls is displayed below the figure counterclockwise. Your task is to remember the number and the color of every ball in correct order. Perhaps you'll exercise your memory but this game will get you bored soon.

Games menu • Water Rapids • Adventure Race •
Phantom Spider • Club Pinball • Dance DeLight

You can load the phone with more Java games or applications, it supports Java version 2.0. More than one megabyte of memory is available.