Nokia 3250 review: Rubik's phone

Nokia's portfolio features another new music phone and that's the Nokia 3250. The device features a 2 megapixel camera, a built-in radio, the latest Symbian OS 9.1; on the top of it, it uses the tiniest memory cards in the world and comes with a wide range of accessories. If you wonder whether you should buy Nokia 3250 or Sony Ericsson W800, read our detailed review, which we hope will help you to make the right decision.

Official pictures of Nokia 3250

Key Features:

• Unusual rotary construction
• solid body and well elaborated construction
• Symbian 9.1 OS
• Active stand-by mode
• Good keypad
• 2 megapixel camera
• Built-in radio
• USB Mass Storage
• Exceptionally fast Java
• Powerful loud speaker

Main disadvantages:

• Incompatibility with older applications
• Lower speed compared with common mobile phones
• Not highest resolution display
• Red receiver key closes running applications
• Music player works weirdly
• Bad camera macro mode
• No infrared port

Nokia 3250

Turn it around...

Nokia launched a real temptation for music and techno fans, as well as for all those, who buy objects that provoke others' admiration. It has succeeded the notoriously famous 3230 model modifying its keypad and construction. However, pay attention to one very important detail: Nokia 3250 is not just another example of the groove play of "pick up a successful device, add some colors and a pair of new functions, and start selling it as a brand new model...".Being the first phone on the market to feature Symbian OS in 9.1 version it's worth much more.

Comparison to Nokia 3230

Before I saw the dimensions of Nokia's newly prepared music phone in September last year, I had thought that the device would be much tinier. Besides, it is exactly how it looks in all official photos even nowadays. Held in hand, however, it feels quite big (104 x 50 x 20 mm) and heavy (115 grams). I myself tend to like heavier and bigger devices though, because they look more solid.

 
In hand • size comparison with a key

In any case, Nokia 3250 is not a phone you can easily stick into your pocket. Our team was provided with the pink version of Nokia 3250, which made me feel somewhat embarrassed in public. Nevertheless, the pink nuance used on Nokia 3250 is pretty nice. It resembles the old-fashioned rose pink. The glossy frame around the display is elaborated in a similar color. I guess in this case women will hardly have problems to decide which version to buy. As to men, they will probably go for one of the other three options - green, black or silver.

  
Pink attacks from all around

That's huge

The covers of the phone are irremovable, which promises that its construction should be of the pretty solid ones. And it really is. All parts of the phone stick together very well, giving a strong impression of firmness. In other words, Nokia 3250's body is one of the best on the entire mobile phones market. The lateral sides of the device, including those constituting part of the bottom rotary segment, are all made of metal. They close all parts of the body so firmly that it does not give a single creak or crunch. Both top and bottom areas of the metal lateral sides are decorated with plastic capsule.

Lateral parts of the device are made of metal

The only elements that "disturb" the metal lateral parts of the phone are the Pop-Port cap, the charge connector, and the locks of the rear cover. The Pop-Port cap is made of hard rubber and holds firm. It seems like it is going to last for some time. Nevertheless it could have been hooked to the body of the phone by a tiny narrow pillar in order to be constantly connected to the device. As this is not the case, I managed to lose it about 5 times within two days. Nokia 3250 is a music phone, which requires frequent use of plug-in earphones, so why does the user have to constantly think about a miniature cap hidden in one of the corners of their pocket or wallet?

 
Pop-Port rubber cap is easy to lose

The rear cover of the device gets open through a press on the above mentioned locks, which are situated in its bottom area and look like rectangle pads. The rear cover is marked by a huge glossy logo "NOKIA". Once the cover has been removed, you will see a lithium-polymer battery BP-6M of 1100 mAh capacity, which is bigger than the one we have seen in other phones of Series 60. In this aspect, the officially announced 245 hours of stand-by and 180 minutes of calls is probably quite realistic.

  
Locks • battery • SIM card bed

I am not able to provide you with exact and true details on Nokia 3250's battery life as I have been testing it pretty intensively. Besides, I have had it for a few days only. Of course, you should keep in mind that playing music is a highly energy-consuming activity. According to the manual, a single charge of the battery should provide the phone with enough energy for 10 hour of music. In the upper right corner of the phone, right above the battery you will see an eyelet for a neck stripe.

Careful with your ears

Do you remember the capsule plastic area I mentioned above? Right there, on the top of the phone is mounted the main switch-off button. It is perfectly positioned as it does not get pressed incidentally, nor does it require too much effort to get working. On the bottom side of the device you will find the grid of the loud speaker, which I am going to pay a closer attention to...

 
Main switch-off button • loud speaker

... It is really loud. I cannot even believe that such a tiny bar can bawl so much. I was especially impressed by the fact that I could use it as a common music player at a friend's party. The sound is pretty good, even if bass elements are somewhat rejected; instruments do not blend, performance is clear. The same positive evaluation holds true for ringtones, while all standard Nokia sounds we have known for years, seem to have reborn.