Nokia 5140 review: The Athlete

Nokia 5140 is the next model in the Nokia line of phones with enhanced durability. It has well-balanced design and more entertaining functions like compass and video camera, but if you have expected something super new - you will be disappointed - this is still a typical Series 40 phone.

On the sandy playground

The portfolio of Nokia phones is so wide, that it is very easy to get lost in it: so many numbers gathered together is not a quite often seed view. Fortunately, very often the similar models have the same first, and sometimes even the same second number. After reading "5140", it's clear, that this is the heir of the resistant 5100, but for me it's obvious, that it's "grandparent" is Nokia 5210. All these telephones have been tested in hard conditions, specially selected for them by young people of active and dynamically changing lifestyle - sauna, mud and football field, vacation in the forest, or sand on the beach.

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Nokia will be with you, wherever you are.

None of the mentioned phones is prepared for extremely severe conditions, such as mines, building construction, steel foundry, but small rain drops, a sudden fall, swimming in a lake with it, or exposure in a dusty environment, will not be of a great harm for the phones. All the three models have unique two-part construction - their two component shell consist of up and down cover - when you press the opening button - first the down cover will be removed and later the upper one.

  
 
The phone shells are available in 2 colors.

The protection

Although the cover looks water-resistant, don't count on this too much. Describing the durability of 5140, Nokia uses the statement "protection against splashes and dust" and this is about the level of protection the phone has indeed. In the upper part you can find the slot for a handsfree device, the speaker and the flashlight. It is possible that a small quantity of water could penetrate through these slots, but it will not harm the phone because the electronic parts are isolated by blocking rubber cover, which does not allow water to get inside the phone. The speaker and the display are tightly bordered with a rubber cover. Therefore, it might not be a problem if you swim with the phone from time to time, but it is not recommended. Very interesting designed carrying straps which keep the telephone in an upside-down position are available.

 
The phone is rather heavy at first sight, but it has stylish sport appearance and smart design with rugged shells.

 Interesting carrying strip is available.

The battery is hidden in water-resistant jacket under the down shell. It is not freely attached, like it is in some other models of Nokia - it is protected by a thin rubber jacket, which prevents from penetrating water inside the phone, if some could get under the shells anyway. If you remove the jacket using your nail, you can take the battery out. Once charged it endures in a standby mode up to 5 days and it will take you 2 hours to recharge it. The jack for recharging is under a rubber strip and next to it is situated the system Pop-Port connector.

The shell can be easily removed.

  
The battery is hidden in a water-resist cover.

The telephone shells are produced from semi-transparent material, which is available in several shades. The sides of the shells are rubber, so that this protects the phone against splashes and scratching. Nail, hard subject, keys in the pocket will cannot harm. When the shell of the phone is damaged, you can easily change it with another one. It is very difficult to break the shell - I have made several crash tests and it turned out to be very resistant.

 
In the upper part of the phone is the flashlight and in the down part are situated the connecting jacks.

The digital compass

When you come across Nokia 5140, your attention undoubtedly will be drawn at two features: the bubble level in the top left of the phone which main function is to calibrate the compass. Read carefully! - A classical compass, which shows the directions of the world, not only graphically, with a compass rose, but numerically in degrees (e.g. 350 N), so that you can adjust the direction, you want to hold, in degrees and the compass will not allow you to lost your way.

 One of the phone "miracles" - the compass calibrator

  
When I calibrate the compass North is always behind me.

Beside the compass, for out-door functions may be considered flashlight, which was available in models 5100 and 1100. You will find it very useful when you drop your keys in the dark for example. The thermometer is also very handy, which, by the way is not the very paragon of accuracy. In arias, where the temperature was approximately 20 C, it used to show between 22 C and 27 C; it seems that the accuracy of the thermometer depends on how close is the phone to the body.

 In the upper right corner of the display you can see the temperature.