Nokia 7280 review: A toy for the rich

Environment and operation

Holding the phone in a horizontal positions influences the operating mode and display's picture. When the phone is in an emergency mode a slope indicating the signal intensity is placed in the left edge of the display. In the second third of the display counted from left to right there is a similar slope indicating the accumulator's state. In between them the mobile-operator's name is viewed. The clock is situated in the right upper corner. Right from the battery state's indicator the context keys' names and the functions of the confirming middle key are situated. The font size on the display and especially the names of the context keys are quite small.

Tip: If the pictures on the display seem too small to you, just click on them and they will appear in a bigger size.

Emergency display mode on the different background • an example of animated screen savers

Keys can be locked (protection from unwilling pressing) by first pressing the middle key followed by the green one. The same keys and process are used when unlocking.

The bottom context key is as a standard meant to let you into the address book. However you can choose another function as well. By pressing the upper key the list of the most used functions opens and you can choose or organize functions from here. You can choose out of 38 functions to put onto the list. Nokia also enables you to handle instructions by using your voice, which makes searching much quicker. To activate the voice order press and hold for a while the bottom context key. There are not many functions to choose from when giving voice orders though. Hence you can only choose out of profiles, mailbox calling, activating the radio and infrared port devices, sending voice message and making call statements. An acoustic device measuring the state of the network cover or the battery is one of those functions. I don't really get the sense of it though. For example, by using voice order you choose to find out what the battery's state is. After a short time the phone silently gives you as many knockings as full fields there are to be graphically seen on the display.

Setup of the menu for quick search of functions

The main menu has one possible picture mode only - using big icons with text description placed in the left part of the display. The right part is reserved for the description of the keys' functions. After entering into one of the sections, two lines with additional menu appear. Small letters in the bottom part of each line then describe the current function's setting if any.

Full Main Menu

The menu offers you several color schemes to choose from. They are all well designed and together with colors to accompany the almighty grey they also change the menu background. Of course, you can always change your display's wallpaper. However it should not be too dark for otherwise you won't be able to see the black descriptive text. Wallpaper along with ringer tones and animated screensaver can be changed by using the file called Themes. The phone itself contains five themes, but more should soon be waiting for you on the Nokia's website.

Color schemes • an example of icon coloring according to the scheme

All Nokia telephones of the Series 40 are famous for their fast and excellent response. Nor does the new 7280 model make you wait. We will take a closer look at the phone's camera a little bit later.

The secret when dialing numbers

While ringing the phone gives out relatively loud tones. If you cover its slot though, you won't hear a single sound. The slot is clearly a miniature speaker and underlines the bass timbre which explains why it is almost closed. If you close it completely, air cannot ventilate and the sound gets utterly deadened. If that happens to you unwillingly - let's say when carrying the phone in your pocket - you may miss calls.

On the other hand the sound reproducing is at a very high level. The phone can perform 40-voice melodies or any record in the MP3 or AAC format. The melodies are mostly jazzy, but likable as well. You can either deny accepting a phone call or simply deaden its sound. The ringer melodies can be accompanied by light effects and vibration - both of which are quite weak though.

Theme menu • Light effects' functions • Choosing a profile

When making calls you can regulate the ear-phone's volume by scrolling the operating button even though I do not see any sense in having to first press the bottom context key. You can set up your call to be loudly heard and you can record up to 3 minutes of conversation.

If you go for making a call you will immediately come across an interesting problem - how to dial the number? It is necessary to either press and hold the confirming middle area of the operating button or choose the file "Number record" in the main menu. At the bottom of the display a line will appear containing all characters available on a classic phone keypad and you can start dialing by scrolling the operating button. If you make a mistake and would like to go several characters back, simply find the green icon with a two-way dart, which switches between the record mode and the cursor movements.

Dialing numbers • Context menu for dealing with numbers

Searching for every number by using the scroll button surely takes more time than simply writing them on a keypad, but it was not that bad as I had expected it to be. The biggest problem for me turned out to be stopping on the chosen character on time. Most of the time I would have to go several steps back.

The address book is essentially the same as in the rest of the Nokia Series 40 high class phones. It takes in up to one thousand entries, each of them capable of recording 5 different numbers, e-mail, web and post address, a short note and a picture. A special ringer tone could be only set up within different groups, in which you can further place your contacts.

Searching in the list

When viewing the address list you can choose out of four display types: four simple lines with names only, double lines with a name and a main number, one line with a name for customers with weaker sight and finally a double line with a name and attached picture. The picture's functions are quite limited - when the phone rings it only appears as a miniature in the right bottom corner of the display. Hence the face of the person related is basically unrecognizable.

Contact details • groups

The absence of a proper keypad makes the searching in the address book quite specific. Similar to the dialing numbers process here once again the whole alphabet comes out in the bottom line and by scrolling the operating button you choose the first character of the searched name. Unfortunately, it is not possible to choose more characters in a row. Therefore your name search has a chance to stay clear and organized only if you gradually choose single names by using the scroll button and your address book is not utterly full. You need to also cancel the choosing line by pressing the bottom context key.

The quickest possible way to dial a number in the new Nokia is therefore the voice order. Simply press and hold the bottom context key and pronounce a name. The phone recognizes names very precisely. It gets confused with very short and very similar names only. I am sure you will appreciate the voice order especially when driving. The only device necessary is a connected handsfree, which is delivered with the original box.

Missed calls alarm • Picture of the person calling