Nokia 5310 Cell Phone Review - Value & Comparisons
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Marianne Schultz Published on September 23, 2008 Comment on this |
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Value (7.5)
The Nokia 5310 costs just $49.99 after an instant $150 discount and with a 2-year contract when purchased online. It comes with more accessories than we typically see these days, which we really like. The LG Chocolate 3, another music-oriented phone, has more internal storage and can take advantage of Verizon's high-speed data network, and it costs $99.99. But just $49.99 for an ultra-compact phone that can double as your digital music player is hard to beat, and we think that the Nokia 5310 is a good value for what it offers.
LG Chocolate 3 - We were disappointed with the change in the Chocolate 3's form factor from the slider of its predecessors to a plain-Jane flip phone, but it has 1GB of internal storage and can use Verizon's high-speed EVDO data network. It doesn't have the greatest camera, but its music player and controls are pretty darn good. Verizon also has its VCAST service that allows music purchasing and downloading over-the-air, which T-Mobile does not. If you want that kind of easy, though pricey, access to music and video content, the Chocolate 3 is a good choice for you.
Apple iPhone 3G - The iPhone received a lot of media hype for both its first-generation version and the latest 3G model. Most consider it an amazing device that has influenced the cell phone industry looking at all of the multimedia touchscreen smartphones that have been released or are forthcoming as its competitors. It does an excellent job with music and video, packs in a ton of internal storage, and its interface is intuitive and pleasant to use compared to the UI's of so many other clunky operating systems out there. But it comes with a relatively high price tag, both for the device itself and the monthly voice and data plan. This is a worthy alternative if you want the ultimate multimedia experience with your cell phone.
Sony Ericsson z750a - At the time of this review, the z750a is being offered for $49.99 with a 2-year contract when purchased online from AT&T. It has good music player software and similar organizer functionality to the Nokia 5310. It is a 3G-capable phone, so if you're interested in fast web-browsing, the z750a will trounce the Nokia 5310 with its slower EDGE/GPRS connectivity and will be a better choice for you.
Samsung M520 - The Samsung is currently being offered for $49.99 after a mail-in rebate from Sprint with a 2-year contract. Its camera performs even worse than the Nokia 5310's, though it does offer GPS, something the 5310 does not have. It's not as tiny as compact as the 5310, so it will be a viable alternative at the same price on Sprint's CDMA network for those who want a phone that's not tiny enough to feel like a toy.
Samsung Beat - The Beat is another entry-level music-player phone offered by T-Mobile, and it's currently free with a 2-year contract when purchased online. It's not spectacular and is pretty comparable to the 5310 in terms of its feature set. Free is hard to beat, though (no pun intended) - we like paying $0 over $49 any day, making the Beat a compelling alternative on T-Mobile's network.
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