Endless Wanderer

Nokia C7: A Cheaper alternative that isn’t cheap January 2, 2011

Posted by istaipen in Featured, Game & Gadget.
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Last Q4 of 2010, nokia released a set of smart phones powered with the latest symbian^3 OS, N8 is obviously the main phone in the release and is the most expensive in the group but to address the mid-range users who isn’t looking for or couldn’t afford the n8(like me), they released the more affordable, slightly trimmed-down phones, nokia C6-01 and C7. I got the C7 a few days ago(last year) and I will try to describe it as best as I can to provide a more informed choice before you consider buying one.

 

 

Specs Summary

The C7 is equipped with a 3.5″ AMOLED capacitive touch screen display without the clear black display technology found in the C6-01, an ARM 11 680 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM, 3D Graphics HW accelerator, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Accelerometer, 8 MP fixed-focus camera with LED flash(plus front VGA camera) and an 8GB internal memory(uses microSD card for additional space).

Physical design

The phone is made of high quality plastic and stainless steel. It feels pretty solid with a nice weight, I find it comfortable to hold in my hand, no loose or any hanging parts, I really like it’s simple yet elegant look. One annoying thing though is that the screen and the phone itself is very prone to finger prints and smudges so you will need to wipe it in between uses to keep it looking clean.

 

User experience

With the latest symbian^3 OS, the C7 operates smoothly with no visible lags even with a few apps running. You can customize up to three different home screens, each screen with your choice of shortcuts and widgets. The capacitive touch screen has a nice sensitivity responding well to every finger tap, I find it sufficient.

Connecting to your home wifi with the C7 is a breeze, once a valid connection is detected, you should be able to start browsing in seconds. However, the built-in browser is not as good as I imagined it would be, browsing with it is such a chore, not user-friendly and will need a bit of getting used to, fortunately I was able to get opera mini for free from the ovi store, it’s easier to use so I suggest getting that browser should you buy the C7. The youtube application works well and I enjoyed watching youtube videos with my C7.

Still Camera sucks!

Before I bought this phone, I already read a lot of other reviews from credible sites plus some other user feed backs and majority of them swore how the fixed-focus 8MP camera of the C7 sucks. During that time, I thought they just have high standards when it comes to the quality of the camera and I thought it should be fine for me. I was certain that an 8MP camera will never disappoint me, but after testing it out, pictures came out dull and poor. I was very disappointed with the camera considering it’s from a recently released phone. Pictures taken from my brother’s 5MP htc desire is light years ahead from the C7′s crappy camera.

The video recording is the redeeming factor of the C7′s camera. At 720p resolution and 25 fps, I was able to record an acceptable quality video.

Nice Music Player

Using a good quality headset, I was able to enjoy hours of great music with the C7. I find it satisfactory without any distortions or any unpleasant sound, I believe the C7 will also make a good music player on the go.

Overall

Overall, it’s a great phone for me, it’s a trimmed down version of the N8 but it was able to retain some important features. It has all the necessary modern features I need. I say it’s a good alternative for those who want to have a modern smartphone but couldn’t afford those nice android powered phones and the Iphone4 and even the nokia N8. The only disappointment I could say with this phone is the camera otherwise it’s a formidable phone.