Well, with the slew of nameless China-made dual SIM handsets with 3G, this may not be true for long. But among the big five names in mobile phones (i.e. Nokia, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung and LG), the new Nokia 2730 Classic could very well be the cheapest 3G mobile phone alright.
It’s Nokia’s latest budget entry level handset in its Classic line. Announced as early as May this year, Nokia has finally made the handset available starting this month at a SIM-free drop dead price of £79.99. With most of the networks carrying this, you could get if for free with a 9-12 month contract that’s light on the pocket as well. It’s a great phone for the kids so you can get in touch with them at school or on a field trip.
Versatility on a Budget
The handset is a quad band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and a dual band UMTS 900/2100 on the 3G with HSPA support for fast internet access speeds. The 2730 takes off with an updated feature set we have become familiar with the older 2720. As a budget phone, don’t expect this to get high marks on the features department. But for what it has, it does so admirably well.
Nokia puts in extra features that give the 2730 real useful value for its intended markets. Nokia has the prudence to deliver only the specs that matter most at this price range. There’s just a 2” QVGA TFT display supporting 256k colors that’s definitely what you expect in this price range. You get a simple 2.0 megapixel camera that supports QVGA video recording.
Internal memory is a meager 30MB but Nokia can squeeze in 1000 contact details that will tax even busy executives using higher priced phones. You also get microSD support for up to 2GB. The package comes with a 1GB TransFlash microSD which is good enough for all the MP3 files on road in a weekend camping.
The handset won’t be complete without multimedia features that start with a decent 2.0 megapixel camera that support QVGA video recording. There’s no secondary camera though even if the handset support 3G calls.
Its upgraded feature set include a microUSB 2.0 port for fast data transfers and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for using wireless Bluetooth stereo headphones in a addition to a 3.5mm headphone jack for your favourite high fidelity headsets.
Like its 2720 predecessor, the new 2730 Classic carries the same Nokia Life Tools that include Ovi mail for fast and easy mobile emailing experience. It also come bundled with Ovi application, support for Windows Live Messenger and Nokia maps that further expand the handset’s versatility on a budget.
Stand-Out Features
There is one feature that puts the Nokia 2730 Classic above the rest of budget phones flooding the market. It’s got an impressive battery life from its standard BL-5C Lithium-Ion battery. You get 7 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 3.3 hours on 3G. Standby time is a lone 17 hours and you can enjoy 12 hours of uninterrupted mp3 music listening on a single charge. This, together with its 3G capability, makes the 2730 classic a real workhorse for the masses without even feeling a pinch in the wallet.
Nokia 2730 Classic Links:
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