Introduction
Although the Nokia X5-01 looks a bit awkward at first, having a unique square shape amidst a sea of bar-shaped phones, it certainly is not a “square” phone when it comes to its features. It mainly appeals to individuals who are young at heart since its best features would be its messaging and music-playing capabilities but it has several other features that make it a compact yet capable device. If you are thinking whether or not this smartphone is for you, read on for a review.
Contents of the Box
The Nokia X5-01 comes with the basic hardware including a charger, a one-piece headset, a short microUSB cable and a 2GB microSD card. They are nothing out of the ordinary and for those who are hoping to get the more compact variety of charger, the big charger that comes with it could be a bit disappointing. The best thing in the package aside from the phone itself would probably be the 2GB microSD card.
Design and Construction
Aside from having a unique square shape, the Nokia X5-01 can also be categorized as a compact device. With the face measuring just 74.3 mm by 66.4 mm, it certainly is smaller compared to other smartphones; however, it might not be as easy to fit into tight pockets as it has a thickness of 16.9 mm.
Its front side has the earpiece and the 2.36-inch screen with a 256K color display of 320 by 240 pixels. Below the display, there is a softkey panel which has two softkeys, a five-way scroll key or the D-pad, call begin and call-end buttons, and dedicated media play and homescreen buttons. When you slide up the display panel, there is a full QWERTY keyboard to allow you to type with ease. The 5 megapixel camera that comes with an auto exposure flash is at the back; and the volume control buttons can be found at the right side of the phone.
The design and construction of the phone is pretty much ordinary and is quite simple and easy to use, making it perfect for those who are looking for a simple yet capable device. It is available in various colors including Pink, Graphite Black, Azure, Purple and Yellow Green, so you should be able to choose one that would fit your personality.
User Interface
The user interface of the Nokia X5-01 is based on the Symbian OS 9.3 S60 v3.2. If you are used to working with Symbian S60 phones, then this phone would definitely be a comfortable device to use. It has an Active Standby homescreen which can be configured using various layouts to display the specific shortcuts that you need.
Features
The Nokia X5-01 handles all of the common message types including SMS, MMS and email. Aside from these, it can also support the Microsoft Office Communicator and the popular social networking platforms such as Facebook. Twitter and MySpace. When sending email messages, it can support attachments, signatures and most of the typical things that you need when sending emails. It even has an installed document viewer, allowing you to view attached office files.
It comes with an impressive music player, which is the same one that is found in other X Series devices. It can either be accessed through the main menu, the homescreen shortcut or the dedicated hardware music key. The player supports the common audio formats including MP3, AAC, WMA and eAAC+. The audio quality is also great, as it not just one of the loudest handsets so far, but also offers one of the cleanest outputs. Aside from this, the phone also has a standard 3.5mm audio jack, so you can easily use your favorite earphones or headphones with it.
Some of the other noteworthy features of the Nokia X5-01 include: a 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera that can take good quality pictures; a stereo FM radio with RDS; and USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS and EDGE connectivity.
Performance
As far as performance goes, the Nokia X5-01 is good. It is powered by a 600MHz processor with 256MB RAM, which is actually more than enough for a Symbian phone, so you should not have any problem going through the menus and the different applications. Also, because it does not come with a GPS feature, its battery can last for up to 384 hours on stand-by. It can last for up to 5 hours on calls and up to 3 to 4 hours on 3G. If you are planning to use it as a music player, it can last for up to 24 hours playing your favorite music.
The Verdict
Overall, the Nokia X5-01 would not amaze you with endless features; however, if you are in the market for a unique and stylish smartphone that is geared towards messaging, music-playing and social networking, then it is definitely one of the best devices that you can get.
Contents of the Box: 3.5 out of 5
Design and Construction: 4 out of 5
User Interface: 4 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3.7 out of 5
