Entertainment

Besides the Music Player and FM Radio, the Nokia 5300 is lacks many entertainment features found on most mobile devices. Consumers can use the Media Player to view compatible streaming videos from a network server. But while the phone does support downloaded TV clips, the T-Mobile's multimedia services are arguably the weakest among the major carriers.

T-Mobile's shop that offers games, images, music and a 411 service, but its service lags behind AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon in integrating 3G multimedia such as streaming videos and over-the-air music purchases. Although T-Mobile offers music download direct to phone, buying music over the air would just be too slow.

Providing multimedia more geared towards 2G services, the 5300 XpressMusic is not well suited for consumers seeking robust video services.

Internet

Unfortunately the Nokia 5300 doesn't support fast transfer rates such as EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), but rather basic services which have modem-like transfer rates.

Despite the Internet connectivity issue, T-Mobile Web offers unlimited Internet usage, access to customized news and information and unlimited email for a monthly flat fee. The phone can also be used as a modem to connect a laptop or desktop computer to the Internet via the T-Mobile network. Offering GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) services, the 5300 falls behind current technological trends of moving towards 3G broadband connectivity.

Storage

While the 5300 has just 5.0 MB of internal storage, it comes with a 1 GB microSD card standard, and the possibility of using cards up to 2 GB in capacity. The card allows users to store music, pictures, ringtones and games.

Because it has a USB hookup, all files can be transferred from the phone to a computer and vice versa, and the card also makes transferring photos easily if a microSD card reader for a digital camera.

The phonebook can store hundreds of entries. Each entry has an option to add up to five phone numbers, email and Web addresses, notes, nickname, company, job title, street address and birthday. For added personalization, users can add photo ID, video, custom ringtones and group designations. The 5300 XpressMusic can store nine one-touch speed dial entries, including one preprogrammed entry for voicemail.

< Prev Next >

This article is Copyright 2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. and the review in part or in whole may NOT be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from Mobiledia. For information on reproducing any part of this review (or any images) please contact us.