Introduction

Nokia had aesthetics in mind when it was designed the 7210. And the sleek curves, polyphonic ring tones, and a beautiful color screen is only the beginning. Add to that a software package that's one of the best we've seen, and you've got quite a phone.

Design

The 7210 is Nokia's answer to Sony Ericsson and Samsung's attack into the color phone market. Probably the first thing that catches your eye when you look at the Nokia 7210 is the unorthodox keypad layout. Eye pleasing as it might be, it poses some problems that will be discussed later. Once you get past the keypad, you'll notice its color display. With a 128 x 128 px resolution, it dwarfs the 101 x 80 px Sony Ericsson T68i. That means you get sharper images, and clearer text.

As a phone the Nokia 7210 is approximately the same size as the Sony Ericsson T68i, and slighting taller and wider than the 8310.

Screen

The 4096 color screen is one of the best we've seen. The 7210 has a resolution of 128 x 128 px. The display shows 5 lines of text and a service line. When messaging, 8 lines of text and 2 service lines are displayed due to scaling.

The screen is bright and clear in dim conditions. However in sunny weather, the screen becomes washed out. Ghosts have been a problem where you see residual images that fade out when the screen changes. But it isn't all that noticeable. Overall though, the screen is considerably better than the T68i screen. The resolution is higher and you can have bigger pictures as wallpaper.

Audio

Polyphonic ring tones are all the rage these days, and the 7210 definitely delivers. Ring tones are played through a speaker rather than an ordinary buzzer. This means you get improved sound quality for music, alerts, and games.

Proof of the better sound can be heard through the included FM headset. It needs to be plugged into the 7210 in order to access its menu. Once plugged in, its menu lets you present 20 channels or tune to stations. The excellent sound quality is in stereo, and the same headset can be used as a handsfree device.

One of our favorite feature is the loudspeaker mode. It's loud enough so people can hear you clearly while you're within 1 to 2 feet. After 2 feet you'll have to speak up a bit. The incoming voices are loud and clear too. It works great for talking in a moving car, or writing down from a call without having to hold the phone. Only works in quiet places.

Controls

The radical change in the keypad scheme is unusual to say the least. The designers broke convention and sacrificed comfort for aesthetics. The keypad tapers inwards from the top down. Thus, the bottom numbers are close together, and the top numbers are spaced widely apart. This may be uncomfortable for some, and others might get used to it and like its new look.

The Nokia 7210 is also equipped with a 4 direction keypad. While there's nothing bad with it, after using Sony Ericsson's 5 way jog dials, its hard to go back.

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