Nokia C3-01

When my Nokia 5130 Expressmusic cellphone finally conked out, my beloved decided to give a Nokia C3-01 as her birthday present for me. I have a hint what her gift would be days prior to my birthday because she is asking the specs of the cellphone that I want (I answered “any cellphone as long as it has good camera”). What surprised me is that her gift is a silver Nokia C3-01.

Nokia C3-01 Specs

I wanted a cellphone that has a camera that I can use to capture photos for my blogs. My Nokia C3-01 has a 5 Megapixel camera with integrated flash. Nokia C3-01's camera can also take photos at 3.2 megapixels and 2 megapixels. The camera can also take photos in sepia tone or grayscale. C3-01's camera can also be used in taking videos.

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Sample photo taken by Nokia C3-01's camera.

Nokia C3-01 has a metal casing that can protect the cellphone's sensitive parts from a nasty fall. My C3-01 once fell at a height of about a meter but it still works fine thanks to its metal casing. Battery life of this cellphone can last for more than a day if you just use it for typing and sending text messages. Battery will not last a day if you are using it as an mp3 player or if you are making calls continuously.

Nokia C3-01 has 2.4” touch screen. I had a hard time using the touch screen at first because it is too sensitive to my fingers. This touch screen became a convenient way of navigating my cellphone after I got used to using it.

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Connectivity with Nokia C3-01

Nokia C3-01 has two modes that can be used to connect with other devices. This cellphone can also connect to the Internet through the “wireless local area network” (WLAN).

What I like about my Nokia C3-01 is that is can easily be accessed by the computer. It doesn't require special software like my old Nokia 5130 Expressmusic just to access the files stored inside the phone and the microSD. I can easily transfer picture and music files between my Nokia C3-01 and a computer using USB cable connection. The USB cable can also be used to transfer files between Nokia C3-01 and a USB memory stick or flash drive.

Nokia Ovi Suite software can also be used to access the files stored in Nokia C3-01 from your computer. Unfortunately, the installation CD for Nokia Ovi Suite is not included when you buy the Nokia C3-01.

Another way to connect Nokia C3-01 with other devices is through Bluetooh. This mode allows the wireless connection of Nokia C3-01 with computers, headsets, car kits and other cellphone.

I experienced using C3-01's WLAN functionality while I was inside an SM mall. SM Foodcourt has free WiFi, which I used to test my cellphone's WLAN. Nokia C3-01 uses Opera Mini as its browser. Surfing the net in Nokia C3-01 is easy as long as the WiFi connection is reliable.

Other Features of Nokia C3-01

Other useful features inside Nokia C3-01 are the Calendar and the Media Player. Calendar allows me to remember birthdays and special occasions. I also used this to remind me of my appointments and tasks that I need to do.

Nokia C3-01's media player can be used to play mp3 music files. This cellphone can also be used to listen to FM radio stations.

Other features available in Nokia C3-01 are the voice recorder that can also be used to record phone conversations. Games are also available in Nokia C3-01 and new games can be downloaded from Nokia Ovi Store.

My beloved gave me a good gift for my birthday. Nokia C3-01 has the camera that I need. It is lighter and more durable as compared to my old Nokia 5130 Expressmusic. All in all, Nokia C3-01 is a good phone for me.

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A Review of a Cheap Nokia Battery BP-5M

In a previous post, I gave out some tips on how to buy cell phone battery that may not be the original but cheap. In that post, I said that I bought a China-made Nokia Battery BP-5M after I discovered that the original Nokia Battery BP-5M is too expensive.

After 9 months of using my Nokia Battery BP-5M, maybe it is time for me to give out a review. The battery that I bought is the BP-5M battery that was made by Lim Hong. I bought the Nokia Battery BP-5M at a stall in SM so as to make sure that I will get a warranty if the battery that I bought malfunctioned.

The Lim Hong BP-5M battery functioned well since the time I bought it. That Nokia BP-5M Battery is not easily drained and can last for more than a day if I just use my cellular phone for sending text messages
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So far, my Lim Hong BP-5M battery is functioning well. Maybe the reason for this is because I make sure that I don’t overcharge it. I stop charging my cellular phone if I notice that the battery is already full.

Addendum:

July 24, 2011

I said in this review that my Lim Hong BP-5M battery is functioning well. However, this month I noticed some problems on my phone. My phone turn-off for no apparent reason. I am irritated each time that the phone turn-off suddenly while I am typing a text message. Sometimes my phone turn-off just seconds after I turned it on. I went to a technician to check the problem of my celphone. The technician said that the problem is my Lim Hong BP-5M battery. He said that Lim Hong is not a good brand. He told me to buy a battery with the brand name NYK.

If what the technician said is true then I can say that Lim Hong BP-5M battery is a failure. I will avoid buying any Lim Hong battery next time.

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MyPhone QT7 Duo

My brother brought home a new cellular phone courtesy of Sun Network. The new phone is the black-colored MyPhone QT7 Duo. According to MyPhone website, the QT7 Duo is a music phone with trackball. MyPhone QT7 Duo costs 2,990 pesos according to the MyPhone website.

MyPhone QT7 Duo has qwerty keypad and is a dual sim phone. The screen of MyPhone QT7 Duo is a 240 by 320 pixels 2.2 inches pixels QVGA screen. The phone can connect via bluetooth and USB. According to the MyPhone website, the battery of this phone can last 6 hours talk time and 270 hours standby time. MyPhone QT7 Duo has a card slot for microSD so it can be used in storing photo and music files, specifically MP3 files that can be played by the music player in the phone.

MyPhone QT7 Duo also has a 2 megapixels camera located on the back that can be used for taking photos and videos. The phone can also be used as sound recorder and FM radio. Other applications like alarm clock, calculator, e-book reader, calendar etc. that can be found on other phones are also present in MyPhone QT7 Duo.

Source: MyPhone website.

What's unique with MyPhone QT7 Duo or the MyPhone phones in general is that it contains the Pinoy App, which contains files that are distinctly Pinoy. What got my attention is the “My Faith” button inside the Pinoy App that contains prayers, the Rosary, Worship Songs, Mass Songs and other things that are related to the Christian Faith. This is unique because there are few companies out there that aren't afraid Faith in their products and MyPhone is one of those companies.

Other Applications available in MyPhone QT7 Duo is the App for Yahoo Messenger, Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, Twitter etc. However, I think that these Apps cannot be used because MyPhone QT7 Duo isn't WiFi enabled. You can only access the Internet through the expensive 3G and GPRS signal, which is not good considering that there are lots of phones out there that are WiFi enabled.

At a cost 2,990 pesos, I think that MyPhone QT7 Duo is not a bad buy. However, I believe that it would have been better if it is WiFi enabled.

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Buying Cellphone Batteries

When I bought my second-hand Nokia 5610, I discovered that its battery is bloated and it can’t recognize any microSD card. I went to Nokia Customer Care Center in SM City Manila and they said that the cause of my microSD card problem is the bloated cellphone battery that prevents the memory card from being locked to the phone. The technician said that the bloated cellphone battery is a sign that it is over-charged and may explode if not replaced soon. He suggested that I hut a new battery to fix my problems.

The price of the original battery for Nokia 5610 is about 1,200 pesos. That is too expensive for my budget so I tried to find some alternatives. I discovered that there many batteries for Nokia phones that are not original Nokia batteries but at a cheaper price.

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1. Ask Around or Do Some Canvass

I discovered about the alternative battery for my Nokia 5610 by doing a price a canvass. I asked visited different shops and asked for available cellphone batteries. They usually offer the original cellphone battery, the “class A” cellphone battery, and the Lim Hong cellphone battery. I asked about the warranties and the prices for each battery so I know what is the best deal for me.

2. Investigate Through the Internet

Before buying, I do some little investigation using the Internet so that I will what is the reaction of some people on the battery that I am choosing to buy. Reactions of other buyers are valuable in knowing if the cellphone battery that you will buy for your is reliable.

3. Buy from Legitimate Shops

There are street vendors who sell cellphone batteries. Avoid buying batteries from them because they do not give warranty to the products that you bought. If the battery is defective, then you will find it hard press them for a replacement. I bought my batteries from a shop inside the mall so that I could easily visit them if the battery for my Nokia 5610 is defective.

4.  Ask for Discounts

Buying from a shop inside a mall does not mean that you could not strike any discount. Ask for discount. I bought my Lim Hong cellphone battery with a discount of 100 pesos from the original price.

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Image of BP-5M cellphone battery from After Market Cellular.

Motorola W156

The Motorola W156 is the least of all my favorites when it comes to cellular phones that I ever set my hands upon. Overall, Motorola W156 is not that bad. However, I have some issues regarding this phone.

Specifications

Motorola WI56 is a bar type 2G phone with a black and white screen. It is designed to be durable, yet not bulky enough to create discomfort and unease inside your pocket. W156 is simple to use and do not have other add on features like am/fm radio or mp3 player. It also features Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology that helps deliver crystal clear voice quality in noisy environments.

Motorola W156 also brags a long battery life. That brag is not without basis since the phone can last for days if left idle. It also last long under continued use during texting and calling.
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Problems

My main problem with WI56 is its keypad, which is not embossed. The keypad set-up makes it hard for me to type my text messages. Oftentimes I hit the wrong key when typing my messages.

Another problem that I have is when I am typing my text messages, I have a hard time shifting from small letters to capital letters and vice versa. Unlike the phones from Nokia, you can only change a letter from small letter to capital letter (or vice versa) if it is highlighted by the cursor.

The Verdict

Motorola W156 is one of the most affordable Motorola phone in the market. However, I do not recommend this phone. It is better that you buy other phones from Motorola.
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