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Nokia 5210

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View more pictures of the 5210.

With the 5210, Nokia offers a mobile phone for those who are "Dressed for Thrills". The Finnish PR machine targets the sporting public using the 5210, a handset that is protected against impact, dust and splashes.

High Resolution
The 5210 offers a high-resolution illuminated display. The legibility of characters on the four-line text display is one of the best we have seen.

The small dimensions and the weight of the 5210 are exemplary for a ruggedized phone. It tips the scales at just 90g, and has a thickness of 22.5mm. Nokia also attaches a cord and a loop, with allows the user to fasten the mobile onto the hand, for instance.

Added Protection
The shells of the 5210 are especially unique, coming apart at the center of the phone. Apart from the default orange, you can purchase additional Xpress-on covers. You can then mix and match covers, for instance mixing an orange top half with a blue bottom. This shell also protects the phone interior from lighter falls.

The water protection is adequate. Although you cannot bathe with it, exposure to normal rain should not be a problem. For added protection, the 5210 comes with rubber gaskets to prevent water from seeping into the accessory sockets.

One of the special functions of the 5210 is the thermometer. We found, however, that the thermomenter is not very accurate. In any case, the thermometer and other functions such as the stopwatch will probably not be very useful to most users.

Other Features
The Nokia 5210's phone memory is capable of storing up to to 250 names. In addition, up to 100 notes can be kept on the calendar. It also comes with 35 fixed and seven variable ringtones.

According to Nokia, the 5210 is capable of up to 3 hours 50 minutes of talktime as well as 170 hours on standby.

According to the Nokia official Web site, the 5210 measures 0.62 W/kg on Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) tests. According to the recommendations of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), this is well below the limit of 2.0 W/kg. You can find Nokia's documentation here.

The 5210 is currently available on the market for S$368--slightly pricey for a non-GPRS phone. A current StarHub promotion, however, puts the mobile at a bargain price of S$139.

Conclusion

With the 5210, Nokia provides a viable alternative to its usual 8210 and 8310 type of phones. Contrary to its predecessors, the 5210 is not targeted at the business user, but at the sporty one. However, the extras, specially aimed at the a young target audience, do not seem very useful.