Gone are the days when you went to the beach and feared that the sand would scratch your mobileÂ’s screen and the saltwater would damage the electronics. Handset manufacturers increasingly want their phones to accompany their owners everywhere and the competition is heating up with the simultaneous launches of the Nokia 5140 and Siemens M65.

The 5140 is a cosmetically uplifted, camera-implanted, reworked version of the rugged 5100 which made its debut last year. While the Finnish manufacturer has introduced several updates with its latest model, there's still room for more improvements.

Design
Stereotypically, when you hear of someone using a rugged handset, you think of something fat, clunky and ugly. We were therefore pleasantly surprised when we got hold of a violet-blue 5140. It is not only slimmer and lighter than its 5100 predecessor, but also light years ahead in terms of aesthetic appeal.

An uber sporty rubber-and-translucent plastic shell encases the interior electronics and provides excellent protection against the elements. The phone worked fine after being dunked in water, kept in the fridge overnight and dropped repeatedly. It would appear extremely difficult to damage the inner core of this handset with water as the battery is further protected by a water-resistant cover beneath the outer shell.

One of the biggest complaints about the 5100 is its jelly-like keys. Thankfully, the buttons on the 5140 are much improved and possess sufficient height and tactile feel.

Features
This handset utilizes the standard Series 40 interface which ensures snappy navigation and SMS. Unfortunately, it retains the 5100's dull 4,096-color display and offers flat-sounding 16-chord polyphony--both primitive by today’s standards.

Much more impressive are the numerous extra functions that Nokia has built into this device. The flashlight will prove invaluable in times of blackouts, and if you’re feeling bored, the decibel meter can be used to determine the winner of a shouting match. Alternatively if you’re feeling unwell, you can confirm it’s not just the weather by taking the ambient temperature via the digital thermometer. We found the thermometer to be inaccurate by approximately ±2°C and slow to respond to changes in surrounding temperature. However, we were surprised to discover that it could measure 0°C when it was dumped in ice.

Remember how we hypothesized that the next incarnation of the 5100 would come with a compass and toothpick? This Nokia does, indeed, come with a digital compass. Once calibrated, it does a decent job at pointing out the right direction and users can set a specific bearing to follow.

Perhaps the greatest draw of the 5140 would be its push-to- talk (PTT) capability. PTT turns cell phones into walkie-talkies by connecting to other mobiles without dialing. While not practical for day-to-day conversations as both parties cannot speak simultaneously, PTT is in huge demand by businesses ranging from construction to trucking in the US. It's still an uncertainty whether this new technology will take off locally as it will depend largely on the yet unannounced price plans and support by mobile operators.

Other features offered by this handset include a standard VGA camera with up to 1 minute of video recording capability, FM radio, fitness coach application and voice recorder.

Connectivity
The 5140 offers GPRS, WAP 2.0, and Java support, in addition to infrared connectivity. Users can sync this handset with a PC via a separately purchased data cable as well, but Bluetooth connectivity is absent.

Accessories, Reception, Battery Life And SAR
In line with the sporty theme, Nokia offers a generous accessories bundle which includes a thick rubber strap to wear the phone on your wrist, a water-resistant headset and a plastic carabineer-like device which houses a magnifying glass and whistle. That said, wearing the 5140 on your wrist looks ridiculous, feels uncomfortable and it’s impossible to answer a call without resorting to the loudspeaker.

There were no issues with reception or voice quality. The 760mAh battery achieved an outstanding duration of five days on moderate usage, which is sufficient for a camping expedition.

The highest Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value recorded for this model is 0.77W/kg, which meets international requirements concerning exposure to radio waves.

Conclusion
Choosing between the Nokia 5140 and its Siemens M65 rival can be tricky as both are equally rugged. The plus points of the Nokia are its mind-boggling array of features, generous accessories bundle and long battery life. Negative points include the outdated display and polyphony. In contrast, the larger and heavier M65 offers a more radiant 65K-color screen and 40-chord polyphony but lacks the bells and whistles.

The 5140 is available now at S$498 with a two-year plan and S$698 without contract. Had Nokia implemented a better display and audio output, this phone would have emerged a clear winner.