You’ve been using a touch screen for years now and suddenly you received a candybar phone from someone – what would you likely do first to the screen? You will probably find yourself touching it; or worse, you will be doing a pinch-to-zoom screen gesture. Super wrong, if not an awkward experience, right? But not on Nokia’s latest phones – the Nokia C3-01 and the Nokia X3-02. The phones are not sequels to superhero movies, but innovative variants of the C3 and the X3 phones.
Last October 2010, I attended Nokia’s exclusive launch of the ‘Touch and Type’ phones at Myron’s Place at Greenbelt 5. Mike Smith, Nokia Philippines’ portfolio device manager, and Nikka Abes, Nokia Philippines’ Corporate Communications Manager unveiled the devices and proudly briefed everyone about the features of the new phones.
Quick Impressions
Just a simple primer before we proceed to my quick impressions. Nokia names their product quite differently. You will notice that in I blogged about the Nokia C3 – and why am I blogging about ‘it’ again this time?
Nokia basically has different series phones, which cater to different niches and markets. For instance, C-series phones are for casual mobile phone users and/or positioned as phone for the masses; X-series are positioned as multimedia/music-oriented phones; E-series are for businessmen; and N-series are primarily catered to the geekier market.
Each series has different products, and each product has different device variants. For instance, C-series phones have C2 (not the iced tea), C6 and the C3; C3, moreover, has different device variants like the C3-00 (the original C3 that I blogged last August) and the C3-01. Now, shall we proceed?
Nokia C3-01
I was blown away by the Nokia C3 when I reviewed it last August. Its price – probably around 4,500 – 6,500 now – is one of the winning factors of the device along with the built-in Wifi and being the first Series-40 with qwerty keyboard.
This time, Nokia C3’s younger brother, the Nokia C3-01 is offering yet another round of innovations – a touch screen, T9 physical keypads and stainless steel finish. Dubbed as ‘Touch and Type’, this new variant of the C3 allows you to easily access menus, play games, edit data and become socially connected through the 2.4 inch, QVGA, resistive touch screen. This feature basically makes the C3-01 one of the first two Series-40 touchscreen phones.
Meanwhile, Nokia C3-01’s look and stainless steel finish makes it look expensive. Since this is a C-series phone, it pretty much suits the casual mobile phone users and fits their budget perfectly at a PhP9,770 price tag.
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Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type specs and features:
- WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/d/g/n
- Nokia Messaging 3.0
- Facebook and Twitter access
- 3.5mm headset jack
- Bluetooth 2.1
- Music player
- FM radio with RDS
- 5MP camera with flash and video recording
- 30MB on-board memory
- MicroSD card support up top 32GB
- 111 x 47.5 x 11 mm
- 100 grams
- 3 colors: Silver, Dark Gray, Khaki Gold (see pictures below)
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Nokia C3-01 Pictures and Video (more demo videos will be added soon)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM_5ayq3124[/youtube]
Nokia X3-02
Just like the X6, the X3 and the China-exclusive X3-01, the Nokia X3-02 is a music oriented phone. It is your cheaper alternative to the Nokia X6, but it is packed with two main features like the 2.4 inch, QVGA Touchscreen (just like the C3-01) and a 5-megapixel camera. The latter is a significant upgrade to the 3.2 megapixel camera of the X3-00 and the X3-01.
What about the winning factor of this device? Beside the loud speakers, 5-megapixel camera and responsive resistive touch screen, the Nokia X3-01’s SRP is truly heaven-sent…. drum roll please…Php8,560 only! It is also available through Globe Telecom free for Plan 999. You also have the option of buying the device at PhP 8,560 and get free 5 days of Globe SUPERSURF.
I’ll be posting my comprehensive review of the Nokia X3-02 in the first week of November 2010. Be sure to check my website often so you won’t miss it. Like Gadget Pilipinas on Facebook too so you can receive updates via your Facebook Wall.
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The X3-02 is only 9.6 mm thick and features:
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900
- WCDMA/HSPA 850/900/1900/2100
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Facebook and Twitter integration
- Bluetooth 2.1
- 3.5mm headset jack
- Stereo FM radio with RD
- 5MP camera with video recording
- MicroSD card support (up to 16GB)
- brushed aluminum cover
- Colors: Dark Metal White (see pictures below), Pink, Lilac and Blue
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Nokia X3-02 Pictures and Video (more demo videos will be added soon)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm3jlk5x8k0[/youtube]
Nokia C3-01 and Nokia X3-02 Compared
Full Press Releases (Expand to read more):
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Nokia introduces ‘Touch and Type’ design with new Nokia X3 and Nokia C3
The best of both worlds – touchscreen and keypad – all in one device
Manila, Philippines – Nokia has announced the availability of its latest handsets – the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 – which boast of a unique combination of a touchscreen and traditional 12-button phone keypad. Nokia’s affordable “Touch and Type” phones allow you to tap quickly on the touchscreen, as well as enjoy the familiarity of the full keypad for quickfire text messages and phone calls.
“Innovation is not just a high-end game. The Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 devices are both great examples of bringing new consumer value to lower price points,” said Benoit Nalin, General Manager of Nokia Philippines.
“With the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 we are giving young consumers the best of both worlds by combining a touchscreen and a keypad in one device. We made the screen larger with clear icons and menus plus kept critical keys such as the send and end keys,” he said.
“We have designed the Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 to be touch and type devices because typing is ideal for SMS and social networking where fast and frequent input is needed, while touch is ideal for functions such as setting alarms, smooth browsing and controlling applications like music and games,” continued Nalin.
Nalin added that Nokia’s research revealed that consumers who have invested years in becoming fast one-handed, one-thumb texters want to maintain their speedy edge for SMS, chat and instant messaging – yet enjoy the benefits of touch as well.
Nokia X3-02 has a sleek and modern design coming in at a very thin 9.6mm – making it one of the slimmest Nokia phones ever. It slips easily into the purse or the pocket, and looks the part with its brushed aluminum back cover which comes in five vibrant colors designed to suit any mood or wardrobe – dark metal, silver white, pink, lilac and blue.
Despite its size, the Nokia X3-02 is jampacked with features that include 3G, WLAN, music player and FM radio. Lovers of the snapshot and social networks will enjoy a great 5-megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom that can take both still and video images. This sleek handset also features dedicated music and messaging keys to allow instant connection to important Ovi services including social and entertainment applications. In addition to Ovi Mail, your favorite consumer email and chat accounts can be pushed direct to the phone via Nokia Messaging. With a gentle glide over the Nokia X3-02’s touchscreen, you can go online and get access to many services including hundreds of apps from the Ovi Store that can be stored on the available 16GB memory card.
The Nokia C3-01, on the other hand, is an affordable design classic that features a full stainless steel body and a 2.4-inch QVGA display that boasts of up to 262k colors. Perfect for the fashion-savvy techie, this stylishly modern device offers a classic yet contemporary feel, thanks to the classically colored cover that comes in warm gray, silver and khaki gold.
The timeless beauty of this Touch and Type device is complemented by a host of great features that include 3G, WLAN, music player, FM radio, and a 5-megapixel camera with flash. It also lets users connect quickly to email and instant messaging and allows them to tune the device for apps, themes or games of their choice from the Ovi Store with an easy touch. Posting and sharing on Facebook and Twitter is also a breeze with the Communities client. It also supports up to 32GB memory card.
The Nokia X3-02 and Nokia C3-01 are affordably priced at P8,999 and P9,770, respectively and are now available in Nokia stores nationwide.
For high-res product photos visit www.nokia.com/press/media_resources/photos
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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
