Diaries of a Nokia Fan Boy

Finally, an announcement from Nokia that wasn’t first leaked by Eldar. The cheap version of the 5230 might be exactly what the doctor ordered for those looking for a touch-screen phone on-the-budget. However there are a couple things to consider:

1. Specification differences
2. Lack of XpressMusic moniker
3. Speed of post-release price drop

Specification Differences:
Now, we all know that its not necessarily the specifications that make the phone, however in this case they do have some implications. See here for a full list of specification differences, but here are some of the highlights:

• Identical screen size and resolution
• Identical body size, but 6g heavier
• Less internal storage (and RAM also?)
• microSD card slot, no included memory card
• Similar connectivity, however no WiFi
• Both have GPS and include Nokia Maps 2
• 2MP Camera w/out flash (vs. 3.2MP with flash)
• No TV-out
• Identical battery, but shorter talk time
• Unknown: CPU, RAM

As you can see, the specifications are nearly identical, however there are a couple key differences: lack of WiFi, cheaper camera without a flash, no TV-out. Of course if you, like me, have a good data plan, you do not need WiFi. And the 3.2MP camera was never sufficient anyway, so the downgrade there isn’t a big deal either. And the TV-out functionality was not on a priority list, so that too will not be missed. Besides that, the specifications are so similar that I would almost suggest buying the 5230.

Lack of XpressMusic moniker
And if it wasn’t for this point, I would, without question, go out and buy this device. However this is a bit of a sore point for me. Since I enjoy listening to music on my phone (I don’t have a dedicated MP3 player), audio quality is important to me, and I fear that the lack of the the XpressMusic moniker will be this device’s demise in the audio department. Of course, I’m not prejudiced, this is simply my belief, and I hope that the good people at GSMArena put the phone through its paces and compare the audio quality of the two phones (the other being the 5800 XpressMusic).

Until such a time as a good comparison can be made, the only speculation I can have on the audio quality is that it must be at least decent with the option of inclusion of the Comes With Music service as one purchase option.

Speed of post-release price drop
Just like with the 5530 XpressMusic, the device’s success will lie in its price point. If I was to check the prices right now, I would see that the 5530 XM is either more expensive than the 5800 XM (Plemix – 5530 @ $415 CAD, 5800 @ $359 CAD), or is only marginally cheaper (Mobile604 – 5530 @ $365 CAD, 5800 @ $369 CAD). And that does not bode well seeing as how the 5800 XM is actually the superior device. Of course, the 5530 XM is still dropping price, and much in the same way I expect the 5230 to come out at a slightly heightened price point, and then quickly drop in the following 1-2 months.

The expected price of the 5230 (without Comes With Music) is 149 Euro ($230 CAD), which does not leave a lot of room for the price to drop. Which makes me question will the phone enter the market at something closer to $400 CAD and then drop to its expected price, or will it enter at its expected price and only slightly drop? Really, either one is satisfactory, however I would not pay more than $250 CAD for the phone.

Nokia 5230 Colors

Conclusion
So what is the conclusion of this rather long rant? While the spec differences are of little consequence, it is the missing XpressMusic moniker that may be the demise of this little phone. But of course everything depends on price, and as such, we will have to wait and see when it comes out. As for now, check out the video below:

-Nokia FanBoy

via: press release
and: Engadget (read)

So Nokia released a new version of the 5800 XpressMusic – Navigation Edition. It appears that the software is all the same, its just a touchscreen, XpressMusic version of the 6710 Navigator. Comparing to the 5800 XpressMusic, the phone appears to be identical with a couple differences in what’s included in the package:

• Regional maps
• Lifetime pedestrian and vehicle voice-guided navigation licenses
• Car mount and car charger in retail package

So really its the same phone with a different color variation, included license, and some extra plastic for an extra $110 USD ($299 for XpressMusic and €285 or about $410 for Navigation Edition). It appears that the firmware version is the same, and the piece of plastic being available on eBay for $10, we’re really getting the license for about $100 USD. We can take a look at the Nokia website, and we find that the license for North America is €50, or $70 USD, per annum. Assuming that the license is transferable to other phones and includes future versions of Nokia Maps software and maps, this is actually quite a deal. Especially if we consider that dedicated GPS systems don’t come with maps upgrades!

But of course we have to ask ourselves if its really worth it. That is, is the application itself worth the license in the first place. There is Google Maps that is available for free (and indeed, Nokia Maps is free too so long as you don’t want guidance). There is also Garmin Mobile, and hopefully TomTom will release a new version of their software eventually which would work with touch screen devices and integrated GPS chips. To be honest, I think that TomTom is currently the best GPS guidance software out there. I had a chance to directly compare it to Garmin and Nokia on my E60 and N95, and out of the trio, TomTom came out the clear winner. The software was able to give me directions at the exact time I needed them (Garmin was a bit late), and when I made a wrong turn the recalculations took only 1-3 seconds. Also, Garmin likes to take me through small streets with speed bumps which does not make the trip any faster, and TomTom always takes the larger streets first and ends up getting me to my destination via the faster routes.

While I wasn’t able to compare Nokia Maps based on driving instructions, I was able to compare the maps themselves, and again, TomTom came out on top. The maps were easier to read, loaded faster, and seemed to provide more information without cluttering the screen. The interface on TomTom was much more intuitive and took a lot less time to get used to. And the last, but very important point – TomTom just seemed to load faster than the other two. And when you’re trying to figure out where to go, that matters.

Of course, I have to give it to Nokia Maps, they did develop arguably the first GPS system for navigating during walking. In that case voice guidance is not really required, as there is no traffic to keep your eye on. And the fact that the maps include pedestrian streets and walkways is also quite important. However I have not used that part of the software in a long time and so I’m not sure just how good it is in the North American cities.

So to conclude this: Nokia released a new device, its a great value, but you have to be sure that you want it.

-Nokia FanBoy

press release
via: Engadget (read)