racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

When LG launched its KU250 three years ago, their marketing mantra was 3G for the masses. True enough, 3G-enabled phones were quite expensive back then. The KU250 phone aimed to break this barrier by offering a phone that could be used for mobile browsing and also computer-tethering (connecting the phone as a 3G modem) for just above PhP 6,000.

Fast forward to 2010, mobile manufacturers have realized that social networking applications are the killer apps for mobile, and that WiFi has become commonplace, even in developing countries. And so, Nokia has come up with the C3, somewhat a lesser-featured sibling of the E72 and E63.

The Nokia C3‘s biggest highlights are the QWERTY keyboard and WiFi connectivity. An additional feature would be the built-in social media applications, which enable mobile use of FaceBook, Twitter, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Google Talk and Yahoo! IM, among others. This makes it easier (and cheaper) for mobile netizens to manage their online presence and communicate.

Perhaps the best feature of the Nokia C3 is its price. Nokia announced it at about 90 Euros in February, 2010. Locally, it’s available at official retailers at PhP 7,290. Nokia ran a one-day promo that gave buyers a PhP1,000 discount last July 31. At PhP 6,290 for a WiFi-enabled Nokia phone with QWERTY, the promo sent people lining up for their C3 at retailers, even up to closing time. The promo seems to be a success.

My only gripe with the Nokia C3 is that it runs on the Symbian Series 40 (or S40) platform, instead of my favorite S60 platform. This means that the installable applications will be a bit more limited than if it were running S60 or even S90.

Still, with a price like that, the C3 gives more users the opportunity to stay connected through more means, in this case WiFi. Dubbed “Blackberry for kids,” The Nokia C30 is sure to be a hit with mobile phone users who want a shift from the usual candybard with numeric-keypad form factor, or those who prefer a physical QWERTY keyboard to a soft on-screen keyboard like those on the iPhone and Android phones.

Find more of the latest mobile phone reviews at the Dialaphone website.

I’ve been using my Nokia E51′s browser extensively since I acquired the phone a few months back. It lets me check emails, post blog entries, and even read my feeds while mobile. I can do this both thru WiFi hotspots or even via 3G/GPRS. My old LG had a browser, too, but the phone was simply too, well, simple for my growing needs. I installed Opera Mini on the LG and it made a big difference in terms of functionality.

And so having grown quite bored of the same old Nokia browser I use everyday, I decided to install Opera Mini. The diminuitive browser is well-praised for its speed and ability to render pages nicely on small screens.

However, I do have issues with speed. I don’t know if it’s a limitation on the part of my phone, or the software itself. Frankly, I find that Nokia’s built-in browser is just faster in most cases. From startup, to loading pages, to the general responsiveness of the interface.

I guess this is how it is with built-in software vs. add-ons.

Am I alone here?

Posting from my Smartphone using Scribe.

Last I wrote about mobile phones it was about my Nokia 1112 (which I reviewed here), the basic but decent mobile phone I’ve been using for almost a year now. Looks like I’m not alone in opting for basic, no-frills phones. Jeremy Wagstaff writes of a recent experience one Loose Wire.

The Nokia 1100, according to Wikipedia, is the world’s best selling handset, having shifted 200 million units. It seems to cost about $20, often less, and has a battery life of about 400 hours. And, crucially for my friend, sports two important features: It makes and receives calls and SMS. Beyond that, in the words of Bryan Ferry, there’s nothing. (Well, actually there’s WAP, but who uses that?)

The point about the Nokia 1100 is that it’s a phone. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else (except a flashlight, if you press and hold the “c” key down (presumably “c” stands for torCh or flasChlight or “come into the light where I can see you, Mildred”.) It’s designed for conditions in developing countries — dustproof keyboard, non-slip sides — but for many of us that could describe an ordinary day in the office (dusty, slippery, in need of illumination).

For my PIM and mobile Internet needs, I use my laptop!

Nokia has recalled BL-5C batteries made by Matsushita due to risk of overheating or even explosion (which is not really unique to Nokia batteries, but is a risk when using Lithium Ion batteries). I immediately checked my phone’s battery when I read the Nokia press release. It’s a BL-5CA. Close enough, I thought, so I decided to check the serial number against the Nokia database.

Thankfully, this is the message I got:

Your battery is not among those manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006 and your battery will not be replaced.

Downside: I don’t get a new battery.

Upside: I can be confident I won’t burn my hands, ears or some other part of my body when using the phone.