Life after 2G

Nokia C2-01 - more capabilities

The Nokia C2-01 has Internet connectivity and you can also shoot videos with it.
The Nokia C2-01 has Internet connectivity and you can also shoot videos with it. PHOTO: NOKIA

The revamped Nokia 3310 announced last month will not be sold in Singapore because it is a 2G phone. But the 3G-capable Nokia C2-01 is available at local stores for around $80 if you want a candy-bar feature phone.

It even has Internet connectivity via the General Packet Radio Service, or GPRS, standard. Browsing the Web using the built-in Opera Mini browser, however, is a test of patience, as Web pages load slowly. Be prepared to scroll constantly while reading because of the phone's small 2-inch (240 x 320 pixels) screen. Viewing angles are relatively poor compared with some of the other phones here.

Pressing the Menu option displays a grid of icons, each representing a feature. But the icons and their fonts are small. Besides English, it supports Malay, Tamil and Simplified Chinese.

While I would not recommend using them unless you really have to, the phone actually has a dedicated Facebook app, as well as an e-mail client.

The built-in music player is decent enough - it supports multiple formats like MP3 and WMA, as well as playlists. And it can sort your tracks by artist album and genre.

It has a 3.2-megapixel rear camera, unlike other feature phones that either lack one or have a crummy camera. You can even shoot videos, though the quality is akin to an animated GIF.

Photos can be saved to the phone's 64MB internal storage, microSD card (up to 16GB) or sent to other devices via Bluetooth.

Phone calls are clear and audible while the phone's ringtone is unmistakably loud.

For those who want a more capable feature phone, the Nokia C2-01, which cost me $78, is a pretty solid choice.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 29, 2017, with the headline Nokia C2-01 - more capabilities. Subscribe