Mar 18, 2001 06:56 AM
4803 Views
Sometimes a company finds a groove, and frankly I think Nokia is one of those companies. No other company's phones even compare to the quality of Nokia's any more- they have certainly set a standard.
The striking brushed aluminum style case, black and chrome trim and chrome buttons bely the actual functionality of this little phone by stuffing in more style than I've ever seen in a mobile phone.
Once you pick your jaw up off the floor after seeing its size, you start to notice the features. An active keypad cover slide can be used to answer or hang up a call (I find that brillint because it is very difficult to press the answer buttoin in time)- It does take you a bit of time to get used to the mini- keyboard, but when you do it is a joy to work with, and is the envy of all your friends.
The battery life is superb, and it has not run out on me when I need to make an important call, yet. 2 days without charging and talking a half hour or so a day proves the general durability of the battery. I can hardly run the battery down to half its capacity, which in my opinion is the best measure of a phone's usefulness. As usual Nokia is smart enough to include a Lithium Ion battery on its higher end phones, and that's the true sign of a company that knows the score.
The phone features Nokia's brilliantly simple pseudo GUI menu system, which is so easy to navigate you'll be setting the phone up exactly to your liking immediately. Common sense headers include Messages, Settings, Games, Clock, Calendar, Infrared, etc. If you don't know what options a menu contains, just leave the menu name on the screen. Within a few seconds, the menu's description will appear on the screen to describe the functions contained within.
The backlight is a little weird... The screen turns purple and the lighting is almost blue. It's hard to describe, but when you see it you'll either love it or hate it, but I don't imagine there's any in between with it. It is certainly original in this area though, what other phones have a background which is purple?
A vibrating call alert means you won't disturb others, although there are so many ringer options built in you can probably find a ringer that won't offend as well. I've always found that vibrators can be a little hard to feel in cellular phones, but your opinion on them may vary.
The only problem is the size, which is particularly annoying when playing snake, but the size is also an asset in that you can easily fit it into your pocket. It is however very easy to put it down and forget about it, it is that small. (oh and the small matter of the price)
Overall it to say that the road to excess is paved with Nokia 8890's. A fabulous phone, a luxury-item price, and more features than you'll ever need make this phone a definite keeper. It is the best phone on the market at the moment without a doubt.
