Hey people!
I know its been a little late for 3100 review. But I feel this could be helpful to those who are planning to buy new mobile under an economic range!
Without going into the facts and figures of this beautiful handset (you can find them on https://nokia.co.in), I would break the ice with the practical aspects of the phone to bring out the real picture.
Screen: Though the screen is 128*128 pixels with 4098 colors, yet its very bright and saturated. 3100 screen is many times better than 6610, 6610i, 6100, 6220 screens. The colors are vibrant and mix well with each other. You can, however, adjust the brightness as per your requirements. Text displayed on screen is very sharp!
Sounds: The listening sound is very clear and loud. Bet me, you can hear even whispers in a noisy market... and also at weak reception areas. Same implies for the ringtone volume. Believe me, its one of the loudest nokia polyphonic phones (6230 is another one)! The ringtones are extremely lound and you can’t miss them anywhere, even if you dont have your vibrator on. The quality of ringtones is average ($ polyphony), but, the quality of speaker is excellent. This is the reason why ringtones on 3100 sound better and dont burst even at the highest volume level (unlike in 6610, etc).
GPRS: This network dependent feature works very well with 3100. I have not experienced a single problem with it (with Airtel, Pune GPRS). The wap pages open at lightening speed (dont compare with edge). Even with poor signals, 3100 is able to open wap pages without timing-out or disconnecting, though in this case, it takes much more time.
Ergonomics: As all nokia phones, this one too has extremely user-friedly menu. The menu system is standard nokia series 40 menu system. Few additional features are- Goto option, Personal Shortcuts, etc. The keypad is soft, properly lit, responds to key strokes pretty well, and easy to use. Only problem that seems with 3100 keys is that they make a click sound when pressed- specially the central 4-way navigation button.
Looks: 3100 is a compact, small and light-weight phone. It easily fits into your pocket without troubling in any posture. One drawback is that it has very plastic-looks. The model is suitable for teenagers, or younger generation, but, might not look good in a business person’s hands. Dark-blue panel looks really good! Also, the rear plastic cover creaks and come out easily. The keypad, being white in color, is prone to become dirty/pale soon. However, express-on covers and keypad are easily available in market.
Battery: Battery life of this beauty rocks! It has given me a back-up of 3 days and two nights under worst conditions and full usage. No issues with battery at all!