Nokia 5700 XpressMusic Review

Design:

Nokia 5700 XpressMusic is a candy bar design and its appearance is a mixture of the Nokia 5300 coloration and the rotating lower part design of Nokia 3250. The device has two fronts, but, unlike Samsung UpStage, there is only one display here, whereas the rotating part turns the Nokia from a phone into a player in a matter of one rapid movement.

The unit’s shape relies entirely on curvy lines and round edges, and consists of two parts: an upper one with the display and the control buttons, and a lower one, where the numeric pad is located.

The phone has five functional modes depending on the position, at which the lower part has been swung. Thus, the most frequently used applications are only “a turn” away. The unit is in a phone mode when the numeric pad is at the side of the display. Camera mode is activated through a single swing of 90 degrees to the left. In order to activate the music mode, one should turn the lower part of the phone 180 degrees to the right. Turning the camera towards the user during a video conversation will switch the video call mode. When watching videos, one can turn the lower part 90 degrees to the left and the displayed image will take on a landscape position; thus the video view mode is activated, at which the loudspeaker is pointed straight at the viewer for best sound perception.



The manufacturer offers the above model in three color versions: the choice is between red, grey, and black. For all of them white and silver are predominant; only part of the back, the frame of the display, and the side parts are differently colored.

The device that we received for testing was the black version. It is made of glossy white and silver plastic and matt black one. The black-colored parts on both sides are rubber-coated, adding in this way to the comfortable feel while holding the unit and during conversation; thus the likelihood to drop it due to carelessness is considerably smaller as well. There is a tiny gap between these parts and the display, and we have noticed that after a certain period of use dust accumulates there, requiring periodical cleaning. Apart from the gap, the fact that the position of the black-colored parts is slightly higher than the display also helps dust retention.


The dimensions of the unit are 108 x 50.5 x 17.3 mm (4.3 x 2.0 x 0.7 inches) and weighs 115 gr. (4.05 oz), which ranks it among the big and heavy phones. Yet the device is not inconvenient to use and even goes well into the jeans’ pocket because it is slim enough not to bulge there.

Model	Dimension (Inches)	Dimension (MM)	Weight (OZ)	Weight (Gramms)
Nokia 5700	4.25" x 1.98" x 0.68"	108 x 50.5 x 17.3	4,1	115
Nokia 3250	4.09" x 1.97" x 0.78"	104 x 50 x 20	4,1	115
Nokia 5300	3.63" x 1.89" x 0.81"	92.5 x 48 x 21	3,8	107
Sony Ericsson W960	4.29" x 2.16"x 0.62"	109 x 55 x 16	4,2	119

The display size is 2.2 inches and the resolution 240 x 320 pix (QVGA), featuring 16 million colors. Its brightness and strong contrast secure very good visibility even at direct sunlight, so that operating the device will be trouble-free. This feature owes much to the sensor that adjusts the brightness of the display depending on how strong the daylight is. This intelligent control also contributes to maximum durability of the battery after charging. We would very much like to see this feature in more devices.

In order to easily control all the telephone functions, Nokia have foreseen a total of 25 buttons.

The buttons of the numeric pad are situated step-like at the lower part of the telephone. They are quite big and despite being tightly fit next to each other, without any space between, pressing is fairly easy.

The media keys are at the reverse side. They are three and take the whole lower part. Depending on the current operating mode, the keys perform different functions. In music mode these are rewind, play/pause/stop, and fast forward; in camera mode – zoom out, capture key, and zoom in. Their size makes them very easy to operate, no matter whether pressed by the tip of the finger or its soft part. With the exception of the white colored play/pause/stop key, all the other buttons on both sides of the lower part are silver. They are evenly backlit in white; controlling it is done through the reading of the above mentioned sensor, regulating the display brightness. In a very dark room (or at night) one can make out that, apart from illuminating the buttons, the light seeps through the white part around them. Though this fact will cause no problem in operating the unit, it may be somewhat irritating.




The following buttons are located on the upper part, just below the display: five-position navigational joystick, left and right selection keys, call and end keys. Moving the joystick is fairly inconvenient; it would have been far better, had it been manufactured with a better tactile feedback and easier to press. It is encircled by white plastic and the rest of the keys are located round it. Their surface relief is dash-shaped “-“ and colored respectively blue, green, and red; these buttons are constantly lit, regardless of the light intensity of the environment. Pressing them is very easy, with a good tactile feedback.

*When the lower part of the telephone is rotated at 90 degrees (for example, when in camera mode), it is a serious obstacle to operating the joystick, making it exceptionally difficult. In case you have taken a fancy to Nokia 5700 XpressMusic, it is indispensable to test this!

The clear and menu keys on the black part of the phone, on the right and left from the selection keys respectively, have the same dash-shape and are positioned vertically. They are white and their function is designated below in the same color.

On the left, there are the volume up and down keys – the same as the clear and menu ones but not in white, bearing only a mark of their function (+ and -). Upon the white part above them, there is one of the loudspeakers. All the four buttons are not backlit but this is actually rendered useless by their well-felt relief, so missing them is not an option. Operating them is more difficult than the rest; however, using your nail or the tip of the finger will do the job quite easily.

The charging connector, the micro SD card slot, and the mini USB connector are situated on the other side. They are covered by one shared lid, which can be opened effortlessly by nail and fits tightly when closed, so that the outline of the unit stays intact. We would rather it remained so after several months of use. In addition to, and despite the availability of Bluetooth, Nokia have installed an IR port as well, whose “eye” is located just above the rubber cap.


On one side of the lower part there are the 2-megapixel camera and the LED flashlight, and on the other - the second loudspeaker.

Typically for Nokia, the Power key is bi-functional: except for switching on and off, it secures fast access to changing profiles, as well as locking the keypad and a few more functions. It is on the standard location for any Nokia device – on top and precisely in the middle.

The microphone is at the bottom and next to it there are a 2.5 mm socket and a place to secure a neck or a hand strap.

Now it has been made clear that the Nokia 5700 XpressMusic is a combination of several devices and switching from one to another is done simply by twisting its lower part.