If we were to commend Nokia on one of its best qualities as a manufacturer, it would definitely be on their ability to offer a wide range of mobile phone options for all types of consumers. They have perfected the art of launching new mobile phones that are almost mirror images of previous releases when it comes to specs, save for a few specification adjustments here and there.
And these seemingly inconspicuous tweaks are what actually lead to the success of their devices in the market. The new Nokia 5288 is yet another example of their brilliance as this Smartphone is pretty much a carbon copy of the highly successful Nokia 5230, except for a number of fine-tuning changes.
Nokia’s strategy of launching several mobiles that share the same design may be a bit confusing to some folks, but it is definitely beneficial for the company in that they are able to extend their reach to a wider market. By coming up with a variety of handsets that are similar in design and features, but are positioned to cater to different market segments, Nokia is able to get a hold of different consumers with different budgets.
The Nokia 5288 is a perfect example of this remarkable technique in practice as it reaches down to a lower market segment as compared to its pricier predecessors.
The History of a Device
While it is safe to say that they aren’t exactly on top of the heap when it comes to the Smartphone category, Nokia is still one of, if not the biggest players when it comes to the mid-range market. They seemed to have capitalized on this fact when they launched a series of mid-range Smartphones that were not that expensive, but at the same time delivered the Smart features their users needed. It was perhaps the Nokia 5800 that started this trend and since then, they’ve never looked back.
Because of the fact that the 5800 was part of Nokia’s XpressMusic line, it was primarily a music mobile. However, it was also one of the first Nokia devices to altogether forgo the alphanumeric keypad and revert to a full 3.5” touch screen.
It may not have been the first, but surely it was the one that put Nokia on the map in this category. Since then, Nokia has launched a myriad of Smartphones that used the 5800 as their benchmark. Now, what we have is the Nokia 5288 which is a product of years of fine-tuning and technical tweaking.
And by the looks of things, this device is yet again set to be welcomed by the mid-range market with open arms as it is a device that delivers the features at an even more cost-effective price tag.
Packed with Features
Similar to its predecessors, the Nokia 5288 is a touch screen device that makes use of the resistive touch technology. This type of screen works best with the use of a stylus which allows for handwriting recognition – a feature that has been loved by resistive screen users from day one. It is one of those love it or hate it type of features which may require a lot of getting used to at start.
However, once you get the hang of it, you are definitely going to ask yourself how you could have survived without it in the past. The actual display on the Nokia 5288 measures 3.2”, again mirroring that of the 5233 and the 5800.
The same can be said about the screen’s resolution which is at a respectable 360 x 640 pixels. It also comes with an accelerometer which facilitates the auto rotate function on the device as well as a proximity censor in order to avoid accidental ending of a call when the screen is on your face.
The Nokia 5288 also sport the Symbian S60 mobile operating system. This is definitely a good thing for the device as its OS has been around for a number of years now. This means that you can choose from literally thousands of different applications to download. These vary from your typical office tools, communication apps, games, social networking integration programs, and the occasional odd application such as an x-ray censor or an infrared remote control.
However, one of the downsides of this device is that it won’t be supporting HSDPA, nor 3G. For mobile internet users this means having to settle for EDGE or GPRS which is acceptable for emailing and general browsing, but is agonizingly slow downloading music and uploading pictures. For this, you will have to rely on your PC.
Affordability is Key
According to reports, the Nokia 5288 is going to retail with a price tag of around £100. It should cost even cheaper, if not for free, if you were to get it as a bundle with a low-end contract. However, Pay As You Go users shouldn’t fret as this Smartphone is still going to be fairly affordable, especially once you consider all the impressive features it holds. As they say, value for money. This has been a staple feature to a majority of Nokia mobiles and the 5288 is able to live up to this expectation fairly well.
The device doesn’t limit itself to a specific age bracket. That is, anyone who is looking for a reliable mobile that will be able to deliver the basic Smartphone features should give this device a second look – regardless of what age they might be. With its wide variety of colour schemes (it has removable back covers as well), the Nokia 5288 will be a sure hit for the more casual users. However, it also holds support for Microsoft Office applications which means that it can also be a mobile for the on-the-go corporate worker.
Plus, as mentioned earlier, the device will comes with the Symbian operating system which means you can pretty much load the mobile with anything and everything you’d want and need. The mobile also carries the famed and familiar sleek design which has proven to be quite attractive to users of all ages. Head over to the Nokia 5228 deals page or leave your opinions on he Nokia 5228 reviews page.
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