Something new, something old

MANILA, Philippines - In the rat race that is technology, the cellphone brand left behind ain’t necessarily going to be the loser, or at least they hope not.

There is that saying that if we try and try, we will succeed. Look at the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; she will continue to try to seek medical treatment abroad as the current administration will continue to try to stop her. A case of try and try until you succeed for both parties? Perhaps. And the winner is  no one, we all lose in a battle like this. I guess the reason behind either of the parties’ refusal to give in is the lack of trust. And trust both parties to make sure that at the end  of the press photo ops and damaging threats  one of them will win.

Both wrong.

Thank goodness that the battle that the cellphone companies face has nothing to do with politics because at the end of the battle for the best running cellphone in the market, the clear winner is always the consumer.

So, perhaps it’s a battle we, in the techie world, prefer to watch unfold.

And then there is Nokia  the Finnish company has not given up on its arsenal of cellphones. Matter of fact, as the competition in the arena of cellphones get tougher, Nokia seems to revel in the fact that it has the advantage of having been the brand of choice for most Pinoys, and continues to be the brand with the highest resale value in this country of ours.

Let there be no confusion

I have often been asked what I look for in a cellphone. My usual answer is one that many might think is a smart aleck one  I want a cellphone that works.

Works, you ask?

Well, for starters, it is always good if the cellphone makes maneuvering through its interface easy. No unnecessary steps to get to where we are going. It is difficult enough, and can be quite costly to get a new cellphone, so I prefer to have one that will make my life easy. Not one that has a learning curve of three to five days before I get the hang of it.

I found out that many people feel the same way I do  it explains the loyalty behind the Nokia brand. Nokia has been around for such a long time, and for many a cellphone user it is the first brand they learned to use.

Enter 701

What’s in a number? When it comes to cellphones, believe me I have no idea.

So when I got a chance to fiddle with the Nokia 701, it made me wonder about what is in a number. Truth to tell, I couldn’t figure it out. So I’m not going to give you any smart answer for why this Nokia cellphone carries the number 701.

But I did like the 701 and found it a very welcome new addition to the arsenal of Nokia in the market today.

I liked how the screen worked when I used the Nokia 701 under the bright noon sun. Did you notice how hot the days have been lately?

Well, if you have, then you also know that the sun seems to have returned with a vengeance, so sending a text under the sun in the middle of the football field is no easy task. But I was able to read clearly what I was texting and it was the same for the text message I got while standing in the field  for me that is one feature that is truly awesome.

I also believe that Nokia has managed to develop cellphones that are not too thin, so that they feel sturdy when held. This is a feature that many users appreciate because a cellphone that is too thin can easily fall off the hands and then, there goes the whole cellphone. I really think that with the way we use our cellphones, they have to be built sturdily enough to be able to take a few bumps and drops here and there.

Go ahead, shoot

Another feature that has become a need among cellphone users is a good camera. And the Nokia 701 is equipped with an eight-megapixel camera, which is also another plus. 

The video gets the job done, but then again I am not the best judge of that. I did take a few very, very amateurish videos and was happy with what I got. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well my documenting the shoot was captured by the mic of the Nokia 701.

While I was doing the video, I also noticed that the speed of scrolling through the other features on the Nokia 701 is quicker than any of the previous Nokia units I have tried. Another big thing going for the Nokia 701.

The Symbian Belle, which the Nokia 701 runs on, feels fast  and the quickness is very noticeable.

So, I walked over to an Internet café close by and I did some browsing. I was not to be disappointed as the speed of connection and downloading brought a smile to my face.

I also tried to install a few apps, which was quick. This zippy performance has something to do with the improved hardware like the 1GHz processor and 512MB RAM, which is a first for Symbian handsets.

There was of course a little getting used to the Symbian Belle platform, which seems to have been patterned after other cellphones with multiple screens.

I’m not a big fan of multiple screens because they, more often than not, confuse me. I like to keep my screen simple so I have learned how to work around these multiple screen set-up.

There are a lot of younger people who have told me that the multiple screens are helpful to them  to each his own, I guess.

The Nokia 701 is loaded with lots of choices from widgets of various sizes, and a swift pull-down notification bar with connectivity switches. 

The basics of setting up a Nokia cellphone remain the same, so the users’ comfort zone is safe. I was never lost in the process of picking my wallpaper and my fave ringtone and designating specific ringtones for certain people.

It is the ability to do this, with my eyes closed, that keeps Nokia close to my heart. There are a few surprises up the Finnish manufacturer’s sleeves, but these are more on how to make the Nokia 701 run faster and better.

The good things that have endeared Nokia to us Pinoy users remain the same  and it is because of these that Nokia is here to stay.