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Spillikins #10. Nokia’s music-minded crowd and a bit of Apple

While we haven’t forgotten our Spillikins series, over the last couple of months we have been dealing with boatloads of information and never got a chance to categorize it for the next article. Now, however, is the right time to present you with the new Spillikins-themed write-up, and this time around we are going to start with a little spoiler.

I suppose everyone still has fresh memories of Apple’s infamous “announcement” of the third version of iPhone firmware that is set to launch some time in summer, and in light of this fact I’d like to say that the next Apple-branded phone that is supposed to see daylight around the same time is a bit more interesting, for it offers a slightly different philosophy. All in all, this year’s July will see quite a few new and original solutions from Apple, as well as a whole bunch of alternatives to the iPhone. But that’s all for now, all I can say – stay tuned for more!

LG Arena. This flagship phone from LG was originally designed as an iPhone replica, although with a different hardware, whose ultimate goal was to achieve the same level of user-friendliness and smoothness as in the Apple iPhone. At least that’s how I see the LG Arena that packs in a wide array of animation effects in its menu, a generous selection of features, 3.5 mm audio jack, 5 Mpix autofocus-enabled camera and the same iPhone-ish spirit in its compact metal casing.

I suppose I belong to a pretty small-numbered group of “infidels” who dare compare the LG Arena with the Apple iPhone. Undoubtedly, the PR element is infinitely more significant for the latter, therefore its more positive reviews and better reception. However the Arena doesn’t fall flat either – it’s a fairly interesting solution, although not without flaws of its own. For example, I was quite disappointed to find out that the only way to retrieve my mail with it was to plug in a working SIM-card, otherwise the Arena’s Wi-Fi refused to start up. While I don’t really want to throw around some spoilers, since our review is coming out next week, I’d like to mention that all things considered, the LG Arena is a likable phone, furthermore, it’s miles ahead of Samsung-branded offerings of similar type that will see release before summer. At the same time, the phones that Samsung are going to launch some time this summer will hold their own against the Arena (I managed to play around with several working prototypes and didn’t come out disappointed). Interestingly enough, the models I’ve just hinted at share the same basic idea, yet run on different operating systems, so that everyone will find something to his/her liking.

On balance, the LG Arena will pose a real threat to the Apple iPhone before this summer, and while retailing for the same money, it’ll have the newness factor going for it. We have to admit that the iPhone’s design is more than decent; however it has been around for quite a while already.

As far as the Arena’s feature pack is concerned, we can’t overlook its multitouch functionality, and similar gesture-based navigation (for example, you can zoom in/out on images in the same manner). If I remember correctly, Apple used to shake their finger, threatening to sue other phone makers if they were to violate their patented menu navigation system. However for some reason Palm, LG, Samsung and Nokia are still doing fine and all of these companies have multitouch-enabled devices in their portfolios along with all necessary patents, describing the technology.

Samsung Xplorer B2100. Samsung's new ruggedized phone. As they claim in its official press-release, it can endure up to 30 minutes under water at a maximum depth of 1 meter. So we ventured to test its touted ruggedness and put it into a 20 centimeter high glass for a while. Unfortunately, it seems that the press release doesn’t specify the exact conditions or equipment (i.e. sealed plastic bag or something along these lines) required to keep the B2100 alive underwater. Long story short, this entry-level phone gave up the ghost underwater just like any other mobile phone around, although it took it a little longer, so that’s definitely an improvement.

The B2100 borrows both its design and feel from the Samsung B2700 – they even look identical. We’ll put together a review with an extensive video tour covering all possible ways to torture your “ruggedized” mobile phone some time next week. Make sure you don’t miss it.

Nokia 5730 XpressMusic. I believe everyone who has any interest in this phone has already looked through our detailed preview of this music-minded version of the Nokia E75. If you need a bullet-point list with all differences between these two devices, here goes: plastic type, two gaming-minded keys on top of the earpiece and a bulged back panel.The 5730 XpressMusic is set to land on most markets early in summer and will go for 280 Euro or so.

First look at Nokia 5730 XpressMusic

Nokia 5330 XpressMusic. Music-focused slider whose price tag doesn’t exceed 160 Euro. I, for one, find it somewhat quaint, and in a way similar to the Sony Ericsson W705, although the latter is a fair bit more interesting in terms of materials, player software and extra features (hence its heftier price tag)

As far as unusual things go, the 5330 sports a glowing keypad framing with adjustable colors.

Another thing of note that is usually overlooked is the 5330’s spring loaded mechanism, which is extremely soft and responsive in this phone. All in all, for 160 Euro it’s a pretty decent solution.

Nokia 5030 RadioXpress. This phone will arrive in May and will immediately available for 40 Euro. On balance, it’s a very typical 30-series model – a budget phone with bundled radio and built-in antenna. Other than that, it’s the same as the Nokia 2600 Classic – a robust low-end solution.

Nokia 8800 Arte Gold. I suppose there is no point in putting together a separate review for this phone, for it’s just another modification of Nokia’s top-of-the-line Arte handset, this time adorned with gold with white leather inserts. While it’s obvious that this newcomer is aimed primarily at women, it’s the most expensive Arte-branded phone to date too, retailing for 1300-1400 Euro. Look fabulous, women love it – what else to add?