As practice shows, not only modern touchscreen smartphones with a large screen and running on Android, WP or iOS are in demand. Another category of phones doesn’t go out of fashion either - with keys, a simple “glass” display and compact dimensions. Just about one of these devices we will talk today.
Meet this product developed by Microsoft in conjunction with their subsidiary Nokia. The phone has a prefabricated image of the once popular Nokia models equipped with a physical keyboard, which is why it was released under this brand. Read more about what keyboard phone developers can offer their customers in this article.
Positioning
To tell you the truth, the development of a phone with a physical keyboard in an age of advanced touch technology is an unexpected step even for Nokia. No, we remember the very successful line of 6300 and the like, but today the release of such a model looks unusual.
The phone, apparently, was created in order to replace the niche of simple, affordable, but reliable devices. Now they are still in demand, and the Nokia 230 Dual SIM, the review of which we are conducting today, is obviously designed to satisfy one.
The gadget is relatively inexpensive - about $ 50. Due to this, it is already more favorably presented than some competing devices from the same niche. A huge plus is the fact that he is a product of the glorious Nokia, which clearly has the most valuable experience in promoting keyboard models among other companies. All this is the basis for positioning the device as an affordable, but functional smartphone.
Appearance
The design of the phone is nothing new. Nokia 230 Dual SIM (Black and White - two available color schemes) has a classic look: a candy bar with a keyboard visually separated in the lower segment of the body, as well as a screen at the top. The display here, by the way, visually seems larger than it actually is, due to the thick edging painted in dark color.
The “segmentation” logic that we see on the front of the Nokia Asha 230 Dual SIM continues to the rear. There, the upper and lower parts of the case are painted in the same color, and the battery cover (made of brushed metal) is a little darker, which creates a contrast. All this, so to speak, “composition” looks quite attractive. I really want to hold the phone in my hands and use it again and again.
Navigation here is implemented according to the classical scheme worked out by the older generations of Nokia “keyboards” - a recessed cross-shaped joystick is presented here.
Display
The screen has a small resolution (especially in comparison with modern gadgets) of 240 by 320 pixels. This is quite enough to work with a device that has a physical keyboard: it is easy to navigate on it in menus, contact lists, and messages. And although the physical size of the display is only 2.8 inches, visually it seems much higher (due to the dark inserts described at the beginning of the article).
Still, regarding the screen, it should be noted its energy-efficient mode of operation. We learned about him only after getting acquainted with the technical characteristics, but his presence is confirmed by reviews. Nokia 230 Dual SIM is a very optimized phone that can work for a long time on a single charge.
Camera
Like other keyboard devices developed by Nokia, the 230 has two cameras, both for creating simple shots and for working with selfies. The resolution of both matrices is 2 megapixels, each of them is paired with a powerful LED flash, taking photos even in low light.
Of course, the quality of the images leaves much to be desired against the background of the 8-megapixel matrices that have become familiar to us; however, they can make some elementary photos from the rest for posting on social networks.
Communication
Those who developed the Nokia 230 Dual SIM (Silver) mobile phone understood that this device would be primarily used as a reliable means of communication. The user here draws his attention to the quality of the connection and conversation, therefore, the phone perfectly holds the signal and works in the current standards of GSM-connection. It should also be noted the possibility of working with two SIM cards. It is available in one of two variations of the device: there is a Nokia 230 Dual SIM phone, and there is a basic version without a Dual SIM prefix, indicating the presence of one SIM card slot. No need to once again explain that it is the “binary” version that is popular that allows you to use the communication services of two operators at once.
Memory
Do not think that the Nokia 230 Dual SIM (which we are reviewing) is a “brick” that does not support the functionality of the smartphone. In fact, in this model there are a huge number of possibilities. Take at least the presence of support for a memory card.
According to the documentation, the built-in here offers 6 GB of free space for the functioning of the system, as well as installing some programs and downloading multimedia content. However, the phone also supports working with microSD-cards, up to 32 GB. Due to this, the total space on the device can reach 48 GB, which is enough to accommodate a rather abundant collection of films, audio tracks and even programs. Due to this, from the “dialer” Nokia Asha 230 Dual SIM turns into a full-fledged smartphone with buttons.
Entertainment
The model, of course, has various possibilities for entertainment and for performing some tasks, which should also be mentioned in this article. These include, for example, the presence of a built-in voice recorder, a flashlight (implemented using a flash), an organizer. In addition, due to the operating system installed on the phone, the user can install their software packages using a special program catalog maintained by Nokia. In it you can find not only various games for this phone, but also some improved (compared to the standard) players, browsers, codecs and so on. All this, as you know, expands the capabilities of our Nokia 230 Dual SIM (the price of which is an order of magnitude lower than any touch-sensitive device of the same quality).
Reviews
Given the popularity of the model presented in this review, we found numerous reviews about it on the network. Nokia 230 Dual SIM, according to them, is an excellent solution for those who do not like or do not know how to work with touch devices; who appreciate the simplicity and reliability of the device, who like its style and design. Many write that they recommend the gadget for people with low vision. At least these are positive reviews. Nokia 230 Dual SIM is presented in a positive light.
As for the negative characteristics, they describe the interface and the logic of interaction of the device. In particular, someone is categorically not happy with the firmware of the smartphone, the inability to directly transfer contacts from the phone to the PC, and a host of other minor difficulties that seriously complicate the user's life. There are also shortcomings in terms of choosing a SIM card: some customers ask for help in telling them how to choose one or another card and how to save their choice.
There are also complaints, for example, about the mail hierarchy. According to several authors, the phone does not have a sufficiently organized structure in the memory of letters. Due to this, working with it is not as convenient as we would like, but you cannot change this parameter in the settings.
conclusions
In fact, one can characterize for a long time the opinions of those who already have experience with this device and left their feedback about it. Nokia 230 Dual SIM is a very popular model: it is used by a large number of people who, accordingly, write comments about certain nuances of the device. Since we will not go into such details, it’s easier to say: the smartphone has both significant advantages and some disadvantages. They are known by those who make their choice and study the reviews of others, but at the same time, most often, such negative qualities are not serious enough.
After all, you can even get used to a complex interface, you can figure it out and understand how it works; and in terms of reliability, the model is clearly the leader. For this, it is appreciated by those who began to use it and, at the same time, do not regret their choice.