Nokia does it again!
Written: Oct 28 '00
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Pros: Small size, extremely sleek and cool, hi tech
Cons: Small size, jiggly battery cover, less than great reception
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| niglet's Full Review: Nokia 8890 GSM Cellular Phone |
The first time I saw this fantastic phone was when a friend of mine, Alex had purchased it due to a great deal that he had acquired through another friend. Being a previous owner of the Nokia 6190, I was very impressed with the large LCD screen that it possessed over the Pac Bell StarTAC that Alex previously had. Yet as my 6190 entered its mid-life crisis, new Nokias began to be released. My impression of these new-generation phones was not very good due to the look of the Nokia 8860, the similar looking one with an all chrome housing which turned me off. The phone exuded too much of a 'bling-bling' statement due to its 'mad chrome.' Yet when I laid eyes on the bigger brother, the 8890, I knew I had to get my hands on one.
The Looks
The first thing anyone will notice is the sheer size of the phone. It is so small that it will slip into any pocket without any bulge. Many of my friends are awed of the size and compare it a small electric razor. The next thing that you will notice is the light-purplish LED that light up the LCD screen. These lights are so sleek looking that it will remind you of the High-Intensity Discharge headlights found on Mercedes and Lexus cars. The pictures of the phone are somewhat misleading in that it gives off a indiglo blue light, it is rather a more classy light purple. The next thing of notice is the more flat display over the 6190's curved screen, which makes it easy to read. Another thing I noticed is that there are more horizontal pixels on the 8890 so that more characters can fit onto the same screen. The chrome accents along the brushed metal housing are excellent and really give it a classy feel.
The Feel
As stated before, the size of this phone is so small, I don't think that phones should get any smaller or else you might not be able to even use them on a human sized head. The phone has a sliding keypad cover so that you can answer the phone simply by sliding down the cover, which will put the mic closer to your mouth, or by pressing the talk button. When you're done with your call, you can slide the cover back up and it will hang up for you. Sliding down the keypad will reveal very small chrome buttons that might be a bit hard to accurately press if you have Homer Simpson fingers, but are necessary to keep the phone small. If I could change one thing about this phone, it would probably be the sliding cover. I have always regarded flip phones and flip covers as somewhat of a nuisance and a extra piece of cheap plastic, but somehow it works for the 8890. I'm not sure how it'd look but it might feel more sturdier if there was no sliding plastic cover. Also, something that many people have complained about is the jiggliness of the back battery cover. Since it is a metal housing, the battery cover slides to a lock on chrome railings, which causes a slight bit of looseness. I don't really find this bothersome because it's not really noticable on my phone, but I have seen others that have a much worse problem. I may be incorrect but on the inside of the battery cover there is a serial number which I believe may possibly state the revision number that the 8890's go through. When the 6190's first came out, a slim curved battery was offered with the phone. Later on, when the phone became more popular, a flat battery was introduced which made the phone even more sleek. This is an example of revision upgrading. My friend Alex who bought the phone first, we noticed, had a 10001 serial number printed on the inside, while mine had a 10002. My battery cover was significantly tighter than his. Not a big deal, but just a bit of info that might be useful to make sure that your phone is the newest and not some old re-sale. I have heard that Nokia has put a production halt to try and fix this problem and will be resuming sales very soon, that's why Pac Bell stores have been out of stock for a few months now.
The Performance
This phone performs great, looks great, and feels great. The only qualm I have with this phone is the antenna. Nokia had reception problems before with internal antennas that they have tried to fix with this phone. The 8890 now has a discreet retractable antenna that can boost reception, yet in my experience the reception on my older 6190 is much better than the 8890. I suppose that's a sacrifice for extreme coolness. The 8890 boasts tidbits such as voice activated dialing, world reception and use, animated menu icons, more games, but IS essentially the same phone as the 6190, but much more sleek and smaller. Regardless, the phone's quality is still above average and I highly recommend it to anyone. Although the price may be quite steep right now ($400-$550 in California, and up to 800 on eBay), the phone might be well worth it for anything around $350. This phone would be great for the international businessman or world traveller, but might be a bit on the unneccessary side for people who sit at home writing epinions!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 400
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Epinions.com ID:
niglet
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Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 6 members
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