Nokia 8260: Great phone for elves and other small people!
Written: Dec 19 '00 (Updated Jan 14 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Compact; loaded with features; great battery life
Cons: Wimpy ring; Size may be a problem for those with visual impairments or large hands
The Bottom Line: Looks great, has long-lasting battery, and has tons of features. Might not be the best for those who are visually impaired or for those with really large hands.
|
|
|
| gracef's Full Review: Nokia 8260 Cell Phone |
I came to own the Nokia 8260 when I decided to upgrade my cell phone to a newer model. My previous phone, an Ericsson LX100, was serviceable, but had lots of little quirks. So when the battery died, I had the perfect excuse to get a new phone. When I learned that I could get a $100 discount through the AT&T Mobile Services upgrade program, I jumped at the chance. Much to my surprise, it also came with a special $30 rebate, so I managed to get a whole bunch of bang for relatively few bucks. (OK... $70 isn't pocket change, but it's much less than the $200 retail price!)
Size does matter!
Very few things in this world are made for small people. The things that are usually lack features or are in some way dumbed down, as if the lack of stature somehow translates to a lack of brain. I'm not sure if Nokia had small people specifically in mind when they made the Nokia 8260 phone, but it is perfect for those people who just don't need large toys.
The Nokia 8260 is about half the size of a deck of cards and weighs almost as much. It fits nicely into a shirt pocket and even fits into my pants pocket without leaving an embarrassing bulge. However, size can be an inconvenience at times. The phone is so light that I often find that I have to take everything out of all of my pockets just to make sure that I haven't lost it! An AT&T customer care representative told me that more customers report these lost than any others. (I wonder how many of the customers who report them missing later find them in the bottom of purses, briefcases, etc.!)
Because the overall size is small, Nokia had to make some compromises. The number keys are really small and close together, taking up about a 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch area. This might reduce the usability for someone for big hands, but for me and my small hands, the proportions are perfect. On the other hand, the display area is ample, especially in comparison to my LX100. The display area is sufficient for 5 lines of text (3 for messages and 2 for icons/information).
If looks could kill
The Nokia 8260 is, in short, one cute little phone. It comes in 3 colors: red, blue, and gray. I picked the red one. The advertisements for the Nokia 8260 depict a bright fire engine red phone. That's not what I got, and I have to admit that I'm pleased. The red surface of the phone looks like brushed steel, so the resulting color is more of a cranberry. The trim is black and silver, again with the brushed steel look. The overall combination is perfect for Ohio State Buckeye fans!
The keys on the phone are very different than those that I've seen on other phones. Rather than having plastic buttons that glow neon green in the dark, the keys are silver, with only the outlines of the numbers and letters on the key glowing in the dark. The effect is subtle and may not work well for those with poor eyesight, but I really like it.
The overall design of the Nokia 8260 is sleek. The antenna is internal and there is no keypad cover. I like this because there's nothing to get caught on things in my purse or briefcase. At first, I was afraid that the lack of keypad cover would be a problem, but with the use of the keypad lock, I have found that it isn't. (Much to my surprise, I am able to answer a phone call even with the keypad lock set.)
Talk to me!
Calls sent and received through the Nokia 8260 sound great. At first, I thought that I might have to yell in order to be heard, since the microphone is a good distance away from my mouth. However, that's not the case. The phone comes with a side volume control to allow adjustment, if needed. I set it once and forgot it.
In addition, my Nokia 8260 came with a headset that looks almost like a basic earphone. The microphone is attached to the cord. Again, my experience with such things was so primitive that I didn't think it would work. However, I have found that it's wonderful and the reception sounds almost better than the phone itself.
I didn't lose your number; I'm ignoring you
One thing that I have found annoying in the past is that I never seem to have phone numbers when I need them. Some of the ones that I need the most often but dial so rarely that I never remember them are those for my daughter's pediatrician and dentist, my doctors, select relatives, etc. Now, the only excuse I have for not having the number is sheer laziness.
The Nokia 8260 provides storage for up to 250 entries in an address book. These entries include a name, the phone number, and an email address. The user can then be place a call by locating the number (via search or scrolling) and hitting a single button. The numbers can also be grouped into call groups. More on that later.
Would you answer the phone already?
The Nokia 8260 provides a number of ways to signal incoming phone calls. The user can choose from 40 ring patterns, though on my phone, 5 of those are blank and useless. The rings range from simple (a single beep) to long and musical (Equilibrium). The user can determine whether the selected ring tone can be ascending (starting out soft and getting louder with each ring), silent (for meetings and movie theaters), or always the same level.
My biggest complaint about the Nokia 8260 is this area. The ring tones are either incredibly wimpy or ear-splittingly shrill. Even adjusting the volume level doesn't seem to help these much. The musical ones are cute, but I would feel rather embarrassed to use some of the longer musical ones (like "Mary Had a Little Lamb"), especially in a work environment. There are 5 personal ringtones available, where users of qualifying service providers may download from a wide range of ringtones. However, my service provider does not allow this feature. So out of 40 available ring tones, I find that I would only use 5, which are very similar to every other cell phone on the market. (If you want to get confused, go to Union Station in Chicago during rush hour and try to figure out whose phone is ringing!)
In addition, the user can have the phone vibrate when it rings. This is perfect for those times when ringing phones aren't appropriate (like those times when you want to go see a movie, but don't want to wait until the movie has ended to find that your child has burned down your house in your absence). It also helps with the wimpy ring problem, as the vibration can be felt even when the ring cannot be heard.
The Nokia 8260 also has storage for six user profiles, where each profile contains a distinct combination of ring tone, volume, vibration level, etc. This makes it very easy to change the phone from the "Normal" setting (where it rings loudly and vibrates) to a "Meeting" setting (where it only vibrates). It also makes it so I can have a special profile which plays "Mary Had a Little Lamb" when I'm out with my daughter or something "Normal" when I'm in a business setting.
The Nokia 8260 also allows the user to program incoming calls from certain groups of saved numbers to ring in a specific pattern. This feature is nice, but doesn't work as well as I would hope. For instance, my husband has a phone number at his office where I may call, but due to the size of the company and the configuration of the phone switches, the actual incoming number is different. So if I wanted my phone to ring a certain way whenever he calls, I have to save all of the source numbers. Frankly, as much as I would like to have the "Tarzan Yell" announce his attempt to reach me, it's just not worth it.
It's almost a PDA
I have an old Palm II that I used to carry around, but I finally got tired of lugging such a heavy object around. Unfortunately, that meant that I lost most of the ability to keep track of useful information. The Nokia 8260 is saving me, though, because it has many of the same features as a PDA.
• Built-in clock
I no longer have to remember to wear a watch
• Two way text messaging
The Nokia 8260 can act as a pager using my wireless provider's text messaging service. I can send and receive emails (up to 100 characters) via my cell phone. This is very handy, especially for the short "I Love You" notes from my husband.
• Games
The Nokia 8260 comes with 4 games: Snake, Logic, Rotation, and Memory. My favorite is Snake, where I steer a little snake around the display to collect new segments. It's highly addictive. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to drain the battery of power as I was afraid it would.
• Calculator
I can't count the number of times when I've wished that I had a calculator with me. The functionality is basic, but sufficient for keeping a tally of my Christmas purchases.
• Calendar
The calendar allows me to keep track of meeting times, birthdays, phone calls, etc. and to make notes about specific events.
It's alive!
The best feature on this phone, though, is the battery life. With all of the things that it can do, I find that I have it turned on all of the time. With my Ericsson LX100, the battery would have been dead in just a few hours, even when brand new. But the Lilon Semi-Fixed (920mAh) battery lasts virtually forever. With my digital PCS service, the talk time is up to 3 hours and the standby time is up to a week. (Actually times vary based on how the phone is used. Times are less for analog service.) I have been so impressed with the longevity of this battery that I have yet to buy an auto charger. My phone came with the Rapid Travel Charger, which is smaller and more lightweight than any charger I've ever seen. The battery can be completely recharged in less than 2 hours.
Conclusion
For the most part, I adore the Nokia 8260. It looks great, works well for long periods of time, and has tons of features. I am unimpressed with the ring tones, but I can live with that. Because of its diminutive size, it might not be the best selection for those with visual imparities or for those who have really large hands. For the rest, this cute little phone packs lots of punch.
Further Reading
Still connected
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5633-3C3A1F3C-3A343C0D-prod3
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
gracef
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Lost in Texas
Reviews written: 206
Trusted by: 313 members
About Me:
Well, bless your heart!
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.