| Nokia 3510 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 |
| Announced | 2002 |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 118 X 42-50 X 18-21 Mm, 98 Cc |
| Weight | 105 G |
| Display |
| Type | Monochrome Graphic |
| Size | 5 Lines |
| | - Dynamic Font Size
- Softkey
- Animated Screensavers
- Welcome Message
- Picture Messaging(7 Predefined + 1 Empty) |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (4 Channels), Monophonic |
| Amount | 20 + 15 Polyphonic (15 Downloadable) |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| | - 6 Ringing Tone Levels
- 10 Volume Levels |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 500 (3 + 1 Text) |
| Call Records | 20 Dialed, 10 Received, 10 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | No |
| | - Dynamic Phonebook Memory
- Editable Message Templates
- 14 Voice Dial Numbers
- 100-500 Calendar Notes |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 4 (3+1 Slots), 24 - 36 Kbps |
| Hscsd | No |
| Edge | No |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Infrared Port | No |
| Usb | |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Ems |
| Browser | Wap 1.2.1 |
| Clock | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes |
| Games | 5 (kart Racing, Bumper, Space Impact 2, Dance2music, Link5 ) |
| Colors | Xpress-on Covers |
| Languages | Country Dependant |
| Camera | No |
| | - Downloadable Game Packs Via Wap
- T9
- Smart Messaging
- Calculator
- Calendar
- Voice Dial
- Customizable And Downloadable Profiles
- Currency Converter |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 950 Mah (blc-2) |
| Stand-by | Up To 13 Days |
| Talk Time | 2h 30min - 4h 30 Min |
|
Nokia - 3510Melodious MIDI with the Nokia 3510
Major features
Polyphonic tones support (SP-MIDI)
WAP over GPRS, with Push Inbox
Larger, high-resolution LCD screen
Internal dynamic memory for phonebook, messages and calendar entries
Concatenated (long) SMS, picture messaging and MMS support, with T9
Calendar feature with full month view
Built-in games supporting polyphonic sounds
Gaming Xpress-on cover accessory
Screen saver feature
Downloadable tones
Automatic keyguard feature
Problems/Issues?
No backup battery to support internal clock
Cable connectivity should be an available option
Polyphonic speaker location
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Nokia 3510 handset
1 x Li-ion battery @ 950 mAh (BLC-2)
1 x standard charger (ACP-7 type)
1 x Nokia 3510 user manual
Overview
The third major upgrade to the Nokia 3000-series of phones is finally here. Combining the looks and feel from the 3210 and 3310/3330 models, the 3510 incorporates similar software used on more recent Nokia models (for example, the 6510 and 8310) - making it a worthwhile upgrade for those still using previous models within this series.
New/outstanding features
For those who have already gone through the specifications for the 3510 on the Nokia site, you will know this phone as being the first market-entry model from Nokia to support polyphonic (MIDI-based) ringtones. I also foresee many people buying this phone simply because of this feature as well :)
Moving right along, the 3510 is also the first 3000-series phone to come with GPRS capability - allowing for high-speed connections to the Internet via the built-in WAP browser - and MMS (multimedia messaging service) support, in addition to the standard SMS features. An internal dynamic phonebook, similar in size to the ones found on the 8310 and 6510, is now available - allowing a user to store multiple number entries under a single name entry.
Physical aspects
On first looking at the 3510 when taking it out of the box (Nokia has changed the box design for the 3510 with a side opening instead - not via the top), I was trying to accept the new look of the contrasting front and back covers and the keypad design. Looking at the phone from the side where the clear housing is (yes, the backlight does come through), it reminded me of the 3210 side housing. When looking at the front, the case looked like the 3310/3330 with the exclusion of the very-rubbery-feel keypad.
Eventually, I gave up trying - especially after I knew that the available range of Xpress-on covers for the 3510 included ones designed especially for gaming. Nokia would probably be the first manufacturer to offer a handset providing such a feature, just for gaming! I better start re-thinking about what mobile phones are really for! :)
User Interface (UI)
Two major improvements here - with the first one being a slightly larger screen with higher resolution, making menu navigation and viewing graphics and text with greater ease. Illumination of the screen seems to have improved slightly as well compared to previous 3000-series models. The second improvement is the adoption of the standard keypad design (12-digit keypad with 2-way vertical scroll, answer/reject keys and two soft keys), which makes navigating phone features during and outside of calls easier than with the one-button Navi-key.
As mentioned previously, the 3510 comes with a new keypad design - where each button seems to be quite large in size (compared to other Nokia phones). The benefit that I found from this keypad design was that it reduced the level of effort required when doing quick entries - like SMS messaging using T9, for example. The same benefits become even more apparent for people with large hands.
Making and receiving calls
If you used previous Nokia phones with the Navi-key interface, you may have found it troublesome to access menu and other in-call functions while on a call. This has now been made easy on the 3510, where the availability of both soft keys allow for relevant functions to be accessed quickly without the need for a great amount of thought.
Similar to the 8310 and other new Nokia phones based on the new platform, the 3510 has improved sound quality for calls compared to its predecessors.
Messaging
Concatenated (long) SMS messaging support has been improved on the 3510, with consistent input speeds from the first character right up to the last. Before, a user would experience slowdown as the entire 459 characters available for the long message being written starts to run out.
In addition, the 3510 supports the receipt of MMS messages. This will depend on whether your network service provider has this feature available on their network, and whether appropriate subscription is required. Of course, the traditional picture messaging feature can be used to both send and receive such messages.
Battery life
Average battery life has significantly increased with the 3510 - where I was able to get around 3-5 days worth of standby and a bit over 3 hours on average usage. Leaving the 3510 solely on standby took it nearly 8-9 days before the battery went flat.
Major features...
"Gaming Xpress-on cover"
Polyphonic tones support (SP-MIDI)
The 3510 comes with a polyphonic-enabled speaker which allows MIDI tones to be played for ringtones, message tones and games. If you’ve previously used a Panasonic GD-series phone with similar ringtones and you’re worried about the soft volume, not to worry - as these MIDI tones are louder than you’ll ever need them to be! And if you miss those standard tones, some of them are still available from the ringtone list.
WAP over GPRS, with Push Inbox
High-speed, always-on access to the Internet is possible on the 3510 - just as long as you have such a subscription with your network service provider. Compared with traditional dial-up over CSD, speeds can be up to 4-5 times faster.
Larger, high-resolution LCD screen
The 3510 boasts an improved screen with higher resolution resulting in greater clarity. Text is now shown with a slightly larger size while graphics can fit comfortably on the entire area of the screen with no trouble at all.
Internal dynamic memory for phonebook, messages and calendar entries
Dynamic memory is used on the 3510 to share memory space between phone book entries, messages and calendar entries. Up to 500 phone book name entries (with 3 numbers and 1 text), 150 text-only / 50 picture messages, 3 MMS messages, and 100-500 calendar notes (depending on length) can all be stored in this area of the phone’s memory.
Concatenated (long) SMS, picture messaging and MMS support, with T9
The standard set of messaging features, including concatenated (long) SMS and picture messaging, is supported by the 3510 - which is further helped by the T9 predictive text input system. MMS support is also provided, where the phone supports the receipt of such messages only.
Calendar feature with full month view
Found under the “organiser” menu, the inclusion of a calendar feature on the 3510 is most definitely welcome. A full four-week view is displayed once entering the calendar, allowing easy identification of “days of week” and dates with recorded notes or appointments.
Built-in games supporting polyphonic sounds
A set of five built-in games are available on the 3510 (including Space Impact II and Kart Racing), with the possibility of downloading additional game levels for the respective games once they become available (via the “game services” option). As well, all these games come with polyphonic tones support - where such sound affects should add some flavour to the already-existent beeps and buzzes :)
Gaming Xpress-on cover accessory
On top of the poly sounds that come with the games, you also have the choice of purchasing gaming Xpress-on covers for the 3510. These covers provide a slightly different keypad configuration with its primary purpose of enhancing the gaming experience even further.
Screen saver feature
The 3510 comes pre-loaded with a list of static and animated screen savers, with the option of being able to download others via WAP or saving them from an MMS or picture message. An analogue and digital clock screen saver is also available.
Downloadable tones
The 3510 supports the downloading of both standard (monophonic) and polyphonic ringtones either via the “tone services” option (under the “Tones” menu) or via the WAP browser.
Automatic keyguard feature
The 3510 comes with an automatic keyguard feature, allowing the phone’s keypad to be locked by itself after a pre-defined delay. This feature can be accessed from the phone’s “Settings” menu.
Problems/Issues?
Thinking back when I first used the 3210, this new model has come a long way from what Nokia had put into their 3000-series model phones previously. Sure, having more features gives the user a choice - and he or she doesn’t have to use what’s available. But once you offer greater levels of functionality, you probably want to consider other complementary “options” to facilitate these new features.
Some of these “complements” that I think should have been made available include:
Internal backup battery to support internal clock
Most Nokia 3000-series users would have gotten used to the idea of re-setting their time and date after taking their battery out. Either you get use to it, or get sick of it after a while. I would have thought that it was “about time” that an internal backup battery, to keep the clock running while the primary battery is removed, would get included on the phone’s main board. Nope, not this time.
It was great introducing a new calendar feature on the 3510. If I was to rely on this calendar, and I managed to talk my battery flat, what’s going to happen if I finally recharge it and I don’t have access to the date and time (probably wouldn’t happen, but you never know)? Your presumption is as good as mine!
Cable connectivity should be an available option
So the 3510 has been given a dynamic memory so that you can store your “life” on it. Great! “But can I make a backup copy of the information so that if anything happens to my phone?” No, you can’t - because there’s no way you can connect your 3510 to an external device (since there’s no IR and a cable connection is not provided). Given that you can store up to 500 name entries and calendar notes each on the 3510, it would surely be a good idea if I could back the stuff up somewhere safe eh?
Polyphonic speaker location When I turned on the 3510 the first time, I was keen to try out the new polyphonic ringtones to see how they sounded. On playing one of them, I found the sound to be very soft. So I checked the volume, and it was set to the maximum setting already (Level 5). Going back and trying again, the ringtones were indeed quite loud. Why? Because I had my hand over the hole where the speaker was located - whereby if you cover the entirety of the hole, less than a quarter of the original volume will be audible. Probably the only concern here is for people who put it in their pockets or carry bags… better set the vibrate option as well!
In Summary
Nokia has given the 3510 the features it needs to be a leading entry-level phone currently available on the market. With the leading feature being the poly-tones offering (of course), other features such as the MMS inbox, improved text messaging and better PIM support will certainly raise the bar for other manufacturers to follow suit. The 3000-series phones are certainly becoming increasingly more powerful than ever before :) |
| Common misspellings on this brand: noki |
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