Nokia C3-00 Unlocked Cell Phone (Slate) with QWERTY, Dedicated E-mail Key, 2 MP Camera, Media Player, WLAN, and MicroSD Slot

I love this phone. I have always been a Nokia fan, but for my last upgrade, I was looking to switch to a QWERTY phone for easy text-messaging, and I discovered that all the technology is going into smartphones, meaning there are very few decent-quality dumbphones available. For my current upgrade, I did some extensive research and decided to go back to Nokia. First of all, I was very happy to have the return of what I think would be expected features on any phone, like a decent calendar and calculator app, and reminders. Here are the other pros/cons of this phone: PROS: 1. wIfi- the internet available on this phone is not going to make smartphone users happy, but it makes me happy that I can download wallpapers and ringtones without using data 2. conversational text messaging- it doesn't look like an iphone or anything, but it serves it's purpose so you don't have to scroll through your sent messages to see what you were talking about when someone replies a few hrs later 3. customizable- you can make all the shortcut buttons do what you want them to do, so you won't accidentally connect to the internet all the time, and can easily access the features that you do use. you can also customize the appearance of the homescreen with preferred shortcuts, such as top contacts, etc 4. can check time and missed calls/messages by just pressing the hangup button, do not need to unlock keypad 5. nice display, camera is decent, easy to navigate, user-friendly, can change call volume during a call by pressing the navigation key 6. Battery life is AMAZING! I used it a lot when I first got it to set it up with some wifi use, and it lasted me 8 1/2 days before my first charge. During the second week of regular use but no wifi, I am now on the 8th day and still have half the battery life remaining. 7. Feels sturdy and well-made CONS: 1. Mine came in portugese. There is a utube video that demonstrates how to change the language, so it is fine. There are a few keys you won't use, but no big deal. Came with European charger and a converter. 2. Keyboard is a little small for typing. I am getting used to it, but still have some typos. 3. Media messaging and internet do not work when you first get it. Need to configure it. The instructions are listed in one of the Amazon reviews by user P Redman (thanks!). I am going to copy and paste below because it is tough to find the specific review. Once configured, everything works great. So after the few quick fixes when the phone arrives, the only real con is a small keyboard. Overall, a great phone and does everything I had hoped for and more. Perfect if you want a decent phone without wasting money on smartphone data plans. Nokia C3 -- MMS and Web settings Multimedia Messaging Menu > Settings > Configuration > Personal Settings > Options > Add New > Multimedia Msg Account Name: AT&T MMS Server address: mmsc.cingular.com Use pref. Access pt: No Access point settings - Proxy: enabled - Proxy address: wireless.cingular.com - Proxy port: 80 Bearer settings - Packet data acc. pt: wap.cingular - Network type: IPv4 - Authentication type: Normal - User name: [email protected] (all capital letters) - Password: CINGULAR1 (all capital letters) Now go back to the Personal Settings (Personal accounts) > Options > Activate Internet Menu > Settings > Configuration > Personal Settings > Options > Add New > Web Account Name: Media Net Homepage: device.home User name: leave blank Password: leave blank Use pref. Access pt: No Access point settings - Proxy: enabled - Proxy address: wireless.cingular.com - Proxy port: 80 Bearer settings - Packet data acc. pt: wap.cingular - Network type: IPv4 - Authentication type: Normal - User name: [email protected] (all capital letters) - Password: CINGULAR1 (all capital letters) Now go back to the Personal Settings (Personal accounts) > Options > Activate

I'm on a contract with T-Mobile, and I wanted to get a new phone while still on the contract, so I initially got the Nokia C1-01, which I bought from Amazon as well, however I didn't have access to picture messaging nor internet. I thought that for $120 on Amazon, that the Nokia C3-00 was a steal that combined a good amount of features like wi-fi and EDGE network access and custom shortcuts balanced with a reasonable and frugal price, so I got it. When the phone arrived, it was as simple as just swapping the SIM cards (as it usually is with any GSM phone, and some newer CDMA phones) from my old phone with the Nokia C3-00; I still wasn't able to use picture messaging, but I was sold on the Wi-Fi, the EDGE network support and the Mail and Contacts custom shortcuts. I started doing some occasional internet browsing with the phone; while not all websites are available or nicely viewed on the phone, Google Mobile adapted most of the webpages to be viewed with the phone. While on Wi-Fi I was able to attain speeds of 1500 kbps (kilobits). The phone was UNLOCKED !!!! I was finally going to be able to run Gmail and Google Maps without having to get a Blackberry or an iPhone, and it did so beautifully (read the instructions on how to use Google maps, otherwise you'll be a little frustrated when trying to pan in/out and zoom in/out the map). One good day TMOBILE sent me an update, and the phone did ask me if I wanted to apply the update, but I must have pressed the wrong key and it applied the update which rendered my phone unable to do all the nice things that it was able to do before: I was left with a boring gray background, only the Nokia ringtone left to choose, the custom shortcut keys no longer worked (couldn't even choose something else for them to do), and clicking on the browser did nothing. To cut a long story short, I called Tmobile asking them why they were sending updates to my phone...they were not aware. They told me that they couldn't provide me with much support since I had bought the phone from somebody else...that's perfectly understandable. I was however expecting good customer support from Nokia and they failed to deliver: I called a total of 5 times that solved nothing, and in between those calls, Nokia would advice every time to contact T-Mobile to provide me with values to access the web..I just couldn't get them to understand that it was the applications that failed to respond. I was asking to return the phone to its factory OS condition. They got me to update the phone from OS version 4 to 8, but did nothing either. I am looking now at going to some sort of Android OS phone....Symbian is just dead and you can't get as much info. The phone itself is a nice one, but since I assume that you'll be buying it to run on either AT&T or T-Mobile, I just wanted to warn you about what could happen to you, and complain about the poor Nokia support

I really like the phone, looks great, sound is great, quick learning curve, but the battery life sucks. I put it on the charger before bed and it doesn't even completely charge after 6 hours of non-use. Then the battery is almost dead after a couple of hours of non-use off the charger. Not sure if it's just a bad battery from the supplier or the design of the phone itself. Not sure why the first time I sent a review in it said 'A kids review' I'm 48 years old! ** Update Feb 19,2011 ** The battery that came with the phone continued to get worst, to the point that if I wanted to make a call that would last 10 mins or so, I would have to plug it in and use it as a corded phone. I picked up a battery at battery+ and the new battery works well, but added another $35 dollars to the cost of the phone.

Since I was due for an early upgrade on my plan, I checked around in the AT&T store for non-smartphone messaging-only options that did not require a data plan. Sadly, there were just a handful of options, half of which were unappealing flip style phones that I used over 10 years ago. AT&T store personnel stated that AT&T is intentionally driving existing customers to higher revenue smartphone and data plans and de-emphasizing messaging-only phones. *sigh*. Thanks for reducing customer options AT&T. So the search began to see what options existed in third party unlocked phones. The Nokia C3-00 caught my eye largely because it looked very much like my previous QWERTY bar phone, but it also had FM stereo and Wifi capability which had the potential to dramatically improve its day-to-day flexibility. In addition, user reviews across multiple internet review sites gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews. Before purchase I had some initial concerns about whether or not AT&T would identify the phone on their network as a smartphone since it uses the Symbian S40 operating system. AT&T said the phone's IMEI number is not among their list of smartphone IMEI's. I've gone through my first billing cycle and can confirm no forced smartphone data plan charges were assessed. As for the phone itself, day-to-day use has been great. Plugged my SIM card into it from the old phone (Pantech Link) and its worked beautifully right out of the box from day one. No problems at all. Battery life is typically 3-4 days between charges with moderate texting and several hours of daily FM stereo usage at work. Better than expected. Wifi works OK, not very speedy, but it does enable access to personal email and MSNBC/CNN at Starbucks. Just don't expect an iPhone-type browsing experience. It's basic but gets the job done. Better than expected. Note: If you DO opt for a data plan for this phone, bear in mind that it's an EDGE phone, not a 3G phone, so your data transfer speeds under a paid data plan will likely be a little underwhelming. FM stereo works super and is a nice inclusion on a phone at this price level. Earphone cord acts as the antenna and must be plugged in for reception. Sounds great, and again, better than expected. Keyboard is typical QWERTY layout. I found the tactile feedback quite pleasant and was easier to text on it than previous phone. Call quality is very good. No dropped calls. I can hear callers loud and clear and they can hear me the same. Nothing bothersome about the texting experience. It has a conversation mode similar to other phones and it works well. Only complaint is that individual texts within a conversation will only display the first two lines of the text. You have to drill into the text to see it fully. Not terribly annoying, but adds an extra step to the texting process. I suppose you have to accept some compromises when working with a 2.4 in display screen. Overall, I'd have have to say this has been a terrific phone choice for me. At $99, it's priced very well, offers expanded feature content and NO DATA PLAN requirement. It's a worthy option to similar carrier-provided messaging phones and a great value. Very happy camper.

If I can rate this defective cell phone with Zero Star, I would give it Zero-star, but I think my only option is to rate it 1-star. Just like the Prior Unhappy Buyer of this Same device did a few months ago, I have to return this crappy cell phone to the UPS store tomorrow morning (Jan 6, 2012) for a 100% refund. I'll explain below how I know there is a Prior Unhappy Buyer of this defective Cell Phone. Today (Jan 5, 2012), I'm extremely disappointed about 5 minutes after I opened the package. First, I noticed a PRIOR UNHAPPY BUYER returned this piece of crap, defective cell phone in October 2011 (just a few months before me). The "Return due to Defective Product" notice dated in October 2011 was still attached to the package sent to me. The seller is Warehouse Deals, Inc which is a subsidiary of Amazon. The seller Warehouse Deals, Inc must be thinking that if the Nokia C3-00 is defective in one unhappy buyer's eyes, it must not be defective in the next buyer's eyes. HELLO! Defective is defective - it means internally mal-functioning, it's not merely external/superficial beauty in the eyes of the beholder. I have owned several older Nokia cell phone models, so I began testing several functions. Immediately, I noticed that the Right and Left Key (just above the alpha & numeric keyboards) are not responsive when I try to select on-screen options. The only time the Right key works is when switching on/off the device. I gave my benefit of the doubt by pressing the key at different strength: hard, medium and soft, but nothing worked. Then I immediately went to online chat with Nokia online support to explain my problems with this device. The Nokia online support confirm what I know about Nokia devices from my own experience, that it is NOT normal for the Right and Left Key not to be responsive to on-screen selections (in other words, I wouldn't need to press more than 1 key to pick on-screen selections). On all my prior Nokia cell phone, you only need to press 1-key (either the Right or Left key to select your on-screen option). I've had a string of bad luck ordering this Nokia C3-00 unlocked cell phone (a very long story, prior to receiving this defective cell phone, I made at least 3 telephone complaints about an Amazon Rep. called Amit Y. who made unauthorized cancellation on 2 good, valid and in-stock orders without my permission. This is really testing my patience on purchasing electronic devices from Amazon. I am totally disappointed with this device and I will return this crappy defensive cell phone at the UPS store tomorrow morning for a refund.

This is like a Tale of Two Cities - it was the worst of times, it was the best of times. The phone is great. It has good sound quality, useful features, good fit-and-finish. The speakerphone works exceptionally well. I searched around for a decently priced phone (you can get this unlocked for $120 shipped) that could sync my contacts, calendar and task list, would work as a tethered modem, could link to an email account and had web access. This is what I ended up with. The down side is that the sync software offered by Nokia is total crap. DO NOT use the Ovi Suite software if you need to sync your Outlook data - it has a nasty habit of overwriting your Outlook data file. If you are lucky, it will just create a mess. If you are unlucky - well, I hope you backed up your data lately. Much less problematic is Nokia's PC Suite - it is the predecessor to Ovi Suit. It too has problems (I could only get it to sync 30 contacts at a time) but it is much less buggy. The down side to PC Suite is that Nokia is abandoning its support/updates for this software. Right now, there are plenty of forums that provide good answers to common problems. If this phone does not have the features you want go to phonescoop.com and click on the "phone finder" link. It is a GREAT time saver. You put in the features you want it it will spit out a list of all phones with your criteria.

This phone is amazing. For $120, Nokia really hit the nail on the head this time. Wi-Fi: This is probably my favorite feature of the phone. While most phones that have Wi-Fi are smartphone and require a data plan from the carrier, this phone doesn't. It has wi-fi, but it's NOT a smartphone. This is a great feature for those of us who want to browse the internet or check email, without being tied to an annoying contract. And let's face it, there's wi-fi almost everywhere now so finding a connection shouldn't be hard. The wifi is fast a reliable on this phone, and it's just so convenient. Screen: The screen is terrific for such a budget phone. The resolution isn't crazy high, but it's very crisp and easy to read. As far as I know, there is no option to adjust the brightness of the screen, but that's not a big problem because the brightness is perfect for all situation. Even in sunlight, the screen is remarkably readable. Battery Life: I only go the phone yesterday, so I really don't know about the battery life. According to other websites, however, it has 7 hours or talk time. Not impressive, but still pretty good. It also depends on if your wi-fi is turned on and stuff like that. UI (Interface): This phone uses the Nokia S40 use interface. This interface is pleasantly simple, yet has all the features you need. There are a few apps that come preloaded onto the phone, but whenever I try to go to the OVI Store, it says this phone is not compatible. This might be an issue with the browser or maybe the phone just ISN'T supported. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem because people shouldn't buy this phone expecting an iPhone. The phone also gives you easy access to your favorite social networks from the homescreen, which I find a great feature paired with the included wi-fi (I don't have a data plan). QWERTY Keyboard: The keyboard is perfect. The keys may a little small and intimidating, but even for those of us who have thick fingers, typing will become a breeze. The keys are stiff enough to prevent accidental presses, but at the same time, they are easy to press. Perfect combination, eh? Also, I've noticed that on a lot of phones, the keys make a loud *click* noise when they're pressed. This phone barely even makes a noise. I would have to say that the navigation pad above the QWERTY keyboard is a little "loud" at first, especially the directional pad, but you soon get used to it. Text Messaging: I couldn't be happier with the texting experience on this phone. The messages are displayed in a conversational manner for each contact, and you can even assign the dedicated e-mail key to go to the conversations (texting) screen. I find this really helpful because it let's me keep track of who I was talking to and what I was talking to them about. Email: The email on this phone is good. The "app" takes about 6 seconds to load up after you press "Mail" in the menu, but then it's pretty quick. You can have multiple accounts, and all you have to input is you username and password. The phone does the rest, so no need to find the server addresses and ports or whatever you need. I've never really had email on a phone, but I must say it's very convenient. Internet Browser: There are 2 internet browsers that I'm aware of. I have no idea what the default first one is called, but the second one is Opera Mini. I personally like the first one better better, and that's because you control the cursor with the directional keys, while in Opera Mini, you basically use them to select an element..... It's hard to explain. Also, the internet is fast if you have fast wifi. This phone only supports EDGE and GPRS, so no 3G. (YouTube works, but the videos only play in low resolution). Media Player: The media player is great on this phone, too. There are many different file formats that the phone can play. It can even play MIDI audio files (I've never seen that on a phone). My favorite part about the player is them including a 5-band equalizer. This equalizer greatly improves the sound quality. I have mine set to - left to right - HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH. The headphones that come with the phone aren't the greatest, so using a different pair would drastically improve the sound quality. Classy Look: This phone looks pretty awesome. The area around the screen is this plastic material but it's reflective so it's looks really luxurious. The battery cover is made of metal (aluminum I think), and that really gives it a "heavy", quality look. I actually ordered a case with the phone ( Premium Crystal Skin Case for NOKIA C3 / Clear Tinted ) and it fits perfectly, I highly recommend it. The keyboard is sort of a matte finish, and it makes the key comfortable to type on. The device as a whole is just gorgeous, and to be honest, it really looks like a "Nokia BlackBerry" or something. I really like the look. Camera: The camera is a 2 MP camera, with digital zoom, but no flash, and no auto-focus. The picture quality on the phone is average for phones in this price range. The pictures look like visual effects have been slammed onto them. I would recommend using the camera to take the occasional picture of somebody to put as a contact, but that's about it. The video camera is, I believe, QVGA resolution @20FPS, (or 15, not quite sure), which isn't great but it gets the job done. Call Quality: The sound quality of the phone is great. I've had no problem hearing anybody, and vice versa. --VERDICT-- I would say the only flaw with this phone is that it doesn't make me sandwiches. But all kidding aside, I really do love this phone. My favorite features are the amazing QWERTY keyboard, the included wi-fi networking capabilities, and the threaded text messaging. What more could you want for a $120 phone that's not "smart" (hehe). The fact that it has wi-fi but isn't a smartphone is great. You can browse the internet without getting tied up in data plans and contracts and all that stuff because it's unlocked. The browsing experience is good, and the email is convenient. The social network integration to the home screen is great because you don't have to browse to the website or whatever. All-in-all, this is a great phone and I'm very happy I bought it. Oh yes, by the way, it makes calls. :P EDIT 2/5/2012 - Regarding the battery life, this phone has AMAZING battery life. In the review I said it was average, but after using it for a longer time, I can go 5 days with average/heavy use and still have 2/3 bars. It seems insane, but it's true. However, that might be due to the fact that I don't access AT&T's data features, which may drag the battery life down a bit if used frequently.

Nokia built a great phone with the C3-00. BUT - if you are a person that watches their wallet, this phone will not be for you. This phone MUST have an internet connection. With extreme difficulty, I was able to get it to connect via WIFI starting off at home. But as soon as I was out of range, or disconnected from WIFI, it jumps right to GPRS. And the transition back to WIFI is difficult to accomplish without re-booting the phone. This was not what I expected. On my current Win5 OS phone, I control the connection to GPRS and WIFI, and I can enable or disable as I please. So I ultimately sent the phone back. I specifically look for WIFI phones, but i must be able to control the connection. I refuse to purchase most new smartphones because they have a data package requirement. I am able to use my Win5 OS phone and connect when I can - and that suits me just fine. Better for me to connect when I want than to spend hundrends a year for a 'required' connection. Thanks but no.