Now online is the second of my beginner's guides to smartphones - Getting started with the Nokia 5530. Again, it's not aimed at hard core AAS readers. This is one to point new 5530 owner/friends to. Also updated is 'Getting started with the Nokia 5230', following your comments and feedback. I hope this growing series will prove useful to newbies throughout 2010.
Read on in the full article.
"It's fun to surf the mobile Internet and use online services such as email while travelling. But the single biggest power drain on your phone is its 3G data connection - keeping radio connections going with cell towers that are either far away or moving (relative to you!) is a very quick way to hammer your battery."
Not a problem with the 5530 as it does not have a 3G radio!
Great cheap device though.
Gah. That "3G" typo was one I'd taken out before - and then somehow my edit got lost. Fixed again!
It's actually amazing how different the various devices are in terms of helping a newbie approach them. I do TRY and get things right first time, you know.... 8-)
I suggest you cover E72 next instead of E63. Thanks!
Well, no, this is a series for beginners, not for power users. Who on earth would start out with an expensive E72?
slitchfield wrote:Well, no, this is a series for beginners, not for power users. Who on earth would start out with an expensive E72?
Well you don't necessarily need to be a 'power user' to own an expensive/higher end smartphone. The E72 is subsidised and can also be issued by companies (I know of people who has been given E71 and E72 as work phones).
To me power users are people who can maximise the potential of a phone regardless of its initial cost, not someone who goes for the most expensive.
How about general and seperate guides for both S60v3 and Symbian^1 devices?
i have a 5530 and i would say that its a great phone for those on a budget or just starting out, but the bluetooth connection with headsets needs to be fixed in a firmware update.
Great tutorial for beginners steve, would only make a couple of points, first check the cost of mobile internet with your supplier (as you suggested) but then buy some !!!! Most contracts and payg have 'bolt ons' for about a fiver a month, and it really really really is worth it, I just cannot believe that anyone, new or experienced user would buy a smartphone and then cripple the phone and the whole experience by worrying about data usage. The web based apps just make a phone sooooooooooooooo much better 😊 Secondly, especially for new users, install Snaptu, it's really simple to use, versatile, useful and FREE, I consider it a must, especially for a newbie !
Good work Mr Litchfield
carman58 wrote:Gr and it really really really is worth it, I just cannot believe that anyone, new or experienced user would buy a smartphone and then cripple the phone and the whole experience by worrying about data usage.
Can't believe it eh? Well you are being a bit parochial. This is a 2G phone, not 3G but it DOES have WiFi. I can have all the data I want via WiFi, and it's very quick, it's available just about everywhere. I have no access to a 3G network and I don't want to be hanging around too long when I could use zippy fast WiFi.
So, believe it or not, no data plan thank you.
Unregistered wrote:Can't believe it eh? Well you are being a bit parochial. This is a 2G phone, not 3G but it DOES have WiFi. I can have all the data I want via WiFi, and it's very quick, it's available just about everywhere. I have no access to a 3G network and I don't want to be hanging around too long when I could use zippy fast WiFi.So, believe it or not, no data plan thank you.
When I say WifI is available everywhere, I mean everywhere that I need it. It may not be for you. I thought I'd better make that clear because I don't want to get parochial like carman58.
Unregistered wrote:When I say WifI is available everywhere, I mean everywhere that I need it. It may not be for you. I thought I'd better make that clear because I don't want to get parochial like carman58.
Yes, it's all too common for people to make blase statements like "most...available for a fiver a month" and forget that this website is read all over the world, including places where there are no bolt ons available for a fiver a month. In fact where there are no "fivers" and no 3G networks.
Hi steve,
nice work.
I'm not a beginner in Symbian. Owned symbian phone since nokia 3650 and never run away from symbian.
But, although I considered myself as a avid symbian user. I still don't know what is the best video format and size for symbian phone.
All I know is for 320x240 screen the phone can't handle larger than that resolution, so I must encode the mp4 video for max resolution of 320x240. I also wondering if I encode the 16:9 resolution video for 320x240, should I encode it to 320x180 or 320x240 with 30 pixel black bar at top and 30 pixel black bar at bottom. For 640x480 (the nHD), I haven't tried if it's can open larger than that pixel (for example native dvd format at 720x568. The the codecs. which codec the best, which one have a lower cpu load (longer battery live).
Could you also please research that for us or point to that article if you know it.
thanks.
WOW !!! Wish I lived in wifi world, it would save me a fiver a month !!!😃 Plus it must be great to live somwhere where buses and trains have free wifi !! Sorry I rubbed you up the wrong way guys, but I still think a data allowance vastly improves the user experience if you have a 'smartphone'. If you live somwhere without 3g coverage then obviously it's convienient and useful to use WLAN, but I've used my phone abroad and found it difficult to find it free ! But each to there own.
