Nokia Astound Symbian Phone (T-Mobile) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm an experienced smartphone user (previous Nokia E72, Android, iPhone, Blackberry). I so much wanted to love this phone C7/Astound because of its awesomely better mechanical design compared to the above phones, and I'm a fan of the Nokia radio/call quality compared to the above phones. But this C7 has been the most frustrating and most buggy phone I've ever had to use. I'm surprised it actually got out of Nokia Q/A (Quality Assurance), it is so full of bugs. I'm perplexed at so many positive reviews of this phone on other review sites including T-Mobile???
First, the GOOD things:
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I love the Nokia C7 hardware design. That's why I got the C7 in first place. It's slim, solidly built unlike many of the plastic-y touchscreen phones and BB. And WHEN the phone can make calls (and that's iffy...more on that below), the call quality is excellent.
And I like that the turn-by-turn navigation is built-in and free, with maps in phone memory, so no data charges when traveling abroad....A Much better app than say Google's navigation on Android phones, although I would prefer to have street names spoken, which I could not get to work.
The built-in Swype keyboard is an awesome improvement over iPhone or vanilla Android touchscreen keyboards (ALTHOUGH Nokia's implementation seems to be old by a few revisions, or has fewer features than Swype implementations on some other phones...like corrections, etc).
And Finally the camera function in the phone is reasonably good WHEN it works (more on that later)...There is a nice dedicated camera button on the phone...but the images appear "soft" to me and the lack of an auto-focus means you can't take pics of handwritten paper notes.
But enough of the positives...
I've had to invest lots of time to "learn" the quirks of Symbian, this phone, and work-arounds for lots of "bugs" that are in the phone. These aren't hardware problems...if you do a web search you'll find that multiple people are reporting these same issues I experienced.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED:
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(I use the phone with NO 3rd party apps installed. This is a plain-vanilla installation of the phone as it comes from t-Mobile with the recommended software updates, so the issues I report are not due to some wayward installed App.)
- Right out of the box after setup, my first "plain vanilla" using of the phone, I got "Memory Full" errors. Could not do anything with the phone until a re-boot. These "Memory Full" errors still happen every 1-2 days requiring re-boots.
- Periodically I get an "Unexpected Error" when I use the camera. It will just not allow the camera to be used. Needs a reboot, very frustrating.
- When making 2G/3G phone calls I periodically get "Connection error." Since I can re-dial the same number, there is not a problem with the phone number...it is a problem with the phone. Somehow the phone is getting confused and not allowing connection sometimes? It is frustrating and unreliable to count on to be able to dial a call.
- Compounding the dialing issue is that one time the phone switched to a mode where it thought there was a wired headset plugged into the phone (you can see the headset icon on the screen)...but I had no headset! So when I dialed or answered a call, there was no sound since the phone "believed" it was using a headset! Obviously no headset was attached, and since I never use the headset jack there was no debris stuck in it. Reboot fixed it...but disconcerting that I might not be able to use the phone when I need it.
- The email program does not accept Outlook meeting invitations! Hello? It's 2011, and every smartphone can accept Outlook meeting invites, except Nokia.
- The built-in games on the phone act flakey. These are standard products in the phone, so they should work, right? Wrong. Playing the games multiple times will often result in a blank screen, requiring a reboot to fix. I don't let my kids play the games anymore.
I can go on, but I so wanted this phone to work. I'm highly disappointed, and am suspicious of the glowing positive reviews on other sites for the C7.

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Offering value without compromise, the Nokia Astound for T-Mobile offers a sleek stainless-steel design with a brilliant 3.5-inch capacitive touch AMOLED display, free turn-by-turn navigation from Nokia, and an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 720p HD video capture.

The Astound has three fully customizable homescreens, giving you quick access to e-mail as well as the ability to check the latest from Facebook and Twitter. It also comes with pre-loaded games like Fruit Ninja plus the pre-loaded Slacker Radio app for streaming music on the go. You can get access to thousands more free and paid apps via Nokia's Ovi Store.

Enabled for T-Mobile's high-speed 3G network, the dLite offers fast data delivery and an enhanced Web-browsing experience that lets you connect quickly to social networking sites. And the 3G-enabled Astound will benefit from the enhanced speeds of T-Mobile's upgraded HSPA+ network (read more about HSPA+ below).

Other features include the Symbian^3 operating system, Wi-Fi networking (with Wi-Fi Sharing capabilities), Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, 8 GB internal memory, microSD memory expansion up to 32 GB (via optional cards), multimedia player, full HTML web browser, access to personal and corporate e-mail, FM stereo radio, and up to 9 hours of talk time.

Free Turn-by-Turn GPS Navigation
Equipped with the latest commercial version of Ovi Maps, the Nokia Astound provides free voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation in almost 100 countries in 46 languages. The Nokia Astound comes pre-loaded with automotive grade maps for the entire U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

With more than 8,000 3D landmarks and free premium content like Lonely Planet guides and TripAdvisor, you can explore new places and experiences along the way. New features include improved search engines and Wi-Fi positioning, a drive assistance mode for real-time traffic updates, maps of public transit lines, and the ability to check in to places and share great moments with friends on Facebook, Twitter and many local social networks.

Ovi Maps uses automotive grade maps from NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data. Additional countries and languages are available to download free from Nokia. Data charges may apply.

Symbian^3 Operating System
The Nokia Astound offers the new Symbian^3 software, enabling you to enjoy over 250 new features, including:

Usability enhancements across the user interface, including single tap, multi-touch and support for gestures such as "pinch-to-zoom."
Three personalizable homescreens, easily maneuvered through by a simple flick.
Faster and more responsive user interface with new 2D and 3D graphics architecture that takes full advantage of hardware acceleration
More efficient memory management allows more applications to run in parallel for a faster, more complete, and efficient multi-tasking experience. And a new visual task manager lets you switch apps with a swipe and a tap.
Intelligent network management tailors performance to the your needs: optimizing for high speed when uploading photos or smooth streaming for a VoIP call or video feed.


Key Features
Fast 3G connectivity via T-Mobile's HSDPA/UMTS network. (1700/2100 MHz bands, UMTS/HSDPA; see more about T-Mobile's 3G service below)
GPS with free Ovi Maps for navigation and location-based services. Also feature compass (magnetometer).
Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
Wi-Fi Sharing allows you to use your phone's 3G mobile broadband to connect laptops and other Wi-Fi enabled devices to the Internet.
Instant access to Ovi Store for downloadable apps, games and other cool content
3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) reproduces sharper and brighter colors with better battery consumption. Also features 16.7 million color depth, orientation sensor, proximity sensor, and ambient light detector.
Onscreen QWERTY keyboard and alpha-numeric keypad
8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash plus face recognition software, up to 2x digital zoom, and geotagging.
HD 720p video capture with up to 3x digital zoom and 25 fps (H.264, MPEG-4).
Front-facing VGA camera for video calls.
Multimedia player compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC music formats plus MPEG-4, H.264, and Real Video 10 video formats.
Stereo FM radio
Next-generation Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity provides faster throughput while minimizing on power requirements. It's compatible with new Bluetooth 3.0-enabled devices as well as backward compatible with older Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as headsets and printers. It includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP Bluetooth profile--enabling you to wirelessly stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.
8 GB internal memory
Memory expansion via microSD card slot with support for optional cards up to 32 GB.
SMS and MMS messaging with common inbox
Supports e-mail accounts from more than a thousand ISPs (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), as well as Gmail, Yahoo! mail and Hotmail. People who use Microsoft Exchange at work can access their e-mail using the Mail for Exchange mobile e-mail client, which comes pre-loaded (an Exchange e-mail account is required and your Exchange Administrator must have enabled your account for synchronization).
Full HTML Web browser with support for Flash Lite 4.0.
USB connectivity for synchronization with PCs plus USB tethering capabilities (using device's data connection to access the Internet on your laptop; additional charges applicable)
Organizer tools including calendar, to-do list, notes, voice recorder, calculator, and clock.
Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off

Vital Statistics
The Nokia Astound weighs 4.4 ounces and measures 4.6 x 2.2 x 0.38 inches. Its 1200 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 9 hours of talk time, and up to 600 hours (25 days) of standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies, as well as T-Mobile's 3G network (1700/2100 MHz).
What's in the Box
Nokia Astound handset, rechargeable battery, charger, connectivity cable, wired stereo hands-free headset, quick start guide


T-Mobile ServicesHigh-Speed 3G Data Connectivity
In addition to its quad-band GSM connectivity, this phone is also compatible with T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA 3G network, which operates on the 1700/2100 MHz AWS spectrum. This phone is designed to automatically connect to the best available network (3G or GSM/GPRS/EDGE) to provide faster data speeds when accessing the Web.

In areas where the 3G network is not available, you'll continue to receive service on the via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and e-mail on the go.

T-Mobile's Expanding, Super-Fast 4G Mobile Broadband Network
As of November, 2010, T-Mobile has upgraded its traditional 3G network to HSPA+ in 75 major metropolitan areas across the U.S., with plans to continue rolling out this network upgrade throughout 2011. With typical download speeds that are on par with or faster than competing 4G technologies, T-Mobile's HSPA+ network provides fast data speeds--up to 3 times faster than AT&T and Verizon's standard 3G networks--while allowing simultaneous voice and data capabilities for the ultimate wireless voice and data experience. You'll enjoy faster Web browsing, uninterrupted video streaming, and quicker app downloads.

T-Mobile's 4G mobile broadband network (powered by HSPA+) provides a theoretical capability of up to 21 Mbps peak download speeds, with average download speeds typically in the 5 to 8 Mbps range.

While this 3G-enabled mobile device doesn't offer HSPA+ compatibility, it can benefit from enhanced speeds when connecting to the HSPA+ network today.

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