I want a phone that has Wifi, GPS, built in maps plus the ability to add aps such as endomondo.

Am i right to be looking at symbian phones such as Nokia? I don’t have HTC cash!!

Is the Nokia 5800 still good or can you buy better for £150 on payg/sim free these days?

Just swapped my 5800 for a galaxy s. Samsung is in a different league, however my 5800 was a good phone for the money.

Dunno if you can get better for the money but I’m happy with my Nokia 5800. It has a built in mapping program but you can download google maps for free. There are quite a few free apps on the ovi store including the Nokia Sports Tracker which is pretty good, you can also buy a heart rate monitor that works with Sports Tracker. The battery time is pretty good too so long as you don’t use the phone speaker to play music (OK through headphones though).

I went through a phase of installing loads of apps but now only have Nimbuzz, Mobbler, Time Machine, Sports Tracker and iON BatteryTime Free.

I’ve got an e72 and it’s great dont know how much on PAYG though. My mate has a 5800 and it has all the same features mapping wise. I downloaded a OS application called viewranger but haven’t used it yet it seems to cover the bases though.

Best thing is the nokias are great phones clear and battery lasts.

HTC needn’t cost much Rob, I saw a cashback deal for a Desire for £17 pcm when I renewed recently.

my contract is due in 6 months tho 🙁

There are Android phones available for Nokia 5800 sort of money. HTC Hero, Samsung Galaxy Portal (5700 something) all have nice capacitive screens (nokia has the other one), gps, good cameras and can have Android 2.1 on them. Both are just over £100 on eBay so almost as much as Nokia 5800 go for.

I had a Nokia 5800 for some time, it was OK but Symbian looks weak compared to Android 2.1 and capacitive screen is much better. Android market have much more choice compared to OVI store.

Check ebay for prices but imho HTC Hero or that Samsung are much better than a 5800.

Ah I see. 5800 prob a reasonable choice then. 2 year transferrable warranty on Nokias, I have had to use mine a lot and gave up on them!

Pretty happy with my 5800, nowhere near as slick as apple phones or the Android phones that I’ve seen but it works ok, improved on every new OS update. Ovi maps is good, as are Viewranger (OS Mapping) and (the now no longer Nokia) sportstracker. Opera Mobile and Opera Mini are both good web browsers.

If you don’t need the wifi, a 5230 is a lot of phone for little money. About £70 gets you touchscreen, GPS, 3G and ability to run all those apps.

I looked into cheaper android phones and decided it just wasn’t worth it. They’re too compromised in terms of either screen or power and android’s not great on the weaker phones.

Having said all that, if you can wait a couple of months the new symbian^3 nokias will be available to buy, and they’re a *big* improvement. Look out for the C6-01 at the budget end:

http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Press/Materials/White_Papers/pdf_files/data_sheets_2010/Nokia_C6-01_data_sheet.pdf

or the C7 for a bit more cash is gorgeous in the flesh.

Do you need/want a touch screen? What other features would you like, might be other stuff worth recommending.

Actually I’d listen to miesko – cap screens way better and I find Android a lot better too.

I’ve a nokia x6, got everything you mentioned. Does everything i need it to do.

I’m amazed that a mobile phone can be described as gorgeous. 🙂

Nokia 5800 here. For what it costs its quite good. Latest software upgrade appears to have made Opera the web browser. I know it has its fans, but I think its shite. Having to wait for that stupid progress bar to finish whatever it does, even though there’s a perfectly readable web page underneath. No point trying to scroll down anyway, as it just goes berserk when it does finish loading. Older browser was better.

Best application…Google Maps, although the built-in Nokia Sat-Nav works a treat. Make sure its plugged into a charger though.

Nokia 5800 must be the worst smartphone on the market. Screen is not very responsive and the operating system is not intuitive (e.g some screens require a single tap to open something some require two taps)

Its also quite thick which makes it feel bulky.

Free satellite guidance with Ovi maps is good but the GPS in my phone stopped working. Also the tilt sensor stopped working properly.

I’ve now got an HTC Wildfire which is much much better in every way with the exception of screen resolution.

Nokia still making phones?

5800 is indeed excellent value for money. Mine was free and does tons of stuff. I’ve got no problems with screen responsiveness either – you may have had a fault.

One issues though is the fact that the screen’s LED. Looks fab indoors, but outside you can struggle to see it. Never had that problem with an N95.

To the OP – if you’re running on your current contract for 6 months, do you have a decent data deal? If not, I’d think very carefully before choosing android – it really does like to have a constant data connection, and go online a lot. Of course you can disable that (or I’d hope limit it to wifi only, I have data so it’s not been an issue for me), but you miss some of the best features (e.g. google maps).

Pretty much the only decent offline mapping/satnav is Ovi maps on nokias, I’ve tried various apps on android and iOS and they’re more “functional” than actually good, and often openstreetmap data which aint great (though is much better than a few years ago).

One issues though is the fact that the screen’s LED. Looks fab indoors, but outside you can struggle to see it. Never had that problem with an N95.

The issue is not the method of backlighting, but that it lacks a transflective layer in the LCD stack. FWIW you won’t get a great display for under £150 payg/sim free (yet, some interesting stuff coming). Even a lot of top end phones really struggle in sunlight (e.g. nexus one, desire).

Oh, and to answer the OP’s question: i’d not buy a 5800 these days. It’s an old phone, and pretty dated now (mind should be cheap second hand). Either save cash and get basically the same tech for £70 in a 5230, or spend more, or wait a bit. Or see how much you can get a wildfire or SE X10 mini (pro) for. There will always be compromises at that price, it’s which ones matter to you.

i just got my first ever non nokia phone…

had nokia phones ever since i first got a mobile.
but lately Nokia has dropped the ball..

got a HTC and it works ace.

Nokia Satnav was good though…

Nokia E5 or E72? any good?

Had an E5 on trial since the beginning of last week, what do you want to know about it? Will write some impressions, but post some Qs in teh meantime…

The issue is not the method of backlighting

I meant that the scren itself is an OLED screen ie not backlit at all.

I think, anyway.

Btw anyone wanna buy an N95 in good nick? 🙂

Main practical difference is a better (autofocus) camera in the E72, but the E5 is ok for anything but closeups. extended-DOF camera means anything from about 60cm to infinity is in focus, works better than you’d think, but not up there with the carl zeiss autofocus nokias (but then nothing is cameraphone wise really, though some get close).

S60 3rd edition is getting dated, but it’s very refined, It all “just works” but finding menu options etc. can be tricky if you’re not used to the mindset. Having said that, I’ve given the E5 to my GF, who’d got an itouch but never had a smartphone. She’s been happing sportstracking, using ovi maps, last.fm, facebook etc. without any trouble.

Battery life is great, as is the size and build quality. Slips into a top pocket and will get a full day constantly connected & online tweeting and the like. Feels solid like I could hammer nails with it…

Keyboard is great – I prefer fold out qwerty in general, but this is good. (preferable to touchscreen IMO). Call quality etc – it’s a nokia, it’s perfect.

Volume keys are awkward/stiff. They dropped the ball there a bit. Music player aint flashy, but does work well enough. Screen is ok but not great outdoors.

Most of these comments apply to an E72 too, very similar.

In summary – if you want a phone that’s a phone first, text and email second then all the rest, probably a good choice.

5800 is LCD, not OLED. N85, N86 is OLED.

I’ve got no problems with screen responsiveness either – you may have had a fault.

Should have said not very responsvie compared to an iphone or HTC.

Nokia N8?

Quite a bit more pricey. 720p video recording and 12Mpix camera though.

I had a 5800, it wasn’t a bad phone for the money but it’s lightyears behind the Nexus One in terms of responsiveness, feel, slickness – call it what you like, but it feels a lot clunkier.

Lot cheaper, though, and (at least at work) you’re never far from a charger!

First non-nokia phone I’ve had for years, sadly I just don’t miss it.

Very happy with my Nokia 5800. Its far from being the best out there but great value. The screen isn’t very responsive as above but it does work with gloves or inside a poly bag which is good for biking/sailing/skiing. Battery life is pretty good, too. GPS will happily log an all day ride and leave enough for a couple of days of normal use. Takes a few knocks, too

N8 suggested above is excellent, but not out yet and again far more expensive. Most folk suggesting smartphones etc. bear in mind the OP’s £150 budget. Nexus Ones and the like are 2-3 times that.

2 things will survive the nuclear holocaust.

Cockroaches and Nokia phones.

E72? any good?

had a e71 for two years – just replaced it with a HTC..

E71 and updated 72 are great phone, mega battery life and good features + robust etc

<hijack>

I have a genuine Nokia Wallcharger, USB and In car charger that fitted my Nokia N86 if anyone is looking for one or all three for a reasonable price?

This type of connection:

</hijack>

I’ve got an E72.
I got mine because I really don’t like touchscreens and the phone has to pass the “jeans test” (i.e. small enough to fit into a front jeans pocket without looking like Dirk Diggler on Viagra). I need to get e-mail from several accounts and need a decent camera and good battery life.
When I first got it, it seemed to fit the bill. I loved it. Loved it so much, I got one for my wife too. However, there then followed a few software updates and it’s gone completely loopy. It no longer receives or sends my e-mail over the mobile network, despite putting back in the correct settings. It no longer allows me to select “speakerphone” for incoming calls and the GPS software (which used to work well) now takes ages. A quick look at Nokia’s own discussion boards seems to reveal hoards of dissatisfied customers who are getting similar problems and Nokia seem to be doing little to sort it out. When I first had it, it was superb and would have recommended it. It’s very well built and the keys are easy to use. Now I’m not so sure.

Pretty much the only decent offline mapping/satnav is Ovi maps on nokias, I’ve tried various apps on android and iOS and they’re more “functional” than actually good, and often openstreetmap data which aint great (though is much better than a few years ago).

Really? You mean Viewranger, the best reviewed OS mapping software originally available only on Symbian and now available on iOS, is inferior to Ovi? What about UK Map on iOS which has free 1:25 and 1:10k OS mapping, although, to be fair it doesn’t have tracking and footpaths are openstreetmap sourced, but the maps are beautifully detailed and 3D shaded. And free. Both are installed in the phone and do not require an Internet link like Google Maps do. I had Viewranger on an N95, and while the mapping was excellent, the phone absolutely sucked in just about every way. Crap battery life; two hours playing music playing killed it, the GPS only worked with an external BT receiver, and killed the battery in a couple of hours, the browser was slow and unresponsive. I’ve only had one phone worse, an XDA Mini, which had Windows software to compound it’s other faults. Oh, and the 5Mp camera was utterly useless, autofocus that couldn’t focus on a bike five feet away, or a seventy-foot sailing ship in Bristol Docks renders the camera a pointless encumbrance. I took more photos with the 2Mp camera on my 3G iPhone in one afternoon than in the whole year I had that bloody Nokia. So glad to finally get shot of it and get a phone that was consistently useful on a day-to-day basis.

Lol, calm down CZ, I have used all the software you list (and own devices with all mobile platforms bar windows mobile).

I should have qualified my statement more. Viewranger is great, but for OS mapping rather than turn-by-turn satnav and day-to-day streemap use (which I implicitly was referring to). Also I never owned an N95 – like you say, on the original, battery life isn’t great. I have used one though, and it sounds like there was something very wrong with the camera on yours. I had an N82 (slightly newer, though virtually identical internal hardware) and the camera on that is great, and I took many photos with it. UK map may have free mapping, though the app itself is not (though admittedly it’s only £6).

Browser is crap on the N95, iPhone made a big big difference there, in showing mobile browsing was useful and making more and more sites cater for it.

Anyway, I’ll not dispute your points, I’m sure your iphone is more useful for you. But they’re not right for everyone (and not an option on the OP’s budget).

Still using my 5800 and have had it for 17 months now. Skyfire is a good free web browser (supports nearly all flash video content on web pages), but i have Nokia’s own and Opera installed too. I use wifi and mobile internet connections now. BBC iPlayer is a big plus for me. Not many phones will support full iPlayer services i.e. being able to download and replay several programmes at your convenience. Battery life is great, music player is fab as is the FM radio. Built in GPS gives free Nokia satnav route voice guidance and I have Sportstracker, Googlemaps and Viewranger OS maps installed. All work very well. Replaceable memory and battery are nice touches along with the now common 3.5mm headphone jack socket.

The capacitve screen isn’t brilliant, looks are clunky and it still occasionally gets it’s knickers in a twist, but it was the first ever Nokia touchscreen phone. It’s also very keenly priced compared to some newer phones.

I am hoping the forthcoming Nokia N8 will have all the same functionality and a slightly better UI. It certainly looks much better and is slimmer (always a good thing).

Android handsets are definitely on my radar though.

I have an E72 and it’s good.

As a phone it’s perfect, clear easy to use long battery life even the L/S is useable in the car as a handsfree

I sync Gmail Hotmail and my Work Mail without any problems at all.

It’s great for texting as I like a physical keyboard

It’s useful for tethering and O2 seem to not notice I do it.

Sat Nav is good loads up quickly and locks GPS quickly most of the time.

Internet is fine bit small but meh I’m usually only reading the news

Have got viewranger but have yet to use it

Camera takes decent snaps.

CZ, I didn’t have any of the issues you had with your N95. I used the camera loads, it was excellent. I suspect you had a fault. The internal GPS worked for me with a caveat – at first, it took forever (15 mins) to lock on but that was fixed with a firmware upgrade.

Quite a nice phone I thought. Battery life was fine – lasted quite a while for me playing music.

I am hoping the forthcoming Nokia N8 will have all the same functionality and a slightly better UI. It certainly looks much better and is slimmer (always a good thing).

All the same and more, and the UI is much, much improved. You really need to use one to appreciate the differences. It looks very similar so it’s familiar, but it’s all so much slicker and quicker. So solidly built too, is like a rock solid bar of alu and glass. It really is a lot better than I thought it would be.

(I’m lucky enough to be one of the few given one last week at the developer summit)

E72 looks like its pushing ahead only down side is the small screen for web browsing

Cheers IA! Bet it doesn’t have fully supported BBC iPlayer tho.