Nokia Asha 303 Review
Build Quality
More or less, based on unibody construction of an aluminum format the Nokia Asha 303 is extremely well built and will survive all tortures you may possibly throw at it. Of-course the body is metal so it will dent. The buttons are tactile and easily accessible, the back cover is also brushed aluminum, giving the device a total overall sturdy feel.
Hardware
Under the hood is an unknown 1 GHz processor, 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM. There is also a 170 MB of storage (100 MB available) which is expandable by a microSD card. The phone features a 3.2 MP fixed focus camera which will shoot VGA video at 15fps.
The phone is a touch and type phone with a capacitive touchscreen and a qwerty keyboard. The display is a 320 x 240 pixels, 2.6 inches capacitive LCD, which is very responsive to the touch but highly low res and it shows in usage.
Display, Camera & Multimedia
The screen is bright , but pixellation on the screen makes it difficult to enjoy the internet or any real form of media. The responsiveness of the touchscreen is commendable, even as a capacitive screen.
The camera is a decent 3.2 MP shooter, don’t expect to be shooting wildlife journals with this, because its a very basic camera with not to many features or options. Basic VGA video also allows for that emergency video capture.
The speakers are loud and clear, music is well enjoyed on the device, and so is the FM radio. Audio quality from both the speakerphone and the earphone jack is appreciable. Media playback, in terms of video is horrible, the quality of video whether streamed or preloaded is poor and will not be enjoyed by the onlooker.
Phone, Messaging and Networks
The phone features all all top notch, phone calling, and receiving is great and stable, no dropped calls in several hours of testing, even in transit. Earpiece is clear and the mic pics up your audio well ensuring high quality conversations.
Messaging can be a bit of a hassle as the keyboard keys are identical from left to right. We don’t see anyone becoming a fast typer on the Nokia Asha 303, simply because you need to constantly look at the phone to type.
Connectivity, Apps and Battery
The phone has Wifi, along with 3G and 2G connectivity, a keyboard and tons of apps, can make this device a potential social networkers paradise. Facebook, twitter, Whatsapp etc. The list is endless and so are the number of apps from the Nokia store. There are several apps and games pre installed to make the device seem more worthwhile to the buyer.
Battery life is great on the Asha 303, we got about 6 hours of talk time, and over 2 days of standby.
Conclusion
A well built phone, with some interesting features, an excellent choice of materials and design make this phone attractive, but its no beauty. The keyboard is poor and the OS leaves a lot to be desired. Although apps and games exist, they won’t work half as well as the Android counterparts.
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