There are a few key questions I ask myself every time I am out canvassing for a new cellular phone.
First, is it small enough to fit into a tiny clutch bag along with a tube of lipstick? This requirement probably doesn’t apply to most men, but is of the utmost importance to girls and matronas alike. Most people cannot survive if their cell phones aren’t within a five-foot radius nowadays, so it’s crucial that the phone is compact enough to really take with you anywhere.
Second, does the design suit me? Thankfully, today’s cell phones are all quite sleek — some are chic, some are cute, and some are classic; there’s always a style for everyone. Gone are the days of huge, chunky phones with ugly contours and uglier buttons. Today’s cell phone is a thing of beauty.
Third, is it customizable? And by that, I mean can I put my face on the screen, select all my own ringtones, and change the display’s color scheme? Because let’s face it, for the young at least, our electronics have become extensions of ourselves. There are people who wouldn’t be caught dead using default ringtones or wallpapers (although some of them are really good). In the same way that some people make sure their iPods are packed with music that they think tells something about them, when friends ask to borrow your new phone to check it out, you want it to be you. Gadgets aren’t just gadgets anymore — they’re not just there for function, they’re there for self-expression as well.
And on all these points, however superficial they may seem to be, the new Nokia 7210 Supernova completely delivers. It’s an adorable little phone, the same length and about half the thickness of my ancient iPod; the perfect size for anyone on the go, whether you tuck it into your bag or your back pocket. Its design is clean and cute, and it comes in edged in either bubblegum pink (which I love) or cool, vivid blue.
The screen is bright, and the display is neat, with a good selection of really nice themes, but you can also opt to change the background images to whatever you want.
I have loved the Nokia interface since the days of the 5110 for its simplicity and user-friendliness, and they’ve only made it better over the years. The new 7210 is one of the easiest phones to figure out. I never read manuals and I was using it with ease in less than 20 minutes.
Honestly, anything more than that and Bluetooth capabilities is surplus to me, but the 7210 Supernova surprised me with its bonus features, like its built-in applications for Yahoo! and Flickr (a photography archiving website I use). It comes with the usual set of multimedia tools like a two-megapixel camera with flash, video capabilities, music player, sound recorder, and FM radio, but it also has a built-in equalizer so you can really customize the phone’s audio to your preference. For something so small, it’s extremely versatile and up to date.
Even the games have been updated. The 7210 Supernova comes with a new version of Minesweeper and Sudoku, which I waste all my battery life on. (Though I do miss the old school Snake.)
Perhaps my only issues with the 7210 Supernova (aside from the lack of Snake) are that, first, the ringer and receiver volume are just a little bit low for my liking, and second, it can’t seem to send files through Bluetooth to my iMac, and can only receive six business cards through Bluetooth at a time, though it works perfectly well with everything else.
Very minor issues for all but the truly geeky, though. By all means, from aesthetics to function, the 7210 Supernova is an excellent phone. Truly, its selling point is how you this little gadget can be. The bag it came in says that it’s more than just a phone, it’s who we are, and I think they got that absolutely right.