Nokia 2730 Classic

Discontinued
18th May 2009

The Nokia 2730 Classic is Nokia's cheapest 3G phone to date. Priced at around €80 before tax and subsidy, it offers excellent value for money with surprisingly few compromises along the way. It even manages to look good at the same time.

Nokia say that the 2730 is aimed at "emerging markets", but this is a phone that is likely to have wide market appeal due to the impressive number of features it offers for a relatively low outlay.

The main features are dual-band UMTS support (either 900/2100 or 850/1900 depending on market), a 2" 240 x 320 pixel display, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory (up to 2GB), Bluetooth, a comprehensive multimedia player, an FM radio and a 3.5mm audio socket. The standard sales package also includes a 1GB memory card and a stereo wired headset.

The phone can be used as a tethered modem through a USB or Bluetooth connection, and the 2730 Classic comes with a web browser, email client and a set of personal information management tools. Users can sign up for Ovi Mail on the phone, and some markets also feature "Nokia Life Tools" that we have looked at before.

Nokia say that the maximum talktime from the 1020 mAh battery is up to 3.3 hours on 3G and 7.4 hours on GSM with around 17 days standby time. The 2730 is very lightweight too, coming in at just 88 grams.

We said that there are some compromises, but they are few and far between. The 2" display is a little on the small side, the digital camera is rather basic and the expandable memory is not all that expandable. There's no HSDPA support on the 2730 either, so users are stuck with a maximum download speed of 384 kbps. There's no video calling camera, and the keypad looks pretty but lacks proper moving keys. But at this price, really who cares?

If you are looking for a high-performing phone on a budget, then the Nokia 2730 Classic really does look very impressive. Even if you're not on a budget, do you really need to spend more than this on a mobile phone?

Nokia say that the 2730 Classic should be available during Q3 2009 in Black and Dark Magenta colour combinations.