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 Available
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3rd June 2010
Nokia's first full dual-SIM phone, the Nokia C2 is a basic
entry-level device aimed primarily at emerging markets, but with
a feature set that should give it a pretty broad appeal worldwide.
Priced at just €45 before tax and subsidy, the Nokia C2 comes
with Bluetooth, a microSD slot, a multimedia player, FM radio, VGA
resolution camera, a 3.5mm audio connector, and in addition the
standard sales package includes a Nokia WH-102 stereo wired headset.
The display is a basic 1.8" 128 x 160 pixel panel, and network
support is limited to dual-band GSM with GPRS data only, and the
operating system is Series 40 rather than anything fancy. But then
the Nokia C2 does offer pretty remarkable value for money, and you
can't have everything, certainly not for €45 anyway.
The clever part with the C2 is the dual-SIM capability. Both
SIMs are active at the same time, so it really is like having two
phones at once as either SIM can receive calls and the user can
decide which SIM to use when dialling out.
 Perhaps
the cleverest thing with the dual-SIM arrangement is that the second
SIM is hot-swappable through a slot in the C2, so it can be inserted
when the phone is on. We don't know of any other phone that can
do this, and if you are regularly swapping SIMs then it's clearly
an advantage.
The C2 also comes with the usual Series 40 applications for personal
information management, plus an email client and web browser. The
multimedia player can cope with MP3, WMA and AAC formats, which
when combined with the memory slot and 3.5mm audio socket will make
it a useful music player.
Nokia estimates that the C2 has up to 4 hours talktime and 16.5
days standby time, whether this is in dual-SIM or single-SIM configuration
is not very clear. The handset weighs just 74 grams and measures
108 x 45 x 15mm.
It is also a nice looking phone, available in gray, black, magenta,
blue and white colour schemes. It certainly looks more expensive
than it is.
Nokia say that the C2 should be available during Q4 2010, and
we assume that the C2 will be aimed at south Asia, Africa and Eastern
Europe with specialist importers carrying it elsewhere.
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