A great phone at a great price
Written: Apr 01 '01
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Pros: Small, light weight, very portable, great power, long lasting, lots of features
Cons: Leather case design and poor of hands free ear attachment
The Bottom Line: Small, light weight, very portable, great power, long lasting, lots of features. I highly recommend it.
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| Rosethyme's Full Review: Nokia 5165 Cell Phone |
Nokia 5165 Cellular Phone
I had an old analog bag phone for about 5 years, and finally decided to switch to a new digital phone with a new calling plan. I purchased a Nokia 5165 for $30.00 (with a leather case for another $25.00). I was looking for a portable phone that had a long standby time and a reasonable amount of ‘talk’ minutes. This phone was listed as having a 4-to-8 day standby time and a 2-to-3 hour talk time. It came with a hands-free earpiece that inserts into the bottom of the phone. It has a solid, non-extending antenna, a charger, and an extended NiMH 900 mAh battery. I purchased the Northeast Coverage plan for $30.00 per month.
I took it home and charged it up. It took some time getting used to a phone that was smaller than my old bag phone. I always felt there could be problems speaking into the pickup.
It has been about 4 weeks now, and I must say that this is one reliable phone. I do not have any difficulty speaking into to it, and everyone hears me quite well. The phone needs only a weekly charging, and it’s nice being so portable. It’s so small I can take it everywhere. I do not miss any calls and it’s great not to have to worry about the battery fading at any time. The non-extending antenna is nice, the unit is durable, and it works well with no thin fragile moving parts to worry about. It has never faded out during traffic or distance.
There were 2 things I found disappointing. The first was the leather case. It makes the phone feel bulky and it makes it difficult to access the keypad, especially the power button. The only time I use it is when I need a clip, which is rare. It’s small enough that I just slip it into my pocket or my purse. The other matter was the hands-free earpiece. I thought this would be great so all I would have to do was press the ‘On’ button. Well, the piece is suppose to just sit in your ear—but if you turn your head, it falls out. If you try to place it deeper into the ear canal, it is not comfortable at all. It hurts my ear.
I did not have a holder for mounting the phone in my car. I have a 1997 Saturn SL, and there is little available space for attaching a phone cradle. So I purchased a special hands-free holder for the cigarette lighter. Not exactly cheap at $60.00. It has a built-in microphone and speaker and comes with an optional clip-on microphone. You simply insert it into the cigarette lighter, use the 2 positioning gimbals to adjust the position and lock them in. It’s easy to do. It stays right where you want it to, perfect even at an odd angle. I used to place my phone down on the seat next to me. This is so much better. I hooked the clip-on microphone to my rearview mirror and plug it into the bottom of the attachment.
When I get a call, I can press 1 button and just speak or listen. (I don’t need the clip-on microphone for this, I just prefer it.) There are no wires restricting my movements, no bulky objects, no fiddling with anything else. This is no different from speaking to or holding a conversation with someone in the car with you. Another advantage: the phone charges while it’s in the cigarette lighter holder AND you can still use it at the same time. I’ve had the holder about 2 weeks now and I no longer even have to charge my phone--it’s always at full power. There's also a multitude of great features I did not even mention.
I’m glad I went digital with the Nokia 5165. It lasts a long time, is portable, nice looking, and works great!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30.00
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Epinions.com ID:
Rosethyme
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Location: Newport, Rhode Island
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 7 members
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