NEC N830 The Complete Guide to Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Introduction to NEC N830

The NEC N830 is a feature phone that emerged during the early 2000s, offering users a rich set of functionalities within a compact and elegant design. In a time when mobile phones were evolving rapidly, the NEC N830 stood out with its features and capabilities, providing users a taste of technology advancements of its era.

Design and Build

The NEC N830 measures 101 x 49 x 24 mm and weighs in at 110 grams. This fairly compact design allows the device to easily fit into the palm of your hand or your pocket, making it very portable. Its form factor is supported by a Mini-SIM and the device sports a removable Li-Ion battery, adding to its practicality by making it easier to swap out batteries.

Display

The device features a 2.2-inch TFT screen with 65K colors, offering users a decent visual display by the standards of the early 2000s. The screen’s resolution is 320 x 240 pixels, with a pixel density of approximately 182 ppi, which provided a clear and vibrant experience to users, particularly for viewing photos and navigating the menu.

Network and Communication

In terms of network technology, the NEC N830 supports GSM on 900, 1800, and 1900 bands, which was typical for the time. The phone supports GPRS class 8 for data services but does not support EDGE technology. Communication through this device includes basic functions such as SMS, EMS, and MMS messaging. Internet browsing is achievable on the NEC N830 through WAP 1.2.1 browser. An Infrared port is available for data transfer, yet it doesn’t support modern connectivity options such as Bluetooth, WLAN, or standard USB.

Camera and Multimedia

Equipped with a single 1.3 MP main camera, the NEC N830 provides basic photo-taking capabilities. For users of that era, having a camera on a mobile phone was revolutionary, although its capabilities were quite limited compared to today’s standards. The phone doesn’t support video recording, which aligns with its focus as a basic feature phone. In terms of audio, the device lacks a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm jack. It provides alert types like vibration and downloadable polyphonic ringtones, common features among phones of that time.

Memory and Storage

The phone boasts a memory capacity that can hold up to 500 contacts in its phonebook, which includes 8 fields and photo call capabilities. It doesn’t support external memory cards, meaning users had to rely on internal memory for storing contacts and messages. Call records feature allows access to the last 10 dialed, received, and missed calls.

Battery Performance

The NEC N830 houses a removable Li-Ion battery. It provides users with a standby time of up to 100 hours and a talk time of approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. This battery life was considered reasonable for the feature phone market at the time, although it would not compete with modern smartphones. This limitation further emphasizes the basic nature of the phone, designed to meet essential communication needs rather than extensive multimedia usage.

Additional Features

For entertainment, the NEC N830 includes Java support, allowing users to install and run Java-based applications and games, providing a rudimentary form of mobile gaming and app usage. Despite its limited sensor capabilities, its features offered users a glimpse into the functionalities that would later become standard in more advanced mobile devices.

Conclusion

The NEC N830 is a quintessential example of feature phones that marked the transition period from basic mobile phones to smartphones. Its capabilities, while modest by today's standards, provided significant utility and convenience to users at the time of its release. Although discontinued, it remains a noteworthy piece in the history of mobile technology evolution, representing the strides made during the early 2000s in making mobile communication more accessible and user-friendly.