Price and specifications of Nokia 5320 XpressMusic advantages, disadvantages, and a comprehensive explanation

Overview of Nokia 5320 XpressMusic

Nokia 5320 XpressMusic was launched in mid-2008, a period marked by rapid advancements in mobile phone technology. Designed for music enthusiasts, this model appealed to users who prioritized media consumption on their devices. With its vibrant design and dedicated music features, it became quite popular among younger audiences.

Design and Build

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic features a compact design with dimensions of 108 x 46 x 15 mm and a weight of 90g. Its portability is enhanced by the use of a Mini-SIM, which was standard at the time. The phone was available in two vibrant colors - Blue and Red. The build quality is robust, with a solid feel in hand despite its lightweight. The design includes a 2.0-inch screen, utilizing TFT technology to display 16 million colors, offering vivid and bright visuals even on a smaller display.

Display Characteristics

The display of the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic is notable for its time, featuring a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels with a pixel density of approximately 200 ppi. This provided a clear and sharp interface for text and images, contributing positively to the overall user experience, especially during media playback.

Audio Capabilities

True to its name, the XpressMusic series was designed with music lovers in mind. The Nokia 5320 comes equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack, allowing users to connect their headphones directly. It supports multiple audio formats including MP3, AAC, and polyphonic ringtones, and features dedicated external music keys for easy music control. The built-in stereo FM radio with RDS adds another layer of entertainment options for users. The built-in loudspeaker offers notable performance for its class, producing clear sound even at higher volumes.

Camera Features

The main camera of the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic houses a 2 MP sensor, supplemented with an LED flash for low-light conditions. The camera supported video recording at 320p resolution at 15 frames per second. Although modest by today's standards, these features were competitive during its release period. There is also a front-facing videocall camera, though its application was limited due to the connectivity options available at the time.

Performance and Software

Under the hood, the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic runs on the Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3rd Edition, Release 3.2. Powered by a 369 MHz ARM 11 processor, the device offered responsive performance for general tasks. Though lacking extensive multitasking capabilities, it was sufficient for the needs of browsing, media playback, and light gaming. The inclusion of 140 MB of internal storage with the option to expand via microSDHC (with a 512 MB card included) allowed users to store music, videos, and applications.

Battery Life and Connectivity

Equipped with a removable Li-Ion 890 mAh battery, the Nokia 5320 XpressMusic provided a standby time of up to 250 hours on 2G networks and up to 240 hours on 3G networks. Talk time was adequate too, with up to 3 hours and 30 minutes on 2G and up to 2 hours and 30 minutes on 3G. In terms of connectivity, the device supported GSM and HSPA networks, offering HSPA speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps. It featured Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP for wireless audio streaming but lacked Wi-Fi connectivity, a trade-off that was common at this price point.

Pricing and Availability

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic was announced in April 2008 and released in July of the same year, with a retail price of approximately 130 EUR. It was discontinued not long after as newer models with advanced features entered the market, but during its life cycle, it offered value with its combination of functionality and entertainment-focused features.

Concluding Remarks

The Nokia 5320 XpressMusic is a representative example of Nokia's strategy to provide affordable, feature-rich phones to a diverse audience. By focusing on music and multimedia capabilities, Nokia carved a niche for the XpressMusic series despite intense competition. Though technology has significantly advanced since then, the 5320 remains a nostalgic piece of mobile history that highlighted a transitional era in mobile communications and media consumption.