[Nokia's new WAP-enabled 3300 handset reviewed at CeBIT by WAPsight.]

by Jean Panke, Hannover, Germany -- Personalization appears to be the name of the game as Nokia's new 3330 chat phone had consumers eagerly checking out its new features at the Nokia display at CeBIT. As expected, the teen-age crowd was showing the greatest interest in this model. According to the Nokia demonstrators, the most commonly asked questions about the phone concerned how it differs from its predecessor the 3310.

Basically, the 3330 offers new stylized graphical covers including a picture holder inside the back cover for that special someone in your life. It sports voice dialing, and an internal phone book for 100 names and a new 'first vibrate then ring' ringing option.

The 3330 also incorporates gaming capabilities allowing users to play individual or interactive multi-party WAP games. In both Europe and Africa, Nokia phone buyers can register with Club Nokia. Exclusive membership allows Nokia 3330 owners to download a totally new game 'Bumper' or new game packs for Space Impact and Snake II. Once this is accomplished, users can send their high scores to Club Nokia to compete with other players. The animated screen savers, another new feature of the 3330, are also downloadable from Club Nokia.

Another entertainment feature of the 3330 is the new mobile accessory, the digital Nokia Music Player HDR-1. This allows users to listen to an integrated FM stereo radio and downloadable audio/music files, as well as use it as a handsfree kit for their phone. It is compatible with the 3310, and the new 8210 and 8850 phones as well as the 3330.

The Nokia Music Player allows downloading AAC and MP3 music files via the Nokia Audio Manager PC software installed on your PC. With the 32 MB memory card, the Nokia Music Player can hold up to one hour of audio content, depending on the encoding format and quality. The Nokia Music Player utilizes one AAA battery so it can be used as a stand-alone device as well.

Last but not least, the 3330 offers mobile chat including predictive text input for easy and fast chat as well as picture messaging with 12 default pictures and space for a picture received over the air. Concatenated messaging is also supported enabling messages three times longer than the old version. Also, all previous written messages from both persons are visible on screen and chat messages are not saved on SIM card.

Weighing in at 133 grams with 4.5 hours of talk time and 260 hours of standby time on its standard battery allows for lots of hours of SMS use. The 3330 comes installed with a WAP 1.1 browser and is operable in both the 900 and 1800 EGSM networks.

Overall, the Nokia 3330 gets high marks for its stylish and hip looks, its comfortable one-hand useability, screen size, its easy navigation functions, and most importantly, its entertainment options. Hopefully, future versions will have a color display particularly with the growing interest in mobile gaming. The Nokia 3330 will be available in the second quarter of the year with the Nokia Music Player available during the third quarter.

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