Review: Nokia's Slender 7380

Nokia 7380

Nokia 7380

Nokia 7380

The Nokia 7380 is the second version of Nokia's "pen" or "lipstick" shaped mobile phone, the first having been the 7280. Obviously targeted at female consumers, the 7380 has a very slender form factor and a mirrored finish on its front that obscures the display when the backlight is off. Its most obvious trait is probably its lack of a conventional keypad, which also happens to be the device's biggest shortcoming when it comes to practical use.

It seems quite obvious that the 7380 is meant to be fashionable first and functional second, but is it functional enough to be usable? We'll see.

Physical Aspects

The Nokia 7380 weighs 90g (3.2oz), which is significantly more than Nokia claims, and measures up at a very slim 118mm x 30mm x 20mm (4.6" x 1.2" x .8"). The mirroed front surface of the device seems adequate for use during the application of makeup - or simply for checking one's teeth for that last bit of lunch before you embarass yourself. Behind the front fascade is a small 65k color display with a 208x104 pixel resolution that is intended to be viewed when the device is horizontal, not like a typical mobile phone.

In place of conventional softkeys and call control buttons we have two rubber arcs that can be pressed at each end to effect the softkey functions or call control buttons. TRhe arc nearest the display is for the softkeys. In the middle is a circular dial control with its orange glowing select button in the middle. The dial can be rotated to emulate the up and down functions of a conventional d-pad controller.

On the one side of the 7380 we have a speaker port and a chromed door for the SIM card compartment. On the opposite is a small cloth tag and a chromed Nokia emblem that looks as if it should be a camera shutter button, but is not. On the back of the 7380 one will find a faux-leather panel and the camera's lens and flash. The bottom of the device is where you will find the charger port, a headset jack, and the microphone. Note that the 7380 is not compatible with Nokia's pop-port. Lastly, there is also a loop at the bottom where you can attached the included wrist strap. A color coordinated pouch also ships with the 7380.

The back cover of the 7380 is not removable, and therefore you are not able to replace the battery yourself. That fact further improves the perceived build quality of the 7380, since all panels and parts fit snuggly together within very close tolerances.

 

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