NOKIA C1-00 Two SIMs. Too simple

Technology. It does make life easier and simpler, right? But some manufacturers seem to have gone overboard that things became complicated instead. Mobile phones have evolved from simple call and text solutions to handsets with PC-like capabilities.

Mobile phone functions have become overwhelmingly complex that sometimes basic phones seem to be the more preferable option. If you’re looking for handset that primarily functions as a call and text media, you might want to give Nokia C1-00 a try.

I personally like the simplicity of the phone. It may not appear as sophisticated as other Nokia handsets, but it comes in classic yet colorful designs that make it look interesting. The phone is encased in a fingerprint-resistant doff plastic material which gives the unit a rubber-like impression. It comes in four delightful shades: medium blue, red, light grey and sea green. Color availability varies with country. Here in the Philippines, only medium blue and red are available.

Thin, lightweight and handy, the C1-00 only measures 107 x 45 x 15 mm and weighs 72.9 g with battery.

Its design reminds me of Nokia 5030 with limited features of Nokia 1661.

The C1-00 houses an 18-inch TFT display with 65K colors and 128 x 160 pixel resolution. For its price range, the phone’s image quality and legibility under bright light are surprisingly good. It runs Series 30 User Interface which makes it very easy to operate for first-time Nokia users.

Since its applications are limited, it has a fast startup time of 15 seconds for the default SIM and less than 2 minutes for the other SIM. This means that you can make phone calls or send text messages after 15 seconds for the default SIM and less than 2 minutes should you activate the other SIM immediately upon startup.

Note: The C1-00 is a standby dual-SIM phone. This means only one SIM can be active at a time and the other will be unreachable and inactive. The default SIM is not always SIM 1. The last active SIM used before the phone is turned off automatically registers as the default SIM at startup.

The phone’s fairly large soft keys have great tactile feedback. The entire keypad is made of rubber. It makes a “clicking” sound every time a button is pressed (regardless of how hard or soft you press each button). It’s something that may take time to get used to. With this phone, it’s impossible to be discreet.

Unlike the traditional square-shaped navigation key in Nokia phones, the middle part of C1-00’s d-pad is completely not functional. The d-pad still functions as shortcut keys for SMS, phonebook and calendar.

Pressing the “up” key twice turns the torch on while pressing the same button again once, turns it off. Shortcuts in the d-pad are fixed and cannot be changed.

One thing I found unique and interesting in C1-00 is its Multi-phonebook feature which allows multiple users to store and share their own contacts in 5 separate phonebooks.
Contacts can then be filtered according to the phonebook selected.

Numbers shared by all users (ex. Contact details of each family member, emergency numbers, etc.) may be saved as “shared contacts”. Details under shared contacts are accessible in all phonebooks, while others are kept private.

Though the phone also lacks media applications such as camera, video and music player, it features an FM radio that can keep you entertained. It has very clear radio reception, and the bundled headset is really comfortable to wear.

Aside from the features I’ve mentioned, the phone also doesn’t support EDGE, GPRS and Bluetooth connectivity. It does not offer any browsing options and does not support Java. The C1-00 may not offer anything groundbreaking, but it surely is reliable for its incredible battery life. The handset’s standard Li-ion 1020 (BL-5C) battery impressively lasted me a week with average use.

In totality, the Nokia C1-00 is okay. Though active dual-SIM phones are practical, a standby dual-SIM phone with a retail price of Php 2,070 (yugatech) is considerable. For such a low price, you need not worry about carrying 2 phones or turning your phone on and off again just to change SIM card. It’s a simple phone packed with extreme durability, practicality and reliability. Not bad, right?