Nokia 5610 XpressMusic

By all appearances, the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic (free with contract) signals a step up from its music-centric sibling, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic candy-bar device. The Nokia 5610 has a sleek slider design, an additional 1 GB of internal memory, and most notably, a 3.2-megapixel video-capture camera. Yet under the testing microscope, the two devices not only go head to head, but in some respects, experts say the less-expensive 5310 outperforms the newcomer. Size-wise, the Nokia 5610 is a bit plumper, measuring 3.9 inches by 1.9 inches by 0.7 inches and weighing 3.9 ounces -- nearly 0.3 of an inch thicker and an ounce heavier than the spry Nokia 5310. The extra bulk allows a more spacious 2.2-inch display with vibrant 320-by-240-pixel resolution that holds its own for web browsing, playlist management and outdoor viewing, according to Todd Haselton of Laptop Magazine. Below the screen lies a sliding button for toggling between the music player, home screen and FM radio, as well as easy-to-use navigation buttons that sail through intuitive menus -- a nice alternative to the quirky controls of the Motorola Rokr E8, adds Kent German of CNET. Pushed open, the slider reveals a keypad with soft, arched keys for accurate dialing, while predictive text entry supports typing functions. 

The Nokia 5610 is a quad-band phone that can operate in most places in the world, albeit on the slower EDGE network. It receives average grades for reception and voice quality. While equipped with standard features -- such as a 2,000-contact phone book, voice recorder, voice dialing, speakerphone, stereo Bluetooth and 20 MB of internal memory expandable up to 4 GB via microSD memory card slot -- music and photo capabilities take center stage. The Nokia 5610 supports MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA music formats, syncs with Windows Media Player 10 via a PC and affords playback and playlist customization. Unfortunately, iTunes and over-the-air music downloads aren't supported, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack is sorely absent. The 3.2-megapixel camera, a definite upgrade from the 5310's 2-megapixel unit, includes flash, virtual autofocus and VGA video recording. Most reviewers and users praise its high-quality photos, although Sascha Segan of PCMag.com says the video is "slightly wobbly."

Messaging abilities abound on the Nokia 5610: text, picture, video and instant messaging, and a multitude of email clients via the WAP web browser. As impressive as these features may be, experts are quick to note that with the exception of the camera, the Nokia 5310 achieves similar feats; in fact, the 5310 delivers superior call quality, battery life, music playback and a 3.5 mm jack for high-end headphones -- and for less money. In other words, says Philip Berne of InfoSync, the Nokia 5610 is a good device, but "offers little benefit over the 5310." What remains, says Haselton, are but two reasons to buy the 5610 -- the slider design and the superior camera.