Nokia 5230 - An Obsolete Cell Phone Review

8 years ago, Nokia released the 5230. It was branded as the "Nuron" in the USA where it was sold by T-Mobile. According to Wikipedia, "During its lifespan, the 5230 sold around 150 million units, making it one of the best selling phones to date. It has had particular success in developing countries."

Image via Wikipedia

I worked in cell phone sales at the time it was released, and earned one as a sales promotion. I have used it ever since, although not always as a cell phone. First, the good features.
-It still has the best default media player I have seen in a cell phone or MP3 player to date.
-It can run the Opera browser for a proper mobile web experience despite its age.
-It is compact, but not quite too small to have a useful touchscreen area.
-It has a proper Micro USB data connection
-3G web capacity
-Good battery life despite its age
-The Symbian OS works fine, even if it isn't supported anymore, and there are still websites for users.
-The 2-megapixel camera is adequate
-The alarms work even when the phone is otherwise powered off

It does have some downsides, though.
-No wi-fi, although the similar Nokia 5530 and 5800 do offer this feature
-The 3.2" (approx. 80mm) screen is small.
-The charger uses a Nokia-specific connection instead of the USB port
-It is definitely NOT a substitute for an Android device, even when compared with the first G1 Android phone.

Other notes: The touchscreen is resistive rather than capacitive, operating by physical pressure rather than just touch. It's not as easy to use as a more modern screen, but it responds well if damp or if another object is used as a stylus. It also includes a guitar pick shaped tab on a lanyard to use as a stylus. The menus require two taps to open items, the first merely selecting them and the second actually launching them. It's a bit like icons on a computer in that respect, where a double-click is required to run something.

So why am I reviewing an obsolete phone that doesn't use a modern 4G network, the Android OS, or a modern capacitive touchscreen? It's a Nokia with the durability that brand is known for. It has a superb media player, which I still use regularly. It has functional web capability. It's not a giant slab, making it more pocket-friendly. It's a reliable alarm clock, using almost no power when off and consistently reminding me of appointments I have previously programmed in. It still serves useful purposes even though I no longer use it with a SIM card as an actual phone, and it works despite being used in very electronics-unfriendly environments. It can still serve well as a phone for a kid who might break something more expensive, too.

If you find a 5230, or any other later device from the XpressMusic line for that matter, give it a try. You might be surprised how useful an "obsolete" phone can be.

(2026 update: this post is obviously hopelessly obsolete now, but I wish someone would make a good media and messaging phone again, without Google spyware.)