Nokia C2-01.5 Unlocked GSM Phone with 3.2 MP Camera and Music and Video Player--U.S. Version with Warranty (Black)

Nokia C2-01 Unlocked GSM cell phone (Quad-band and 3G)I was looking for an unlocked quad-band GSM cell phone for use while traveling abroad. The C2-01 is priced the same as some of Nokia's other smartphones that had a full keyboard (Blackberry style) but the C2-01 was the only one in-stock at the time. I wasn't expecting a whole lot after reading numerous reviews of other unlocked cellphones purchased via Amazon that yielded used/refurbished phones or phones that weren't unlocked.I was pleasantly surprised when the package arrived and my C2-01 was brand spanking new from the factory, complete with a NOKIA factory seal on the box. The battery was new, and the phone was in excellent condition. I was up and running within minutes, and fully charged the battery. I threw in a SIM card from another AT&T phone and it was immediately working, no PIN or unlock requests, nothing. It immediately recognized the AT&T SIM card and logged onto the network. I was unable to use the Internet or browse websites though, since I couldn't figure out how to change the access points properly. Even if I figured out how to access the internet, the C2-01 is ill-suited for browsing. The keypad is circa-2001 and the screen is circa-2001. It is very easy to use for phone calls and text messages (albeit slow due to the keypad design), and has MP3 audio capabilities.The micro-USB port allows you to charge the phone as well as access data. The AC adapter works in 120V AC and 240V AC outlets. A SIM card from China Unicom was inserted into the phone while in China, and it immediately recognized the carrier and changed the language to Chinese. The text and menu were in Chinese, this is great if you can read the language while traveling. But this is not so great when you can't read Chinese and just wanted a local prepaid SIM card to use while visiting! However, the simplicity and ease of use made the C2-01 truly worthwhile as a travel phone. The fact it can be used anywhere in the world (quad-band GSM and international 3G) makes it extremely versatile. The long battery life and simple interface for making/receiving phone calls are just icing on the cake!Overall: 4/5 stars. Antiquated keypad and tiny non-touch screen remind me of the late 1990s/early 2000s Nokia cellphones. The saving grace: long battery life, and automatic recognition of prepaid SIM cards makes for a perfect travel phone that can be used almost anywhere in the world.UPDATE: I figured out how to set it up for Internet access and as I suspected, the interface is ill-suited for web browsing let alone modern apps.

I had been wanting to downgrade from a smart phone to a dumb phone for some time. My iPhone 3GS had been dropped on its head one too many times and I knew it was not long for this world. Not wanting to have it die on me and be rushed in to a purchase (my cell is my only phone), I decided to research some simple phones and found that this one got the best reviews on many sites when compared to others in this price range. Where I live I only get good reception from AT&T and I wanted a pre-paid plan. Most if not all of the GoPhones (while cheaper) got poor reviews for sound quality and construction. Mind you, I was just wanting a phone to talk on and I did not plan to text, check email, or use any type of data at all, so this was a good choice for me. I have read that folks who want to use the data features have run into trouble when trying to connect, but I can not speak personally on this issue.I have only had it for about a three days, but so far, so good. To get it up and running I charged it, took the sim out of the iPhone, and put it in the Nokia. I immediately got a signal and all I had to do was spend a frustrating hour on the phone with AT&T migrating to a pre-paid plan (my choice- I could have just dropped the data plan and kept my post-paid acct, obviously). Since that first charge the battery icon shows only one less "bar" than full, and I have had it on the entire time. I like the look, size, and feel of the phone. The sound quality is good and I find the user interface simple to navigate. It came with plenty of ring tones and the simple one I chose is nice and loud so if I leave it on the table near a window I can hear it when I'm out working in the yard. Someone else mentioned that there is no dedicated button for volume control, but I knew that ahead of time and I have not found it to be a problem. It's just a few key presses to put it in "silent" mode for theatres, meetings and such, so no worries.I will say that when I tried to copy my contacts from sim to phone, it said my sim was empty. I don't honestly know if this was because the contacts data was in some smart-phoney format that my new dumb phone could not read, but I really don't care all that much. I had actually begun to worry that I didn't memorize anyone's phone number anymore because all I ever had to do was touch their name... I had gotten very iLazy. Indeed-- when asked recently I could not recite my own son's phone number! I consider that I am doing my brain a favor. Of course I could enter them manually, and it is possible to sync contacts, music, etc via Windows (or Mac with an iSync plug in) but I have not tried this and am not likely to any time soon. My old iPhone is now my new iPod touch that stores all my music as it always has, and I have gone back to memorizing phone numbers (starting with my son's).In conclusion, if you are looking for just a phone without a lot of bells and whistles, I recommend this device.