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First Take: Nokia 7380
Nokia 7380
pros and cons
- Editors' review
- Specs
The phone-as-fashion-item notion has been taken to the ultimate extreme, with all three models in the L'Amour series sporting tiny elegant fabric tags on one side. The 7380 also features a mirrored face to allow discreet lipstick-checking and a co-ordinated carry pouch. The back of the phone is multi-textured, with a tactile fabric panel taking up most of the real estate.
Upside
With the potential user type clearly defined, the appeal of the phone depends on where your priorities lie on the functionality to fashion spectrum. The 7380 certainly excels in the looks department, with its
mirrored surfaces and the pattern of concentric circles that take the place of a standard keypad.
Downside
A frequent complaint levelled at the 7280 was that the lack of a traditional keypad made calling and texting a more time-consuming and even frustrating experience. Those who like to have number buttons on their phones (and let's face it, that's a pretty reasonable request), may find the learning
curve for this model too steep, as using the 7380 involves shortcut keys and scrolling to select letters and numbers.
While the dimensions of the 7380 are pocket and teeny handbag-friendly, the display has perhaps been downsized a little too much. At 104 by 108 pixels, the 65K-colour screen is certainly petite, and means you'll be doing a lot of menu scrolling.
Outlook
Due for release in Australia early 2006, the cost of the 7380 is yet to be announced, but we expect it to debut at a lower price than its predecessor -- meaning fashionistas won't have to save up for too long to buy a designer-look item.