Fresh Picks: Nokia’s C6 is Now in the UK
Our recommended quick-pick handset is now available in the UK. The Nokia C6 may not be as impressive as an Android smart phone, but there are still times when having even the basic Symbian S60 OS is pretty much enough for the average user. Besides, access to the Nokia Ovi store still means that the handset gets a large library of apps and media to download, and users will have plenty of things to do with the device.
Local network operators, O2 and Vodafone UK have announced that the device is available for free on their tariff plans. At the lowest, the handset can be obtained for free under a 25 Pound monthly contract from either operator. We can probably expect to see this phone on other networks in the next few days.
The only complaint that we can give about this phone is that for its retail price (about 289 Pounds on the official Nokia online store for the UK), the phone only packs a resistive touch screen. Capacitive touch screen technology always provides users with a better control experience. Hopefully, the next C-series handset would have a better screen. Still, at 3.2 inches, the TFT display provides ample room for viewing photos and watching videos.
Overall, the handset is a practical device that still manages to bring in some useful extras. The 5 mega pixel camera is a perfect built in snapper for those who love to take excellent quality images. Considering that 5MP is the current average for high end devices, the C6 is already loaded. The phone’s 434 MHz, ARM 11 CPU performs up to the device’s needs. But users should not expect super fast loading especially when handling resource heavy apps or features. As one might expect, this smart phone supports both 3G and 2G networks. The device also supports GPS, Bluetooth and WiFi.
How Much Data Do You Use?
O2 and Vodafone have both announced that they will be changing their data plans for consumers. While existing data plans will still retained, new subscribers will no longer have access to unlimited data bandwidths. According to the mobile networks, the reason for this is to help make the network more stable –and also to provide people with cheaper rates that are closer to their data usage patterns.
It is a pretty smart move, in terms of providing people with a cheaper alternative. After all, why would someone pay 30 Pounds each month when they can switch to a cheap 15 Pound data allowance rate that still fits to their usage patterns? At the same time, this new move will also be costly for users that choose to use their connection for heavy downloads.
O2’s own market reportedly shows that about 97% of their users only use less than 200MB of data each month –that is about 800MB of bandwidth paid but unused for anyone on a 1GB data allowance. Looking at it this way, it makes sense. For people who simply check the news, download the occasional streaming video, and most send Tweets or post on Facebook, this amount of data transfer is not so bad. But for those who consume more than 500MB of data per month, the new rates are going to give rise to killer bills.
Oddly enough, the main reason for this change in policy is due to the fact that some existing subscribers are making full use of their ‘unlimited data allowance’ by connecting their 3G SIM to a dongle for the computer and downloading to their hearts content.
In many ways, mobile internet is not taking the same patch that conventional broadband connections evolved. From dial up modems to high speed T1 connections, the growth of the 3G and other wireless networks is shaped by tariffs, data allowances, usage patterns and the fact that current networks are not capable of handling the current load.