Review Specification
Design
Design-wise, the Nokia 215 has just about everything you'd want in this type of phone: a short, thin profile and sturdy build. It measures 4.6 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.55 inch thick (116 by 50 by 12.9mm) and weighs just 2.8 ounces (78.4 grams).
The back pops off to reveal the battery and microSD card slot within, but apart from that, the 215 has a sturdy polycarbonate plastic build that tucks easily into pockets and purses. Rounded edges make it easy to palm and carry around. The slippery, matte finish isn't a problem for a phone this small and easy to contain in one hand.
Display
A 2.4-inch screen with a 320x240-pixel resolution adorns the face; and I do mean basic. It does support 262,000 colors, which is admittedly better than black and white. You navigate through two soft keys and a four-way directional pad you can press down on to select. There are a few other keys on the alphanumeric keypad you should know, like the power/end button and one to silence the phone. The buttons themselves are rubbery and responsive.
You will find a camera on the back; it's the most basic resolution, a 0.3-megapixel lens. There's no flash, but there is a flashlight (torch) up at the top, next to the 3.5mm headset jack and Micro-USB charging port.
In keeping with Nokia's modern use of neon colors, you can get the 215 in bright green; otherwise, it comes in two more sedate shades, white and black.
Feature and apps
The proprietary OS is dead simple to get around. The Go To soft key can launch a few features, like the camera or flashlight. For more apps, the Menu button pulls up your call log and contacts, along with apps for your music player and alarm clock. There's Internet, in a fashion. The Opera browser will load pages slowly over 2G and compress data and images to accommodate the slower speeds.
You'll find a messaging app as well, and the ever-useful FM radio. For entertainment, there are a few apps and games you can download through the app store. Microsoft makes its presence known in the Bing search tool you find preloaded. Separate apps let you view your photos and videos, and you can pull up the weather through a dedicated program.
camera
Design-wise, the Nokia 215 has just about everything you'd want in this type of phone: a short, thin profile and sturdy build. It measures 4.6 inches tall by 2 inches wide by 0.55 inch thick (116 by 50 by 12.9mm) and weighs just 2.8 ounces (78.4 grams).
The back pops off to reveal the battery and microSD card slot within, but apart from that, the 215 has a sturdy polycarbonate plastic build that tucks easily into pockets and purses. Rounded edges make it easy to palm and carry around. The slippery, matte finish isn't a problem for a phone this small and easy to contain in one hand.
Display
A 2.4-inch screen with a 320x240-pixel resolution adorns the face; and I do mean basic. It does support 262,000 colors, which is admittedly better than black and white. You navigate through two soft keys and a four-way directional pad you can press down on to select. There are a few other keys on the alphanumeric keypad you should know, like the power/end button and one to silence the phone. The buttons themselves are rubbery and responsive.
You will find a camera on the back; it's the most basic resolution, a 0.3-megapixel lens. There's no flash, but there is a flashlight (torch) up at the top, next to the 3.5mm headset jack and Micro-USB charging port.
In keeping with Nokia's modern use of neon colors, you can get the 215 in bright green; otherwise, it comes in two more sedate shades, white and black.
Feature and apps
The proprietary OS is dead simple to get around. The Go To soft key can launch a few features, like the camera or flashlight. For more apps, the Menu button pulls up your call log and contacts, along with apps for your music player and alarm clock. There's Internet, in a fashion. The Opera browser will load pages slowly over 2G and compress data and images to accommodate the slower speeds.
You'll find a messaging app as well, and the ever-useful FM radio. For entertainment, there are a few apps and games you can download through the app store. Microsoft makes its presence known in the Bing search tool you find preloaded. Separate apps let you view your photos and videos, and you can pull up the weather through a dedicated program.
camera
The camera is, naturally, nothing impressive – a 0.3 megapixel sensor makes sure that you'll be able to take a snap when no better alternative is available, but we're inclined to say that it will probably find itself barely used.
Interface
You'll have 8GB internal storage, which is more than some entry-level smartphones, plus another 32GB more if you buy an aftermarket microSD card. Bluetooth 3.0 is the main pairing standard, which works fine for the phone.
So how about battery life? The 215 has a rated talk time of up to 20 hours over 2G, and up to 50 hours of music playback on its 1,100mAh removable battery. That'll get you up to 29 days of standby time on a single charge, which is huge. Of course, the more you tax the phone with tasks, the quicker you'll drain the battery, so keep in mind that these numbers represent the best case scenario.
Interface
You'll have 8GB internal storage, which is more than some entry-level smartphones, plus another 32GB more if you buy an aftermarket microSD card. Bluetooth 3.0 is the main pairing standard, which works fine for the phone.
So how about battery life? The 215 has a rated talk time of up to 20 hours over 2G, and up to 50 hours of music playback on its 1,100mAh removable battery. That'll get you up to 29 days of standby time on a single charge, which is huge. Of course, the more you tax the phone with tasks, the quicker you'll drain the battery, so keep in mind that these numbers represent the best case scenario.