Nokia 3110 Evolve

While other mobiles jostle for a spot in the fashionable limelight, the Nokia 3110 Evolve has a very different card to play: it is, according to the manufacturer, an environmentally-friendly phone, which puts technology to work in order to benefit the planet, not just to create a good-looking phone. 

This attempt by Nokia to produce a 'green' phone has certainly raised a few smiles, but such iniatives can only be applauded, if not encouraged.  We have often wondered when consumer electronics companies would take a real stand on environmental issues - matching in concrete terms everything they manage to pump out in their publicity. 

But let's not get carried away, the point of this article is to review the Evolve's performance as a phone.  It's certainly a very simple phone, with a sober case perhaps designed to stress its recycled origins and one which is most likely to appeal to those for whom a mobile phone is first and foremost a device for making and receiving calls.

For all of its simplicity though, the Evolve has a well-rounded set of features for a basic phone. So: the 3110 Evolve: strong, green and true?

Out of date design?

Some of our office staff were left stunned by the Evolve's design, but others didn't hold back on their comments: 'austere', 'past it' and 'out of date' were some of the more pleasant comments.

The Evolve certainly isn't as sexy as some users like their phones to be, and to be honest, the best you can say is that Nokia has shown remarkable self-control in keeping to its minimalist design. 

Some people even preferred the discreet, traditional design, appreciating its 'vintage' charm, with its brushed grey casing, seeing in this model a more refined alternative to the current trend for glossy black phones.


The other big surprise comes on the other side of the phone, and it's the small size of the screen.  Compared to those on high-end phones that take up as much space as possible, the Evolve's screen really does look quaintly old-fashioned.

Interface

Easy to use: these three little words sum up this phone.  Although the low resolution of the screen does nothing to make the interface attractive, skipping through the menus is a breeze on this Nokia, and typing text messages on its large keyboard a pleasure.

Multimedia

With Bluetooth, a camera, music player, video recorder, FM radio, web browser and the ability to send and receive MMS, the Evolve doesn't ignore the needs of modern users.  You can check your e-mail, surf the web and listen to MP3s just like you can on many other phones today.

Amongst these functions, it's the MP3 player that is the most successful, with a detailed, realistic sound, even though it is lacking in depth on some tracks.  The headphone jack, which requires a special adaptor to work with other headphones, is a bit of a let-down though, as is the sound from the built-in speaker.

It's not likely that the camera will get much use, because even with the 8x digital zoom, the image quality is not particularly high and only just about good enough for sending MMS.  There's no flash either, so dark scenes aren't recommended.

Portrait 10x15	Portrait without flash

In terms of battery life, you'll get 13 hours of listening to music, which is fine, but still a long way beyond what the N78 offers, for instance.