Nokia 3120 Classic

A thin and stylish 3G-capable handset featuring a large display and comfortable keypad, Nokia's 3120 Classic is an ideal choice for a variety of users. Although it may not offer any particularly outstanding features, the design and price make this a fantastic mid-range mobile phone.

The 3120 Classic weighs 85g and is just 13.4mm thick. The front of the handset features a dark, metallic blue finish, while the silver sides and a softer blue finish on the rear give the unit a touch of subtle class. The 3120 Classic won't scream out at you like a fashion handset, but its sleek and smooth design makes it comfortable to hold and easy to slide into a pocket or bag.

Despite the compact dimensions, Nokia has still managed to squeeze in a large 2in display with an excellent viewing angle and bright colours. For a handset in this price range, the display is better than we expected. It displays crisp and clear text and also manages to make a decent fist of video content.

The 3120's keypad is excellent. The large keys are easy to press and are well spaced, so it's hard to accidentally bump the wrong button when typing messages or phone numbers. The basic but intuitive controls are built along the same lines — they consist of a stylish, chrome five-way navigation pad, two selection buttons and answer and end call keys. A convenient volume control button is located on the right side of the handset; we would have preferred this on the other side, as it's easier to adjust during a phone call.

A great feature of this handset is the simple and intuitive user interface. The 3120 Classic runs on the popular Symbian Series 40 user interface — those who have recently used a Nokia handset will more than likely be familiar with it. It features a 3x3 grid layout for the main menu and a simple list format for most submenus. Navigating through the handset using the navigation pad is a breeze and the general speed of the operating system is great.

The 3120 Classic doesn't boast anything outstanding in terms of features, but it has all the basics you'll need, as well as a few extras. A two-megapixel camera with a flash takes average photos, while a front-mounted VGA camera handles video calls across a 3G network. The photos are okay but far from outstanding. They suffer from many issues synonymous with camera phones, including excessive image noise and poor colour reproduction.

The phone is a handy multimedia device, featuring video and music players, an FM radio and a voice recorder. An adjustable five-band equaliser includes five presets. Other settings include repeat and shuffle play modes, and there is a stereo widening setting. Unfortunately, multimedia playback is let down by a 2.5mm headphone jack instead of the standard 3.5mm. To compound this problem, the headset included in the sales package only has one earpiece, as it's been designed to handle phone calls rather than music playback.

Thankfully, the inclusion of A2DP Bluetooth means you can stream your music to a compatible pair of wireless headphones. A standard micro-USB port handles connectivity, but Nokia doesn't include a USB cable in the sales package. The same applies to the microSD card slot — there is no card included in the box, though at this asking price it's difficult to complain.

Virgin Mobile offers the 3120 Classic for $0 on a Free to V 20 cap. This plan includes $50 worth of monthly credit and free calls and SMS messages to any Virgin Mobile numbers.