Mobile phone manufacturers are always thinking up ways of making us part with our money. If it isn't a device that will play games it's devices that will sort out our lives for us. The latest “fashion” phone from Nokia doesn't purport to offer you the best connectivity, nor does it promise to sort your life out or keep you in touch with the latest multimedia assets, nope the task of the 7200 is simple- to make you look good.

Our quick take

In tests the handset's capabilities produced good results. People we telephoned gave mixed replies, some stating that we sounded distant and others suggesting we were in a very small box with no other noise. However no matter what the environment, whether it was Oxford Street or the back garden that the signal was clear and voice levels were good.

If you're more fussed about looking good than having a good camera or feature- packed phone then this is certainly worth a closer look, however if it's Bluetooth, tri-band and pictures you're after then there are better phones on the market suited to the task in hand. It's a valiant attempt, but just not valiant enough. Like the N-Gage, version two of this handset may do better depending on whether the features match the looks.

Nokia 7200 - 4.0 / 5

FORAGAINST
  • Super-Bling looks
  • Everything else downgraded as a result

The first clamshell designed phone from Nokia, the end result looks more like an address book or compact than a phone. The antenna-less design offers a monochrome LCD caller display screen alongside a VGA digital camera (480x640 pixels) on the front while the rest of the case is covered in a synthetic suede-like material giving it a soft to touch feel- very scary.

Open it up and you're presented with a smaller than expected 65k colour screen and larger than expected keyboard although both are clear and well laid out with the screen coming with desktop backdrops to match the casing. Luckily not as furry.

The phones interface sticks to the same trusted methods and those used to this interface the transition would be a quick and simple one. While the phone offers a digital camera with video recording options it is still VGA and the FM radio might soften the blow for those looking for more than just another dual band phone.

To recap

Stunted features would be forgivable if just speaking was acceptable, but it isn’t. Certainly a model to await revisions on before trying.