The Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type is an excellent entry-level phone, offering both a touchscreen and a regular alpha-numeric keypad. For many users, the hardware keypad will be a godsend, but does it live up to expectations? Join us after the cut to find out...
As you can see in the shots below, the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type is reasonably similar in size to the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, proving the same in depth, around 5mm taller and a couple of millimetres wider. There's a world of difference when it comes to usability, however.
Check out our Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type review
Where the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is more suited to those with small fingers, the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type is perfect for everybody. The buttons dwarf those of its sibling, with additional space liberated by the omission of a D-pad.
The keys on the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type are arranged in a traditional order, unlike the Nokia X3 Touch and Type. They're made out of plastic, and prove responsive to the touch. It's easy to type at speed, with predictive text in place.
The text prediction works in a similar fashion to other, non-touchscreen handsets, pressing the * button to cycle through different spelling options. With the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type, there's also the additional benefit of an onscreen menu for other characters.
The call and end keys are a lot smaller than the main buttons, but because they sit on a raised strip, they're also easy to distinguish and operate without looking.
The buttons on the side of the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type let the device down slightly. They look great – with a classy slimline appearance, but they're small and can be fiddly – an experience that's at odds with the rest of the handset.
Overall, however, we love the keyboard on the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type. It proves that there's still a place for regular hardware buttons, and that they can complement a touchscreen, and offer the best of both worlds.
If you want to upgrade your Nokia, and don't fancy using a full touchscreen device, the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type is well worth a look.
Check out our Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type review: Keyboard and interface review photo gallery below:
