The Nokia C5-03 is a neat and slim smartphone with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display aimed at the entry-level market. Powered by the Symbian S60 5th Edition OS, it can tap into literally thousands of apps courtesy of the Nokia Ovi Store but what does it actually come with, and how does it handle them? Find out with our Nokia C5-03 software review.

Being a standard Symbian S60 5th Edition smartphone, the Nokia C5-03 is about the touchscreen and we’ve found the 3.2-inch resistive display with standard 360 x 640-pixel resolution to be bright and clear so most apps pop with ease. Nokia has changed the background colour of the Apps screen from Black to White, which gives the illusion there is more space and makes the icons easier to read.

The choice of apps pre-installed on the Nokia C5-03 is pretty standard for an entry-level smartphone. So you’ll find the standard Calendar, Contacts, Messaging, Web and Music, as well as instant access to the Camera, Ovi Maps and the Nokia Ovi Store.

Check out our Nokia C5-03 review

There is a folder dedicated to the latest social media apps, so you can instantly access Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Hi5, YouTube and Friendster. What’s more, as the Nokia C5-03 comes with four hot slots on the Homepage you can place your most commonly used social networking apps right where you need them.

We were a little disappointed to find there are no games installed on the Nokia C5-03 by default. It’s always nice to check out the speed of a device with a quick game and it helps pass the time when travelling. Dig around and you will find one game has been installed on the Nokia C5-03, Climate Mission.

Climate Mission on the Nokia C5-03

This game is designed to make you more eco-aware so you get to play through a bunch of ecologically themed puzzles. First, you need to sort out the trash for recycling, and then there are trees to be planted, as well as helping the farmers of India keep their crops cool.  It’s quite a loud game but its heart is in the right place and it’s fun to play.

Under the Applications heading you’ll find a screen filled with extra features for the Nokia C5-03. Along with Chat and Clock, you’ll find access to Location, RealPlayer and Nokia Here and Now. Then there are folders that offer up Office apps and an array of Tools in the form of Phone Setup, Switch and Ovi Sync. This latter app is fairly new and allows you to stay synchronised with your Ovi Mail account fair easier than ever before.

The Nokia C5-03 may not come over-powered with apps but when the whole of the Ovi Store is simply a click away and waiting for you to personalise your device, do you really need it to come packed with extras?

The Nokia C5-03 comes with all the basics every user needs. Sure, it would be nice to have a few more games on there but that’s hardly essential. What is important it that we’ve found apps load relatively quickly and smoothly on this handset, which is a real bonus when you’re in a hurry.