Nokia C3

If you were to ask your average BlackBerry user what their favourite aspect of the device was we’d be willing to bet that many would choose the QWERTY keyboard.

Built with emailing in mind, RIM’s line of handsets has proven incredibly popular with swift-fingered business types as they permit users to drill out a message in double-quick time.

So crucial is this feature that over the years many other handset manufacturers have attempted to replicate the button-heavy interface, although this technological plagiarism has usually been reserved for high-spec devices.

Nokia’s C3 bucks this trend by offering up typing heaven on a phone which retails for less than £100 on PAYG.

Not that you’d know that the C3 was a budget phone by looking at it. With its glossy front and stylish two-tone back this handset looks every bit the choice of a professional. The keyboard only serves to reinforce this impression.

You never really realise the benefits of the full QWERTY interface until you use one, and in the case of the C3 it’s a revelation. Typing is a breeze and the reassuringly tactile nature of the keys means you tend to notice your mistakes more than you would on a touchscreen device.

Naturally, the inclusion of the 37 different buttons has resulted in a phone which is somewhat wider than other handsets in its class. As a consequence of this the screen is also stretched slightly. To counteract this girth the C3 showcases a slim figure, measuring just 13.6mm in thickness.

Under the hood of the C3 things are a kept rather modest. The phone sports the Symbian S40 operating system which is rather underpowered these days, what with the more versatile S60 being the more common choice in Nokia’s phones.

Despite its humble nature, the OS still manages to pack in some interesting features, such as connectivity with Facebook and Twitter as well as access to Nokia’s Ovi Store.

There’s a definite impression that the internals of the C3 are cheap and cheerful: the screen is disappointingly low in resolution and the hardware powering the phone breaks into a sweat during the most mundane of tasks. Needless to say, there’s no multitasking to speak of.

To top it all off there’s no 3G connectivity, although wi-fi is included for those times when you’re in range of an open hotspot.

To be honest, being stuck with 2G didn’t really cause that many issues: the only time you notice it is when you’re attempting to update your massive Twitter feed or surf web pages. Regardless of this, it goes without saying that if you’re a heavy net user then you’re unlikely to warm to the C3.

Gamers are little better serviced by the phone, though. Our unit came pre-loaded with a few family favourites – including Bounce Tales, Monopoly and Sudoku – and the Ovi Store offers other titles for download, too.

The C3’s D-pad interface is great for such games, but maddeningly the lack of any external volume control means that it’s impossible to turn down the sound whilst playing – something that could earn you the hatred of your fellow commuters on your daily bus trip into work.

As a budget handset the C3 is definitely something to consider. When you’re looking to splash out less than £100 on a phone you’re understandably going to be less concerned about absent functionality. Indeed, if you have the lower end of the market in mind then Nokia’s latest blower may fit the bill nicely.

However, for all of its QWERTY-related charm there’s no denying that corners have been cut with the C3 and for those of you that detest compromise, we’d advise that you look elsewhere. Even with a modest budget of £100, it’s possible to pick up a superior phone.