Nokia 3390
Average Ratings
The Nokia 3390.......Retro is the Future!
It's July 2006 and this phone is like a Phonograph among iPods today.No WAP,color screen,high-tech ringtones,etc..No problem.I already have a modern cellphone with WAP 2.0,camera/video recorder, high-resolution color screen,bluetooth,MP3 ringtones,and much more.What I wanted was a rugged,basic GSM phone that could perform outstandingly.That phone for me is the Nokia 3390.I originaly was using the Nokia 3300, which was a much more advanced phone,as my basic handset.It was a good,inexpensive multimedia handset but the lack of fully lit keypad was too much of a hassle.So I went back to an even older,more basic phone I had good luck with.As the recent reviewers before me have noted this phone is the Terminator of phones.It..Will..Not..Stop..I love my new multimedia handset but I also know it could never survive half of what this phone could.If my new phone took a bath or swim that beautiful color screen would be long gone.I would be lucky if any functions survived.Even though it's hard to grade and compare a phone that really is from a different era I'll try and give this phone a 4.5 out of 5.The only reason I didn't give this phone a 5 was because I wish Nokia would have given the 3390 the brighter white/greyscale screen of the 3395.
Yes, the Year is 2005
I have had this phone for almost three years, and it still works like a champ. It's scratched to hell, the case is cracked, I've dropped it from chest height (4.5 feet in my case) onto concrete probably two or three dozen times . . . still works perfectly. I worked in a refridgerator at a wholesale store 35 hours a week for two years, and it took the humidity and temperature no problem. Obviously the battery doesn't quite hold the charge it used to (safest to put it on the charger each night), but by all means, this piece of junk shouldn't work at all, with all I've done to it. Oh yeah, and it was free.
Barebones, a stupid gold casing, poor address book . . . this is still a workhorse by all means. I fear buying a fancy new phone cause they seem to all break in a year and a half (and by all means I could get a v8000 or razr if I so pleased). I'm going to run this phone into the ground if it's the last thing I do.
T-Mobile's service in Seattle is great. I live in the northend and travel all around the I-5 and I-405 corridor. Save for inside metal office buildings, the reception on the phone is excellent and I've NEVER experienced a dropped call from my end.
You can't get these anymore, and no one in their right mind would want one these days, but here's my two cents nonetheless.
pretty average phone
theres nothing really remarkable about this phone. the reception is okay, the screen is standard, features are standard (the profiles are pretty cool). The speaker should be louder, its hard to hear people sometimes.
If your looking to get a phone only get this one if its free with NO contract and you're looking to save money...otherwise get something cool like a silver-flip color lcd.
A great phone for the price
The 3390 is our best selling phone - for good reason! It's a nicely sized phone with easy-to-use important features. It doesn't have some of the higher end bells and whistles which is to be expected.
The phone is sturdy and solid feeling (for a plastic model). It gets great reception and provides wonderful clarity. The voice dialing even works most of the time.
Overall, with the variety of accessories, feature set, and above average quality, I would recommend this phone to most people. If you are a gadget freak, you may want to look higher end.
Great Phone / Loaded w/ Features
I own a wireless retail location in the Chicago area. This phone is one of our most popular phones. We sell the 3360 for AT&T and the 3390 for T-Mobile (VoiceStream's new name).
The phone is popular for several reasons:
Changeable Faceplates
Long lasting battery (3.5hrs talk / 72 hrs standby)
Ease of use
VoiceActivated dialing (although about 20% of these handsets have a software issue forbidding the actual use - TOTALLY unacceptable)
Games, Calculator, Calendar, all the downloadables, etc...
Decent size - small to medium.
The T-Mobile version w/ its multi-function key is better than the AT&T version with navigation keys, SEND & END, etc. The AT&T version does not have the heavier capacity battery making it last about half as long.
The power button when pressed and released is a nice short-cut to changing the profile (normal to silent). Be careful to not hold the phone with your pinky cradling the bottom, you may actually be holding it over the microphone hole and you will sound muffled to the person on the other end.
I'm going back to the 3390.
The only reason I left the 3390 in the first place was that I switched carriers.
This was a couple of years ago (2005), when I switched from Cingular to T-Mobile. I went from a Nokia 3390 to a Motorola v188 (not a bad phone, but 3390 is better). Recently, I had to get a new phone... I got a Samsung SGH T629 -- a very nice phone but lacking in some basic features which I require, such as (1) good reception, (2) good volume (I strain to hear the person at the other end, even when at max volume), and (3) easy-to-push buttons.
After a lot of research, I have decided to go back to the 3390 (I didn't know the 3390 would work with T-Mobile when I switched; plus, I wanted to try something new).
I give this phone 5 stars because what little it does it does very, very well. Also, it is EXTREMELY sturdy. Several times, I have dropped this phone, resulting in the casing coming off.. I would just put it back together again and it was good as new.
Note: I would LOVE a phone that is good at being a phone, camera, and music player... but, I don't want a phone that is a camera and music player at the expense of solid basic phone qualities..
That's why I'm going back to the Nokia 3390.
The phone to own in the late 90s...
It seems like everybody had this phone back in the late 90s. I remember having at least 3 of these. People used to customize 3390s like crazy back then (do clear faceplates/housings, LED antennas & batteries bring back any memories? haha).
Make no mistake, this was one solid phone though. It was refreshing to have a phone that was smaller than the bulky 5190 and/or the 6190 and yet had just as good (if not better) RF performance and call quality as the aforementioned behemoths. Not to mention the smaller form factor, solid Nokia RF, old school Nokia durability (You have no idea how many times I used to throw this thing against the wall whenever I was mad), and SNAKE, yes SNAKE!!! Good times...
Great basic phone
I really enjoy this phone. Cingular give this model for free if you decide to get a two-year service contract. The phone has the best reception of all the Cingular phones, even better then the Siemens S40 and the new Motorola. The phone is small enough to fit comfortably in you paints pocket and large enough to operate will ease. Associations, name plates, rings, etc. are readily available. There are some small draw backs, but they are not worth mentioning. If you are looking for a stylish, basic phone, this is your buy.
Great Reception
This little phone is easy to use. It also has excellent reception with Voicestream here in Albuquerque NM. Nice crisp, easy to hear audio. Very sturdy and durable too. Keys too easy to press, so you'll have to lock the keypad if you carry it in your pocket. Overall - highly recommended.
A 6-year love affair
Now that I'm finally looking for a replacement, I thought I'd add my voice to those who love the 3390. Yes, in 2007, I still use this phone. If you want a cheap, basic phone, it's a worthwhile eBay find. The only reason it's not a 4.5...well, because it's just too simple to be rated perfect.
I got this phone for free with my Voicestream contract. I chose it because I thought it was cute. I've only renewed my contract once, when Voicestream changed into T-mobile. I had the option to upgrade then but didn't.
Six years later, I'm still impressed. It's not the smallest, lightest thing, but I like how sturdy it feels. The sound quality is fantastically clear. I usually have the volume about 3-4 bars from the highest, so there's always room to turn up as needed. I never feel I talk above regular "inside voice", often softer, and no one ever has problems hearing me.
The vibrate is amazingly forceful. It's even better when combined with the alarm--the vibration when set on a table really scares me awake! Ringer volume is strong as well--only 5 volume settings, but that's perfect. I usually use no.4 but no.5 is my alarm setting. Seriously, scary!
I've dropped this phone more times than I can count. Once it was from so high, the case popped up slightly. It's no longer completely smooth along the edges, but it's still ticking.
Every once in long while, the screen goes blank. Only started happening a few months ago, after the last drop. Amazingly, I simply remove the battery, replace it, and it restarts. It just won't die! And speaking of battery, with my replacement hi-capacity battery, I only charge this ancient phone every 2, sometimes 3 days.
I am only now looking for a phone because...after 6 years, I don't want to be stuck when it finally craps out on me! Holding out hope that the next super-basic phone I buy (basic with the exception of quadband) will be able to compete with the amazing 3390!
