Nokia 7370

Some cell phones are all business; others mix business with pleasure, offering a lot of features in a stylish package. And then there's the Nokia 7370. This unusual-looking handset is definitely pretty--unfortunately, its appeal is only skin deep.

When closed, the 7370 is square on one end and curved at the other, and features a gold, brown, and cream color scheme. The 2-inch color display is surrounded by a gold-plated surface featuring an etched flower design. The sides and back of the phone are covered in what Nokia calls "leather-inspired" accents, all done in brown and cream tones that blend nicely with the gold front. It's a petite phone, too, measuring 1.7 by 0.9 by 3.5 inches and weighing just 3.7 ounces.

In informal use, though, the 7370 was far from inspiring. The face of the phone is free of navigation controls, which sit along the sides of the handset instead. Among them is a power button that is minuscule and hard to identify; you also get volume controls and a key for accessing the camera. All of the buttons are exceedingly difficult to push.

The top half of the 7370 swivels 180 degrees to reveal a flat keypad, as well as the send and end buttons, two programmable soft keys, and a four-way navigation pad. None of the navigation keys are clearly labeled, making learning how to operate the phone more difficult than it should be. Voice quality is adequate, but the phone could use more volume. And its talk-time battery life is merely fair; in our lab tests the 7370 lasted 6 hours, 1 minute.

Included is a 1.3-megapixel camera with an 8X optical zoom. The dedicated camera control is a definite plus, but unfortunately the button is hard to push; I missed a couple of snapshots because I was struggling with it. The shots I did take were adequate, and the phone also captures serviceable video clips.

The 7370 supports POP3, IMAP, and SMTP e-mail accounts, but doesn't support IM networks. It plays back AAC and MP3 music files. Though it ships with earbuds and a silky carrying case, it doesn't come with a USB cable for connecting with your PC. The phone does offer support for Bluetooth, however.

An unlocked handset costs $400 (as of 8/4/06); the phone works with Cingular and T-Mobile networks. It will be available this fall from Nokia stores, as well as at Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus stores. Considering that my appreciation for the Nokia 7370 was limited to how well it matched my outfit, those retailers are a fitting place to buy this fashion accessory.

Liane Cassavoy