The Nokia 2730 Classic is Nokia’s cheapest 3G phone. Priced at Rs 4,499/-, it offers excellent value for money with surprisingly few compromises along the way. It even manages to look good at the same time.
Nokia say that the 2730 is aimed at “emerging markets”, but this is a phone that is likely to have wide market appeal due to the impressive number of features it offers for a relatively low outlay.

The main features are dual-band UMTS support (either 900/2100 or 850/1900 depending on market), a 2″ 240 x 320 pixel display, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory (up to 2GB), Bluetooth
, a comprehensive multimedia player, an FM radio and a 3.5mm audio socket. The standard sales package also includes a 1GB memory card  and a stereo wired headset.

The phone can be used as a tethered modem through a USB or Bluetooth connection, and the 2730 Classic comes with a web browser, email client and a set of personal information management tools. Users can sign up for Ovi Mail on the phone, and some markets also feature “Nokia Life Tools” that we have looked at before.
Nokia say that the maximum talktime from the 1020 mAh battery is up to 3.3 hours on 3G and 7.4 hours on GSM with around 17 days standby time. The 2730 is very lightweight too, coming in at just 88 grams.

We said that there are some compromises, but they are few and far between. The 2″ display is a little on the small side, the digital camera is rather basic and the expandable memory is not all that expandable. There’s no HSDPA support on the 2730 either, so users are stuck with a maximum download speed of 384 kbps. There’s no video calling camera, and the keypad looks pretty but lacks proper moving keys. But at this price, really who cares?

If you are looking for a high-performing phone on a budget, then the Nokia 2730 Classic really does look very impressive. Even if you’re not on a budget, do you really need to spend more than this on a mobile phone?

Nokia say that the 2730 Classic should be available during Q3 2009 in Black and Dark Magenta colour combinations.

Specifications
Size :

Form: Classic
Dimensions: 109.6 x 46.9 x 14.4 mm
Weight: 87.7 g (with battery)
Volume: 65 cc

Display and 3D

Size: 2.0″
Resolution: 320 x 240 pixel (QVGA)
Up to 262,144 colours
Keys and input method

Numeric keypad

Colours and covers

Available in-box colours (Available colours may vary per region):
- Black
- Dark Magenta

Connectors

MicroUSB connector, USB 2.0
3.5 mm Nokia AV connector

Memory

microSD memory card slot with hot swap, max. 2 GB
30 MB internal dynamic memory

Power

BL-5C 1020 mAh Li-Ion standard battery
Talk time (maximum)
- GSM 7 h
- WCDMA 3 h

Standby time (maximum)
- GSM 360 h
- WCDMA 400 h (Ectel)
Communication and navigation
Operating frequency

Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA 900/2100 and GSM 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA 850/1900 and GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Automatic switching between GSM bands

Data network

CSD
GPRS class B, multislot class 32
EDGE class B, multislot class 32
WCDMA 2100, maximum speed PS 128/384 kbps (UL/DL), CS 12.2 kbps
TCP/IP support
Capability to serve as data modem
Support for MS Outlook synchronisation of contacts, calendar and notes

Local connectivity and synchronisation

Bluetooth version 2.0
Support for PC synchronisation with Nokia PC Suite
Support for local and remote SyncML synchronisation

Call features

Built-in hands-free speaker phone
Number screening for messaging and calls
Automatic answer with headset or car kit
Any key answer
Call waiting, call hold, call divert
Call timer
Logging of dialled, received and missed calls
Automatic redial
Speed dialling
Voice dialling
Fixed dialling number support
Vibrating alert (internal)
Mute/unmute
Contacts with images
Conference calling

Messaging

SMS
Speed dialling for SMS sending
List of recently used numbers in message editor
Multiple SMS deletion
EMS picture messaging (send and receive)
MMS version 1.3, message size up to 300 kb
Automatic resizing of images for MMS
Nokia Xpress audio messaging
Common inbox for SMS and MMS messages
Distribution lists for messaging
Cell broadcast

E-mail

Email client ( native): IMAP4, POP3, SMTP

Web browsing

Supported mark-up languages: HTML, XHTML
Supported protocols: WAP 2.0
TCP/IP support
Opera mini browser
Nokia Mobile Search

GPS and navigation

Nokia Maps application

Image and sound

Photography

2 megapixel camera
4x digital zoom
White balance modes: automatic, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent
Colour tone modes: normal, sepia, black & white, vivid, negative
Light sensitivity modes: automatic
Landscape (horizontal) orientation

Video

Video recording at up to 176 x 144 pixels (CIF) and up to 10 fps
- Up to 4x digital video zoom
Video recording file formats: .3gp
Audio recording formats: AMR, .3gp
Video white balance modes: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent
Colour tone modes: normal, sepia, black & white, vivid, negative
Video player
Video playback file formats: .3gp
Video streaming: .3gp
Landscape mode video playback

Music and audio playback

Music player
Music playback file formats: AMR, AMR-WB, MIDI, MXMF, MP3, AAC, MP4/M4A/3GP/3GA(AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, AMR-WB), X-Tone, WAV(PCM, a-law, mu-law, ADPCM), WMA(WMA9, WMA10)
FM stereo radio with RDS support
3.5 mm Nokia AV connector
Ring tones: AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, MP3, 64- Midi, WMA, WAMR, MXMF (40 built-in tones)

Voice and audio recording

Voice recorder
Audio recording formats: AMR
FR, EFR, HR, and AMR
Digital stereo microphone

Personalisation: profiles, themes, ring tones

Customizable profiles
Ring tones: AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, MP3, 64- Midi, WMA, WAMR, MXMF (40 built-in tones)
Themes
- wallpapers
- animated wallpapers
- organic wallpapers
- full-screen wallpapers
- screensavers
- animated colour screensavers
- colour schemes
- ring tones
- icons
- logos
- pre-installed themes
- changeable colour themes
- user defined themes