Nokia 3711

Nokia 3711

T-Mobile subscribers looking for a free flip phone should check out the Nokia 3711 - even though it doesn't look like much. Underneath its drab surface are some pretty powerful features, including a proper mobile Web browser, 3G data speeds, and decent music and video playback. Nokia made a few poor design decisions with the hardware, but even so, it's worth a look. The Nokia 3711 measures 3.5 by 1.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.3 ounces. The hard, rubbery finish features a textured wave pattern. I wasn't thrilled with the look; it's about as drab as anything I've tested recently. At least the material makes the phone comfortable to hold and resistant to light scratches. Build quality was also questionable, which is unusual for Nokia; the shortcut keys above the numeric keypad were uneven on my test handset, and the plastic frame around the keys felt excessively cheap. The monochrome 1.4-inch OLED external display stays hidden until lit, and basically does nothing aside from showing an ugly vertical clock. Inside, the 2.2-inch QVGA (240-by-320-pixel) looked reasonably sharp and bright. Dialing numbers was super-easy thanks to the large, raised keys. I would have preferred larger function keys around the five-way control pad, but that's a minor quibble.