GSM Arena 3230 review - whats the deal, Nokia? It's overall a positive review, and it sounds like a very nice phone that would be a popular item for a low-cost carrier like T-Mobile US. The main drawbacks are the keypad and function keys, which aren't as responsive as the reviewer would like, and the funky software. From the review: "At the same time Nokia 3230 gives us plenty of reasons to complain. The tested version turned out to be full of errors; hence Nokia 3230' overall evaluation will depend to a great extent on the quality of the final version of its software. And since the phone is already in the distributors' pricelists, its developers may have to quicken their step."

I've raised this issue several times -- why don't Nokia 60 phones ever come out with stable software upon release. I'm personally at the point where no matter how much I'm salivating over a new phone, I'll wait until there is a firmware upgrade before buying. How can you be expected to drop $500 or more on a phone on the grey market in the US, where its tough to get a firmware upgrade, on a phone that's still not ready for prime time? (To be fair, Nokia isn't alone -- just read about new SE releases which have equal or worse problems with software bugs.)

My advice to Nokia: slow down on the software upgrade cycle and focus more on the hardware people want: fast EDGE, higher quality (not higher megapixel necessarily) camera modules, usable keypads, good sound quality, and better styles. Nokia still hasn't perfected the phone hardware, so why the crazy rush to more Symbian upgrades? The software upgrade cycle just causes the release of new products to be complicated by immature and inferior firmware versions and garners second-rate reviews of products that deserve better (eventually).  ¶ 8:12 AM