NEC 338 3G Phone Review

	NEC 338 3G Phone Review
	This is a review of the NEC 338 handset and was undertaken in December, 2004 by Kevin Thomas of 3G.co.uk. This review covers the phone only and does not address the performance of 3's 3G Network. The NEC 338 is the smallest and lightest 3G handset available in Europe. NEC must be congratulated on that achievement. But blimey, it looks ordinary both open and closed. The review is supported by a number of relevant photos - click thumbs for high quality photos.
1)	HANDSET INTRODUCTION
Intro	The NEC 338 is NEC's eighth 3G handset in Europe and they have acquired a lot of 3G handset design experience to make this a very compact handset indeed. Yes, its smaller than the LG 8120 which is 3's best selling handset. To see how it compares to the Sony Ericsson V800 3G Handset - click on the thumbs. The NEC 338 seems to look better alongside the Sony Ericsson V800 than on its own. Don't know why ? Maybe " fly with eagles to make yourself look better " - springs to mind. NEC 338 versus LG 8120 ( 3's current best seller ) NEC 338 93.8 x 47.1 x 23.3mm and 114 grams LG 8120 95.7 x 49.5 23.1mm and 126 grams
2)	LOOKS / FEATURES
Looks	My first impression of the NEC 338 was what an ordinary looking handset. I suppose the fact that this phone has nothing going on at the sides gives the impression of a lack of features etc. This phone can best be described as a handset that has basic features only. I then focused on how small and light the handset was and I must say NEC must be congratulated at making a leading edge 3G handset this small. One point the the external area extends the length by another 20mm.
Front	The NEC 338 is a basic looking handset. I can not see many people seeing this phone as a fashion accessory. See for yourself via the thumbs above and below.
Left	The left hand side features nothing except the headphones socket.
Right	The right hand side of the phone features nothing.
Back	The back of the phone houses the rear cover only.
Bottom	This houses the charger connector and the USB port.
Antenna	Protrudes about 20mm beyond handset.
Navigation	Screen navigation is via the visual menu overview. This is easy to use and user friendly. The navigation keypad is very precise and quick to respond.
Keypad	Standard 15 button keypad. There is a standard 4 way navigation key, with another 4 buttons for triangle key, menu and the left and right soft keys. In addition there is an option key. Somewhat basic but well laid out.
Display	Main Screen ( TFT ) Size : 40 x 32 mm Colour LCD 65.5K screen Display size: 2.0 inch (220 x 176pixels) Application display area: 180 x 176 pixels Call duration indicator Graphical user interface - Icon Driven Quick menu Dual image video call display Desk-top shortcut icons
Picture Camera	Eye rotating lens that lets the user point towards you or, with a simple movement of the thumb, redirect it away from you. Camera: Single rotating camera Panfocus 2x zoom One rotating camera: -CIF - 100K pixels Self timer Definable picture quality Definable picture size
Video Cam	Video camera is dual-purpose with picture camera. Video capture, playback and download MPEG4.
Memory	Memory: 17MB (internal) 17MB dynamic phone memory for messaging and multimedia content (4 MB maximum for MMS) (inc. SMS and email) 960KB (96 x 10) maximum for JAVA applications) The NEC 338 is supplied with no additional means of memory expansion.
3)	SPECIFICATION DETAILS
Mode	3G WCDMA : Dual mode 2.5G / 3G ( Not Tri-Band ) -3G - supports data upload of 64kbps and download of 384 kbps -2.5G - supports Class B8 GPRS WAP - WAP 2.0 Will work on WCDMA 3G from 3 and on GPRS when outside 3G area.
Weight	114 grams The NEC 338 is the lightest 3G handset available in Europe. This is the weight of the phone (with battery) and is measured in grams (g). The LG 8120 weighs in at 126 grams.
Volume	89cc
Dimensions	NEC 338 93.8 x 47.1 x 23.3mm ( antenna protrudes about 20mm beyond handset ) A comparison LG 8110 : 95.7 x 49.5 23.1mm
Battery Life	Battery life Battery : Li-ion 3.7V 1400 mAh Standby: up to 116 hours Talk time: up to 200 mins Video call: up to 130 mins Note : Battery life is affected by lower signal strength and to which network you are hooked up to.
4)	CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth	NO
InfraRed	NO
USB Port	Yes USB – quick easy technology connection to a computer or other mobile device
Content	Allows access to 3’s 3G content services, ranging from news and weather to games and entertainment.
MMS	Media Player - Download and play/view of audio,video and Image content (supports GIF, PNG, BMP,WBMP, JPEG, MIDI, MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, MPEG4 Video, WMVfiles) JAVA - download and play games (MIDP 2.0) Send video clips, sound and photos with MMS Streaming of audio and video supported: -Streaming codec support: -Audio (AMR Narrowband, AAC), Video (MPEG4 + AMR/AAC audio) -Windows Media Audio / Windows Media Video
MIDI	40 channel polyphonic ring tunes 13 pre-stored alerts ( 6 alert tones and 7 polyphonic tunes) 5 pre-stored wallpapers/standby screens (total 17)
JAVA	Java™ ENABLED – download the latest games and applications played on a 65,536 16 bit colour screen with a 40 chord polyphonic sound
5)	COMMUNICATION
Video	Video : MPEG 4 (.mp4) Yes 3GPP (.3gp) Yes Audio : MP3 (.mp3) Yes Windows Media (.wma) Wide range of graphics, audio and video file types supported: -GIF, PNG, BMP,WBMP, JPEG, MIDI, MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, MPEG4 Video, WMV
LBS	No
MMS	SMS AND MMS ENABLED – send and receive text, colour pictures, video and audio messages
SMS	Yes SMS AND MMS ENABLED – send and receive text, colour pictures, video and audio messages
POP3 E-mail	Yes (email available via handset and browser)
6)	SOUND
MP3	The NEC 338 has an MP3 player on-board for playing music to the loudspeaker or to the supplied stereo headphones. Sound quality is good.
Vib Alert	Yes
Speaker	External on clam front.
7)	IN THE BOX
In the Box	1 x NEC 338 3G Handset 1 x Mains Charger 1 x Li-ion Battery Portable Stereo Handsfree Headset 1 x USB Data Cable Instruction Pack and booklets ( in colour )
8)	SUMMARY AND SCORE
	This review covers the NEC 338 only and does not address the performance of 3 Live with 3G Network. The score is based on a checklist developed by Kevin Thomas of www.3G.co.uk.
	Good Points
	Smallest and lightest 3G handset available in Europe
	Simple to use no techie issues
	Precise keypad operation
	Not So Good Points
	Dull looking
	Memory limited to 17MB - no expansion provided for
	Dual Band only
	No Bluetooth
	No Infrared
	Summary
	The NEC 338 is a perfectly sound Dual-Band 3G Handset which will be perfectly suitable for phoning, taking pictures and video calling. But, for anyone wanting more like Bluetooth and Infrared they will likely steer clear of this one. Lack of memory expansion will push a great number of people looking at other 3G handsets. Finally, this is a small 3G handset but cor blimey it looks so plain.
	Score
	Kevin Thomas scores the NEC 338.
	85 out of 100

	END OF NEC 338 REVIEW
	Find out more about this phone and take part in discussions at 3G Forum
	Click links below for earlier reviews
	Past Reviews
Past Reviews	SonyEricsson V800 = 88 out of 100.
	Motorola E1000 = 87 out of 100.
	Motorola A1000 = 87 out of 100.
	NEC 228 = 84 out of 100.
	LG U8110 = 87 out of 100.
	Motorola A925 = 84 out of 100
	NEC e616 = 85 out of 100
	Motorola A835 = 84 out of 100.
Copyright	You are advised that this material is the copyright of Kevin Thomas 2004 on behalf of www.3G.co.uk and is my own personal view only. (C) All rights reserved 2004. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this review, Kevin Thomas nor 3Gcouk cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or authenticity of the information it contains, or any consequence arising from it.
Terms used
Tri-band	Different countries operate at different frequencies, which means that if you wish to use your mobile phone outside your home country, you generally need a handset that supports multiple frequency bands. A dual-band phone operates on two frequency bands, 900Mhz and 1,800Mhz, allowing you to use it in the UK and Continental Europe. A tri-band phone operates on three frequency bands, GSM900, GSM1800 and GSM1900, allowing you to use it in Europe, Africa, Asia, nearly all of North America and Australia. Quad-Band - Different operators are allocated different frequencies for GSM phones to work on in Europe / Asia this is 1800 /900 MHz in the Americas this is 850 / 1900 MHz. Therefore a Quad band phone works in all four frequencies and consequently works in most of the world. Short hand - 4 operator frequencies

Battery/Video Times	Battery / Video Times - The total time a battery can power a phone for mobile calls. As the phone drains the battery during a call, the talk time left in the battery is diminished until the phone is turned off or the battery recharged. The longer the talk time the less frequently you will need to recharge.
Battery Standby	Battery Standby The time a battery can power a phone in the standby mode, switched on and ready to make or receive a call, without being used for an actual call. The longer a phone is in standby mode, the less standby time remains in the battery.
Bluetooth	Bluetooth® is a revolutionary new technology that allows different electronic devices to share data and communicate without using wires. These devices include phones, printers, personal computers or laptops. In order for it to work, both devices need to be “Bluetooth® enabled”.
LBS	Location Based Service Combined with services from the network service provider, integrated AGPS technology enables you to find your way around. AGPS helps you find your favorite stores or restaurants at a moment's notice Global Satellite Positioning (AGPS) enabled for enhanced location services
MIDI	Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MMS	Multimedia Messaging Service
POP3 E-mail	The POP3 e-mail function allows you to use your phone to access e-mail. (The e-mail is retrieved from a server over the air).
USB	USB (universal serial bus) is a fast (1Mbps) path for data transfer between the phone and an external device, such as a pc.
VOD	Video on Demand
WAP	Wireless Application Protocol