I received the Nokia 5330 mobile TV edition phone last week and did not have high expectations for it; who would? To add to that, the instructions attached clearly stated that it is part of a pilot program with DStv and is currently not available in South Africa. Hence, pricing has not yet been determined. It also said to expect glitches.

For the testing phase, (I’m not sure if this is applicable after it launches), a Vodacom SIM gives you 6 channels and an MTN SIM gives you 8 channels. I ended up buying an MTN SIM for the extra channels. After the initial hiccup (the phone was not fully set-up on DStv’s side), which Nokia assisted with, I finally got to test it. And by that I mean, I actually got to WATCH TV on a cellphone! And I was impressed!

I did not expect it to be as clear as it was, probably because this was new to me. I don’t know what the standard is. The earphones have a built-in receiver that is based on DVB-H (digital video broadcasting-handheld) technology. You do not use any data while watching TV. In order to watch a channel, you have to “purchase” content, which lasts for a month, so you don’t have to “purchase” every time. I did not pay for this, which I suspect is where a cost will come in, once launched.

Excuse the pic taken with a camera, there was no app available to take a screenshot.

The screen is 2.4″ with a 240×320 resolution. Most people to whom I’ve showed it, responded with “such a small screen”. Uh, you weren’t expecting a 40″, where you? Given that you’re going to be watching from a close distance, you don’t need a large screen; although the screen could be slightly bigger, but I’d say it’s pretty decent.

If the price is right, I think Nokia might have a winner here.

*EDIT* – I incorrectly stated that the Nokia 5330 does not have 3G, but it in fact does. Thanks to the anonymous person who brought it to my attention.