NEC 525 Review

As part of its 500 series of High Definition Mobile handsets, NEC delivers global connectivity with the 525. But is a pretty screen and two CPU's enough to satisfy our hunger?

Summary

NEC has a wonderful phone on their hands and we are curious as to why they are not putting the resources behind it to push a stronger marketing effort. The phone reception is certainly above average and because the 525 uses two processors, phonebook and menu navigation is extremely fast and easy to use.

 

On the downside, the volume controls take a while to get used to and the high-resolution screens are prone to wash out in direct sunlight, but other than those downfalls, the NEC 525 is a solid phone. That being said, this is not a small phone by any means so those willing to give up features for a more petite phone should look elsewhere. The NEC 525 is sure to garner a lot of looks, and those looking for a multimedia phone will find the 525 should feed their digital hunger.

Introduction

 

NEC’s HDM 525 is the second 500-series phone released for their High Definition Mobile initiative. The HDM 525 improves upon the first-generation 515 by adding an integrated digital camera and a 4,096 color external LCD screen and is available through AT&T Wireless in conjunction with their mMode service.

 

With its 65,000 color oversized internal screen and advanced Web browser features, the HDM 525 is priced at around $199 and is targeted towards consumers looking for a more advanced multimedia experience from their phones.

 

The NEC 525 features a 4,096 color external screen

Features and Design

 

You do not have to measure the 525 to know this phone is a bulky one; at first glance you can tell that it is a bit larger than many of today’s newer phones. The 525 measures 4.12-inches by 1.88-inches by 1.06-inches and weighs in at a little over 4 ounces; this is certainly not a very petite phone. There is a reason for the large dimensions though, and once you flip the phone open you will immediately see why. The NEC 525 features an absolutely stunning 2.2-inch 65,536-color high resolution display. Coupled with the smaller external LCD color display, while the phone is larger than average in size we think it’s pretty justified.

 

The whole phone is bathed in a two-tone sliver paint that while not being very original still gives the phone an appealing look. On the outside of the phone, NEC chose to put the volume controls under the external screen rather than the side of the phone which is a little bit different. The camera lens is also on the outside of the phone just above the external screen. We have seen phones that put the camera on the backside of the unit, but the placement on the NEC 525 is favorable. The backside of the 525 is another story though. If you flip the phone over, there are a lot of inconsistent lines and some grey rubber feet which do not match the silver color of the case. There is a rubber cover on the left side of the phone which protects the interface port for the data cable and the power adapter. The flap is pretty flimsy and might tear off under heavy use. The infrared port and headphone jack can be found on the right side of the phone. Other than the back of the phone, the NEC 525 is not particularly bad looking; it just won’t win any design awards.

 

As for features, the 525 really has a lot to offer. It supports the GSM/GPRS 850/1900 networks on the North American side and will run on the 900/1800 networks globally, so you should be able to use this phone just about anywhere.

 

The HDM 525 incorporates several features that take advantage of both LCD screens. The exterior LCD allows the phone to show time and date information, text and even photo-based caller ID. What this means is that you can add someone’s picture (or any image) to their entry in the phone’s address book so when they call, the screen will show the picture related to that entry. And the larger, internal high-resolution screen allows for viewing more detailed images and comfortably playing games. You can view JPEG, GIF, BMP and PNG images without any compatibility issues as long as the image is not too large in size