Stay singing with Nokia's Comes with music range

As part of Nokia's new "Comes with music" range, the Nokia 5030 XpressRadio Red offers the usual Nokia quality and reliability with the added benefit of FM radio and built-in speakers. However, compared with the sleek, flip-top Sony Ericsson W980i, which also offers FM radio and speakers, the Nokia 5030 appears somewhat dated, with little redemption in the style category.

Whilst the red trimming adds some variety and is a statement in today's predominantly black and silver phone market, it seems a shame that Nokia can produce such a vast difference in their range in phones - from their exceptionally stylish Nokia N97 touchscreen mobile phone, which comes with full keyboard, and their Nokia 6700 Classic picture phone - both stunning mobile phones with a multitude of features for a range of consumers, from the technologically advanced to the complete technophobe. These high-end mobiles mean the Nokia 5030 pales in comparison.

However, the Nokia mobile phone is, indeed, eye-catching and the back cover's classic radio speaker design is an interesting touch. The speakers are quality and produce a loud, clear sound. This is one of Nokia's lower-end phones, available with Orange on Pay As You Go for £19.50, so it is clear that this is a phone for those on a budget. The Sony Ericsson W980i, although much more stylish, is not offered on pay as you go, and their closest competitors to the Nokia 5030 - the Sony Ericsson W595 and Sony Ericsson W910i Black - both start at a whopping £97.50 (for Orange pay as you go customers). This mobile phone is a fantastic bargain for anyone who resents paying premiums for a piece of technology.

Also in the "Comes with music" range is the Nokia 5310. This range is fantastic for all the anti-Apple contingent, whose monopoly on the music download market is being challenged constantly, not only by major music moguls such as Sony, but also by phone companies who are eager to take a dip in the music download pond. Nokia are not the first to offer a music download facility.

Orange's music store has been operating for a number of years, with the only downfall a lack of compatibility with iTunes, still the biggest pay-to-download store and music storing facility. However, Nokia's clever marketing plan has cornered a market for those who love their music but are unprepared to pay the price for the privilege to always have music in their lives. With Nokia's "Comes with music" range, users are able to access millions of tracks, download them straight to PC, upload to phone, and enjoy hours of unadulterated music bliss whilst on the go. Some of the offers available include unlimited music downloads, 600 anytime minutes and unlimited texts for £29.36 a month (online price), with the flashy and stylish Nokia 5800 (available on Orange), or £15 a month for the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic on Vodaphone (300 minutes anytime, any network and unlimited texts, anytime, and to any network).

With the Nokia 5310 we see a step up in the style category that the Nokia 5030 doesn't quite achieve. Available in five different colours, this is the perfect phone for the pre-teen and teen market, who are perhaps not ready for a flashy phone or iPod, but still want a stylish phone, but with added fun factor. For any parents thinking of buying a phone for their offspring, this is an exciting but practical phone, which offers 2GB of memory space (approximately 500 songs) for a reasonable price (free on a £25 pay-monthly plan, or £82.18 when brought with £10 of airtime on pay-as-you-go - both Orange).

Whilst Nokia market this model as a mobile phone for "a serious music player", its limited (although optionally expandable) memory means it can't compete with the bigger MP3 playing phones such as the iPhone, which offers anywhere between 8GB and 32GB of memory. However, the Nokia 5310 is indeed stylish, and with sleek aluminum casing and dedicated control keys, simple music management is available at the touch of the button. As with the Nokia 5330, an audio chip ensures hi-fi quality sound and with Bluetooth compatibility, users are able to listen wirelessly - a bonus which competitors such as the iPhone haven't managed to harness as yet. In addition, the phone boasts an FM radio, a 2 megapixel camera and the simple and effective operating system that Nokia have become famous for.

Whilst the Nokia 5030 offers high quality sound with the FM radio, the superior styling and additional MP3 player that comes the Nokia 5310 make it a far more attractive option. For approximately £50 more users are offered a better-quality music package, as well as a stylish and funky looking phone. Take note competitors - Nokia and Orange are out to conquer the music download world.