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The Nokia 5300 belongs to the XpressMusic series, which is at the tip of Nokia's sword for battling Sony Ericsson's Walkman brand. The most notable features on the 5300 are the new 2.5mm earphone jack and dedicated music keys. Today we will see if the 5300 can really substitute your music player.

The Nokia 5300 is a good entry in the company's range of music handsets. However, at this price point the market has no shortage of similar music handsets. In fact, the old Sony Ericsson W800i might be a better deal, with a far superior camera.

The 5300 delivers what it promises: it works well as a phone, as a messaging device, and a music player. It does not have the best sound quality, but A2DP and dedicated music buttons are all in place. It does not take the best pictures, but it gives you the excellent S40 interface.

The design might not appeal to everyone, and there are definitely some build issues. The hidden memory slot is a mistake that Nokia could have avoided. The other huge slip-up is the inclusion of a 2.5mm earphone jack instead of a standard 3.5mm one, though it is nonetheless a lot more welcome than the old Pop-Port interface.

At the end of the day, the 5300 is a give-and-take handset, and you will not be happy with everything it offers, though if you can work with its shortcomings, it is deserving of a Recommended rating. Other handsets to consider, in addition to the aforementioned W800i, would be Samsung D900 and Sony Ericsson Z710.

Via mobileburn.