The Symbian S60 operating system hasn’t had a great reputation on high-end devices of late, with the main problem being its basic interface and slow response times. To be fair, this reputation is largely garnered from touchscreen Symbian devices, which compared to the likes of Android and iPhone certainly look dated and slow.

However, the Nokia C5 is the first entry-level phone to launch running Symbian S60 3rd Edition (Feature Pack 2), which is the same version of the OS as you’ll find on the devices like the business focused Nokia E72, Nokia E55 and Nokia E52.

Nokia is starting to pitch this OS at the low-end, as it’s also making an appearance on the new Nokia 6700 Slide too. This is the non-touchscreen version of the OS, so has a longer track record and we have to admit it is a solid and reliable OS on a phone this size.

The interface is built around a rather plain homescreen that gives you somewhat limited access to apps and features. Sure, you can personalise it but in this age of multiple homescreens, Symbian feels rather dated. To access most apps, you need to press Menu and then scroll around, so launching anything can be a two, three, or in some cases, four click affair.

This does make the Nokia C5 a little slow to navigate at times. Thankfully, you’ll find this is a quick and responsive phone, so you won’t be left hanging around for too long.

However, the real beauty of moving the OS down to an entry-level point is that it exposes the huge array of apps and utilities that have been developed over the years to a completely new market. Most dumb phones allow you to download ringtones and the odd bespoke app but with the Nokia C5 you’ll be able to tap in to a wealth of new apps.

So what can you expect? For starters, Nokia has packed a whole host of social networking apps on the Nokia C5, from Facebook and Friendster to MySpace, Flickr and YouTube, so you will find staying in touch and sharing easy. Then there are the every day things, such as web browsers, music and video players, and email already installed, so getting setup and running is quick and easy. Screen resolution isn’t an issue: the Nokia C5 opened popular apps we tested like Fring without a hitch.

The Nokia C5 also offers access to the Nokia Ovi Store where you can download thousands of apps, both free and paid for. With no Wi-Fi built into the C5 you’ll need to use the 3G connection, so make sure you have a decent data tariff in place before going crazy.

The winning app on the Nokia C5 has to be Ovi Maps, which works hand-in-hand with the built-in GPS receiver. With free turn-by-turn navigation and a whole slew of maps to download, you can use the C5 for getting about with ease. Granted, the 2.2-inch screen size means you won’t want to use it too often in the car but the Walk function means you can get around a new town like a native.

With a wealth of apps and utilities at its disposal, the Nokia C5 is clearly one of the most powerful low cost phones around, especially when you consider it can be picked up on Pay AS You Go for just £150 (inc. VAT). If you’re just looking for a simple every day phone, you may find the C5 offers a little too much, but once you start tapping in to what the OS has to offer you may just find yourself a smartphone convert.

Is Symbian S60 on the Nokia C5 the right move for Nokia? It may not be the best looking or most intuitive OS on the market but by moving it down to lower end devices, Nokia is opening up a new market to a wealth of new features and a level of personalisation few others are currently offering, which makes it a winning move.