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Tag: Nokia
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Nokia E61i Review
Welcome to the Nokia E61i mobile phone review. As the name suggests it is targeted at business and smartphone users. We actually got the phone 6 months ago and its become the main phone that one of us now use as a regular phone. We've just been a little slack in posting the official review. The main selling features of this phone is a lovely wide screen and mini qwerty keyboard. It runs the S60 operating system so you know what you're getting. That aside the hardware on the phone is state of the art - at least for 2007. That said, it is missing one key feature, namely a FM Radio so if you can live without one this review is worth a read! Battery Life The battery life of this phone is excellent. With normal use and roaming on GSM networks you can get at least 12 days of stand time. On 3G networks its about 7 days. Left on purely on stand by your looking at 2 weeks for GSM which we think is fabulous just like the old days. Naturally with ultra-heavy usage it will go for at least a day. With Bluetooth, Wi-FI turned on and calls etc. Try that with a TREO or Windows Mobile and you'll need a charger in about 4-5 hours. Speed The phone is reasonably fast. It activates all functions except JAVA based programs with minimal delay. That said, the screen re-draws occasionally lag but its no different to other smart phones. Overall it could be made faster. Construction. The E61i is partly made of real metal which is brilliant. It is also put together really well with no creaking or movable panels. It's like a block of hard wood. Of course it means a weight penalty but in comparison to other smartphones its design stands out like a super model at a Biggest loser audition. Being thin but wide allows you to put in almost all types of shirt pockets without a huge budge. The full keypad is very good, the buttons have a rudder like surface which makes usage less error prone than others. However the buttons are on the small side for those with larger fingers - but then what modern phone isn't. The buttons are also harder to press than normal phones which is not a criticism since it seems to work better for it. The design is quality and is the class leader compared to ALL other mobile phones in the category. After using the e61i we found using the other qwerty based phones feel cheap. Functionality Overall the E61i does everything you could want in a mobile. The navigation aspect and functional improvements can still be made as a few of the applications like Quickoffice editors could be easier to use. The Alarm clock is missing the daily and week day auto repeats - which is unfortunate. It comes with a stack of utilities and business type applications. Eg. Word/Excel/Powerpoint editors, PDF reader, Flash player, zip file creator, wireless printing, and projector software, full Wi-Fi control, different web browsers, Blackberry software, comprehensive contacts management and of course JAVA. It also comes with one game Golf Pro 2 which is a great looking 3D um... golf game. Gmail and Google Maps Java applications work perfectly. Hotmail and Yahoo webmail also work either full Internet or WAP versions. The phone easily syncs with MS Outlook once the Nokia PC Suite is installed. Connectivity The E61i has all the options available, USB, Bluetooth, infrared, Wi-Fi. We love it. This demonstrates why Nokia is the leading mobile phone manufacturer. Sony Ericsson doesn't have the Wi-Fi yet on even it's range topper. MP3 and video/sound The sound quality and volume coming from this phone is very good but no where near the 6233 bench mark. However video and MP3 play back is much better with not lags or skipping. Videos are recorded in MP4 which a great move. Web Browser There are 2 browsers on the E61i one for WAP sites and one for normal internet pages. Both work well with CSS and BLOG sites. However like all mobile web browsers Flash based content or Youtube videos are not capable of being displayed with in the browser. If a website has streaming content the RealPlayer is activated to view the content. The camera/video/voice recorder It takes OK pictures for a mobile phone and has all the usual features for a camera phone. Features like brightness, various scenes modes light daylight, indoor outdoors, night mode, a timer, various effects like sepia m multiple picture size and quality etc.. Overall picture quality is a bit better than most average for a mobile. It doesn't produce sharp pictures and the colours OK it still won't rival a normal digital camera. Video recorder is likewise very average. Voice recorder is a on the unresponsive side because we had to talk close tot he phone for decent play back volume. The screen The E61i's screen is one of the best, nice and clear, sharp and the backlight bright. It has a light sensor too which automatically adjusts the backlight according to the environment. You can turn it off if you don't like this feature. It's one of the biggest screens for this class of phone. Call quality and network reception Very good voice quality on both GSM and 3G networks. The quality of the loud speaker really helps. It can also do video calls but you have to turn the phone around which defeats the purpose of video calls. Mind you very few people make video calls so its not exactly something to complain about. The Wi-Fi feature of the phone works very, well quick to start up and even has scanning capability. Only Apple's iPod touch is faster. Network reception is excellent. It can pull in all bars in areas where other phones can only manage two. Issues Some of the buttons are just too small, especially the main menu and voice recognition button are not easy to press. Activation of the loud speaker for incoming calls is not a simple process, a problem with all S60 phones. It doesn't have a FM radio - which is odd for a Nokia. Network Not all networks sell the phone so look for a network free version if you can. Summary So far most reviews on the Net tends to compare it with it's predecessor the E61 and assume that existing owners would consider the upgrade and simply conclude by saying it not worth it. Thankfully we have come up with a proper recommendation. Yes it is worth the upgrade to the E61i . Why? It's looks great, much better looking and constructed than the original. You don't have to worry about taking it out in public or at meetings. Nokia should be encouraged to make their phones better looking and use METAL in their designs. If you haven't already got one but want a smart phone that doesn't look or weigh like a brick then this is the phone to get. The battery life is great and it's comes with a ton of software that makes your working or private life easier. Even better is that it is relatively rare! The E61i really shines if you have access to Wi-Fi network or 3G. If you're only on a GSM network then you're missing out on it's internet capability. New SMS or texters will love the keypad and game players will enjoy the extra space and screen. The look of your phone says as much about you as any other fashion accessory. So get one! Price history $600-750 AUS 2007 Manufacturer : Nokia Model : E61i Network : Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) 3G UTMS 2100 MHz Design : Widescreen smart phone L117 x W70 x D14 mm Weight 150 grams Silver/Mocha Display/s : 16Million 24-bit colour TFT - 320 x 240 pixels W5.8cm x L4.8cm Camera : Single 2MP Camera Video capable MP4, WMV, 3GGP, RealMedia, Flash Connectivity : Bluetooth, Infrared, USB, Wi-Fi Memory : 64 MB internal memory MicroSD memory Hot Swap Up to 2 GB Ring tones : Video, ACC, ACC+, eACC+, MP4, MP3, MIDI (64), WAV, XMF, Vibration, True Tones, AMR Features : SMS, MMS, IM, EMAIL, Blackberry Animated wllpaper and screensavers via theme JAVA MIDP 2.0 Modem for PC Web browser (WAP 2.0 - xHTML) Mono Speaker Phone/Hands free Media player Text to speech convertor Voice command Word/Excel/Powerpoint editing PDF, Realmedia formats, Flash 7 GPS connectivity via Bluetooth Speed : Vs Nokia 6230 Navigation 8/10 Battery Life : BP-4L 1500mAh Li Ion Claimed operating times: Standby 400 hours Voice 9 hours Sample camera : -
Nokia 6120 Review
The Nokia 6120 was a phone which we weren't inspired to review because it's not exactly an attractive mobile phone to look at. Ours is locked to the Telstra NextG network we had the 850Mhz '3G' version. (The phone is a Quad band GSM too.) We class this phone as a business model based on it's looks and price. Nokia's usual ability customize almost all the user interface features is thankfully retained on network locked versions, so you can happily change soft key and theme branding easily. The 6120 we guess fills in the role of the 6233 but using the S60 OS and caters for the mid-range 3G market. If you are not interested 3G network capability then there are other GSM only models. The first thing we noticed was it's lack of weight. The next was the lovely screen which was similar if not the same as our benchmark 6233. Construction was solid and materials average. Slighter larger but thinner than most. What was underdone is the keypad. Don't expect it to feel upmarket and you'll be happy. Furthermore the arrangement of the primary navigation buttons was poorly thought out. The left or right soft keys was often pressed instead of the Menu or cancel buttons. Sound is a via a mono speaker that actually sounded OK and quite loud. What impressed us was the number of applications that where included with the phone. It runs Nokia's S60 operating system and comes with all the usual software. Quickoffice Word and Excel viewers, GPS, ZIP, voice readers etc... we expected less because it wasn't an E of N series phone so surprised. That said you'll need an external GPS unit for the software to work. The 6120 is feature packed and there's plenty to play with. With an external SDcard slot you'll be playing for quite awhile until you run out of space. Call and network reception is the normal Nokia - as in very good. Performance wise the 6120 was impressive. Fast and stable - so far. No issues to speak of at this point. We liked the 6120 in the end and so will you if you can live with it's looks. Manufacturer : Nokia Model : 6120 Network : Tri-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) HSDPA 3G 2100mhz OR 850Mhz (Aust only) Design : Standard Phone L105 x W46 x D15 mm Weight 90 grams Black/Silver Display/s : 24-bit colour TFT - 240 x 320 pixels Camera : Dual :Single 2MP Camera 320x240 forward facing Video capable MP4, WMV, 3GP Connectivity : Bluetooth, Infrared, USB Memory : 35 MB internal memory MicroSD memory Hot Swap Ring tones : Video, ACC, MP4, MP3, MIDI (64), WAV, Vibration, AMR Features : SMS, MMS, IM, EMAIL Animated themes only via Theme JAVA MIDP 2.0 Modem for PC Web browser (WAP 2.0 + xHTML) Speaker Phone/Hands free Media player FM Radio Speed : Vs Nokia 6230 Navigation 10/10 Battery Life : 890mAh Li Ion BL-5B Claimed operating times: Standby 250 hours Voice 3 hours Price outright for 2008 A$499
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Nokia 6233 Review
Welcome to the Nokia 6233 mobile phone review. This is classed as a business phone and labelled as the successor to the 6230i. We agree with this description as it has everything that a business person would want to use in 2006. However like its predecessors the amount of functionality available on the phone makes it desirable to more than just this group of people. This is another benchmark phone in our opinion but of course still not perfect. Overall a great phone does almost everything including 3G capabilities so what's good and wrong with it? Battery Life The battery life of this phone is very good but it comes with some conditions. Because it is a 3G phone if you are in a marginal area like we are, it spends a lot of time searching for the best signal, it clearly prefers 3G than GSM. Yes you can make it use only GSM or 3G if you want. One normal settings it will go for 4 days stand by in marginal areas. On GSM with a few SMS only it will go at least 7 days. Speed The phone is very fast. It activates all functions except JAVA based programs with minimal delay. The V3xx is ever so slightly faster. Works great for SMS. Construction. Nokia has put some effort in making this mobile look reasonably good. The plastics are better quality than its predecessors and phones lower in the model range. It has a metal surround which is a stand out compared to other brands. However it is a large and heavy phone in comparison to others. Tightly put together not creaking parts! That said one slight issue with the SIM card bracket - sturdy but with sharp edges. The keypad is sized for normal sized hands although the buttons are one the same shape or size. It has nice blue back lighting too! Button presses have a upmarket feel to them. Functionality The 6233 seemingly has everything you could ask for in a mobile phone. The most outstanding feature is the number of customisation options. Literally everything can be changed on the phone itself or with the assistance of freely available Nokia software. You name it you can change it menu icons, font colors, backgrounds, screen saver, tones, group profiles etc... Most of all we loved the timed profiles. This means you can have the phone mute itself over night and come back alive in the morning. Apart from customisition features it has everything you need, file manager, PTT, MMS SMS, IM, a variety of Nokia apps like world clock, presenter and and so forth. Games included Rally, Soduku and Snakes. The only thing missing which was a bit of a pain - you can't adjust the time-out of the backlighting. It only turns on for 10 secs - so you have to press a key to turn it back on. Since our version was a relatively early one we expect that this has been fixed in current version? Connectivity The 6233 has all the options available, USB, Bluetooth, infrared. MP3 and video/sound The sound quality coming from this phone is impressive for a mobile phone. Probably the best sound quality in any mobile. In fact it is now the benchmark that all phones here at hyp4mhz will be judged. Thanks to the beautiful screen videos look good and play without any jerkiness unless you're playing a jerky video of course. Web Browser The included browser is the generic Nokia version so it has all the usual features you could possibly want. Works well too on WAP or standard internet web pages. The camera/video/voice recorder It takes OK pictures for a mobile phone and has all the usual features for a camera phone. Features like brightness, various scenes modes light daylight, indoor outdoors, night mode, a timer, various effects like sepia m multiple picture size and quality etc.. Overall picture quality is a bit better than most average for a mobile. It doesn't produce sharp pictures and the colours bearly OK I still won't rival a normal digital camera. Voice recorder is a on the unresponsive side because we had to talk close tot he phone for decent play back volume. The screen The 6233 screen is clearly high quality. Nice sharp images, vibrant colors, bright back lighting but turns off way too fast. It can run flash screen savers too! Call quality and network reception Very good voice quality on both GSM and 3G networks. The quality of the loud speaker really helps. It can also do video calls but you have to turn the phone around which defeats the purpose of video calls. Mind you very few people make video calls so its not exactly something to complain about. Issues The most annoying thing about the phone is the backlighting timeout. It turns off really quickly and there is no way to adjust it. The 2nd issue is the small amount of internal memory only 6Mb available. It comes with 64Meg micro-SD card and supports up to 2Gig. Network All networks sell the phone in various colors. Summary The 6233 is the preferred phone around here for various reasons as detailed above. We like all the various functions. It has a ton of functionality, fast stable, reasonably good looking and so forth. It has something for everyone basically. The loudest and best sounding stereo mobile phone to date. We understand that Nokia has discontinued the 6233 in mid-2007 and we can understand why - its really good value and better than more expensive models in the Nokia range. Manufacturer : Nokia Model : 6233 (Series 40 3rd Ed FP 1) Network : Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) 3G UTMS 2100 MHz (Aust only) 384kbps download speed Design : Standard Phone L108 x W46.5 x D18 mm Weight 110 grams Black/Silver/White/Pink Display/s : 24-bit colour TFT - 240 x 320 pixels Camera : Single 2MP Camera Video capable MP4, WMV, 3GP Connectivity : Bluetooth, Infrared, USB Memory : 6 MB internal memory MicroSD memory Hot Swap Ring tones : Video, ACC, ACC+, eACC+, MP4, MP3, MIDI (64), WAV, XMF, Vibration, True Tones, AMR Features : SMS, MMS, IM, EMAIL Animated themes SWF or GIF standalone of theme JAVA MIDP 2.0 Push-To-Talk Modem for PC Web browser (WAP 2.0 - xHTML) Speaker Phone/Hands free Stereo speakers Media player FM Radio *See below for more details. Speed : Vs Nokia 6230 Navigation 9/10 Battery Life : 1400mAh Li Ion Claimed operating times: Standby 340 hours Voice 4 hours Sample camera : Price history $499 AUS 2006 $399 AUS 2007 $250-350 AUS 2008
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Nokia 6230i Review
Welcome to the Nokia 6230i mobile phone review. The 6230i and its predecessor the 6230 is classed as a business mobile phone. As such Nokia has tried to fit in everything that a business user could possibly want. As a result it appealed to almost everyone and hence sold in the millions! Initial pricing was top of the line and over the years it has fallen to mid-range and in 2007 it is seen as a value priced mobile. We think this is a great do it all phone Battery Life The battery life of this phone is excellent 9 days on stand by and at least 3 days with normal usage (1 hour worth of calls and numerous SMS messages). Recharging with the included charger takes less than 2 hours. Speed The 6230i is very fast. That said its not as fast as the 6230 version but by mere micro seconds. Menu navigation activation of any function cannot be criticised. Construction. The 6230i is constructed in the traditional fashion with Nokia's famous X-press On covers. So you can choose hundreds of different colors or designs. However beware that non-genuine covers have variable build quality, genuine Nokia covers cost a lot but have superior build quality. Also note that the 6230i although looks identical to the 6230 there are differences and getting covers for one will not fit the other. Physical differences between the 2 are the the 6230i has a slightly larger screen, mini-USB on the side and a separate center button on the navigation pad. The higher pixel count compared to the 6230 is not noticed as unless you compare it side by side. Overall the build quality is great and the covers click into place better than the original version. Screen resolution, keypad, all work really well. Light and right are the best description. There a a ton of colors available over the years. That said in 2007 the overall design is looking dated but it functionality is state of the art and as fully featured as phones released this year. Functionality The 6230i reviewed had everything you could wish for in 2007. The list could go on for pages. Basically everything can be customised to suit your taste and style. It is also nice to see updated 3d icons for menus and so forth compared to the 6230. If you live by your mobile then this is the one to get. Connectivity It has Bluetooth, Infrared and USB options so your not missing out on PC related file transfers. However you need to install the software on the PC before being able to do most things. MP3, radio and video/sound It has a built in mono speaker that's loud and clear located on the left side. It sounds better than a lot of other phones. It even has a sound equaliser. However the MP3 player application is not as fully featured as dedicated music phones. Video playback is smooth and quick. The FM radio is as good as it gets, with programmable stations and visual radio options. You can even set it as your alarm 'ringtone' or even use it as a normal radio in loudspeaker mode. However like all mobiles you need to connect the headphones to get radio reception. Web Browser They included the standard Nokia web browser and works well considering the small screen by today standards. It has all the usual functions you can expect in a internet browser. The camera/video recorder The camera and camcorder function are quick to start and takes OK pictures for a mobile phone. Nothing exceptional about the quality here. Being a business phone that is all you should expect. The screens The screen looks good although small by today's standards. the colour and brightness is excellent. Call quality and network reception The voice call quality of the 6230i is top rated and it has the ability to keep network reception going even in marginal mobile coverage areas. Issues It doesn't have any issues worth mentioning. Nokia phone software for Windows This Nokia suite that comes with the phone is very good. It has everything you need includes contact and content manager. Missing from earlier software was the carrier logo editor. Network Supported by all GSM networks and carriers. Summary All things considered this is an excellent mobile phone. It has all the features you could possibly want and more. It is an improvement over the 6230. You can not compare it to other mobiles that are dedicated for a specific function eg. Blackberry for email, or walkman phones for music. This is clearly designed as a do it all phone - which it does well. Anyway, the physical design is getting old but if you can live with that then it is a must buy. Our recommendation? It's a must buy if you haven't already tried. Specifications and price
- Nokia 6230i (Series 40 2nd Edition)
- Network Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) GPRS EDGE
- Design Traditional L103 x W44 x D20 mm Weight 99 grams Black/Silver/White/Pink
- Display/s 65K TFT - 208 x 208 pixels
- Camera 1.3MP Camera Video capable 3GP (176 x 144)
- Connectivity Bluetooth, Infrared, USB
- Memory 32 MB internal memory Package include additional 32MB MMC MMC memory - up to 512MB
- Ring tones MP3, MIDI, WAV, Vibration
- Features SMS, MMS, WAP JAVA MIDP 2.0 Push-To-Talk Modem for PC Web browser (WAP 2.0 - xHTML) Speaker Phone/Hands free FM Radio + Visual Radio Chang-able covers Mobile wallet *See below for more details.
- Speed : Vs Nokia 6230 Navigation 10/10
- Battery Life : BL-5C Li Ion Claimed operating times Standby Up to 300 hours Voice Up to 5 hours
- Price history $350-399 AUS out right purchase 2007
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Nokia 6230 Review
- Nokia 6230 (Series 40 2nd Edition)
- Network Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) GPRS EDGE HSCSD
- Design L103 x W44 x D20 mm Weight 97 grams
- Display/s : 65K Colour TFT - 128 x 128 pixels
- Camera Single 640x480 Camera Video 3GP
- Connectivity Bluetooth 1.1, USB, Infrared
- Memory 3 MB internal memory MMC memory - up to 512MB
- Ring tones MP3, ACC, AMR, MIDI (64), Vibration
- Features SMS, MMS, IM, WAP JAVA MIDP 2.0 Push-To-Talk Modem for PC Web browser (WAP 2.0 - xHTML) Speaker Phone/Hands free Picture, Music, Video Player Changeable covers FM Radio *See below for more details.
- Speed Benchmark Fast
- Battery Life : 850 mAh Li Ion (BL-5C) Claimed operating times Standby 300 hours Voice 3 hours
- Price history $300-350 AUS OUTRIGHT 2007
- Sample Camera Picture
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Nokia 3120 Review
Welcome to the Nokia 3120 mobile phone review. The 3120 has been around for a few years now and still available because its good basic mobile phone. I mean basic literally - not entry level. If you only need a mobile for emergencies or just staying in contact every so often then this is a perfectly suitable model to get. Battery Life The battery life of this phone is excellent. Left on stand the battery will last up to 10 days with calls it'll go for at least 5 hours continuously. We know because we used it on a particularly busy day! Speed The phone is quite fast. Menu scrolling and activation is on par with other basic mobiles. Construction. The 3120 is well constructed with sturdy materials. Nice looking and integrated well despite 5 different coloured material used. Most of all it doesn't have any creaking plastics. Even in 2007 the phone looks modern on the outside. Physically it's probably 1cm too small to be comfortable holding for average sized adults. For teens and younger it would probably be perfect sized. The keypad is plastic and when you press the keys you encounter very strong spring feedback. Hence it is unlikely that you will need to lock the keypad if placed in a pocket by its self. Functionality The Nokia 3120 in 2007 is not a feature rich phone. However there are a few things that will surprise you. The customisation features for example extend to screen savers with timing options! All the call management basics are there: contacts, speed dialling, last number dialled, call waiting, hold divert and timer and even hands free. Text messaging including MMS is all there with a few useful bonuses like message counter, message sorting into folders! Other functions include calendar, calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch and countdown, key pad shortcuts, and even timed profiles and call groups. Connectivity It can only connect via a POP-PORT USB cable - not included in the package. Besides with only .5 of a megabyte (512k) to use I don't think you'd need one. MP3 and video/sound It doesn't play MP3s only MIDI. The inbuilt speaker is nice and loud though. Web Browser It has a basic browser and access the internet via GPRS. So its not very quick but works. The camera/video recorder It doesn't have one! The screens It only has a 128x128 screen but unlike other basic phones its colour. The image quality is washed out - as per any other CSTN screen. At least not mono like others in this category. The package came with a wired hands free! However this does not make it entry-level, its still a basic mobile phone. If Nokia updated it with a OLED screen MP3 player, radio and memory card I can predict more sales. Call quality and network reception The call quality is excellent and it is able to hold on even to a marginal signals. Call clarity is typical Nokia meaning good. Issues We didn't encounter anything worth mentioning. Nokia Phone software for Windows No PC software came with this phone. Network You can only buy this phone outright. Summary It is a very good basic mobile phone. If your after something reliable then this is perfectly acceptable. Among the best out there. *When considering its successors the 2626, 2610 or 2650 these look cheap compared to the 3120 but have more features. If you in this price range consider getting a pre-paid package by the same network you're on with a better phone. You don't have to sign-up for a new number if you choose. Best features Lots of little things - see above. Could do better features Front screen could be higher resolution. Worst features Very little on board memory. Specifications
- Nokia 3120 (Series 40 1st Edition)
- Network Tri-band GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz) GPRS Class 6
- Design Candy Bar - Standard Phone L101.8 x W42.6 x D19.4 mm Weight 84 grams White and Grey
- Display/s 4096 CSTN - 128 x 128 pixels
- Camera None
- Connectivity USB
- Memory 512K internal memory
- Ring tones MIDI, Vibration
- Features SMS, MMS, WAP JAVA MIDP 1.0 Speaker Phone/Hands free Customisable backgrounds and font colours Picture Viewer
- Price history Under $150 AUS OUTRIGHT 2007
