NOKIA 6600

Of all the smartphones in this group review, the Nokia 6600 (£400 inc. VAT) is he most like a normal mobile phone. Although it’s still larger than many current models, the device is small enough to carry around without causing too much inconvenience. In technology terms, Nokia has a head start on many of the manufacturers in this month’s group test as the company has been making smartphones for longer than most of them, and has certainly released more handsets than the others over the years. The 6600 is something of a departure for Nokia. So far, its handsets have all either been communicators with QWERTY keyboards, or large and innovative smartphones.

It’s more conservative in design than the latter types, and less focused on data inputting than the former. Its squat, wide chassis gives it a sturdy feel, and the keypad is comfortable to use, although, in what seems to be a recurring complaint in this group review, the joystick could have been more ergonomic to use. Once the 6600 was switched on, we were immediately struck by how clear and bright the 65,536-colour screen was, with crisp, vivid images. The 640 x 480-pixel resolution camera located on the back of the unit was also impressive, producing some of the best quality digital images we’ve seen so far. In a somewhat unusual step, Nokia has made the decision to make this an almost entirely wire-free smartphone. Aside from the2.5mm headphone jack and a charging socket, the 6600 relies entirely upon wireless connectivity to transfer data. There’s no docking port or connector for synching the phone, and users must instead choose between infrared and Bluetooth for communicating with their laptops.

Although Nokia has ensured that both these functions are easy to initiate, over the air connection is inevitably slower than cable connection. This may give business users, and those hoping to synchronise their phone’s PIM suite with Outlook on a regular basis, pause for thought. As will the lack of support for Tasks and Notes synchronisation.The phone is powered by a 104MHz ARM processor, and is based around Symbian’s Series 60 platform. In common with Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system, Series 60 has no built-in support for touchscreen functionality, so users will have to rely on the shortcut keys and the joystick.

However, we found the 6600 smooth and fast to use, with a responsive processor and a user-friendly interface. Memory capacity was reasonable for a Symbian-based device at 6MB, although a32MB MultiMedia Card comes bundled as standard. This is the second handset in the group to use the MMC format (the other one being the Siemens SX1). We were, however, disappointed by Nokia’s decision to use thisexpansion option, as the format has lost momentum as a storage medium and cards only go up to a maximum 128MB. Moreover, in order to insert a card, you need to take the battery off the back, making it far from convenient.

At £400 (inc. VAT) this is not the cheapest phone available. Probably its closest rival in terms of functionality and concept is the Orange SPV E200. Like the E200, the 6600 is great for keeping up to date on your emails, while also providing a usable PIM suite It’s a better looking phone than its rivals, although it does feel bulkier and is less readily portable. If you’re looking for a replacement to your PDA, this smartphone is unlikely to satisfy your needs. However, if you want a mobile phone that’s just that little bit smarter, then the Nokia6600 is a reliable and usable device.

RATING: 7

PRICE: £340/£400 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR: 104MHZ ARM
MEMORY: 6MB
EXPANSION: MMC
SCREEN: 16-BIT
SIZE: 58 X 109 X 24MM
WEIGHT: 122G
OPERATING SYSTEM: SYMBIAN SERIES 60
CONTACT: 08700 555777 WWW.NOKIA.CO.UK