Nokia 7370 review

This is the first Nokia phone with swivel design. Moreover, this is a phone that comes as a part of a special fashion line of Nokia models, called L'Amour. It is all covered with flowers and has plenty of innovations: impressive QVGA resolution, active stand-by display, "clouds" interface, appropriate synchronization order...There is no doubt that Nokia 7370 will whirl up the market, especially considering the fact that it stands on the basis of the luxury Nokia 8800!

Key Features:

• Extravagant design
• Active stand-by display
• QVGA display of very high quality
• Significantly improved S40 interface
• Synchronization by first and last name
• Comfortable keypad
• GPRS and EDGE Class 10
• Bluetooth
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• Built-in radio

Main disadvantages:

• No memory card slot
• Built-in camera of average quality
• Construction is not practical enough
• No infrared port

Flying on the top

Nokia first released its stylish collection L'Amour in October last year. It was such an important event that our team immediately set off in direction to Nokia's central offices to see live the flower children of the master artist. Three mobile phones were presented to us: the 7360 model with classic construction, the 7380 bar and the swivel 7370 model, which I am holding in my hand at the moment. However, my head is full of memories of the luxury 8800 model, made of matt steel.

No, no, it is not a quiz of the "which mobile does not fit" type. The reason I have placed no other mobile but the luxury Nokia 8800 right next to Nokia 7370 is going to become clear in the course of this review. When my colleague Marek Lutonský was showing the Nokia 7380 bar, that is also part of the L'Amour line, to his friends, he would always face astonishment provoked by the artistic aspect of a device that was originally meant to serve as a mobile phone. Even if the rotating 7370 model is not as expensive as the luxurious 8800 above, it attracts at least as many sights and as much attention as Nokia 7380.

A beginning actor, a draughtswoman, a painter, an infinite number of musicians and a dancer would one after another try to steal Nokia 7370 from my hands. Eventually I was convinced that this mobile is made to comfort artistic souls. But you can imagine what was my surprise when certain friends of mine who were far away from art also expressed high interest in the phone.

When closed, the phone is 88 mm long, with the other two dimensions being 43 and 23 mm, which puts it among small phones. Its weight of 104 gm ranks it as a medium heavy phone. Nokia 7370 is offered in two color versions: one with amber golden covers made for feminine customers and a coffee brown one, which is supposed to suit men's expectations for an extravagant phone.

First Nokia with swivel construction!

This is the first Nokia made mobile phone with swivel construction. Nevertheless, the manufacturer has mastered it brilliantly for a first try. Nokia 7370 is perfectly solid. The upper part moves smoothly. The device opens both ways without problems. Be sure to close it in the same direction, in which you opened it, though. A similar solution can be observed in several Sony Ericsson models, the W900 for example.

You will need practice, handle ability and perhaps even a little bit of sharp eye to rotate the upper part of Nokia 7370. Closing it is even a greater challenge, especially if you do not help with your other hand... There is an option inside the phone's menu for adjusting the behavior of the phone to the activity of the swivel. You can set the device to accept calls when its upper part is opened and terminate calls when it is closed; or neither of it.

The entire surface around the display is decorated with golden flowers. They draw more or less attention according to the type of light that falls on them. The uneven surface also makes them blend together. Similar ornaments cover the rear side of the display too, but there the decoration is silver, instead of golden.

... and silver flowers

The battery cover and the SIM card bed are supposed to imitate hard leather - an aim that has evidently succeeded, knowing the fact that the plates are in plastic. The camera lens looks old-fashioned. What's worse, Nokia's designers has repeated the mistake they made in the 6111 model , as they have placed the camera lens exactly where user's pointing finger lies, when they hold the phone with their right hand. Where has the cap disappeared?

On the sides of Nokia 7370 you will find the volume swing button and the camera release button. Here you will also run into the main switch on/off button, which is so small that it made me lose my nerves. The accessories connector is a standard Pop-Port. Next to it you will see the slot for the narrow charge connector. Up right a fabric label is to be found, but surprisingly, it does not say "Nokia". I myself appreciate this element of modern stylish phones a lot, because it somehow smoothes the overall technical strictness of the device.

There's got to be something more than the phone, right ?

Before I turn my attention to Nokia 7370's keypad and display, I would like to write a few words about the fashionable accessories, which are part of this phone's original package. In a nicely decorated box (which would have suited the phone more in its entire stylish concept if it had been made sheer metal) you will find a fabric case with well creased flowers. The inside of the case is made of orange suede; on its outside you will see a fabric label identical to the one we see on the phone. The case is closed by an eyelet and a kinkle. Nokia 7370 holds firmly in the case, whose twine lock did not get loose even once during the testing period. What's more, the inside suede material makes the phone look shinier.

The cherry on the top of kitsch however is the lively drop to be attached to the eyelet of the phone. It is a golden fringe with a tiny head, which strongly resembles the type of decoration our grandmothers used to hang on their wardrobes. I myself would rather leave this accessory at home, but I can imagine how a lady with sharp forepart shoes and fur around her neck will go crazy about it.

Nokia 6300 review

Nokia 6300 is the new Nokia star in the Series 40 3rd Edition line. It attacks with conservative design, miniUSB, and a slim body with steel plates.

Key features

• attractive yet conservative design
• 16M colors TFT display with QVGA resolution
• Series 40 3rd Edition user interface
• 2 megapixel camera
• microSD memory card slot
• FM radio
• standard miniUSB connector
• 2.5 mm audio jack
• Bluetooth with A2DP profile support

Main disadvantages

• prone to fingerprints
• no UMTS support
• unsatisfactory camera performance
• portrait orientation of images taken with the camera
• videos taken at QCIF (176 x 144 pixels) resolution only
• side keys are difficult to press
• no Infrared port

The famous Finnish mobile manufacturer has been long expected to launch a new high-end, classic-look phone with state-of-the-art functional menu to substitute the enormously successful couple Nokia 6230 and Nokia 6230i. The first try in this sense came a year and a few months ago with the presentation of Nokia 6233. However, its rounded body was accepted rather coldly by common users. Until today, when we meet Nokia 6300, the model many proclaim to be the real successor of Nokia 6230/6230i. Reasons are numerous. Nokia 6300 has a modern slim look, not spoilt by unnecessary decorative elements, a highly functional menu, and brilliant keypad and display.

Nokia has also gone on a diet

Slim phones are fashionable these days. Quite understandable, isn’t it? Who would prefer to carry a device that fills up their pocket with an unpleasant bulge? Obviously, Nokia has also had to go on a diet as this new model is 6 mm thinner than Nokia 6233. Here are all its parameters: 106 x 44 x 12 mm. Nokia 6300 weighs merely 91g, which, given its steel plates, is another admirable achievement.

Nokia 6300 comes in a decent black & silver combination. Everything that is silver is made of steel. Black areas are made of glossy plastic material. The display and the functional part of the keypad are located inside a black frame that stands out over the surrounding surface a little. As a result of this, Nokia 6300 notably resembles Nokia 3230.

The phone construction benefits a lot from the significant amount of metal material used on it as these make it extremely solid. Nokia 6300 did not give out a single creak, not even under strong pressure. The battery cover fit in perfectly too. Yet, glossy materials have also been applied, which brings along inevitable drawbacks: fingerprints remain visible on almost the entire phone surface. And then if your hands tend to sweat excessively, you may not even manage to ever clean your mobile. Fingerprints are clearly seen on the keypad, the display, and all plates.  

Illumination alerts of all important events

Due to Nokia 6300’s slimness, its sides lack many control elements. The left side, in particular, is absolutely bare. On the right you will find a dual volume control button, only functional if pressed strongly or moved by one’s nail. The camera control button is not situated here, because the rear plate of the phone covers the sides.

On both sides, where the rear plate finishes and the dark bottom surface begins, are located two oblong info LEDs covered by white plastic material. They alert you about missed calls or received messages by blinking in expressed blue. If necessary, the LEDs can be deactivated from the menu.

On the top of the body you will see a switch-off button, which can also be used for fast switch between ringing profiles. And here comes the main surprise hidden in the bottom: a standard miniUSB connector instead of Pop-port (used by Nokia in almost all previous models). The advantages are more than obvious: any cable, even a digital camera one will be enough to establish a connection between Nokia 6300 and a computer.

The miniUSB connector is protected by a solid cap that fits so perfectly and holds so firmly, that at the beginning of the tests it took us some time to find out how to open it. Opening the cap is a rather problematic process and it could really create difficulties during the first few weeks of usage of the phone.

Besides the miniUSB connector, in the bottom you will also find two round slots. The smaller one serves the charger, while the wider one is a 2.5mm audio jack used for connecting the headset. It is a pity that Nokia did not elaborate a connector by a millimeter wider so that any type of earphones could be plugged in. The other two oblong slots are made for a microphone and a wrist band (the latter gets hooked onto a projection beneath the rear cover).

Your name on the rear plate

The rear plate offers little interesting. Its top part is made of black plastics, in which the glass of a 2 megapixel camera is mounted. The camera lens is framed in white and slightly embedded for protection. We recommend that the lens is polished and fingerprints are cleaned before every use of the camera. A Nokia logo is located above the camera, while on its right there are 9 round holes that let the sound of the loudspeaker out. Unlike Nokia 6233, Nokia 6300 has no stereo speakers.

The rest of the rear plate consists of solid steel battery cover, on which anything – from a phrase to a graphic logo- can be engraved. For example, our tester phone is decorated with MobilMania’s website. For the moment, however, it is not clear what the cost of this service will be. We have been told that it would be offered free to the first 50 customers by key mobile retailers.

The rear plate is easy to remove even though it sets in pretty firmly. Hidden under it is a BL-4C type Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 860 mAh. According to Nokia official website it is able to provide power for 210 minutes of calling time or 348 hours of stand-by.

However, our guess is that no matter how little you use the phone, you will need to charge it every second or third day. The SIM card lies (not too firmly) in a bed under the battery.

Nokia 6300 has a memory card slot located under the rear plate, on the left – a happy solution allowing memory card changing without switching off the device. The slot is for microSD cards; one such of 128 MB capacity is directly available with the purchase of the phone, whose internal memory is otherwise rather limited (approximately 7.5 MB).

Nokia 6270 review

it's been some time now that the Nokia 6270 has been on the market. This stylish slider is anything but slim and yet it managed to find its fans. The 2 megapixel camera along with the wide connectivity options, the large display and the great 3D stereo sound make it a prefered choice for a lot of… our guess is, die-hard Nokia fans. Our opinion is that there are better rival phones at the same price and functionality price range.

Key features

• 2 megapixel camera with LED flash
• miniSD memory card slot (hot-swap)
• Aluminum body
• EDGE and GPRS support
• QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) display resolution
• Stereo speakers with 3D effects
• MP3 player and stereo FM radio
• Bluetooth & Infrared

Main disadvantages

• No 3G support
• Large dimensions and weight
• Video capturing in the outdated QCIF (176 x 144 pixels) resolution

For a long time Nokia made handsets with small CSTN color displays that were out of fashion. In a way, the manufacturer is a large gigantic dinosaur which needs a lot of time in order to turn to another direction. Now the giant has already turned its back on the old-fashioned displays and has started producing great bright TFT screens that easily catch anybody's eye.

The same thing is happening now with the large size of the phones - almost all manufacturers have a slim series in their product line while Nokia is again slow to react to the change in trends and keeps manufacturing large, chunky handsets.

Now we have in our hands another representative of the usual "massive" product line of Nokia which might not fit in everybody's pocket. The dimensions of the phone are 104 x 50 x 23 mm and it weighs 125 g without the memory card.

The Nokia 6270 is a large slider and easily reminds of Nokia 6280 which we already reviewed a while ago. Both sliders have a nice, masculine design. The 6280, however, has UMTS support with video calls, smaller dimensions and weight, and shoots VGA (640x480 pixels) resolution video clips.

Nokia 6270's interface is identical to the interface used in several other recent Nokia phones - the user interface is the last generation of the Series 40 platform. That is why we are going to use several paragraphs from other reviews.

As regards the retail package, the box should include a stereo headset HS-23, a USB cable CA-53, and a 128MB miniSD card, but as we have always said - the contents of the retail package are market and country dependant.

Conservative all over

The slider features a rather conservative design with straight lines and angles all over. The phone has anodized aluminum surface al over although it doesn't feel metallic at all. The sliding mechanism boasts a rather strong spring which opens the phone to full extent with minimal effort from the thumb. The shiny metallic insert (like the one on Nokia N80) between the front and the back panel and the similar one surrounding the display actually provide a lot for the general expensive looks of the phone. Although large and bulky, it still looks as a finely crafted piece of technology.

When closed, the front panel incorporates only the central navigation D-pad along with two soft keys and green and red receiver keys. When the slider is opened, the large numeric keypad is revealed. The keys are unusually large, well spaced and the central column of keys is separated from the rest by a thin metallic insert - much like the Nokia 6280 slider.

The keypad itself is great for typing - the keys have a very good response and even for a first-time user it allows great typing speed. A great thing is that you can do almost anything with the phone (even talk) without having to open it. If you still need to open it, closing it back down would make the phone prompt you shortly to lock the keypad. In that case the key lock is activated through the central OK key of the D-pad. But once the phone is fully opened, locking the keypad is done the usual way by pressing menu plus asterisk on the keypad or using the Switch Off/Profiles button and the famous context menu.

The left side of the phone features only the Push-to-Talk shortcut key and the memory card slot cover. Now Nokia should really do something about that fixed PTT key since the Push-To-Talk service is not available in all countries. The Nokia people should really make that user-configurable.

The right side incorporates the swing volume button and the camera shortcut keys. The Voice Dial and Voice Commands are entered after a longer press of the DOWN volume key. On both sides of the phone you can easily see the apertures for the stereo speakers - we must admit that they really make a difference to the sound quality. Once Stereo widening is turned on, the stereo effect of the sound of the phone is truly remarkable.

Turning the phone around we see the camera lens cover surrounded by classy, shiny silvery frame. When looking at the back panel horizontally, the lash LED is positioned above the lens cover - much like it's done on an ordinary digital camera. The wonderfully designed back side of the phone can be easily mistaken for a real digital camera.

The battery cover is removed with a slide. The battery used here is the Li-Ion Nokia BL-5C with a capacity of 970 mAh. According to the manufacturer, the battery should provide up to 2.5-5 hours of talk time and up to 160-240 hours of stand-by time.

Unfortunately, we couldn't test the phone's battery life since we used the phone heavily during our tests and thus the battery life we experienced has not indicated the real-life performance of the phone. The SIM card bed has a hinged cover which holds the card in place. We must admit that it's a very comfortable solution.

The keypad backlighting is white and subtle, but strong enough. The phone has a wonderful 2.2" 262K color TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The vivid screen is perfectly legible even under direct sunlight and has a wide viewing angle from all sides - Nokia deserve compliments for the great job.

Nokia 6230i review

Usually small innovations are hidden behind the small "i", added to the old models' names. Those at Nokia 6230i are no big either. Nevertheless, they are sufficient to make Nokia 6230i one of the best mobile phones nowadays.

Key features

• Good quality display
• USB Mass Storage function (memory card as PC drive)
• Push to talk
• Four-way button function customization
• Email client works with attachments
• One hour voice memo
• Megapixel camera

Main disadvantages

• Bad implementation of T9 dictionary
• Phonebook sorting when synchronizing
• An average quality camera
• Memory card is hidden under the battery
• Sending a megapixel photo in an email attachment not possible

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Nokia 6230, which hit the market exactly a year ago, comes under the type of phones the manufactures manage to create only once in few years. As for Nokia, it simply listened to the customers' reproaches. After a long series of flabby mobile phones it finally created a model without big trade-offs. Although we could have certain remarks regarding the small, low resolution display and some other features, altogether it was and still is a very well-balanced telephone. It comes under the category of the older 6110 or 6310 models - is there anybody surprised by its repeated success then?

Nokia saw the opportunity to cash in even more on the 6230 success and now is coming with a new improved mobile phone with a small letter added. It is a pity Nokia did not launch such a phone straight away, but the year that has passed since the 6230 model was introduced is reasonable, so the old model's present users should not be too angry.

Nokia 6230i was introduced on the market just days ago. For two to three months it will be possible to find both models next to each other, afterwards the old 6230 model will disappear from the shops' shelves. The phones are also going to differ in terms of price - around 30 Euros.

No difference at first glance

Nokia 6230i is a classical construction telephone of an unobtrusive design. It will be available in a light and a dark version, but more colors will also be possible to get, thanks to the removable covers. We should not expect vivid colors though, for design is rather conservative. The only part that stands out is the glossy camera lens legend on the back.

Telephone's dimensions - 103×44×20 mm - are just the same as at Nokia 6230. When compared to the rest of the mobile phones, it fits into the category of the small ones. It is two grams heavier (99 g) than the old model, but it could still be considered a medium-heavy phone.

Nokia 6230i is very solid. The back cover, which is almost impossible to remove, seems to me even much too solid; on the other hand, better this way than being loose, wobbling from side to side. The covers are plastic, but their surface design resembles metal - especially as far as the whole-silver model we have been testing is concerned. By the way, I like this one more than the 6230 dark version we obtained a year ago.

What a display

The display has undergone the most remarkable innovations. First, it is slightly bigger - it is 30×30 mm compared to old model 27×27 mm. The surface is by 1.7 sq. centimeters larger and even though it is perceptible, some of the competitors have much bigger displays:

• Sony Ericsson S700i: 16.10 cm²
• Siemens S65: 13.02 cm²
• Motorola V600: 11.30 cm²
• Sony Ericsson K700i: 10.44 cm²
• Nokia 6230i: 9.00 cm²

This time Nokia has not spared a pixel and has jumped from the uneven raster of 128×128 pixels straight to 208×208 pixels. Although this is not the finest display on the market, as we thought during the first look; being uninformed about its size, Nokia 6230i comes under the first five best. It is beaten by Sharp and Sagem myX-8 only.

• Nokia 6230i: 4807 pixels/cm²
• Sony Ericsson S700i: 4770 pixels/cm²
• Sony Ericsson K700i: 3709 pixels/cm²
• Motorola V600: 3396 pixels/cm²
• Nokia 6230: 2247 pixels/cm²
• Siemens S65: 1784 pixels/cm²

Finer, but less economical

My first impression of the display was: extremely fine, bright enough, with a good picture contrast. It is a TFT type, of course, and I appreciate the fact that when looked at from aside its colors do not change. Even though it toys a bit when seen in daylight, with some more effort and at suitable angle it is usable. The display glass cover is not protected enough, so you may welcome the possibility to remove and change phone's covers.

A display is also evaluated by the number of lines it is able to view - when writing or reading text messages, for example. In this aspect Nokia shows weaker results. Even though one can choose out of three different font sizes instead of the previous two, using the smallest one will allow you to view six lines only, whereas in Nokia 6230 it was enough for eight.

Nokia 6131 review

Nokia has prepared an excellent new phone, which is not only attractive, but also well equipped with modern capabilities. At a pretty competitive price you get a black-silver clamshell with two top-class color displays, automatic opening system, a megapixel camera, radio, a MP3 player, a memory card slot, Bluetooth, EDGE, and a detailed menu.

Key features

• brilliant external and main displays
• attractive design
• memory card (hot swap)
• nicely elaborated functions, intuitive control
• plenty of user-configurable options

Main disadvantages

• weak battery
• bad font in active stand-by mode
• camera key is too sensitive
• MP3 player is too simple
• lower-quality camera

It was with Nokia 6101 when Nokia stopped to experiment with clamshell phones, having stuck to the path of the proven success ever since, that is, less extravagance, good equipment, and reasonable price. The new Nokia 6131 is another step within the trend described above. Its features, however, are a class higher than usual. The phone features a brilliant display, original and purely elegant design, detailed functions, and intuitive control. Nokia 6131's qualities are so extensive that they can easily make any Nokia 6230 owner consider a possible replacement.

The black Nokia 6131 will probably become popular among men, while ladies are expected to be fond of the white version of the phone. Design is universal and non-obtrusive. Many users will surely like it, no matter how boring it may seem to "cool" teenagers, for example. Nokia 6131 features great capabilities at a very reasonable price, which is a combination guaranteeing sure market success.

Design: it only seems flat

We have been delivered a black version of the new Nokia 6131. It is made of matt and soft plastics. It is pleasant to touch. Fingerprints remain invisible. Phone's only decoration is the glossy area surrounded by an expressed silver frame on the front, encompassing the external display, the camera and the manufacturer logo.

The top half of the phone gets thinner from the joint towards the edge, which is an interesting design solution as it makes the whole device look thinner too. Hardly anyone would ever say that the joint level of Nokia 6131 is 20 mm thick. At first sight the phone looks like yet another razor thin phone, no pun intended. Its length and width are average, 92 and 48 mm. Weight is a bit higher than usual (112 g), but in no case can it be considered a downside.

The top part of Nokia 6131 is shorter than bottom one, creating an interesting optical effect when the phone is closed. The visible part of the bottom part is chromium-plated and thus goes well with the front cover decorative frame.

The rear side of the phone is purely black. The removable back cover is elaborated of rough plastic material and resembles leather. It is softer than usual, does not catch fingerprints, and provides for a great grip. What's more, it does not creak.

Somewhat unusually, the Pop-port connector is located on the top edge of the device. It is protected by a plastic cap caught to the phone. Next to the Pop-port connector you will see the connector slot for the new charger, which is smaller than the one used in previous Nokia models. The strip eye-let is mounted in the left top corner of the phone.

Construction: push the button

On the left side of the phone there is a pair of volume control buttons, while on the right side you will find the On/Off button and the camera activation key. Lateral elements are quite small and thus somewhat difficult to recognize by touch, which is particularly inconvenient when earphones volume levels need to be adjusted. Getting used to it takes some time.

The camera activation key is rather sensitive. It reacts to every slight press instead of a long press. I often run into it when I open or close the phone starting at the same time the camera application by mistake. If I get mistaken when the device is closed I have no other choice but to open it and close the camera application. The On/Off button, which also modifies profiles, is useless in such cases as it doesn;t have any function when the camera is on. The external display can be used for taking self-portraits. If you prefer to avoid the difficulties mentioned above, you could optionally lock the keypad, which however leads to the loss of one of the advantages of clamshell construction.

Nokia 6131 opens in a standard way, that is, by inserting a thumb between both halves. However, on the right side of the phone joint you will see a tiny special opening key, which stands out above the surrounding surface. When you press it on (which requires a certain amount of force), you will hear a click sound and the top part flies out open until it reaches its stop position. To close the phone, simply clap together both halves.

Nokia has managed to design and manufacture a solid phone with good technical qualities. The joint shows an insignificant gap, but is generally solid enough.

Nokia 6111 review

We have tested the stylish Nokia 6111 slider. It's delicate; it has megapixel camera, MP3 player and built-in radio. Why the memory card is missing though? Nokia says that it is a phone for the ladies. Can it turn men's heads, too?

Key features

• sliding construction with compact size
• megapixel camera
• GPRS and EDGE Class 10
• Bluetooth and infrared port
• active standby mode
• MP3 player
• stereo FM radio

Main disadvantages

• no memory card slot
• average display
• surface gets dirty very fast
• bad camera lens location
• poor loud speaker sound quality

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Although we'll find a lot of phones with sliding construction in the Nokia proposals, Nokia 6111 model is the first stylish phone of this type. The brand itself presents it like a smart little phone, intended for the ladies' hands and handbags. Of course, it is not only a female thing, 6111 is very appealing for men as well; the equipment is solid, there is EDGE support, Bluetooth and active standby display, which is something rare in a classic phone so far.

Other on-coming production, like Siemens CF110 or Siemens SL75 for example, immediately are coming into my mind when looking at Nokia 6111. The legend, named Samsung D500 and its successor Samsung D600 are inseparably passing trough the whole "pack of sliders", too.

Nokia has slightly moved back from its daring creativity. The design maniacs could speak favorable for the Nokia experiments, but it would be pointless, having in mind the fact that the company doesn't manage to sell these models according to the plans. Nokia had put its fingers in the fire with its clamshells, that's why the "Asian" 6101 has appeared. Nothing however has to be left to the chance with the sliders; the right way is just the conservative way.

Two color variants

Nokia 6111 is ok in hands. You'll have to rummage in your briefcase for a while however, until you find this device with its proportions of 84 × 47 × 23 millimeters and a 92 grams weight. There are two color variants - the silver base remains the same, while the internal lining is black or white. This implementation anticipates the probable men's hesitations, such as "the functions of this phone answer my requirements, but this white color..."

I have in hand exactly the version for men. Right here I am complaining about the black plastic surfaces, which maybe looked good at the promotional photographs, but get on nerves in practice. A day usage is enough for the phone to get greasy. The hand leaves its marks on the 6111 cover more than it is acceptable.

The phone size is almost like a credit card, that's why all operating elements are easily accessible. The main button switch is at the top; initially I thought it was a cover safety catch, Nokia 6111 doesn't have exchangeable covers, though. The button could have been less sunk; moreover its response is not clear, I have locked the phone three times.

The compact plastic capping strip of the Pop-Port connector and the new narrower charger slot are mounted right above. I have found also here a red sliding plate; after pressing it the back cover loosens. After its removal you'll se a 700 mAh battery, promising 192 hours stand-by and more than 3 hours of talk time.

SIM card on the backside

A place behind the display is prepared for the SIM card. On the back of the upper sliding part we'll find a wicket door, behind which is the slot for the SIM card.

Behind, right next to the shiny "Nokia Megapixel" sign, the border ornament of the camera lens protrudes outwards unpleasantly. It looks good, but you'll forgot about all its beauty when see your phone constantly shaking on the table, taking funny unstable poses. I would appreciate also a cover for the lens glass - when you hold Nokia 6111 with your left hand the forefinger tip reaches exactly the optics, the right hand contacts the glass, too. There is a tiny self-portrait mirror and a flash LED.

There is a thick cover for the infrared port and the loud speaker on the left side. On the right, there are two small, but convenient buttons for volume control and a very unsuccessful camera shutter, which I would criticize in the part, devoted to the megapixel pictures.

Nokia 6101 review

After having launched several angular clamshell models made of various materials Nokia comes to surprise us with a pretty average-level phone with rounded edges and plastic cover plates. Yet, the functional equipment of the 6101 model is so rich (i.e. two color displays, MP3 ringing tones, and a radio) it is hard to believe that such a phone will disappear in the crowd of mobile devices.

Nokia's clamshells have always been somewhat special due to their original design concepts, whose main strength is the application of non-traditional materials and generally sharp edges. The launching campaign of every Nokia clamshell model was welcomed as an infusion of fresh air on the background of the torrent of silver, rounded clamshell phones offered by Asian manufacturers. On the other hand, exactly that type of mobile phones is being currently fancied by a great amount of mass users - a lesson Nokia and its share holders seem to have learned well. As a result, the Finnish giant has created the new 6101 clamshell, which is neatly rounded, has a tiny antenna, jutting out of the phone's surface, but lacks any metal or leather-covered surfaces.

Key features

• Elegant, decent outlook
• Brilliant keypad
• Built-in radio
• Two color displays, the inside of which is of exceptional quality
• Effortless communication with PC, fast data transfers

Main disadvantages

• External antenna
• Low quality of the MP3 sound
• Small memory capacity
• Small memory capacity
• No Bluetooth

Nokia is known for its brave experiments in the area of clamshell phones. Let us mention, for example, the 7200 model with its covers made of cloth, the 6170 metal cuboid or the flexible 2650 model, which did not even have the traditional joint structure. At present, the top one among the phones with a clamshell construction is Nokia's 6260 model equipped with Symbian operational system, a swivel joint and metal cover plates. Slightly more expensive is, however, the stylish 7270 model with removable leather-covered plates and remarkable functional equipment.

You can imagine how big our surprise was when in February this year we first saw Nokia's new rounded clamshell phone with plastic covers; it looked like any other common mobile phone on the market. No matter if we like it or not, however, this phone is surely going to have even bigger market success than its stylish competitors.

The unicorn devil

The phone's surface is made of three types of materials - matt silver plastics, glossy black plastics and chromium-plated extra details. Most of the front cover is black and is therefore extremely susceptible to dirt left by finger prints. On the other hand, the phone's design is jazzed up by elements like the square slot of the camera and the outer display surrounded by a chromium-plated frame. As usual, the manufacturer's logo is situated above the display. The black area of the front cover is surrounded by a chromium-plated frame. It passes the front cover's top edge and continues up to the phone's top side. Another color version of the phone with a white instead of a black touch will also be available.

The margins of the front cover are silver. They continue to the top part of the device, fence the joint and melt into the back cover, which is entirely carried out in silver tone. The only ginger element here is the manufacturer's logo engraved on black background. A black strip stretches along the middle line of the side parts. This effect is a result of the dominating black color, which not only creates the inside atmosphere of the device, but also reaches as far as its side parts.

The left side is gingered by a narrow chromium-plated double button, which regulates the volume; on the phone's right side you will find an identical button, which controls the Push to talk function, complementing at the same time the dark slot of the infrared port. There is no switch-off button - just like in the 6170 and 7270 models- which means that there is practically no possibility to easily switch profiles when the phone is closed. The Pop-Port system connector, which complements the charger connector, is mounted on the bottom side of the device. The charger connector is smaller than the connectors of the present-day Nokia models. Utterly new is also the charger of Nokia 6101.

On the top side you will find the unobtrusive plate grid of the loud speaker and - of course - the jotting out antenna, which is really hard to miss. I wonder what made Nokia leave the antenna pop out of the phone's contours, since in its 2650 model it proved that eliminating such a detail is a child-play. The external antenna is not cool anymore these days.

A single shake closes the phone

Those users, who like carrying their phone hung on a strip, could have got scared they would not be able to connect one to Nokia 6101. No fears, the phone is equipped with a strip that is hidden behind its back cover. To take the strip out, first interlace it through the slot next to the connector. The back cover also hides a lithium-ion accumulator of a 760 mAh capacity, which is supposed to guarantee the device 240 minutes of call duration and 350 hours of a stand-by time.

Not only does the design make this phone look very solid. The construction of the device is of high quality, as well, so do not lose your time waiting for creaky sounds. Yet, I have certain reservations concerning the catch of the swivel portion of the device. Even though it is solid enough when the phone is closed and needs no help to bottom its final location from an angle as big as 60°, its locking hook in a closed position is quite weak, which makes the construction of the phone act somewhat unstable. In the process of every day use, however, this detail does not hamper at all. On the contrary, it gives you the advantage of closing the phone by a single shake of your hand.

As for its size, Nokia 6101 ranges somewhere in the mean: it is not easy to loose, but will not hamper your movements either. Here are the numeric details: 85 × 45 × 24 mm. The weight of 97 g is a little bit bigger compared to the competition of Asian origin. You may need some training before you master the one-hand opening move, but the accentuated groove set along the dividing line of both portions of the phone facilitates this action considerably.