NOKIA 6800 : Old Age Messenger

Yes that’s right. Review of a four year old Nokia 6800. Nothing to write home about but I’ve just discovered it’s a fun phone, so decided to write about it.
After a long wait (of 4 years) I’ve finally got my hands on my brother’s 6800. I had been waiting for this day since the past 4 years. So when finally my brother decided to sell off the phone, I knew I had to grab the opportunity of using the phone. I decided to keep for some months and after using it for just a week I’m sold on the phone and I’m keeping this phone forever {or till it lasted ;)}
The 6800 is not power packed as today’s N-series or E-series but for a phone costing just Rs.5000/- four years back and having not only color screen and polyphonic ringtones but also a QWERTY keypad and an E-mail application, I feel it’s a pretty cool device. GPRS and infrared are the connectivity options. The unique fold away keyboard (like the E70) is something I like the most about it. I have also used some newer QWERTY keypads (like the E90, E61i, E71i, HTC S710, Moto Q, i-mate Kjam, etc.) and I feel this 4 year old keyboard is on par with the performance of even today’s competition. The keys both inside and outside are well spaced and work well with my large fingers also. Although the split QWERTY needs some getting used to, so there is a learning curve to it. Tactile and feedback of the keys is good with just the right amount of travel.
Although after heavy usage, my phone is showing signs of aging, as sometimes the numeric keypad doesn’t respond as required. But otherwise the phone is still working well, considering its age.

Hats off to Nokia for their superior quality products. (Although recently Nokia has lost the robust build quality that the earlier Nokia phones had, but that’s again for just making the phones looking good, sleek and making them lighter in pocket and on pocket.)
The looks of the phone arouse somewhat mixed emotions. Those who like tiny, petite phones won’t like this phone, particularly for its huge dimensions. (119mm x 55mm x 23mm) But I’ve always loved big phones. They give me a sense of sturdiness. So I’m in love with this beauty..err..beast...err…whatever you feel it is. ;D Talking about looks, it looks the best when it’s open with the keypad lights on.

This is an e-mailing device of the era of 3315, 3310 and such lik

e phones, the time when even a color screen was a novelty; forget alone GPRS and polyphonic ringtones. Although the scenario has changed today, with budget cell phones packing in more punch than before, as the technology has become cheaper now. But the price depreciation of the technology will go on as better and effective technology will precede.
After using S60 operated phones for years, it was a fresh change using this S40 operated phone. The menu is classic and simple. User interface is intuitive and well drafted. This is a feature I love about Nokia phones.
The screen shifts from portrait to landscape mode as soon as the QWERTY keypad is opened, and shifts back to portrait on closing of the QWERTY keypad. If the phone is opened during a call, the audio is automatically routed to the loudspeaker, which is loud and clear.
List of multimedia features is short and restricted to only MIDI playback, FM Radio and a photo gallery. Other features include the calculator, stopwatch, countdown timer and Wallet. Additional apps include Converter II and Portfolio II. Notes can also be saved. Internal memory is a meager 4mb and there are no expansion slots. But as there are no multimedia features supported like music or video playback, 4mb of memory is sufficient for PIM functions. Another feature that I like about the phone is, that the profiles can be timed, a feature that can be rarely found in phones today.
Battery life is another point where this phone wins my vote. This has been Nokia’s forte. The battery hasn’t been changed since the time of purchase, and yet a full charge lasts for 2-3 days with normal usage.
I have always been S60 fan for the sheer power it packs in. But this phone is fun and now I’ll be looking forward to try out some more S40 phones for their sheer simplicity in use. This phone is a great messaging device. Sometimes I do miss the menu key of the S60 phones for multitasking but the QWERTY keypad makes up for it. Every time I switch on the backlight of the QWERTY keypad, at night, while lying on my bed and messaging my friends, it brings a big smile to my face. :)