Introduction

Late last year Nokia released the 6101 and 6102 for T-Mobile and Cingular respectively. Offering a carefully engineered balance of compact size and classic style, both conservative phones, although successful in their own right, were unfortunately pitted against the ultra-thin trends of the Motorola-dominated clamshell market.

Building upon the popularity of the 6101, Nokia has released the 6103 for T-Mobile, retaining its compact size and ease-of-use with a similar yet updated modern look. However, rather than being a successor, the 6103 is more of an improvement, adding the convenience of Bluetooth technology while maintaining a similar, but well-rounded feature set.

The 6103 comes bundled with a VGA camera with dedicated camera key, Nokia Xpress audio messaging for sending audio clips with just the touch of a few buttons, and dual color screens with support for animated wallpapers and screensavers.

Synchronizable contact and calendar information, voice dialing and recording, and a built-in handsfree speakerphone allow busy consumers get down to work, while an integrated FM radio and downloadable content support including MIDI and MP3 ringtones, themes, and games satisfy the need for fun.

Design

The Nokia 6103 resembles the 6101 in design, offering clean lines and conservative style without being flashy or gaudy. While much thicker than the more popular ultra-thin devices sweeping the market, the 85 x 45 x 24 mm 6103 is about average with current devices on the market.

Diverging from the color scheme of the 6101, the 6103 features a black-lined silver exterior, with a 4K-color external screen highlighting incoming and basic information such as signal strength and battery charge level. Above, a built-in 0.3-megapixel camera is activated by pressing the Camera Key situated to the right edge, capturing photos up to 640 x 480 px in size.

Near the Camera Key, an infrared port lets consumers send, receive, and synchronize data wirelessly, while the Volume Keys on the left side adjust earpiece and ringer volumes during calls and standby.

An integrated speakerphone is located on the top of the 6103, while a multi-functional system connection port (Pop-Port) is located on the bottom.

Also used to charge the 6103, the Nokia designed outlet automatically identifies accessories attached. Offering stereo sound with the use of headphones, users can charge their accessories with a single USB cable without the use of separate power sources. The Pop-Port transmits at rates of up to 230 kbps.

Flipped open, consumers can easily navigate through the menu with the 5-way keypad. Featuring a 65K-color internal screen, two soft keys below provide convenient access to shortcuts.

Created with functionality in mind, the 6103, like the 6101, is one of the better designed phones on the market. While other manufactures may sacrifice usability for slimmer form, the 6103 puts functionality on the forefront for users who want a well-designed phone and don't need an ultra-thin profile.

Out of the box, the Nokia 6103 comes with a Standard 720 mAh Li-Ion Battery, Charger, Handsfree Headset, and User Manual.

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