Introduction

Nokia released the 6610 shortly after the 7210. While 7210 was built on fashionable looks, and innovative design, the 6610 is aimed towards the businessman. Clean lines, classic looks, and a familiar design is what the 6610 is all about.

Design

The 6610 business phone is Nokia's answer to the widely popular color phone market. Nokia jumped in after Sony Ericsson and Samsung already released their phones to an audience craving for color. The T68i and SPH-A500 were huge successes.

Nokia raised the bar when they released the 7210 instantly before the 6610. the 4096 color 128 x 128 px screen blew the T68i out of the water, and the lack of an infrared port left the SPH-A500 extremely vulnerable. Its inability to transfer files from a computer to your phone was a huge let down.

The 7210 was a good phone with a great set of features. However, some people didn't like the 7210's radical design, especially the keypad. Perhaps too much flare.

Well Nokia has released the 6610. It's built upon a successful platform of the 7210, and toned down the eccentric looks to cater to the business community. The 7210 is for image, what the 6610 is for professionalism. On the inside, the 6610 and 7210 are virtually identical. However based on looks, they couldn't be more different. Some of the problems we've faced with the 7210 were fixed, while other problems will come back to haunt us.

Overall, if you've read the 7210 review, a lot of the 6610 review will look very familiar. Much of the same stuff is in this review.

As a phone the Nokia 6610 is approximately the same size as the Sony Ericsson T68i, and slighting taller and wider than the 8310. The dimensions of the 6610 are exactly the same as the 7210, and a whopping 1 gram heavier.

Screen

The 4096 color screen is one of the best we've seen. The 6610 has a resolution of 128 x 128 px. The display shows 5 lines of text and a service line. When messaging, 8 lines of text and 2 service lines are displayed due to scaling. The screen is bright and clear in dim conditions. However in sunny weather, the screen becomes washed out. Ghosts have been a problem where you see residual images that fade out when the screen changes. But it isn't all that noticeable. Overall though, the screen is considerably better than the T68i screen. The resolution is higher and you can have bigger pictures as wallpaper.

Audio

Polyphonic ring tones are all the rage these days, and the 6610 definitely delivers. Ring tones are played through a speaker rather than an ordinary buzzer. This means you get improved sound quality for music, alerts, and games.

Proof of the better sound can be heard through the included FM headset. It needs to be plugged into the 6610 in order to access its menu. Once plugged in, its menu lets you present 20 channels or tune to stations. The excellent sound quality is in stereo, and the same headset can be used as a handsfree device.

One of our favorite feature is the loudspeaker mode. It's loud enough so people can hear you clearly while you're within 1 to 2 feet. After 2 feet you'll have to speak up a bit. The incoming voices are loud and clear too. It works great for talking in a moving car, or writing down from a call without having to hold the phone. Only works in quiet places.

Next >

This article is Copyright 2002-2008 Mobiledia Corp. and the review in part or in whole may NOT be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from Mobiledia. For information on reproducing any part of this review (or any images) please contact us.