Sound Quality

The Nokia 6610's sound quality is average when it compares with other phones in the market. Incoming calls had good tonal qualities. Voices were clear and clean, which is expected of phones nowadays. Hiss was also present. One thing we tested that bugged us was a boost in low frequency audio. Nokia probably did this to boost sound for the loudspeaker volume so it could carry farther, however the drawback was that hisses are more noticeable. No problems with outgoing calls either.

The loudspeaker sound quality was excellent. Not much can be expected for speaker quality. But for its purpose, the loudspeaker works well. Speech can be heard on the receiving end without raising your voice within a couple meters. And incoming calls come in loud and clear. With the FM radio, you could also listen to the radio through the loudspeaker.

RF Performance

The 6610 has very good RF. its ability to hold small signals and keep them has been excellent. It's definitely one of the better phones out there. That's a great accomplishment for a phone with an internal antenna. If this phone doesn't get reception where you live, don't expect many other phones to get better reception. Overall the Nokia 6610 gets a rating of:

Pros

· Vibrant 4,096 color display. At 128 x 128 px the resolution blows the current competitors away.

· Good messaging software. Supports MMS, and concatenated SMS. A plus for messaging maniacs.

· Excellent list of multimedia options. Large 128 x 128 px wallpaper, polyphonic ring tones, color schemes to customize your phone.

· Cool downloadable games. With the 6610, you're no longer limited to the games they put on the phone for you. Bounce and Triple Pop are pretty fun too.

· Incredible sound quality. What makes the sounds so great for FM radio, games, and ring tones, is the mini sound card this phone has built-in.

· Built-in FM radio. Definitely a major plus. Stereo sound and the ability to save up to 20 radio channels. Also a headset that's functional and pretty cool. One of the best we've seen.

· Loudspeaker that's loud. At first we were afraid you would have to talk practically with your head next to the phone. However, that's not the case. Excellent range and clarity for a loudspeaker.

· GPRS support. With all the downloading this phone can do, it's good to know you won't be waiting a lifetime.

· Good reception. This phone can hold a signal. It doesn't sound like much, but many phones can't even do that.

· Great bundle of software for the Nokia 6610.

Cons

· No voice dialing or commands. C'mon Nokia, even cheap phones are starting to have this.

· Small memory. With Java applications and games, you'd think they would have put more memory on it.

· No Bluetooth. If you don't need it then its no big deal. I just like using my Bluetooth headset.

· Weak vibrating option. You might miss calls if you leave it in silent mode.

Conclusion

Like the 7210, the 6610 is a good phone. What we didn't like about the 7210, such as the keypad, we loved in the 6610. Overall, I liked the 6610 better than the 7210, but that's me. Others might like the unconventional design and look. That's why Nokia has the different phones. Inside, the phone has the same great features as the 7210, Java applications, polyphonic ring tones, color backgrounds, and a FM radio.

Options such as voice commands and a larger memory were left out. We felt these options should have been included. They're not extraordinary features, as a lot of cheaper phones have them. Another option we would have liked was Bluetooth. But with infrared, it's not essential.

Overall, it's a good phone. The RF reception is great, and the software bundle is top of the line. It's definitely not a bad phone, but it's not the best in its class. The 6610 slightly edges out the 7210 and gets a rating of:

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