Sound Quality

Tonal qualities of the 6820 are full and robust. The sound quality is great without many complaints. Even in loudspeaker mode, there was not an abnormal boost in low frequencies as experienced in other phones.

Manufacturers typically boost low frequencies in loudspeaker mode so voices will carry longer distances. Given the distance and volume, the 6820's incoming clarity was good. While on the other side, voices could be heard within the first few feet of the phone. Anything further than that decreases clarity considerably. Also expect background noise to be picked up easily when using loudspeaker.

RF Performance

The call clarity of the 6820 is exceptional. Incoming and outgoing calls have minimal distortion considering the internal antenna. RF is good with small signals being picked up and held relatively well. There are no significant problems with the reception. Nokia has had a history of providing cell phones that have great reception. Therefore, the 6820 receives a reception rating of:

Pros

· Full QWERTY. Convenient, functional, and a text messaging essential.

· Great set of messaging features. Fully functional email client (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP), SMS, MMS, Wireless Village chat, and more.

· Fun camera for taking impromptu pictures and short video clips.

· Loudspeaker that's loud and useful. Excellent range and clarity for a loudspeaker.

· EDGE. Download and browse at amazing rates of up to 118 kbps on existing GSM networks.

· Downloadable J2ME games and applications. Install programs and delete delete them when you get tired of them.

· Bluetooth connectivity. Connect to peripheral devices easily. Whether it be headsets, PCs, PDAs, etc.

Cons

· 16 tone polyphonic ring tones. It might have been good last year, but the standards have been raised.

· 4096 color STN display. A bit washed out in the advancing market of multimedia phones.

Conclusion

Much like its predecessor, the 6820 is not meant for everyone. Nokia targeted users who desire functionality rather than multimedia. And from the look of the keypad, the 6820 was meant for text messaging and typing.

When closed, the phone has a standard numeric keypad. However, the greatest draw to the 6820 is undoubtedly its full QWERTY keypad and compact size. It provides an unparalleled alternative to the inconvenient text messaging on numeric keypads. The buttons are not too large, but not so small that thumbs can't type comfortably. For those of you with large thumbs, you'll find the 6820 much easier to type with.

Many of the Nokia 6820's strong points are in its typing functions. The messaging features we've mentioned thus far. A fully functional email client that supports POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP mail servers, Wireless Village chat versatility, and PC synchronization with SyncML. Combined with EDGE for faster downloads online, the 6820 is a formidable business phone.

Since Nokia had a business consumer in mind, it decided to strip out or leave unchanged non-business essential features such as the FM radio, the 4096 color display, and 16 chord polyphonic ring tones. It is safe to say that multimedia was the least of Nokia's concerns. But strangely, a built-in camera was included on the 6820. Perhaps the camera phone craze was a market Nokia could not afford to neglect.

Nokia probably plans to market this phone to business consumers who could care less about ring tones, screen colors, or fancy features. If you fit the mold Nokia was aiming for then the 6820 is what you were waiting for. However, most consumers won't need such powerful messaging capabilities, and probably want more multimedia features. For the text messaging consumer, the Nokia 6820 doesn't get much better. However, general public, we give the Nokia 6820 an overall rating of:

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