Posted: May 26th, 2004
Written by: Adam Honek

Using the Nokia 6600

A Crucial Multimedia Card was used for this review

Our sample came from Nokia and therefore features standard firmware that is free from any operator added additions, the version we test here is 3.42.1 16-10-03. Being a global cellular device it supports E900/1800/1900MHz GSM networks making it operational for anyone anywhere, as a reminder the 7650 was very much a European model with only 800/1800MHz or E900/1800 GSM capability. Despite the phones complexity it’s easy to use and much of this is made possible via the GUI. Users of previous Symbian based Nokia phones would know just what we mean, it also makes the handset appealing to a wide spectrum of potential users, not everyone after all is an expert in technology. The 104MHz RISC based processor we mentioned previously does a very good job of giving the phone the correct speed; we spent hours over many days checking numerous applications including games and found performance to be very much pleasing. An only slight factor bound to annoy some is a minor delay when launching Java coded software or some options such as selecting profiles. The large 65K TFT (176x208 resolution) colour screen is an improvement over the previously used 4096K STN versions as can be verified via viewing detailed photos, its viewing angles also are good what has made this phone a joy to evaluate. In direct sunlight conditions it’s easy to view and thus still control the device without it fading all that much, under normal lightning its very clear and bright.

Many will surely we eager to hear about the battery life of Nokia’s new smartphone. Under normal usage conditions our model lasted about 3 days which is satisfying. To obtain this result we used the phone for calling and other features in the ratio of 25/30 minutes respectively. The biggest power drain is Bluetooth and with this enabled it is almost certain to drain the battery much quicker, even by an increase of 50%. In the case of leaving the unit in standby mode one may expect about 4-5 days service. A full charge can take anywhere up to 2 hours.

Due to the high memory capacity on offer by MMC cards (currently up to 512MB) one use of this phone can be MP3 playback. In order to test this we installed UltraMP3 which is an application by Lonely Cat Games . The Nokia 6600 proved it can be a viable MP3 player but only at a basic level, unfortunately having only mono output strongly limits its end appeal. In mono sound quality was good and clear but lacked the added hearing benefit that an extra audio channel would deliver. On the topic of audio Nokia added an enhancement in the form of true tones, this we’re told is a better more realistic sounding type of ring tones. We found a few files to test the true tones capability (files ending with a .awb extention), the end result is positive but we’re not totally convinced it’s miles better than standard polyphonic sounds. We can look upon this improvement as a bonus but not something extraordinary.

The phone comes fully capable of GPRS, Infra-red, and Bluetooth making connectivity a thing it does well. The features it doesn’t support are EDGE or forthcoming evolved standards of GSM technology. In Nokia’s defence we believe it’s not yet valid to employ support within handsets as network operators still need some time before these new trends take to the streets. GPRS speeds are a maximum of 43.2Kbps depending on the network, this isn’t the first handset to support such speeds but as our comment above suggests it’s satisfactory for the time being. Where Bluetooth is concerned also wireless handsets are not far from ones minds. From a technology point of view it can be stated in big bold letters that the Nokia 6600 supports them, what however cannot be attained at this moment is to state it as fully compatible. It is of course impossible to test every scenario but it is safe to reveal that the current firmware within our sample (3.42.1 16-10-03) does have problems making headsets semi-operational or expensive plastic dongles. Voices within the industry already tell us of a new version 4.0.9 firmware that fixes a long list of bugs and amongst others those of compatibility. By the time people read this review and decide to buy the Nokia 6600 it will almost surely have new firmware install. Existing users can visit any number of Nokia service centre’s for an upgrade.

Reception quality was very good in various places inside and outside of buildings of various type or form. The signal strength indicator rarely dipped below maximum and never below 50% of its full strength. Comments have been voiced about the phone appearing large to given people although to talk and hold the device next to ones ear is really no big deal as one could put it. The size can actually be regarded as handy as it fits neatly into ones hand and Adam (our hardware editor for this review) is by no means a man with frog sizes hands.

Click images to enlarge.

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