Nokia's R D Best ! (Fone Spk!) - 6230 (Nokia 6230)

Member Name: newty1977

Product:	Nokia 6230
Date:	07/04/06 (1154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light enough to not think you have got a brick in your pocket

Disadvantages: Camera good be better quality, but why upgrades where invented

am personally a very big fan of Nokia phones, and since ownership have one have not been tempted to steer away to another mobile manufacturer ... mobile provider .. yes ... mobile manufacturer ... most defnitely not !

I have found other manufactuers phones to be difficult to naviagte around and much less user friendly than Nokia, and for those simple reasons, along with the fact I am quite simply well versed with the set up of Nokia's now, I wouldn't intend on swapping.

The 6230 (I don't think mine is the "i", but then I never ever remember my model number ... I just look for some clued up nanobot to tell / remind me or look for the picture that matches and hey presto). I suppose this latter fact may have some bearing on just how useful this review proves, particularly if you are trying to opt between a 6230 and a 6230i, so apologies in that instance.

Nokia quite simlpy make using a mobile TELEPHONE, well ... simple ... straightforward .. . easy ... and ... just like using a TELEPHONE i.e. you can quickly make calls or send texts without having to read through a 57 page booklet, which you won't understand because it's either in Japanese, Swedish, or nano-talk and the translation to English is broken English at best.

Maybe I am being over crticial and a little too pipe and slippers like at the grand old age of 28, but generally the features I seek in a mobile are the ability to talk with and text friends and acquaitances ... I am not interested in watching the TV, listening to the radio or indeed connecting to the interent via my mobile. However, barring the watching of TV, they are all features available on the Tri-band Nokia 6320, boasting Infra-red and Bluetooth technology, which - admitedly - I do find beneficial.... along with the colour screen.

* MESSAGING The Messaging function allows for the storage of around 350-400 text messages on your phone, Mutli-media messaging, Picture messaging, Email, and Info messaging ... half of which I don't bother with, but this will be ideal for some who want everything. There are also folders, for building messages that require saving and also templates for swift responses like Yes, No, Maybe, I'm going to be late, and such like.

* CONTACTS function, which is your address book now provides a number of different features from home telephone, to mobile, an additonal telephone number, fax number, email, postal address,user ID - SIM card allows for 250 entries, with the Phone memory providing up to around a further 300 +, You also have the ability to build caller groups and group together individuals to bundle messaging.

* SETTINGS - The phone provides you with a whole host of settings and the ability to change them to your desired preferences, from ringing tone selection (i.e. your favourite chart tune), to the rining volume, message alert tones, display seetings (This allows you to select a display for your phone i.e. a wallpaper, like on your PC desktop), time and date settings.

* GALLERY / MEDIA - Provides different options from making live voice or sound recordings and saving them for play back, to Video and Still image footage - via the use of the inbuilt Camera (Although, the pixelation isn't pronounced enough to give any real quality and the ability to record and photograph in the dark does not provide excellent results), and additonal feastures such as, Music Files, Tones and Graphics. Within Music Files you can download your favourite songs and use them as your ringtone .. There are quite a few MB's of memory for all this (not sure of exact amount, but sufficiently more than 3MB, plus circa another 1.25MB on the telephone memory card. the Media player also allows for the usage of the Radio, but I have never found the quality to be high enough.

* ORGANISER - Despite my intitial comments concerning what I require a mobile telephone for, this function is reasonably useful for providing me with electonic reminders / notes about things I need to do, places I need to be ,and also mates brithdays - the latter being specifically useful as I never remember to re-write them all in my yearly diaries and your mobile will continue to up-date you year-after-year ... barring up-grades of course! The calendar is always a handy referral tool when out and about.

* APPLICATIONS - Inclues GAMES, which can be downloaded onto your handset, or you can choose from Chess Puzzle (ok), Golf (Don't like Golf), Death rally II (Never bothered with it); and then a host of additional extras, such as ... World Clock, Currency Convertor, Translator, Calculator, StopWatch, and Countdown Timer.

They really do think of everything .. Well, at least, if they haven't ... the up-grade will have done so ... until of course, the up-grade after that .. and then ... well, you get the picture !

* COST of handset - I negotiated mine for zero cost with a 12-month contract, but I do believe replacement handsets can be costly at around £150. I am not sure what the different tariffs and deals are if you are signing up to pay-as-you-go contracts.

* DURABILITY - Actually, very strong, solid and durable ... I have dropped it several times on tarmac and it doesn't scratch or dent like previous Nokia designs ... These instances where by accident, so I wouldn't suggest continually trying it out yourself. A mate did actually drop his down the loo pre-flush and no damage occured ... In case you are also wondering ... considering size, weight, solidity, I think it would be a good four-five flusher... but not really willing to test the theory.

* BATTERY LIFE - One area that does actually annoy me, as the battery has been, since purchase, very quick to run down, and I don't consider that I have a high level of call usage. But, I do have an average to high text message usage, which will have some bearing. Still, it often requires re-charging, on average, every 2 days, which I believe is too much and can catch you out when you require a phone most desperately ... i.e. when stuck in the middle of the countryside requiring the services of a very kind roadside assistance service (No reference to my Ford Fiesta, it's relaibility, or - indeed - my review of said motorised vehicle)

* PROVIDERS - I think most network providers these days provide a service to any phone manufacturer, so it's probably unfair to try and rate reception quality, as this is mainly down to the provider ... but I do find it is - in the main - satisfactory ... It does the job.

Summary: Very easy and straight forward phone to use.

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