GADGETS GALORE!!! (Nokia 6820)

Member Name: Gingaro

Product:	Nokia 6820
Date:	04/07/05 (363 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: QWERTY Keyboard, video player/recorder, cool ringtones, crystal clear call reception

Disadvantages: The normal keys feel rubbery and make texting difficult

Following a brief encounter with a Sharp mobile phone a further upgrade of my handset led me into contact with the Nokia 6820. My phone was free as an upgrade, however on a pay as you go tariff prices can range to in excess of £100.

My main attraction to the phone was the fact that it was available free as an upgrade, the way it looked, the QWERTY keyboard and the actual look. Not only does the 6820 have a colour screen which provides very good picture quality, it has a video recorder, voice recorder and a number of screen animations and screensavers which appeal to my inner child.

The 6820 looks the part, set out in silver giving it a cheeky glint. The picture above shows the phone in its standard position, however it does have the ability to flip open to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. Packed within the phone are all of the standard Nokia features and the size shows this. It is not the smallest in the Nokia family measuring in at 10.7cm long by 4.7cm wide making it just a fraction larger than the 3100 and weighs in some 15g heavier at 100g.

The phone has polyphonic ringtones and the ability to play real music once downloaded. In addition to downloading songs from the Internet, the recorder incorporated into the phone software allows users to simply record part of a song they like and save it as a ringtone. Combine this with the colour wallpapers, themes and animated screensavers and you have a phone that would please any fan of Nokia phones. The features are amazing and this is by far the most advanced and functional mobile phone I have used.

The phone was already WAP enabled when I received it and uses XHTML browser to view the web. I have always found this to be very fast and never spend more than 30 seconds waiting for a page to load making the downloading of tunes, games and animations simplicity itself.

The main keypad is the only real gripe I had with the 6820. It feels very rubbery and it can be difficult to know without watching every key press that you have pressed it hard enough to register. When flipped into the QWERTY mode (the picture turns sideways to enable you to read your text) the buttons do click and I find this a much easier way to text.

Some people have commented on the size of the screen and the number of colours supported. Personally I haven't found this to be a problem. Photo's taken with the camera are crystal clear and video clips are always smooth unless the phone is moved very quickly whilst recoding. The screen itself supports 4,096 colours within 128 x 128 pixels making it very standard compared with most other Nokia phones.

The phone is also Tri-band and will therefore work in North and South America along with Asia.

When making and receiving calls, the 6820 has a loudspeaker function which allows you to listen to the caller via the external speaker rather from the handset. The loudspeaker also enables itself when the phone is flipped into the QWERTY position as the earpiece is on the wrong side of the phone. This isn't a function I use regularly although I have to say the speaker is very clear and the volume controls would be functional for even those as deaf as a post.

Call reception on the 6820 is crystal clear and I always seem to have a signal, even in places where my Blackberry reception has died. Calls can be made quickly using the shortcut keys and the navigational joystick. The phone also has the appropriate port to support a hands free set and it is Bluetooth enabled to allow use of a wireless headset.

In addition to allowing SMS messaging and MMS messaging, the 6820 also has instant messaging and can be used to send and receive e-mails in the same way as a RIM Blackberry device. The messaging folders hold in excess of 100 text messages meaning that messages do not need to be constantly deleted.

The 6820 contains the same features as the rest of the Nokia range including:

Call Register - This provides a list of calls received, made and provides a useful counter to enable you to see how long you have spent on the phone.

Contacts - This contains details of all the numbers saved to the phone and SIM card.

Profiles - This allows you to change ringtones, message tones, sound effects and the volume of your phone.

Settings - This is where the time and date can be changed, languages altered and factory settings reinstalled.

Alarm Clock - An alarm clock which can get very loud, loud enough to wake the dead!

Gallery - This section contains all of the pre-installed ringtones, wallpapers and animations and all photos, video clips and animations are saved here and can be browsed via to selecting them.

Calendar - Erm……….it's a calendar where important dates can be stored with helpful reminder tones so those special date aren't forgotten.

Extras - This section includes a currency converter and a calculator.

Services - This section enables access to the web via WAP.

I have found that the battery for my 6820 remains charged for approx 3 days when not used regularly, however if you start playing with the games or taking video clips it does soon drain. The official Nokia website states that the battery when fully charged should remain charged for 170 hours when on standby due to a power saving mechanism that reduces power use when not used for 5 minutes. I rarely use my phone unless playing like a child so usually I end up charging every 2 to 3 days.

Would I recommend the 6820? Yes I would. It is practical, has a number of gimmicks that set it aside from other Nokia's on the market and it is far superior to the other phones I have used over the past 10 years. Most importantly the reception is clear, the software has never crashed and it has lots of things that keep me entertained.

This is the phone you have been looking for and is worth every penny spent on it. I have flirted with Sharp and Motorola in the past but you just can't beat Nokia for the ease of use of their phones.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Thanks for taking the time to read and rate.


Steve :o)

Summary: Another success from the Nokia stable of mobile technology

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