Nokia 7600 - not for the feint hearted. (Nokia 7600)

Member Name: leigh-antony

Product:	Nokia 7600
Date:	28/09/04 (1355 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quality, Design, Features

Disadvantages: Screen, Confusing, No Radio/MMC

Review of the Nokia 7600

No doubt, the fact you’re even reading this review means you’ve seen the Nokia 7600. Designed by Nokia as a ‘fashion concept’, it soon became reality before its critically acclaimed launch in 2004.
Sure, it looks like an ashtray – but at the end of the day, when Apple computer launched the iMac in 1998 – nobody imagined that in 2004 our computers would be fashion statements, not to mention fluorescent pink toasters and translucent televisions. We now even have cars with stick on colourful panels. Image is everything, and to quote Nokia, “7600 – the Imaging phone”, they seem to have come up with a near perfect solution for this rather new, but incredibly expanding niche market.

So, you’ve noticed the design, that hideous keypad with the ergonomics of a 1960’s Korean bicycle and the textured ‘shells’ that clad the bulk of the phone. Nokia do seem to be spending a lot more time on the ‘touchy-feely’ aspect of their products, gone are the days phones were made from the same material your grandmothers NHS issued walking stick, bring on the leather effect shells of the 7600. Nice try Nokia, good concept but you’re fooling nobody, it looks like plastic, and it feels like plastic, it is plastic. However, the phone does feel very solid, considering it takes just three snaps (and various references to the instruction manual) to take completely apart. I could quite safely say this phone could be thrown around a room without it suffering too badly.

That would be true, of course, if it wasn’t for the camera lens protruding 5mm from the rear of the phone. When it’s sat on a desk minding its own business, the lens is propping up the top half of the phone, so if it’s moved… the lens is very prone to scratching. The same can also be said for the five way blob of a button that adorns the front of the phone. Which brings me back to the keypad, surely didn’t Nokia learn its lesson with the 3650? For over a century we have grown accustomed to our telephones having a mesh of twelve keys, four rows of three. So, in true Nokia style, they’ve tried to reinvent the wheel – and ended up with a paddle. Don’t get me wrong – the keypad works when you’re used to it. And, aesthetically it works, even in reality, it works – but it’s not a real keypad. And as consumers, we’ll moan about anything that’s ‘different’, and this phone is very different. Something that isn’t different from other Nokia offerings is camera and screen quality, excellent, if not the best. Sony Ericsson seem to offer far better screens for less money, and seem to be on par with the camera quality.

I would comment on the software on the phone, but if you’ve ever used a Nokia before it will all be familiar. One key difference is the fact the directional key can also be used as a select key by pressing it in. This pretty much renders the “OK” key that we’ve grown used to useless. Sure, it has functions, but they seem like an afterthought. It’s almost as though some dipstick in Nokia design said to a fellow colleague, “We don’t actually need that button, do we?”, and no sooner had his p45 been issued, the button had a function. Yes, you can press it during standby mode to access the Gallery. Something that can also be done by pressing the blob, sorry, five way directional key a few times. The same can also be said for various other keys on the phone, in total there are 21 plus the five way directional key. 25 buttons in total – I’m sure there are more, the more I use the phone the more I seem to find. Remembering their function isn’t difficult of course, as they’re all clearly marked, but it does seems as though Nokia are intent on confusing mobile virgins. Something that would never happened years ago, with the easy to use 3110.

The phone functions well, I’ve yet to experience a crash. The ring tones, are however a little quiet but this is common with Nokia mobiles. They seem to be intent on making us miss our calls, thus having to call back people (Maybe a back hander from the operators to increase our bills?) Sherlock aside, it does prove a little annoying after a while. Oh, and the claimed 30MB memory of the phone is in fact 29MB, well, about 26MB with contacts, text messages, ring tones and god knows what else hides in the depths of this phone. It has mp3 functionality – which is welcomed, but at the most you can get 8 low quality mp3 tracks on it. “Just add a memory card”, I hear you cry. I would, if I could, as Nokia don’t seem to think an imaging and mp3 capable top of the range phone would need any more than a rather pathetic 30MB. Nor do they think a built in radio is necessary. I’m beginning to sound a little bitter a twisted here, so I’ll come to a conclusion of sorts.

Pros:
Quality – Excellently built, will withstand most phone murderers.
Design – Difficult to come to terms with at first, but it grows on you.
Camera – Not much to say to this, offers high quality an exceptional night mode, and video recording.
Great features – Bluetooth, 3G, XHTML, Camera, MP3, Java, you name it…
Price – Free on pay monthly :o)

Cons:
Confusing – Layout of the keys is somewhat bewildering
No Radio – Although this can be added as an accessory
No memory card – Just plain stupid. MP3 phone with no memory card slot?
Screen – It’s great for a Nokia, but nothing to write home about compared to other manufacturers


Buy this phone if you want to look ϋber-cool, want to play a few mp3’s, or have a competent all in one with pretty much every feature (Bar a radio or memory card slot) available today.
Don’t buy this phone if you want to play more than an hours worth of mp3’s, or if you are an avid texter. Nor should you buy it if you’re new to mobile phones, the vast array of keys will confuse most.

Summary: