Nokia 6500 slide
The Nokia 6500 slide is an excellent basic camera-phone based on the S40 platform, though some tiny issues prevented it from getting a higher score.
| The good | Solid build quality and one of the best sliders available; Carl Zeiss optics for the 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera; quadband GSM with dual-band UMTS; A2DP. |
|---|---|
| The bad | Autofocus doesn't work in video mode; no backlight adjustment feature; phone doesn't auto keylock after closing the slider. |
CNET Editors' Rating
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CNET Editors' rating
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Rating breakdown
The 6288 was a very popular handset and it has been on our top 10 charts for many months. With the arrival of the 6500 slide, it seems the latter is positioned as the flagship model for the Finnish company. The new slider brings with it not just the latest Series 40 5th Edition with Feature Pack 1, but also a decent Carl Zeiss camera, superb build quality and cutting-edge design.
Design
There's nothing we don't like about the design and build quality of the 6500 slide. In fact, this Nokia is one of the best sliders we've handled so far. Stainless steel wraps around most of the 6500 slide and even the battery cover and soft touch keys are crafted from the same material. There are still parts that are plastic, though, such as the bottom edge where the phone's antenna is and the top end that caps the handset.
The 6500 slide is a very solid device. Pick it up and you'll feel the substantial weight with an assuring metallic feel, but not to the point of being too heavy. A two-way spring-loaded mechanism completes the sliding of the handset, while a thin rubber strip below the 2.2-inch LCD screen adds more traction for the thumb.
There are no signs of any loose parts on the device. It slides with ease and what's not supposed to budge stays absolutely still. Both the control keys and alphanumeric keypad are well-spaced, reasonably large and provide excellent tactile feedback. Frankly, there's really nothing to complain about here.
At the top, you'll find a micro-USB port, 2.5mm audio connector, charging port and a release catch for the battery cover. With the micro-USB port, this means the mini-USB cable you've been using to sync with all your various devices is rendered obsolete with the 6500 handsets. The microSD expansion card slot hides underneath the battery cover, but fortunately there's no need to remove the battery to swap cards.
Features
Although the 6500 runs on the 5th Edition of the S40 platform with Feature Pack 1, there isn't a huge leap in terms of the features offered. The platform still doesn't allow for multitasking of Java applications. You'll have to exit one in order to open another. Currently, devices on the same platform include the 6500 classic, 7900 Prism, 5310 XpressMusic and 5610 XpressMusic.Other changes introduced include the unified message editor and multimedia player. Attaching pictures, calendar entries or music are all done within the message editor and the system will recognize it as a text or a multimedia message. The home screen also went through some minor interface upgrades. Now there are more shortcuts displayed, although there's still an option to disable these for a "cleaner" screen.
What baffled us was the music player which is also a video player. Nokia could have called it a multimedia player for obvious reasons. The music player is still pretty much the standard app available. Playback options include shuffling or repeating tracks, stereo widening and customizing the equalizer (Normal, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Classical). It is also possible to change the player's skin independent of the phone's theme and songs are sorted by artists, albums, genres and playlists. There's also an FM radio with RDS, though it requires the user to plug in a headset which acts as an aerial.
Traditionally, the Nseries lineup gets the "preferential" treatment when it comes to camera modules, so it is surprising that Nokia has decided to use Carl Zeiss optics on the basic 6500 slide. Maximum camera resolution is 2,048 x 1,536 pixels for still images (3.2 megapixels) and 640 x 480 pixels for videos. In use, it was a little awkward zooming using the volume keys. While the 6500 slide is still a decent camera-phone overall complete with autofocus (AF doesn't work when in video mode) and LED flashlight, it still doesn't quite match up to the Sony Ericsson Cyber-shots with their array of dedicated camera function keys. An example is the recent K770i with eight buttons for quick changing of various camera-related settings.
One of the things missing on the 6500 slide is the backlight adjustment feature. Instead, this is left to the ambient light sensor found above the phone's LCD, sharing the same space as the front-facing camera. Although this wasn't a problem when we were using the phone indoors, outdoors it was a different story. The screen was washed-out slightly under the afternoon sun and, without the option to increase the brightness level, we had to resort to using our hands to shade the LCD from the light.
Another peeve we had with the phone was that it doesn't auto keylock after closing the slider, which was the same situation we experienced with the Series60 E65. While that wan't a big issue since we could set the phone to lock automatically after 5 seconds, it just irked us somehow.
In terms of connectivity, the 6500 slide is rather well-equipped with a quadband GSM/EDGE radio, dual-band UMTS, Bluetooth with A2DP support and TV-out option (cables are supplied with the commercial unit). What would have been a great complement to this Nokia is WLAN connectivity.
Performance
The 6500 slide uses a 900mAh Lithium-ion cell which is rated for up to 13 days on standby and talktime of 6 hours. With average use of sending text messages, making calls and listening to music, our review unit kept us entertained for slightly over two days which was within our expectations.Picture quality was decent overall, though the camera tended to expose for the highlights resulting in blown-out images. Shutter lag was about 0.6 seconds from the time we hit the shutter till the picture was recorded. The AF mechanism is disabled in video mode, so there's a higher chance you end up with blurry videos if you use the digital zoom a lot. It could be just our unit, but the camera makes a "click click click" sound after an image is recorded. We suspect it's due to some moving internal parts and we're still waiting for Nokia to get back regarding this issue.
Call audio quality was acceptable when handholding the unit, as well as on speakerphone. Because the onboard speakers are on the back, placing the unit on its back had a tendency to muffle sounds a little. We found opening the phone's menu and programs sluggish even though it wasn't a major cause of alarm. What concerned us was the lag between sliding up the handset to answer a call and the time the call was put through.
Latest comments
Pros: Camera, TV-Out, Camera Lens, Stylish
Cons: overpriced, Wifi, Symbian 40, Dust attraction, Battery life in 3g.
Summary: Not bad- Not great
The price seem a little too much for 3.2 Megapixel camera,. The OS is S40 E3 which doesn't allow any symbian applications or customisation compared to S60. The sound quality is fine. Battery life is poor in 3g, 2/2.5g its pretty nice. Camera is a great feature with facial reconigisation. Has some nice 3d java games. Video calls are nice. Phone has issues with shutting down for no reason or going blank. Updating solved it for me, but it sucks for users who can't. Not bad phone if you get for a good price and with the latest update.
Pros: Subtle good looks, solid built (stainless steel case), bundled 512mb mmc, zippy OS, video call, Carl Zeiss lens, acceptable battery life
Cons: no wi-fi, no camera lens cover, no hotswap, unimpressive gallery interface
Summary: smooth slider
I've used my 6500S for almost 8 mths and so far I'm very happy with it. Here's my review The phone is very solid, thanks to its stainless steel case. For those of you who pays big attention to little details, this phone will not disappoint you. Because no creaks are heard and the sliding mechanism is spot-on. The buttons are also well made; tactile and very responsive. The screen displays sharp 16million colors and visibility is good even under sunlight. The phone runs on Nokia's zippy S40 5th edition OS and offers basic phone, sms functions and opens several pre-installed java apps. Performance-wise, the OS is one of the fastest in the market. The downside is, the phone does not allow multitasking as in Symbian phones or editing office document, which will disappoint business oriented users. Multimedia features is also worth complement. The 6500S is has 3.2MP autofocus camera and Carl Zeiss optics. Its rare to find a basic camera phone powered by optics normally reserved for high end N series. Image quality is acceptable although sometimes overexposed. The right setting will do just fine. Music player is good with several equalizer setting and video player performace is acceptable. In conclusion, the 6500S is a very good all rounder phone for everyday use and it's a seriously good looking phone. The S40 OS offers no complicated functions and if you are familiar with Nokia phones, the 6500S is a breeze. Throw in a couple of extras such as Carl Zeiss lens, video call, good battery life, stainless steel body and no-nonsense camera with Carl Zeiss lens, you've got yourself a bargain. The only question is. With all the features, how come it doesn't have wi-fi?
Pros: Great Camera
Cons: a -bit heavy. No Wi-Fi
Summary: a cool phone
Simple sliding phone.Easy to use.What i like about this phone is it had a great 3.2Mega camera.Clear and sharp.Unfortunatel..no Wi-Fi. But quite a cool phone after all...
Pros: Nice simple solid feeling phone with good features .
Cons: The battery life is unacceptable , The memory card cuts in and out !
Summary: Would be good, but the battery is so bad !
Had this phone for a couple of months now.Started off fine good camera , usefull mp3 player ect.But then the trouble started .The memory card would randomly cut in and out .The speaker volume became poor .Worst of all though is the poor battery life , a full charge lasts me less then 12 hours ! I would advise anyone who is thinking of buying this phone to check out the problems many other owners are having on the nokia site discussion board .It is really dissapointing!
Pros: 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus captures clear pictures
Cons: no Cons encountered
Summary: The is a phone that is easy to use and has lots of impressive features
I've bought my 6500 slide two weeks ago. It is fast and was designed for user's who have used nokia phones for a long time already. Thereby enhancing the most popular features of the phone. The 3.2 megapixel camera has a clear picture output. The sound is stereo clarity. Good display with TFT LCD (16 million colors). It is easy to text and send messages in the 6500 slide. Mine was bundled with a 512mb MicroSD. It never hangs and proves same performance eventhough I already have a lot of text messages and images stored. I recommend this 6500 slide for users who want nothing but good features and performance without sacrificing aesthetics.
Pros: 3.2 Mp Carl Zeiss lens, solid metal housing, brilliant display and speaker
Cons: sometimes restart by itself
Summary: Very Satisfying
having us this phone since june '08...so far im very satisfied with it looks & performance. Excellent camera with autofocus (nearly same pics quality like my former SE K770i). And i'm doesn't have prob reading sms under bright sunlight. And my phone still not slowing down eventough 1 keep nearly 2000 sms (inbox & sent items). for those who love those stylish look and "not-so-advance" function. Go grab this phone..u wont regret it. And everytime I open my phone..my friends keep say wow.."it beautiful...i would want one...bla..bla..". Same in its TV ads tagline; "Touch It & U Want It". cheers :D
Pros: nice design
Cons: hang....and hang
Summary: good
this mobile is great.....tested...and nice... with a nice design..but the bad things is always hang..and lack... something no respond when we touch the keypad...just wonder how to fix this........
Pros: Solid, 3.2 megapixels Carl Zeiss optics, micro USB port, microSD expansion
Cons: Phone like to Freeze and need hard reset
Summary: Average phone but still worth to buy (maybe)
They told me to cleared the sms in phone memory and update the software of the phone........ Still the same problem..... what to do ?????
Pros: Stylish, solid, 3.2 megapixels Carl Zeiss optics, TV connectivity, micro USB port, microSD expansion
Cons: No auto keypad lock after slider is closed, poor image quality
Summary: Style with average substance
If you're looking for a simple phone with style and substance, the Nokia 6500 seems to be a good bet. Given the price you pay, it's pretty acceptable for the not so tech savvy. Don't be fooled by the 3.2 MP Carl Zeiss optics. If the settings are not set correctly, you can forget about sharp still images. My friend uses this phone and claimed that it is built solid like a tank. It sure is. Having witnessed the phone falling from height several times, but still not having much problem. He claimed the pictures to be good too. I read the overall review on CNETasia and it said it was excellent basic camera-phone base. I thought this is what my dad is looking for. A simple and affordable phone with good photo taking capabilities. I decided to recommend him to get it as he intended to renew his contract. My dad got the phone. I tested the camera and viewed the pictures on the phone and the PC. Being a SE K800i user and a photography enthusiast, I compared the pictures taken by the SE K800i and the Nokia 6500. I am not very satisfied with the images the Nokia 6500 produced. The images were average by today's standard. Maybe even below average. It was noisy even when set to 640x480 at highest picture quality. It got worse as the resolution increases. However, the Nokia 6500 still have plenty to offer to the average Joe. Just don't expect too much from it. Bottomline is... if you want a good camera phone which produces sharp still images, stick with the Sony Ericsson K-series or look out for the new C-series.
Pros: 3.2 Mega, Stainless Steel Design
Cons: Heavy, Dun appeal to young look, Thick, Bery Besic
Summary: LetDown
I agree the battery is a disappointment. I used the music player for about 2 hours, then I could feel the battery heated up in my hand and it apparently used up half of the battery! Not also that the calling also get heated up. Software hang and auto shut down.. The 4navgation always cannot be press or reach.. It is just a bery letdown on the phone same goes to the N5610.. Completely Upset.. Not recommanded at all....
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