Hands on with just announced Nokia phones - Nokia 6086, 6300, 6290 and 2626

The first impression we got when we took the 6300 in our hands was – feels like the 8800. The main reason is the metal frame and back which definitely brings for the “stylish” feel and look. Even though Nokia does not view the 6300 as a direct successor to the 6230i, the new device could definitely be called one. Its height and width are almost identical, with the 6300 having thickness of 0.5” or 12mm compared to 0.8” or 20mm for the 6230i. The weight is also trimmed down to 3.2 oz (91 g).

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Nokia 6300 and 7610	Nokia 6300 and 7610	Nokia 6086 US Version - Nokia 6300 - Nokia 6290
Nokia 6086 US Version - Nokia 6300 - Nokia 6290

Below the display are the two soft keys and the hang-up and answer buttons. The large, 5-way navigation key is in the middle and a pleasure to use – excellent tactile response and huge central OK button. The main keyboard has decently large keys, but they lacked almost any tactile response when clicked. In addition to that, there is also no space between them horizontally which should make the text input more prone to errors. Vertically, the rows of keys are separated by easy to feel, deep rifts.

The only other button is the rocker switch located on the right side. It is easy to feel without looking at the phone, but offered again little tactile response and was not very easily pressed. We hope this will be improved before the 6300 hits the store shelves.

We think Nokia is finally starting to realize (like the rest of the manufacturers will eventually) that from a consumer stand point, using proprietary charging/connectivity ports is NOT convenient and NOT the way to go. Unfortunately, they still do not realize it completely – the 6300 and 6290 both feature standard mini-USB ports, but ONLY for connectivity to PC, and not for charging the devices for which separate port is used. Still this is a step in the right direction.

To bring a little sense of “coolness” the 6300 features two lights on each side of the phone. They illuminate in Blue when there is incoming call or text message. 

The 2 mega pixel camera is situated on the back. The test photos we took at the conference show about average image quality, but keep in mind that the models are not with final and software improvements are normal.

The differences between the 6230i and the 6300 do not end here – the 6300 features large QVGA (240x320) pixels display with 16 million colors, very sharp contrast and brightness.

Nokia 6300 complete specifications