Nokia 6500 slide Review

Design:

As you can see, the Nokia 6500 has a plain design, underlined by the black glossy plastic and the stainless steel, which adds to its stylish and pleasant appearance. At the very first touch one will feel the coolness of the metal, which, in addition to the 123 gr weight, calls forth the same sensation as the one we experienced at the first touch of 8600 Luna – that of luxury and perfect quality. The above feeling is also enhanced by the fact that all the inscriptions on the metallic part are in high relief rather than being simply cheap drawings.




The slider’s dimensions are 96.5 x 46.5 x 16.4 mm and it is just 30 mm longer when unfolded, which is compact enough not to embarrass the user while carrying it. Sliding relies on spring support to easily open the unit; and in order to save the trouble of guessing the right spot to press with your thumb, Nokia constructors have placed a rubber tape just above the company logo. The connection between the two parts is very secure and without any play (as in many other sliders), which testifies to the precision and accurateness of every one construction detail.



The display is 2.2" QVGA (240 x 320 pixels), supporting up to 16.7 million colors and very well visible at even direct sunlight. Colors of the screen image are saturated and bright; as for setting the brightness – this is done by a light sensor depending on the surrounding illumination. We notice the trend that the new high and medium class models of the company should feature this type of display (variously sized). Besides all the above qualities, they have a very good visibility angle in each direction.



As with most sliders, the buttons here are also distributed between the upper and the lower part, which means that you will not have to open the 6500 unless you need the numeric keypad. Its flat buttons are arranged tightly next to each other and in order to be more easily recognizable, they have a round edge, bordering the row line. Control keys at the upper part of the phone are equally tight. Both the soft and the call/end keys are large and flat, whereas the five-position navigation button is in relief and has raised edges, allowing for effortless detecting by touch and distinguishing it from the rest. Backlighting all the keys is white, with only the control ones lit in their respective colors. All buttons are very easy to press and despite the medium tactile feedback, controlling the unit is pleasant and trouble-free.



We wish we could say the same about the volume key, located on the side, but alas, things are different here. The button itself is almost at the level of the panel so one can hardly feel anything on the surface. Deciding to increase the volume during conversation will trigger a long search on the side and in case one manages to accidentally find the key, there is the second setback: pressing it. You have to choose between the two options – either using the tip of the thumb with less effort, or its soft part, but exerting a much stronger pressure. For us, the first approach proved less inconvenient. During the entire period of our usage of the phone, we were not able to find an easier mode of operating the above button. This may serve as a good example of how the desire to strictly adhere to a certain design concept will result in inconvenience. The camera button is on the same side, only slightly lower, almost at the end of the corpus. This one is comparatively big, so once in position to take pictures you can easily and conveniently press, no matter which part of the finger you use – the soft or the tip.

There are no buttons on the other side – only a small hole is clearly visible. Initially it is quite easy to mistake it for a loudspeaker opening, but after removing the back lid one can see that this is where a hand- or a neckstrap should be tied. The loudspeaker openings are quite far from here – they are actually the five lines on the back panel.

The whole rear section of 6500 is so constructed, that taking pictures should be made as easy as possible. The objective of the 3.2 megapixel camera as well as the LED flashlight are located in one of the corners, thus securing the easy grip and eliminating the likelihood to place a finger before them. The lens is covered by a protective glass and the entire objective – encompassed by a metal frame, literally welded to the steel lid. The camera button is at the most proper place indeed – under the index finger when you are ready to take a photo.



For the sake of not spoiling the look of the handset, constructors have even “concealed” the additional memory card slot under the back lid. The microSD can be inserted/removed while the device is on, but the phone will automatically cut off all access to it at the very opening of the lid - it is as if it were non-existent. It has been made with the purpose of securing more reliable data storage and higher safety when handling an additional memory.



One very clever move – we saw it in 7500 Prism as well – is concentrating all the connectors at one location, in our case on top of the phone. This facilitates the usage, putting an end to the “groping” all over the sides of the unit when one has decided to charge or connect it to a PC, for example. Here you will find the microUSB port, the charger connector, 2,5 mm Audio Video socket, as well as the eject button for opening the lid. This is the place where we are accustomed to finding the on/off switch, but in this case its role has been taken by the red receiver key. Of course, it cannot now grant something we are also used to - fast access to the profiles menu.

About the only thing left is locating the second (videochat) camera and the microphone. Although this is a joke, it may well be that one faces the need of such a search. The camera is so small that the constructors have managed to insert it right next to the loudspeaker grille on the side, opposite to the light sensor. The microphone also features a similar “hidden” position – exactly between the 4 and 7 keys (on their left).