Nokia C6-01 Review

Introduction:

If you want to go touch screen phone, have used Symbian S60 your entire life and don't want the hassle of learning how to use a new OS, then Symbian^3 is the best Symbian iteration to date. Of the launch line of Symbian^3 phones, we've had a look at the N8, the mobile camera extraordinaire, the C7, a touch of elegance, and now it's the turn of the Nokia C6-01, the most affordable of the line with a smaller screen and a thicker form-factor. Despite being the lowest spec'd of the three phones, it still boasts some great functionality such as the same 8MP camera found on the Nokia C7 with twin LED flash and the same connectivity options. It is also the first handset we've tested to utilize Nokia's new CBD (Clear Black Display) technology. So can this phone retain the core features that make the C7 a solid performer, or have Nokia left too much out of the C6-01? For all the answers, read on.

Design:

The Nokia C6-01 is a chunky little thing. It's considerably thicker than the C7 and feels very squat. Also, despite a metal chassis, the device feels hollow with uneven weighting. Picking up the Nokia N8 in contrast, with its anodized aluminium body is a dense, solid pleasure, and the Nokia C7 despite being plastic feels evenly weighted and physically satisfying to hold. The Nokia C6-01 in stark contrast feels hollow, more like an empty metal tin than a well spec'd smartphone. The reality is, Nokia is a victim of their own success as we have high hardware expectations of the Finnish manufacturer, even from their lower to mid range phones such as the X3 Touch and Type and E5. Unfortunately, the C6 doesn't cut the mustard.



You can compare the Nokia C6-01 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

On one hand, the capacitive screen of the Nokia C6-01 is its best asset and on the other, its biggest downfall. Both endowed with Nokia's CBD technology and being sharper than that of any other Symbian^3 handset, it looks undeniably good, though measuring in at 3.2 inches, it renders Symbian^3 a challenge to use comfortably. Colours on the Nokia C6-01 are beautifully vibrant and have good punchy saturation levels, thanks to the AMOLED technology in use. Blacks are deep, with the standby Symbian^3 clock showing just how deep (with a fine line-art clock illuminated in white atop the jet black screen), and detail is good overall. At a resolution of 360x640 pixels, 3.2 inches do make for good clarity, but nevertheless, for sheer usability, we would choose to sacrifice some sharpness and make the screen take up more of the fascia, as is the case on the Nokia C7 for example.



Below the screen are three physical buttons, call, end and menu. They feel a tad loose to press, but nevertheless do the job. At the base of the Nokia C6-01 is a microUSB port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 2mm proprietary Nokia charging port. To the upper left side are two volume buttons, a hold slider in the middle and a single-stage camera button below. With no keys on the left hand side, jumping to the back, you'll find the 8MP fixed-focus camera, twin LED flash and loudspeaker. Slide off the metal battery cover, which feels pretty hardy, to reveal the battery with a SIM card slot underneath. To the right hand side of the battery is the microSD card slot, with a 2GB card in the box.




Overall, we're not too enamoured by the C6-01's design. Sure it's metal on the outside and we haven't got cause for concern regarding longevity, but the weighting is off and the proportions make the phone feel squat. All this coupled with the screen being a bit on the smaller side (considering today's standards), albeit sharp and vibrant, and it’s all kicking off to a mixed start.