| Nokia 6230 |
| General |
| Network | Gsm 900 / Gsm 1800 / Gsm 1900 |
| Announced | 2003, 4q |
| Status | Available |
| Size |
| Dimensions | 103 X 44 X 20 Mm, 76 Cc |
| Weight | 97 G |
| Display |
| Type | Active Tft, 65k Colors |
| Size | 128 X 128 Pixels, 5 Lines, 27 X 27 Mm |
| | - Wallpapers
- Four-way Navigation |
| Ringtones |
| Type | Polyphonic (24 Channels), Monophonic, Mp3 |
| Amount | 20 Poly And 10 Mono Tones |
| Customization | Download, |
| Vibration | Yes |
| Memory |
| Phonebook | 1000 Entries, Photo Call |
| Call Records | 20 Dialed, 20 Received, 20 Missed Calls |
| Card Slot | Mmc, 32 Mb Card Included, |
| | - 6 Mb Shared Memory
- 150 Short Messages
- 16 Voice Commands, 25 Voice Dial Slots
- 3 Min Voice Memo |
| Data |
| Gprs | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 Slots), 32 - 48 Kbps |
| Hscsd | Yes, 43.2 Kbps |
| Edge | Class 10, 236.8 Kbps |
| 3g | No |
| Wlan | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes, V1.1 |
| Infrared Port | Yes |
| Usb | Yes, Pop-port |
| Features |
| Messaging | Sms, Mms, Email, Instant Messaging |
| Browser | Wap 2.0/xhtml |
| Games | Beach Ralley Ii, Golf, Chess Puzzle + Java, |
| Colors | 2 - Graphite, Pearl White |
| Languages | Major European Languages |
| Camera | Vga, 640x480 Pixels, Video |
| | - Java
- Fm Radio
- Mp3/video Player
- T9
- Extensive Calendar
- Calculator
- Voice Command
- Presence Enhanced Contacts
- Interchangeable Covers |
| Battery |
| | Standard, Li-ion 850 Mah (bl-5c) |
| Stand-by | Up To 150 H - 300 H |
| Talk Time | Up To 3 H - 5 H |
|
Nokia - 6230Sheer delight with the Nokia 6230
Major features
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz auto switching
65,536 colour 128 x 128 pixel active TFT display
Integrated VGA video and still camera
Streaming video and audio support
SMS/EMS/MMS/E-mail messaging
Presence enhanced contacts and instant messaging
MMC card support
Java games and applications
FM Stereo radio
Colour schemes
Animated screensavers
PIM applications
Polyphonic & MP3 ring tones
MP3 & AAC player with equaliser
Pop-port™ interface
Bluetooth wireless technology
Infrared port
xHTML support via WAP 2.0 browser
EDGE/HSCSD/GPRS data transfer
Voice features
Problems/Issues?
MMC card location
Keypad layout regarding functions
Low quality display
Loose Xpress-on™ covers
Sales package (should contain):
1 x Nokia 6230 handset
1 x Nokia standard charger
1 x Nokia BL-5C battery
1 x 32mB MMC card
1 x Pop-Port™ stereo headset
1 x User guide
1 x PC Suite CD
Overview
Introduction
The Nokia 6230 is the new age business person’s handset with everything they’d ever need at the moment for connection to the digital world. It doesn’t have a radically designed keypad nor is it an odd shape - it’s a standard phone with a great look and even better feature list. This model brings in all the new features from current mobile phone models from across the board, with a new 65k colour screen.
I’ve been waiting for this handset for a long time now, ever since my future phones article on it - and now I’ve got it to review. Does it live up to its expectations? Read on to find out…
New/outstanding features
The Nokia 6230 is an upgrade of the 6220 to most, but it has come a fair way from it’s brother model. The main upgrade is the support for MMC cards, an upgrade to a VGA camera, and the new display at 65k colours. Several other minor enhancements are also packed into this handset that lives up to its feature list - well, in most aspects it does! You can visit the Problems/Issues section for more information about that - but lets move on to these new and outstanding features!
MMC cards are the thin square cards that look like a big SIM card, they even have the chopped off side. They are the smallest and lightest removable storage available to date. MMC cards have the ability to store up to 1gB of information on a single card thanks to flash storage. The MMC card that is included in the 6230’s sales package is 32mB in size, which can be filled up with messages, images, video, documents, applications, and anything that the handset can support. Unsupported files can be stored on a MMC card in the 6230, but the 6230 will not be able to read that data. This memory boost adds to the 6mB of memory that the phone has internally that is dynamically shared between different applications and features.
The Nokia 6220 had a CIF resolution camera, capable of images at 352 x 288 pixels and video at QCIF resolution. The 6230 has a VGA camera upgrade, and yes, it can still record video. Software upgrades enable the camera function to record up to 4 minutes of video, as well as an option to stop video at 15 seconds.
The new display on the 6230 has been moved to 65,536 colours from the 4k display in the 6220, but disappointingly the size has stayed the same - the ‘normal’ series 40 resolution of 128 x 128 pixels. This is one of the low-end displays on the market, but performs reasonably well.
An MP3 and AAC player also makes its way into the 6230, and it includes an equaliser function too. MP3 and AAC files can be stored on the MMC card or in the shared memory. It has a shuffle function and a repeat one too. A function everyone else likes that the 6230 has is a FM Stereo radio, but it can only be used when an enhancement (ie. HDS-3 headset) is attached as it acts as the aerial. MP3 files can be used as ring tones, as well as 24-chord polyphonic MIDIs.
Data transfers are easy - remote and local ones. For connecting to remote servers and surfing WAP sites, you can use HSCSD, or GPRS, or the super-fast EDGE data transfers. For those local transfers Infrared, Bluetooth, and the Pop-Port™ interface (which supports USB) data-cables. The WAP 2.0 browser supports pages in xHTML for a better browsing experience.
Streaming media with audio is also supported with thanks to these fast wireless speeds, and all the messaging standards - SMS, EMS, MMS, and e-mail sending and receiving with the included Java midlet.
As you can see, the 6230 is much more than just a 6220 with MMC support. Read on for more about this wonderful handset from Nokia.
Physical aspects
The 6230 is sheer delight, as the Finnish manufacturer says. Silver, chrome, light grey, and black are some of the main colours used in this small handset with attitude. It’s only reasonably heavy too, weighing 90 grams with the included battery. It measures 103 x 44 x 20 mm - a practical size.
All corners of the 6230 are rounded off; there is no sharpness in this sense. The front cover is mainly silver; the buttons are chrome-ish and compliment the cover. The outer section of the front cover is an off white, almost light grey colour and it meets up with the darkness in the middle of the handset. On the right side the infrared port and speakerphone are covered in a black plastic which curves around and gives the VGA camera a backdrop on the back cover. The whole back cover except for the small chrome release button is the grey/off-white colour on the front handset - oh, and the black camera panel which reads “Nokia”.
The only external buttons on the 6230 are the volume controls on the left side, they are sunk into the handset so don’t protrude and cause any bother. The ‘on/off’ button is on the top of the handset and will need to be held down for a few seconds and then released for the phone to turn on.
The 6230 has Xpress-on™ back and front covers that change the overall look of the handset in a few seconds. They aren’t perfectly fitted, but you can read about that in the Problems/Issues section of my article. All kinds of colours and designs are available from Nokia, to suit everyone’s taste.
The 6220 had some oddly shaped keys, getting smaller as they went down. The 6230’s buttons are all the same size and are easy to press and nicely labelled. The selection keys and hang-up/pick-up buttons have cornered labels which together make a frame of the directional key. Spaces between each key make then easy to differentiate between when you’re not looking at the keypad and as usual the ‘5’ key has indents.
The overall look of the 6230 is very sophisticated and genuine - I was quite impressed.
User Interface & display
The Nokia 6230 runs on a Series 40 (developer platform version 2.0) interface as you would have seen in many other models, the family is quite large. As most devices in this series the displays are usually 128 x 128 pixels, but 4,096 colours. The 6230 is 128 x 128 pixels, but has made the move from 4k to a blazing 65,536 colours. A welcomed upgrade, but the quality of the display is reasonably poor when compared to some other models. Some people are worried about the response time by phones in the menu and writing messages - you’ll be glad to hear that the response time on the 6230 is very quick, not noticeable to most.
The screen used is visible in sunlight and low light; the backlights are bright enough to light the phone up in any situation. The main menu of the 6230 can be viewed in two formats, a list view, or a grid view. There are 9 default icons; some SIM’s will have 10 if they include a SIM Services menu. The grid view I feel is the best way to easily navigate around the certain functions of the phone, as it’s all displayed in front of you instead of somewhere off screen. Settings, Messages, Media, Gallery, Call Register, Contacts, Organizer, Applications, and Services are the 9 menus.
Messages are the first option displayed and for good reason - it’s the most used menu! From this menu the text messages, multimedia messages, voice messages, info messages, and message-related options are available. The sub-menus are text labels, 5 can be displayed at once in the large font. If you know the number of a menu you can quickly press the menu key and the number, and the menu will open so you don’t have to scroll to it. This is a common feature on Series 40 phones.
The middle of the directional key is also a key, and pushing it down will open the menu from the idle screen. It also acts as the “select” key, but if you need any help text labels reside on the bottom of the screen telling what the left and right soft keys, and the main key do. Sometimes (for example if you are prompted to select between ‘yes,’ and ‘no’) the soft keys can only be used, pressing down the directional key will not perform a function.
The colour scheme of the 6230’s UI can be changed from the settings menu to match your mood, you, or your background image. You can make a selection between 8 colours. Fully customized themes like on Sony Ericsson phones are however not available. The Colour scheme you choose changes the text colour and the battery level/reception colours too.
The right selection key can be defined to the following functions: Calendar, contacts, countdown timer, and wallet - and the Go-To key which has been seen in other models is the left selection key which jumps to other commonly used functions. The phone can be controlled by your own voice too; voice commands are one of the features on the 6230.
Making and receiving calls
Calls on the 6230 can be received through a Bluetooth headset, a wired Pop-Port™ headset like the stereo one in the sales package, through the speakerphone, or the regular way. Either way you use the volume is good, and the placement of the microphone and speaker ensure great quality incoming and outgoing audio. The volume controls are located on the left side of the handset; they only slightly protrude from the side but are tacky enough and respond well.
The phone will ring either a 24-chord polyphonic tone, or a full mp3 tone. Both are supported on the 6230, so your favourite band or own creation can play from your phone every time it rings if you get the file onto the MMC card or internal memory of the phone. Ring tones are also available on many WAP sites too if you know where too look. When a call is coming through, a simple press of the green pick up button will do the trick and answer the call. The speakerphone can be enabled by pressing the left selection key; you don’t have to go via the options menu anymore. Hanging up is easy - the red button will do it.
Various in-call options can be accessed from the menu when you’re in a call, just press the default menu button and select the option you want. Most options here like using the 2nd line,
Contacts can be stored in two places - the SIM card or in the phones memory. Having them in either location has its advantages, for example if you, like me, change your SIM card around a lot having all contacts on the SIM card is the only option. When your contacts are on the phone memory you can attach portrait size images, extra details (like other phone numbers, home/work addresses, e-mail address, and notes). Ring tones can be assigned to particular contacts and groups can also be attached to the names.
The 6230 is great size to hold and the curved top rests on your ear nicely. It’s not too wide or long, so it’s not uncomfortable to hold. Although smooth, the Xpress-on™ covers aren’t slippery at all.
Messaging
When you need to get in contact with someone but can’t necessarily call them or don’t wish too, the most obvious other alternative is to send a text message to that person. MMS, SMS & EMS, and e-mail can all be received and sent on the 6230. Being in contactable is not an option - except if you turn the phone off! :)
SMS and EMS messages can be sent and received on the 6230 - that is a message containing only text characters, or one containing text and a small black/white image and/or a small monophonic sound file. EMS messages cost the same as SMS messages, as they are SMS messages underneath it all - hence the name, Enhanced Messaging Service. Concatenated SMS messages can also be sent/received, up to 6 messages at once. That’s a whole 885 characters.
Up to 150 maximum-sized SMS/EMS messages can be saved on the phones internal memory, plus the varying amount on SIM cards. ‘My Folders’ are folders that are user definable, you are able to make new ones, re-name others and place messages into the folders for easier access. Outgoing SMS/EMS/MMS messages are saved by default into the “Sent Messages” folder - but this can be turned off via the message settings menu.
MMS messages are the real hit nowadays. They can contain a video file, image file, polyphonic ring tone or other sound file (like your voice for instance), as well as the normal text which has been increased to up to 1000 characters from the normal 160 on a single SMS message. The maximum size for a MMS message on the 6230 is 100kB per message. From the MMS editor you add all the different objects, including templates, smileys, calendar notes, business cards, or a new slide. MMS Slides contain the different aspects of a message - and can have times attached to themselves like Power Point presentations. The whole message can also be previewed and viewed like it would look on a compatible phone.
MMS messages can be sent to an e-mail address, single compatible mobile number or many mobile numbers. Drafted messages can be saved and edited later before they are sent.
An e-mail Java midlet is compiled in the Messages menu of this handset, so you can set up the account(s) and send/receive e-mails like you would on a home/office PC. Some description of wireless data account will need to be used, like GPRS/EDGE or HSCSD. E-mail messages up to 30kB can be received on the Nokia 6230 - and to save on download/upload costs you can place all the messages into a folder and they can all be sent at the same time instead of each one separately.
Connectivity
With a Nokia 6230 you can connect to other devices in close range or remote servers at high speeds using a range of different methods. For the short-range connections, Bluetooth, Infrared, and Pop-Port™ data-cables can be used - and for the other connections you can use HSCSD, GPRS, or EDGE. Downlinks close to that of broadband internet connections on a PC are within reach of the high-speed protocols on the 6230.
Once again, Bluetooth tops the list for connections to other devices like a PC or other mobile phone. The short-range radio frequency enables the user to transmit data without any need for wires. This doesn’t restrict movement or any other activities; you can keep a stable connection between two devices up to 10 metres away. Devices like audio headsets, keyboards, and more are being manufactured all the time, and compatibility is only getting broader.
Infrared can also be used to connect two devices together, like a PC and the 6230, or the 6230 and another infrared enabled phone. Once the two ports are aligned and the receiving device has infrared turned on, the other can start transmitting images, business cards, anything the 6230 has to offer! Right from an objects menu you can select send via infrared; this function wasn’t available in other handsets. USB data-cables plug into the Pop-Port™ on the bottom of the 6230 and into a spare port, and enable data transfers, synchronizations, and more with a PC. The PC Suite is downloadable from the Nokia webpage.
GPRS, HSCSD, and EDGE are all wireless protocols that enable the 6230 to connect to remote servers and download information - like the internet on a computer. An endless array or information is available on WAP sites, and depending what your network supports and what area you are in, you can connect at super fast speeds. The GPRS protocol is mainly used, and it will enable a downlink connection (that’s downloading data) on the 6230 at around 36kbp/s, and an uplink at about 18kbp/s. The HSCSD protocol will be able to reach speeds at 43.2kbp/s and EDGE which is by far the fastest enables speeds of up to 236.8kbp/s. These are estimates and depend on network coverage in your particular area - some networks don’t support these protocols just yet either.
The Nokia 6230 has TCP/IP support, which are the protocols that a device uses to connect to remote hosts on the internet. It also supports Multitasking, which like the name suggests is the ability to perform more than one function at a time. All these features, including HSCSD, GPRS, and EGDE require network compatibility.
Whichever method of connection you choose, the 6230 has you covered. The WAP 2.0 browser on the 6230 can display xHTML pages as well, bringing richer pages to your handset. All short-range connection options are controllable from a “connectivity” menu in the main settings menu, and the others can be set up from the “Services” settings’ menu.
Build quality
Average. My obvious main disappointment as seen in the Problems/Issues section of this article was the looseness of the front and back covers, particularly at the top. They moved around from left to right quite freely and didn’t appear to be securely attached. Other than this, the only other problem related to the build of the phone would be the MMC card location - but for more about those two aspects move to the Problems/Issues page.
The back & front cover of the 6230 come off rather easily, the back cover just needs a push in on the chrome button and push upwards will remove it. The battery removes easily - fingers from large to small will actually be able to remove this battery. The SIM and MMC cards fit into the appropriate positions without any irritation on your part.
Battery life
All was well in this department of the Nokia 6230. Like most Nokia phones with the standard BL-5C battery, life of the phone wasn’t greatly decreased by the more complicated functions like the camera and Java games. Battery management on the 6230 was great, a recharge every third day should keep your battery running if you do quite a bit of talking.
Talk time on the 6230 (from Nokia.com) is said to be up to 5 hours, and talk time of up to 300 hours - all on the standard battery included in the sales package. These times will vary depending on the network strength, the SIM card and usage of the phone.
Major features...
Tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz auto switching
A tri-bang GSM phone has the ability to operate on three frequencies without any enhancements or accessories. The Nokia 6230 is tri-band, and can automatically switch between a GSM 900/1800/1900MHz frequency without interrupting you or your work.
The GSM 800, 1800, and 1900MHz frequencies are used in the Asia Pacific, Europe, and Africa. You can find a list of the frequencies and countries that use them at this URL: http://www.celluloco.com.
65,536 colour 128 x 128 pixel active TFT display
The active TFT display on the 6230 is the same size as other Series 40 devices like the Nokia 7250i, 6610, and others. It has however been boosted up to a 65,536 colour display, instead of the Series default 4,096 colours. This is a welcome change for most users, but the quality of the screen is quite low in part due to it’s small size - but you can read about that if you wish in the Problems/Issues section of my article.
The display acts as the viewfinder for the 6230’s camera function alike most phones.
Integrated VGA video and still camera
An integrated VGA camera presents itself on the back of the 6230 and produces 640 x 480 pixel still images, and video captures of up to 4 minutes! VGA cameras are the most commonly used in high-end handsets due to their quality which is a lot better than CIF cameras.
Most Series 40 phones from Nokia that have still/video cameras are CIF, but the 6230 as moved up from that. The pictures and movies can be saved onto the MMC card (a 32mB one is included in the sales package) or to the shared memory on the handset. For more about the camera and its abilities, including examples from the camera itself, head on over to the Camera Performance section of this article.
Streaming video and audio support
When you’re out and about and don’t have time to check the newspapers or a TV set to find out the latest news, you can do it with full audio and video using the streaming capabilities on the 6230. Only some networks support this at the moment, but that is no doubt going to be a function available on most networks in the very near future. It is primarily a 3G function, but because of EDGE data transmissions at high speeds it has been incorporated to 2.5G mobile handsets.
Streaming video and audio does not need to be downloaded before it can be watched; it begins playing as soon as the user starts the ‘feed’. It is a continuous feed of video and audio and very little buffer time is required. You can access news headlines, video clips, and much more with streaming video and audio. The streaming video on the 6230 is in 3GPP format, with H.263 video.
SMS/EMS/MMS/E-mail messaging
When you need to get in contact with someone but can’t necessarily call them or don’t wish too, the most obvious other alternative is to send a text message to that person. SMS and EMS messages can be sent and received on the 6230 - that is a message containing only text characters, or one containing both text and a small black/white image and/or a small monophonic sound file.
MMS messages can also be sent and received, with video, still images, sounds, and up to 1000 characters in the single message. An e-mail midlet is also bundled into the Messages main menu for you to set up with your e-mail accounts and receive/send messages like you would on a home PC. T9 predictive text support can be used in all messaging formats on the 6230.
Presence enhanced contacts and instant messaging
Presence enhanced contacts are little icons and text strings next to contacts on your phone that have the function on their handset that indicate what the user is doing - for example “In a meeting, do not disturb”. They enable the user to find out what a particular person is doing - but it is not widely used in Australia yet due to high GPRS costs.
Instant messaging on the 6230 is just that, text messages instantly sent to online users you know via an internet connection on your phone. They are just like messages you would send on your home PC through programs like “MSN Messenger,” “AIM,” and “Yahoo! Messenger.”
MMC card support
When an internal shared memory just isn’t enough for your videos, images, applications, and other data you really need some expandable and removable memory. The 6230 has support for an MMC card that sits under the battery next to the SIM card and can be used by the phone for almost anything. A 32mB MMC card is packed into the sales package for you to take advantage of, and you can buy more memory up to the limit of 256mB. Higher MMC cards draw too much power than the 6230 can handle and will burn it out.
Java games and applications
Like Symbian applications, Java applications and games enable you to further enhance your phone with life-management tools, information tools and fun games. The possibilities are almost endless with Java. They are downloadable from WAP sites straight onto the handset, or they can be transferred from a PC to the phone via Infrared/Data-cable or MMC card.
Pre-built into the Nokia 6230 are several Java games & applications; you will find Beach Rally II, Golf (both games), Mobile Karaoke, Translator, World Clock II, and Converter II (all applications). You can delete all or some of these if you wish, or leave them as is. The maximum limit for Java games & Applications is 128kB - and the format is MIDP 2.0.
FM Stereo radio
The Stereo FM radio can only be used when the headset is attached, as it acts as the aerial for it. Up to 20 radio stations can be tuned into the memory on the 6230 and given hot-keys. Set channels can also have names, and when you’re listening to a channel (through the headset) you can route the audio to the speakerphone and listen to it with more than one person.
The audio quality when routed through the speakerphone is usually a bit less than if you were listening to it with the headset in your ears. There is an option in the radio function to change between stereo and mono output.
Colour schemes
This is an old school Series 40 feature that has been around for ages. Changing the colour scheme of the phone via the “Display settings” menu will change the colour of most of the text and icons, including the selection highlighter. The battery and reception level colours will also be changed. The Blue scheme matches with the overall theme of the phone (the blue dots on the bottom half of the screen), but unfortunately this can’t be changed with your colour changes.
Animated screensavers
Sick of that standard digital clock screen saver that most Series 40 phones have? Well finally you can, animated colour screensavers are supported on the 6230 - and several are preinstalled in the memory for you to use. The file format used is GIF, like the animated images you see on a website on your PC.
You can set up your animated screensaver and other display related features in the “Display” section of the Settings menu.
PIM applications
From the main menu move down to the “Organiser” icon, where you will find most of the PIM applications that are installed into the UI of the 6230. You’ll find an alarm clock, calendar, to-do list manager, notes manager, e-wallet, and synchronizer functions. There is a world clock in the “Collection” folder in the “Applications” menu, and the converter and translator. The stopwatch, countdown timer, and calculator are located in the “Extras” folder in the “Applications” menu.
Polyphonic & MP3 ring tones
24-chord polyphonic ring tones give the user the ability to have tones that can simultaneously play up to 24 instruments simultaneously. This is a low format; most phones today can play from about 30 to 40 chords.
When you’ve had enough of the polyphonic ring tones, why not move up to a whole different level with MP3 ring tones. The 6230 has support for MP3 ring tones, which means your favourite song can be played out of the speakerphone when a call comes through in full audio. The MP3 and polyphonic ring tones can be stored on the MMC card or shared memory.
MP3 & AAC player with equalizer
A big highlight on the 6230 is the ability to play MP3 and AAC audio files. The music player application also has an equalizer function, although with basic tests it doesn’t seem to make much difference to the audio quality. When the headset isn’t connected the audio by default comes out of the speakerphone, but you can use a Bluetooth headset or wired headset (like the one included) to listen to the audio files. The music player will refresh the MMC card and phone memory for new files every time you start it, so if you can’t see your file just restart the application.
Pop-Port™ interface
The Pop-Port™ interface from Nokia enables the one port to perform several different functions with a single connection. It’s become a standard on most new phones being released by the Finnish super company. The Pop-Port™ interface offers fast USB connectivity, full stereo audio, power transfer through the interface meaning no need for an external battery, and digitalized identification for any device connected through the interface.
Most new accessories for Nokia devices have a Pop-Port™ connector, like some of the new hands free headsets from Logitech.
Bluetooth wireless technology
Connect wirelessly to a compatible PC or other device like a PDA/Printer using Bluetooth technology. The short-wave radio frequency enables devices to connect and communicate with one another at distances up to 10m, soon to be up to 100m thanks to even newer technology.
You can start to use a Bluetooth device once the two devices are paired, that is the secure connection between the two established. Headsets enable the freedom of talking to a small earpiece without having to be tied down by wires and great quality.
Infrared port
The infrared port on the 6230 is sneaky and hides next to the speakerphone on the right hand side of the phone. The manual doesn’t label where the port is, so it took a bit of searching on behalf to find it! With the infrared port you can transmit and receive data of any kind, and from an items menu you will see a “Send” option, and when that is selected a “via Infrared” option. Select that and the item will search for a device in line-of-sight range and send the picture/movie/tone/what ever you are sending.
xHTML support via WAP 2.0 browser
xHTML browsers allow richer colour and content to be brought to your handset, slowly moving towards a full internet experience on your mobile phone that you would get on a PC at home or in the office. WAP 2.0 allows users to interact with information and services easily. It’s just another step towards 3G. A browser is located in the “Services” menu.
EDGE/HSCSD/GPRS data transfer
You can transfer data on the 6230 at speeds faster than some high-speed internet connections. EDGE data is by the fastest on this model from Nokia, being able to reach 236.8 Kbit/s - that is EDGE Class 10 (4+1, 3+2). HSCSD can transfer at rates up to 42.3Kbit/s, and GPRS Class 10 at 48Kbit/s. These transfer rates are at optimum network and handset settings and are a guide only - and only some networks and areas support these protocols at the moment.
Voice features
There is space on the Nokia 6250 for up to 25 voice tag presets where you only have to press a button and say the name of the contact you want to call - and the phone does the rest! Up to 16 voice commands can be recorded - allowing your voice to control certain features on the phone like Infrared, Radio, and voice recorder. The voice recorder can record up to 3 minutes of audio per file.
An integrated speakerphone enables you to use the handset in a car or other environment where holding a phone to your ear is not permitted - and it includes automatic volume control.
Problems/Issues?
MMC card location
Once again the location of the MMC card is on the top of my small list of problems with the 6230. Nokia have placed it under the battery again, so to get data from it onto a PC or into an MMC card reader you have to turn the phone off, take off the back cover, remove the battery and then fiddle around with the MMC card to get it out.
The day hot-swap is incorporated into more phones by Nokia & the other manufacturers will be a great day for the excessive MMC card user like myself!
Keypad layout regarding functions
The Nokia 6230 as you probably know by now has a 5-way directional key, including the two soft keys. Mainly a press of the middle of the directional key will select whatever is highlighted on the screen - but then for some functions the soft keys must be used for example “Yes” or “No” functions.
This will take a bit of getting used to if you’ve used other Series 40 phones before that don’t have the 5-way directional key.
Low quality display
The 65,536 colour LCD is only small on the 6230, normal size by Series 40 standards though. This is mainly due to the fact that it is so small, but the move up to 65,536 colours is certainly an improvement from the 4,096 colour LCD’s in other Series 40 models. Most normal users shouldn’t have any problems with the display.
Loose Xpress-on™ covers
It may be just a worn out cover on the trial unit I received, but never the less…
At the top and bottom of the Xpress-on™ front cover you will notice while holding it or doing anything with the phone (like writing a message) the ends move from side to side quite a bit, like they’re not attached firmly - the back cover seems firmly attached. This makes the keypad move around a little also which is a bit annoying at times.
In Summary
I said in my 6220 review that the handset is a “communication dream.” Now the 6230 is here, and I must say that it really does impress me more than the 6220 in the communication side of things. Fast data transfers wirelessly, including Infrared and Bluetooth, 65k colour screen, all the messaging standards and more are all packed into this delightful and good looking handset.
The 6230 is mainly aimed at the professional businessman or woman, but that doesn’t restrict it to only this market. This is mainly due to the fast data speeds and e-mail support, and the general sophisticated look of the phone. EDGE data transfers on the phone can reach beyond 120kbp/s, making downloads and uploads incredibly fast. Presence enhanced contacts enable you to check where and what people are doing if they are logged into the service - and synchronization capabilities keep the user up to date and on time… all the time.
Messaging on the 6230 includes compatibility with e-mail (incoming and outgoing), MMS, SMS/EMS, and an instant messaging application. T9 predictive text makes your messages quick and easy. The 6230 is compatible on almost every continent - it is a triband GSM 900/1800/1900MHz handset. The VGA camera can capture images and video which can be attached to your MMS or e-mail messages. Streaming video and audio can be viewed also.
The Nokia 6230 is on the Australian market now, and for this handset expect to pay around $750 to $820. |
| Common misspellings on this brand: niokia |
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