6220 classic

Sporting some similar specifications to the soon-to-be-released flagship N96, the Nokia 6220 classic has somewhat slipped under the radar. This fairly bland looking handset boasts a wealth of features, including built-in GPS and a Carl Zeiss 5-megapixel camera with Xenon flash.

Perhaps one of the reasons the 6220 classic hasn't made such a splash is its run-of-the-mill appearance. Although its build quality seems excellent, the bland design and finish of this handset, particularly the side and rear casing, certainly don't inspire. The gloss black front and large, comfortable keypad are a different story, however, and give the 6220 a desperately needed touch of class.

Although the design is fairly standard, Nokia has ticked plenty of boxes in regards to useability; in particular, the layout of the controls is excellent. A five-way navigational pad does the bulk of the work; two selection buttons and dedicated keys for menu and clear are also present — they are both a little small for our liking. The keypad, on the other hand, is superb. Each key is large, well separated and provides a reasonable amount of tactile feedback.

The useability of the 6220 classic is a product of more than just its physical characteristics: the refreshed Symbian S60 operating system is a breeze to use. We were particularly impressed with some of the transitions between menus — for example, opening the camera slider while in the music menu will result in the music menu slowly fading and then the camera menu will be revealed. The smoother transitions are also notable in the main menu — many of the fading graphics when opening applications are reminiscent of the iPhone 3G.

The 6220 classic has an extensive features list, most notably GPS. Nokia bundles its Maps application with this handset; this only provides directions and not full turn-by-turn navigation. Regardless, the Maps application is definitely handy and a powerful tool to have in your pocket. We found it reasonably speedy to gain and maintain a GPS signal (usually taking less than a minute), provided we had a clear view of the sky. We also liked the dedicated Maps button and GPS status light, both located on the left side of the handset. Keep in mind that you need a data connection to download and update maps and to get an initial GPS fix.

Nokia includes Carl Zeiss lenses on most of its N-Series handsets; the 6220 classic joins this exclusive club. The 5-megapixel camera boasts a handy lens cover, a bright and effective Xenon flash and autofocus. We were impressed with the photos it produced, although they still aren't good enough to have your phone replace a standalone digital camera. The 6220 classic is one of the better camera phones on the market. Images have decent colour reproduction but there is plenty of noise.

Connectivity is a reasonably strong point of the 6220 classic, although Wi-Fi is notably absent. Wi-Fi would have been a great inclusion, but this is the main point of difference between the classic and N-Series handsets. As it stands, Bluetooth with A2DP and a micro-USB port are present; an included 1GB microSD card should satisfy most storage needs. HSDPA capabilities mean this handset is a reasonable device for mobile Internet access and the included browser does a reasonable job in this regard.

Multimedia capabilities are fair and include an FM radio, but Nokia has disappointingly not included a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. Instead, the boxed headphones are 2.5mm. The music player is reasonable, with basic sound settings, an equaliser and playlist support all present.