Nokia 6300

An entry level handset designed to do the basics, the Nokia 6300 is a stylish, well designed mobile phone with a 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player and stereo FM radio. The matt stainless steel finish adds a touch of class to a unit that will serve most users needs with excellence.

Features

The 6300 performs well for voice calls, with adequate call quality and good volume levels, even in noisy environments. The hands-free speakerphone also works well and was loud and clear throughout testing. The 6300 includes the full array of standard phone features such as a 1000-entry phone book, speed dialling and voice commands.

The 6300 is very basic handset, with no advanced features, making it ideal for those who are after a first handset or users who just want a phone to make calls and send messages. Despite being a base model, the 6300 includes a couple of multimedia features such as a 2 megapixel camera, FM radio and MP3 player. The camera captures images at up to 1600x1200 and has a number of effects, a night mode, the ability to adjust white balance and a 10 second self-timer. However, photos taken with the 6300 camera suffer from the same problems synonymous with most mobile phones - a lack of clarity, poor colour reproduction and excessive image noise, limiting its use to happy snaps and little more.

The music player interface has been given a refreshing new look, but it remains the same features-wise as most Nokia phones. Basic play options include random and repeat, while seven preset equaliser options allow users to tweak the sound. The 6300 also includes Bluetooth with Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), meaning it can wirelessly stream music to a compatible pair of Bluetooth headphones. The 6300 is capable of playing multiple file formats including WMA, MP3 and AAC.

Design

The 6300 is really a gem of a design and is sleek, sturdy and very comfortable to use. It measures 106mm x 44mm x 13mmm and weighs just 91g. It's finished in a matt, stainless steel and gloss black surface and is very kind to fingerprints. Overall, the design resembles a much more expensive handset. The large 2in display is also excellent, offering a resolution of 240x320 pixels (TFT) and supporting up to 16.7 million colours. It is bright and clear for general menu browsing and also looks good for watching video clips.

The controls provide excellent tactile feedback and the keypad is well spaced out and comfortable when type long messages. Controls consist of a five-way navigational pad with a stylish chrome outline, two selection buttons and answer/end call keys. When pressed, both the keypad and controls light up thanks to a soft blue backlight, while two LED 'reminder lights' on each side of the handset flash blue when the 6300 receives a message or call. The only other buttons on the handset are a power button on the top and a volume control on the right side.

The 6300 is charged via a standard Nokia AC charger, included in the sales package, but can also be charged via a standard mini-USB cable (not included) thanks to a mini-USB connection at the bottom of the phone. According to Nokia figures, battery life is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 336 hours of standby time. On average the 6300 lasted two to three days with moderate usage during testing.