Nokia 6230 review by PC Magazine
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REVIEW DATE: 01.24.05
By Sascha Segan
Clark Kent could relate to the Nokia 6230. Behind its decidedly plain,
mild-mannered exterior lies the heart of a super-phone: an
MP3-playing, Bluetooth-networking powerhouse that's your best bet for
connecting to Cingular's EDGE network. And this candy-bar phone is
compact and reasonably priced.
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The low price does mean a small (1.8-inch) screen that's a bit dim (it
doesn't pop like some of the others we've seen), and the four-way
rocker is wobbly. The earpiece is loud enough, although the
speakerphone is a bit quiet. In the plus column, the 6230 has a list
of multimedia frills a yard long. There's an MP3 player, which works
with a removable MMC memory card (a 32MB card is included). Alas, the
card slot is buried under the battery, and isn't easy to get to.
There's also an FM radio and a decent VGA camera (see our Camera Phone
Test Gallery for images and comparisons). Java benchmark-test
performance was excellent, boding well for games.
Business users will appreciate a very open Bluetooth implementation
that lets you hook up headsets, upload and download files, and use
your 6230 as an EDGE modem for your PDA or laptop. The Nokia 6230 uses
Class 10 EDGE, which provides faster data rates than slower EDGE
phones like the Motorola V551. Connected to a laptop via USB or
Bluetooth, we got an average of 160 Kbps download speed and 56 Kbps
upload speed, pretty much double the V551's speed. The 6230 is also
comparable in speed to current PC Card WAN solutions for laptops—but
is much cheaper. As this is a phone, you can use it with Cingular's
unlimited Media Works data plan ($20 per month), rather than the
company's $79.99 per month PC Card data plan.
We got online with the 6230 using Cingular's Connection Manager, a
relatively sleek piece of software. Setting up the phone as a modem
takes some patience, though, as you navigate configuring a Bluetooth
serial port or deal with Microsoft Windows trying to recognize your
USB cable. When we connected the USB cable, Windows had us install six
drivers in six repeated, identical sequences. If you're not a techie,
you'll have to have a support person walk you through the process.
Still, if you want to revel in a small, unassuming phone packed with
entertainment features and connectivity options, the 6230 hits the
spot.
Benchmark results:
Jbenchmark 1: 1925
Jbenchmark 2: 189
Battery Lofe: 9 hours 0 minutes
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1753982,00.asp
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