Nokia 3600 slide review: Smooth glider

Nokia 3600 slide unboxed

The retail package of Nokia 3600 slide is just average. The regular charger (not the mini variety), USB cable, and a set of stereo headphones are the things to find in the retail box. The 860 mAh battery is here as well, and a quick start guide and a manual complete the tally. The only bonus inside is the 512MB microSD card that ships with the handset.

The small box and its contents

Nokia 3600 slide 360-degree spin

Nokia 3600 slide measures 97.8 x 47.2 x 14.5 mm. Those numbers yell compact and the phone shape is perfect to fit in any pocket. The completely plastic body weighs 97.3 g.

Design and construction

The earpiece is centrally placed right above the Nokia logo and this is all you get above the display.

The earpiece above the display

The 2" screen follows, with the huge soft keys right under it. It's an extremely pleasing navigation deck with ample and neat context keys and Call and End buttons placed on each side of a nicely elevated D-pad. All controls are very comfortable to use and accidental mispresses are completely ruled out. The navigation pad is strongly and evenly backlit. The same holds true for the display backlighting.

2" display and comfortable D-pad

Sliding up unveils the alphanumeric keypad, which takes the entire lower deck of the phone. The middle row of keys is framed by a thin metallic border reminiscent of the classic 6230 keypad styling. Keys are amply sized, well defined and solid to press. Mistypes are quite unlikely, and we are very happy with the build quality and the comfort of use. The only issue is the lack of headroom for the top row of keys, which is partly dealt with by the oval contour of the sliding bit.

A very proper keypad

The keypad backlighting is also very strong and even to make the handset a pleasure to use in the dark.

We appreciate the strong and even backlighting

On the top side of Nokia 3600 slide you'll find two apertures - a charger connector and a 2.5 mm audio jack. It seems 2.5 mm is the standard Nokia pick, leaving the 3.5 mm for the high-end multimedia devices only. Between the connectors is the power key, which also invokes ringing profiles upon a short press.

2.5 mm jack, a charger plug and a power key on top

The right side of the handset hosts the volume rocker and the dedicated camera key. Their size and elevation are great for touch orientation. A little grudge with the shutter key, which is very rigid to full press, though quite OK for a distinct and smooth half press.

Volume rocker and shutter key

Turning to the left, we come upon only one essential element - the microUSB port, which is placed closest to the top, its plastic lid keeping the phone looks intact. The memory card slot is sadly nestled under the battery cover near the USB port. The mouthpiece and the lanyard eyelet are just above the USB port.

Data port on the left

Bottomside, we find only the battery cover latch, which is pretty rigid and requires quite some push to get the cover off.

Battery cover latch at the bottom

We conclude our shape-and-looks tour with the rear. The back panel is made of matt plastic, which is fingerprint-proof. The dual LED flash is right beside the lens and the whole combo is placed within a plate of finely brushed glossy plastic. In the bottom left corner is the loudspeaker grill.

Neat and simple, the rounded rear houses the camera lens and the loudspeaker grill

Releasing the battery cover, which is easier said that done, reveals the BL-4S 860 mAh battery and the SIM compartment. The battery falls off just like that once the battery cover has been removed, as there is nothing to hold it down to its bed. Just the opposite, the SIM card compartment is caged under a metal bracket, which was a bit rigid at first too. The battery itself is a decent performer - the phone stuck out for 3 or 4 days on a single charge.

Rear cover off

The small slider is a pleasure to work with. The sliding action is smooth and solid, with a surprisingly short run. The modest, though by no means poor quality, casing is pleasant to the touch and quite reliable. The gradated color pattern and fingerprint resistant surfaces are an added gain.

The small Nokia 3600 slide held in hand