Nokia 6303 classic review: Euro hatch territory

Unboxing Nokia 6303 classic

The retail package of the Nokia 6303 is standard issue stuff. The regular charger (not the mini variety), a very short (and we mean really short) data cable, and a set of stereo headphones with a detachable remote are what you find inside. The 1050 mAh battery is here as well, while a quick start guide and a manual round out the contents.

The only bonus goodie is the 1GB microSD card that ships with the handset.

Nokia 6303 classic unboxed

Nokia 6303 classic 360-degree spin

The Nokia 6303 classic measures 108.8 x 46.2 x 11.7 mm with a volume of 57 cc. The phone hits the sweetspot of comfortable handling. Neither too small, nor too big, it fits nicely into any pocket. Don't let the weight of 96g fool you, the 6303 classic has a pleasingly solid feel in the hand, and the metal body seems quite sturdy and reliable.

Design and construction

The earpiece is centrally placed right above the Nokia logo up front. The ambient light sensor is right next to it.

Earpiece and ambient light sensor above the display

The display of the 6303 classic is among the finest we've seen by Nokia in terms of both contrast and color rendering, and it has an impressively wide viewing angle.

The QVGA screen can display up to 16M colors on a 2.2" diagonal. Sunlight legibility is an absolute treat, something that's become almost a trademark for Nokia.

A decent-sized display

Beneath the display, rocker-styled knobs on both sides of the D-pad accommodate the soft keys and the Call and End buttons. The navigation frame of the D-pad projects nicely over an roomy confirm key. All controls are comfortable to use and occasional mispresses are very rare.

2.2" display and comfortable navigation

The front has a slight curve at the bottom, which raises the end row of the keypad slightly. This makes keys a bit harder to press, but it's nothing major.

The star and hash key are smaller and slightly less comfortable but that seems a sacrifice to the curvy styling of the device. Otherwise, the keys are well defined and solid to press.

The top and bottom row of keys had to make sacrifices in the name of looks

The display backlighting and the blue keypad illumination are very strong and even make the handset a pleasure to use in the dark.

The strong and even blue backlighting is a treat