Nokia 6500 classic
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Nokia 6500 classic

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  • B
  • Bob
  • nxt
  • 27 Oct 2007

Use PCSuite for uploading to phone. I compressed a bit of Prison Break to 3GP on the 6500 just to see - could only do standard res, quality wasn't particularly good.

Found a 'bug'. Parts of mp3's which are very quiet come out 'scratchy', if too quiet, the software cuts them. Could be just the Lame encoder, haven't tried a different one. Very annoying tho'. Phone won't be good for mp3's (from the Lame encoder at least). Don't know yet if it does mp4. It certainly does aac without problem, but still I don't want to have recode all my music to aac.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • kBM
    • 27 Oct 2007

    so is the bronze out now b/c someone's selling it on ebay...i thought it was scheduled ot release on the 28th of this month?!

    the person selling has a really high rating, too...

      • j
      • jeff
      • PW9
      • 27 Oct 2007

      i see the phone for first time today. I thoguht it is just okay. I do not like the bottoms since Nokia is attaching some steel on top of it make it not so easy to use. The color black quality make it cheap looking compair with Nokia 6300. But my Son love it and change his 6300 with 6500.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • 0xN
        • 26 Oct 2007

        Bob, thanks for your opinion. I really can't wait for my 6500c to arrive! Should be next week. In the meanwhile, what software are you using for uploading video on this phone? What resolution and other specs seem to give the best movie quality?

          • B
          • Bob
          • MkD
          • 26 Oct 2007

          Oh yes, for those interested in stability, my 6500 has been up for 6 days solid and put through it's paces. No lock ups or any other anomolies yet. Totally stable so far.

            • B
            • Bob
            • MkD
            • 26 Oct 2007

            > I'm just pissed at Nokia for not providing the basic in a modern 3G phone(like a front camera, memory card or HSDPA)!

            Yeah, I can certainly understand your frustration. At least they did something right with micro-usb. Let's hope SE see sense and stop trying to extort their customer base.

            Hmmm, SE = Sony Extortion? ;)

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • ixi
              • 26 Oct 2007

              To Bob (nxtj)

              I think you have said everything that's needed to shut the feature-moaning geeks right up.

              "I think Nokia have produced mostly cr@p for the past 4, maybe 5 years and I hope this phone is the sign of change."

              I really couldn't agree more. They have been pumping out horrendous looking bricks now for the past 5 years, seemingly ignoring calls for slim aestethics for the sake for one more feature or one more megabyte - which has only made Nokia phones uglier and uglier and fatter and fatter (just look at the N95 - packed full of stuff the majority of users would never use and it is painfilly ugly).

              I still say their last best phone (in terms of features vs performance vs size vs price vs (ultimately) looks) was the 6100. It has not been beaten.

              Until now.

              The 6500 Classic blows the 6100 out of the water. And with the E51 on the horizon too, it looks like Nokia are finally beginning to crack it again. But a five year wait is a bit pathetic.

              Also, batteries with large capacities will heat up. This is just their nature.


              To 2FyE

              "Why did I got rid of it then? major reason because I found the font size are too small for comfort(just like the 8600 I had; which I sold on the 3rd day)"
              Well, that is your dumba$$ fault for buying before you try. Shall I say it again? More money than sense...

              "the back cover is not so well designed hence it's difficult to open"
              Do you have the arms of a girl? Hold the sides of the battery cover and slide it down. It comes of pretty damn easy, unless your fingers holding the top half of the phone are resting on the top of the battery cover...

              "(I change my SIM card quite often as I have to travel a lot); which is not convince for me at all!"
              Surely this justifies owning more than one phone for the sake of convenience? And considering you purchase phones on a whim, I'm surprised you don't own half a mobile shop by now.

              "I don't use much video calling but it's nice to know it's there when you need it, agree?"
              Coming from someone who was making such an issue out of it, you were saying the 6500 Classic wasn't worth buying. Are you mental? Make your mind up.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • 2Fy
                • 26 Oct 2007

                8850 was real nice! It was the best at the time; together with a Sony phone(can't remember the model name). Heat up & weak signal strenth of my grey/green & gold color 8850 was a pain!....but then we had very limited choices!

                Just don't understand why Nokia still didn't rectify heat up problem with all their phones!!! Most Motorola phones do not heat up(at least my palm/face/ear don't feel the heat); even for long period of conversations! I'm still using my Moto A1200, K1 & K3 & they are still working fine...I use them quite rough!

                When I go out at night, I usually take my Prada phone with me. My Vertu is too heavy for the suit/pants pocket.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • 2Fy
                  • 26 Oct 2007

                  Bob,

                  Thanks for your reply.
                  50p/minute is way too expensive, do they provide this service in England with a packadge like our operators do here? Anyway, youngsters usually get money from their parents or older brothers/sisters.

                  From the past till today, Japanese(electronic guru) produce the most advanced & most reliable electronic products....korean products not as advanced nor reliable(just look at the #1 Samsung...their phones battery is terrible & usually something goes wrong within a half year).
                  Btw, do you notice that all European cars are using Japanese air-conditioning? European cars air-con used to be terrible...consume so much energy from the engine but still not emitting enough cold air!

                  Just like the TV phone I said from China, it's really amazing what they can do....the size/volume of 6500 but with so many features(except 3G, cause China have no 3G yet) in such a small unit & at such a low price! I do doubt their quality & realibity in the longer run(but so what? it's so cheap! what the heck of getting one just for the fun of it).
                  Anyway, China is the biggest electronic manufacturer in the world & they produce the most charger in the world. A lot of name branded phones are also produced in China ...in whole or in parts.

                  I'm just pissed at Nokia for not providing the basic in a modern 3G phone(like a front camera, memory card or HSDPA)!

                  Yes, look is the first thing that attracts me to a phone but usability is more important in the long run! I got rid of my 8600 cause I found it not user friendly at all in many ways!!!

                  G2G

                    • S
                    • Show
                    • vkT
                    • 26 Oct 2007

                    Giving a review of this phone in context to its target consumer group, those who appreciate quality and style over features.

                    This is definitely a nice phone in its price range. The brushed aluminum housing gives it a sense of solidness but unlike the Sirocco, the actual assembly of the phone itself is not that great. The screen isn't fitted perfectly to the aluminum which will cause dust to get trapped in the sides. Also, the edges of each part is not smoothly constructed together despite the official GSMarena review saying so. Well, it is made in China.

                    The middle "menu" button is made of black plastic. Since this is not a flip or slide phone, that button is going to have a lot of scratches, it is inevitable. Considering its color, this also means the scratches would be quite visible.

                    Function and stability wise, I am not too sure as I haven't got the phone, just examined the working model.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • PSY
                      • 26 Oct 2007

                      Bronze color version available???

                        • k
                        • kev
                        • 4xf
                        • 26 Oct 2007

                        6500 classic has 3G, 6300 doesn't

                          • B
                          • Bob
                          • nxt
                          • 26 Oct 2007

                          Thanks for the constructive response 2fye.

                          Yes, it's mostly the young tech-fans who like the video calling, but I've no idea how they finance it! And I've not seen anyone else use it. I shocked a UK reseller with my bill average, turns out it's mostly roaming-data, I hate to think what my bills would be with video calling - I think someone said 50p/minute, sounds right to me.
                          Yeah, plastic back - *awful*. They definitely should have reminded themselves how to do things properly by taking a look at the old 8850 before deciding what to do with the back. Otherwise, yes, it's got a nice solid feel.

                          Interesting that a simple thing like the font makes such a big difference, but it does. I hated the K800i because of many 'small' things like that (the joystick navigation - navikey is *far quicker* and easier in the car, line-by-line sms scrolling, speed to enter a new number (enter number, more, save number, new contact, contact type, add name (the person whose number I'm saving has walked off by now), OK, save) etc etc.
                          Personally, I'm ok with the font size so I guess I'm lucky there. As for opening it, maybe you should reconsider... To get the back off, just pull it. Get the battery out, just 'slap' against your hand (hence the odd battery connectors), the sim - slightly more tricky, but *better* than the K800i which is a major pain! (I'm also a sim swapper in certain countries which I visit on personal travel).

                          As for video calling, I never need it so I can't really comment there. The data aspect is far more important from my perspective, plus I could video conf on laptop over 3G if necessary.

                          With regard to new phones, experience tells me that most 'new' phones are 'marketing upgrades', ie. there's nothing special about the new phone, except that it's new and looks different. So, I'm different there, I won't entertain the evil marketing scams and I only upgrade when I see something that's worth upgrading to and, if it's worth upgrading to, then it's worth getting it sim free as network locking and network branding pi55es me off, especially when it comes to sim swapping which is inevitable at some point. And I always get a demo of the phone first before I decide, and always check the product asap to make sure I haven't been sold a dud or otherwise faulty product.

                          Finally, yeah, the orientals are way ahead. However, I tend to watch DVD's more than TV. On the move I'll compress a movie onto an SD card and watch it on my nice 640x480 screened HTC Universal which sits nicely on the aeroplane tray-table :) Unlike having to hold it, like with an iPod!

                          Oh yeah, it does heat up, but not as badly as my old 8850 did! So no bother for me there!

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 2Fy
                            • 26 Oct 2007

                            Bob,

                            Video calling(mobile phone) are sometimes used in business(e.g. bankers); but they are most often used by lovers ...especially young or teenage lovers!

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • 2Fy
                              • 26 Oct 2007

                              Bob,

                              I accept your opinion/feedback. In the first place, I brought the phone cause I like the look & the solid feel. The metal part of the phone is nice ...unlike the 6500 slide, but the plastic of the back is another story!

                              Why did I got rid of it then? major reason because I found the font size are too small for comfort(just like the 8600 I had; which I sold on the 3rd day), the back cover is not so well designed hence it's difficult to open(I change my SIM card quite often as I have to travel a lot); which is not convince for me at all!
                              I do a lot of business conversations & this phone does heat up pretty badly ...which is very uncomfortable for any user!

                              I don't use much video calling but it's nice to know it's there when you need it, agree?

                              May use the camera ocassionally. Never listen to the radio nor the music. Hardly need to use the phone for data transfer either!

                              Whenever I want to buy a phone(very often when there's a new phone on sale), I just pick them up from the shop without trying or opening the box for checking. I only try the new phone when I have spare time at home.

                              Those "real" TV phones(not TV out) made in China are amazing & they are legal. Some TV phones include hand writing plus 2 SIM cards slots. They are only approx. the size/volume of the 6500c! The cost is around US$100. to US$180., depending on the model/make.


                                • B
                                • Bob
                                • nxt
                                • 26 Oct 2007

                                Ok, it swings and roundabouts. You've started comparing the 6500 to the w880 - a interesting comparison as it turns out.

                                >> 1. hspda is found on high-end phones. the 6500c phone is mid-high and if it was to include hsdpa then the costs would be much higher and push this phone away from the market it’s aimed at

                                > this is not an excuse, this phone is not so cheap either ....6120 classic is cheaper but support hsdpa! (not
                                to mention a lot more features!

                                They really don't need an 'excuse' as you put it. It's evidently all down to design (ie., what to include/not include).
                                Yeah, have to agree about HSDPA, don't know why they couldn't have included it. Would have been nice. *However*, the phone does have good legacy data protocol support which is good for people who travel alot. For comparion, this is not so on the w880 which lacks EDGE and has only class 10 GPRS). Also, the 6500 is not *that* expensive. You can get one for 270 UKP sim free if you look, or "free" for 18UKP/month with certain providers (see previous posts by other people).

                                >> 2. the 6500 slide is thicker and can accommodate the extra components

                                > not a goodd excuse either! sonyericsson w880 which has been on sale for almost a yer has got the same thickness but got a front camera ....are you trying to say that sonyericsson have higher techonology than nokia?

                                Well, I suspect that Sony most likely do have much better resources in terms of micro technology so you could be right there. However, and this is where the comparison becomes interesting again, the w880 has no flash for its main camera. Now that to me seems like a major 'oversight', much more so than having a front camera which few people will use.

                                >> 3. other phones have a thicker profile, plus if you want video calling that no one uses then there are other options for you to buy. for the record, the 6233 didn’t have a front camera either.

                                > again another rip off & cost saving effort by nokia!!!

                                As I mentioned earlier, you can get the phone for free on the right contract. I get the impression that if it had a front camera you would actually really like the phone? Cost saving maybe, but look at it like this: if you don't do video calls, and you'd prefer to have good data protocol support because you travel, and you'd like to have a flash on the main camera, what would you choose - the 6500 or the w880? Also, have a read of the w880 board - a substantial number of unhappy w880 customers on there, just as there are unhappy people here.

                                Yes, I could have got a cheaper phone with better data capability and a front camera, but if that's all there was in the equation then I why did I get a 6500? Simple, I like the way it looks and it meets my requirements - particularly with size, the UI and data capabilities. Other people prefer a SE, or even a different model of Nokia or some other brand for exactly the same reasons. If everyone 'liked' the same thing or had the same requirements and same budgets then we wouldn't be having this dicussion and all phones would look the same.

                                PS. I am not a Nokia salesmen, I think Nokia have produced mostly cr@p for the past 4, maybe 5 years and I hope this phone is the sign of change.

                                Any replies, please make them constructive.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 2Fy
                                  • 25 Oct 2007

                                  1. hspda is found on high-end phones. the 6500c phone is mid-high and if it was to include hsdpa then the costs would be much higher and push this phone away from the market it’s aimed at

                                  this is not an excuse, this phone is not so cheap either ....6120 classic is cheaper but support hsdpa! (not to mention a lot more features!

                                  2. the 6500 slide is thicker and can accommodate the extra components

                                  not a goodd excuse either! sonyericsson w880 which has been on sale for almost a yer has got the same thickness but got a front camera ....are you trying to say that sonyericsson have higher techonology than nokia?

                                  3. other phones have a thicker profile, plus if you want video calling that no one uses then there are other options for you to buy. for the record, the 6233 didn’t have a front camera either.

                                  again another rip off & cost saving effort by nokia!!!


                                    • V
                                    • Vytenis
                                    • 0xN
                                    • 25 Oct 2007

                                    Hi, Steve -> I've ordered this phone today - should arrive next week. I'm really excited! I've also bought some accessories: a silicon case and some screen protectors. The phone, when new, has one for sure, right? I should just probably keep it on for as long as I can, because the main thing that worries me is that I wouldn't accidentally damage the unprotected LCD... I currently own a 6030, which is very sturdy and has basic features and a brilliant battery. But the 6500c is almost half the thickness and so beautiful. You of course do believe me, that looks are really hard to resist on this phone. Any tips for when I take it out of its box? As I saw it on the Ebay item description page - it does have a little red sticker (?) on the bottom - I just hope it's not some kind of carrier logo? Did you have that one too? You should be able to remove it, right? Thanks for your answers.

                                    Vytenis

                                      • S
                                      • Steve
                                      • m5T
                                      • 25 Oct 2007

                                      "1. This is the only 3G phone on the market that does not support video calling, why?
                                      Ok, you said 3G are for fast data transfer; so why no 3.5G(HSDPA) with this phone?
                                      2. Why is the 6500 slide(from the same family) got a front camera for video calling???!!!
                                      3. Refering to what you posted, it sound to me like 3G services are meant only for fast data transfer, then why the hell all the other 3G or 3.5G phones have a front camera?????!!!!!!"

                                      1. HSPDA is found on high-end phones. The 6500c phone is mid-high and if it was to include HSDPA then the costs would be much higher and push this phone away from the market it’s aimed at

                                      2. The 6500 slide is thicker and can accommodate the extra components

                                      3. Other phones have a thicker profile, plus if you want video calling that no one uses then there are other options for you to buy. For the record, the 6233 didn’t have a front camera either.

                                      ;-)

                                        • B
                                        • Bob
                                        • nxt
                                        • 25 Oct 2007

                                        No more insults please, it's really not necessary.

                                        You know what, I had a K800i for a year - I made like two video calls on the first day and after that never used it again. Nokia most likely included 3G for laptop data purposes, but to keep the phone slim (one of it's selling points) they had to leave the front camera out. If I remember rightly, 3G was also intended for video streaming from internet sources, not just for video calling.

                                        I'm happy to have a 3G phone for use with my laptop and I'm honestly not bothered about the lack of video calling capability.