Nokia 6681 review: Extra style

Improved email

Nokia 6681 offers the following set of functions: SMS, MMS, emails, a program for instant messages and the traditional Push to talk option. Text messages have been left unchanged.

As for the MMS editor, it shows no change at first sight. Contrary to the older phones with a limit of 100 kB, however, it attaches items of up to 300 kB. Megapixel pictures are automatically reduced. To my greatest satisfaction, the editor asked me whether to delete or move to the concepts the message I had created and was trying to close. In older models it would automatically send the message to the concepts.

Messages' main menu • writing SMS • inquiry before leaving the initialized message

The email browser underwent great modifications compared to the previous Nokia models. The setup, for example, is not placed in one line only, but is divided into several parts. You can choose whether to receive the whole message or just its header (an option that was earlier available in IMAP4 only). What's more, the POP3 server features an option for selecting the size limit of the message which is to be downloaded into the phone. The last available option is to cancel all limitations and download everything.

The browser can regularly check the content of the mailbox. Doing so, it only reads the headers of the messages; you can even choose whether to have this function activated in your national mobile net only. Thanks to this option you are protected from getting into the red when in roaming. You can preset the phone to download on selected days and in a selected from-to period of the particular day. If using the IMAP4 server, you can check your distant mailbox every 5 minutes to every 6 hours. With POP3 the shortest interval is half an hour.

Made for business

The comparative tests did not reveal any changes in the calendar. Fully identical is also the task manager, the calculator and the notes manager. The clock has been also left unchanged as well as the alarm clock, which is still far too simple and unrepeated. Just like in the 6630 model, the clock is equipped with a world time option. Thanks to it you can find out what the time is in various foreign cities.

Alarm clock is much too simple • world time • month and week view at the calendar

The phone has a currency and item converter hidden among its organizing functions. It is also equipped with a wallet for saving secret codes and information.

Something's wrong here

The Quickword and Quicksheet applications serve for browsing DOC documents and XLS tables. However, no matter how hard my efforts to open these applications were, both of them would show an error every time I tried to open a file of one of the types mentioned above. At the same time Nokia 6630 would open all the test files without a single problem.

Nokia 6630 had one preinstalled game - 3D Snowboard, which did not grip me much. This time you can download any game you want- either in a version compatible with the Symbian operational system, or in Java. Java is supported in its MIDP 2.0 version and is slower than in the 6630 model, perhaps, because of the higher number of colors on the display:

• jBenchmark 1.0: 5015 (Nokia 6630: 6044)
• jBenchmark 2.0: 166 (Nokia 6630: 190)

If you don't need 3G

Nokia's older models used to receive nothing but critical remarks about their data functions. Actually, they did not deserve anything better for Nokia used to equip its high-class smart phones with GPRS Class 6 - an application some manufacturers would not install even in their cheapest mobiles. This time Nokia has gone for Class 10 and has added EDGE (also Class 10).

In terms of data options, however, Nokia 6681 has poorer equipment than the forerunner Nokia 6630. It lacks support of the third generation WCDMA net, which is present in the mentioned 6680 model only. The phone does not work with CSD and HSCSD dialed data transfers; hopefully, hardly anyone would mind such a detail in the present market conditions.

I first tested Nokia 6681 with EDGE - well, at least I hoped to get connected to EDGE, for the display does not say whether this technology is present in the mobile net. Connection through Bluetooth is fast, no matter if you use a standard modem installed by Windows.

A great option of Nokia's Series 60 mobiles is that you have to just rewrite APN if you need to exchange cards. Data profile in Windows can stay unchanged.

I almost forgot to mention Bluetooth - a standard function for all mobiles of the Series 60. Nokia has extended the profile menu: it supports both the already used Handsfree and the Headset profile. Both profiles are designed to connect the mobile to various types of wireless handsfree and earphones. As for Bluetooth, all its functions worked brilliantly.