Nokia 6760 slide review: Compact messaging

Modest retail package

The retail package of Nokia 6760 slide is quite modest. It only offers a charger, short USB cable and wired headphones with a remote/mic. The only bonus feature is the 2 GB microSD card.

The 6760 slide retail package sticks to the basics

Nokia 6760 slide 360-degree spin

The Nokia 6760 slide is among the most compact QWERTY sliders we've seen and size will be quite an advantage in the eyes of some users. The weight of 123 grams is also friendly enough but the good hand balance is perhaps the more important thing to note.

Design and construction

The first thing to say about the 6760 slide is that despite the handset's compact dimensions, the keyboard itself is extremely comfortable. The 4-row layout has accommodated amazingly large and well-defined keys. The two Shift keys on each side of a huge Space bar are quite convenient, while two large buttons allow you to toggle Num Lock and Sym lock comfortably.

The sliding mechanism, however, is very poorly done on the Nokia 6760 slide and makes a clattering sound. The cheap looking plastic up front is the other aspect that we are less than delighted with. The soft rubbery finish of the rear is a lot better.

The overall handling of 6760 slide is very good though and the Shortcut buttons (Internet and Messaging) on the slider are quite comfortable in both landscape and portrait mode.

The Nokia 6760 slide has a great QWERTY keyboard

The Nokia 6760 slide has a relatively small 2.4" 16M TFT display for its dimensions and it doesn't take full advantage of the available space at the front of the handset. We're not impressed with the QVGA resolution either - but in the end, it's what you get in the top-of-the-line Eseries too.

The display has great sunlight legibility and its backlighting is very good - the same goes for the keyboard by the way. Both indoor and outdoor performance is excellent. An ambient light sensor integrated in the earpiece makes sure the display and keypad backlighting turn on when needed.

The display performs well in the sun, but could've been bigger

The call and end keys and the two soft keys share a slightly raised deck up front, the D-pad placed dead center. The front of the handset looks quite neat but we guess separate buttons could've been better in terms of press feedback and tactility. The D-pad feels a bit too stiff and produces loud clicks when scrolling up and down.

On the left side the display are the three additional hardware shortcuts: browser, menu and messaging keys. They were obviously styled with landscape use in mind but are reasonably comfortable in portrait mode too. Their usability is undisputable but the actual finish is a disappointing. They do look cheap and poorly backlit and their finish will perhaps be the first to wear off.

Another thing is their functionality cannot be changed - they don't have the dual press / press-and-hold action of the Eseries either.

The asymmetrical frame around the display takes a slight inward bend to create a small groove - perfect for a thumb rest when sliding up.

The D-pad and soft keys are not the most comfortable

The slide-out QWERTY hardware keyboard is among the best we've tried. The centrally placed yellow marked numpad will be frequently used, as there's no front alphanumeric pad on the 6760 slide.

While you're surfing the net or typing a message you will need to press the yellow Num lock to activate numeric mode. On the homescreen you can directly enter digits and dial a number.

A hardware QWERTY keyboard that we love

The right side of the handset sports the volume rocker and the shutter key. While the dedicated camera key is very responsive with soft feedback, the volume rocker is uncomfortably placed towards the bottom of the right side. The memory card slot is under the battery cover.

One-step shutter key for the fixed-focus camera of the 6760 slide

Dead center on the left side is the microUSB slot covered with a plastic lid. Mass storage mode is supported by the 6760 slide doesn't charge off USB.

The left side only features the microUSB slot with plastic lid

At the bottom of the phone you'll find the battery cover latch and a tiny mouthpiece.

The bottom side with the battery cover key

Compared to the other sides, the top one seems a little crowded. The 2.5mm jack, loudspeaker grill and the sealed charger port are placed there.

2.5mm jack, loudspeaker grill and charger port on top

The plain backside of the handset has a nice and soft rubbery finish and features only a 3 megapixel camera lens with no other elements apart from the obligatory logos.

The rubbery finish at the rear is way better than the cheap gloss up front

Opening the battery cover reveals the capable 1500 mAh BP-4L Li-Ion battery that powers the N97, among other Nokia handsets. It's said to provide up to 500 hours of stand-by and 5 hours of talk-time in a 2G network or 500 hours of stand-by and 4 hours of talk time on 3G. Based on our experience, a single charge will keep the phone going for as long as four days of moderate use.

Nokia 6760 slide powered by a 1500 mAh battery

The nice and compact Nokia 6760 slide has a very friendly feel and near perfect QWERTY keyboard. It's a shame that part of the impression is ruined by the wobbly slider and the altogether cheap finish. The lack of a numpad could be a problem at times when you need to quickly dial a number. That said, Smart Dial is even more badly missed.

Anyway, compromises are to be expected in the price range of the 6760 slide. Maybe some of the disadvantages will be offset against the compact size, excellent keyboard and friendly handling. We can't help but note though we've seen many low and midrange S40 handsets that were better built than the 6760 slide.

The Nokia 6760 slide handles nicely but has build issues