[NOKIA 7710]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java, EDGE 10, Symbian 7.0
Dimensi = 12,8x6,95x1,9 cm
Screen = TFT Touchscreen 65.536 color, 640x320 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 24 channel/MP3/MIDI, SMS, MMS, Email, Memory 90 MB, MMC, HSCSD, Camera 1 MP, Video, xHTML, HTML, MP3/H.263/MPEG4 Player, Radio FM, Visual Radio, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Currency Converter, Voice Dial, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium Polymer 1300 mAh, standby 3420 hours, talk time 12 hours
Released = Triwulan IV 2004

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[NOKIA 7650]

Dual Band, GPRS, WAP 1.2.1, Symbian 6, Bluetooth, Java, InfraRed
Dimensi = 11,4x5,6x2 cm
Screen = TFT 4096 color, 176x208 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik, 4 MB Memory, VGA Camera, HSCSD, To DO List, Calendar, Voice memo, Voice Dial, Game
Battery = Li-Ion 750 mAh
Released = Triwulan I 2002

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[NOKIA 7500 PRISM]

Tri Band, GPRS 32, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java 2.0, Infrared, 3G/UMTS, Port USB, EDGE 32, Symbian 9.2
Dimensi = 10,9x4,4x1,4 cm
Screen = 2 inches, TFT 16 Million color, 240x320 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 64 channel/MP3, Camera 2 MP, Memory 30 MB, MMS, SMS, Flash, Video (QCIF), Email, xHTML, HSCSD, MicroSD Card, Radio FM, MP3/AAC/eAAC+/WMA Player, Calculator, Voice Memo, UPnP Technology, Calendar, Speakerphone, Games (A2DP), etc
Battery = Li-Ion 700 mAH, standby 240 hours, talk time 3 hours
Released = July 2007

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[NOKIA 7380]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java 2.0, EDGE 10
Dimensi = 11,4x3x2 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 104x208 pixel
Fitur = Poliphonic 64 channel MP3/AAC, Camera 2 MP, Memory 52 MB, Video (CIF), Radio FM Stereo, MP3/AAC/MPEG4 Player, HSCSD, MMS, xHTML, HTML, MIDP 2.0, Voice memo, Voice Dial, Mirror Surface, Speakerphone, Game, Etc
Battery = Li-Ion 700 mAh, standby 240 hours, talk time 3 hours
Released = October 2005

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[NOKIA 7373]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java 2.0, EDGE 10, Port USB
Dimensi = 8,8x4,3x2,3 cm
Screen = TFT 262.144 color, 240x320 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 64 channel MP3/AAC, Camera 2 MP, Video, Memory 8 MB, MicroSD Hotswap, HSCSD, Email, xHTML, MMS, Radio FM Stereo, PTT, MP3/AAC/M4A/eAAC+/AAC+ Player, Voice memo, voice Dial, Calculator, Speakerphone, Calendar, 180 degree rotation design, Game, Etc
Battery = Lithium-Ion 840 mAh, standby 250 hours, talk time 2,5 hours
Released = September 2006

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[NOKIA 7370]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java, Port USB

Dimension = 8,8x4,3x2,3 cm
Screen = TFT 262.144 color, 240x320 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 64 channel MP3/MIDI/True tone, Memory 10MB, Camera 1,3 Megapixel, Video, HSCSD, SMS, MMS, Email, xHTML, HTML, Audio messaging, Picture Messaging, Instant Messaging, MP3/AAC/H.263/MPEG4 Player, Radio FM, Video Ringtone, Visual Radio, Word/Powerpoint/Exel/PDF Viewer, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Voice Dial, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium-Ion 700 mAh, standby 270 hours, talk time 4 hours
Released = October 2005

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[NOKIA 7360]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Java, Infrared, EDGE 6
Dimensi = 10,5x4,6x1,9 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 128x160 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 24 channel MP3/MIDI/True tone, VGA Camera, Video, 4 MB Memory, HSCSD, SMS, MMS, Email, xHTML, HTML, Audio messaging, Picture Messaging, Instant Messaging, Radio FM, PTT, MP3/AAC/H.263/MPEG4 Player, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Currency Converter, Voice Dial, Voice Command, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium-Ion 760 mAh, standby 330 hours, talk time 4 hours
Released = October 2006

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[NOKIA 7280]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java 2.0, EDGE 8, Infrared
Dimensi = 11,6x3,2x1.9 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 104x208 pixel
Fitur = Poliphonic 40 channel MP3/MIDI, MS, MMS, Camera VGA, Memory 50 MB, HSCSD, xHTML, Radio FM Stereo, SyncML, Calculator,
Alarm Clock, Calendar, Currency Converter, Downloadable themes, Voice Dial, Voice Command, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium-Ion 700 mAh, standby 240 hours, talk time 3 hours
Released = Triwulan III 2004

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[NOKIA 7270]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Java 2.0, Infrared, EDGE 10
Dimensi = 10,88x4,6x2,2 cm
Internal Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 128x160 pixel
Eksternal Screen = TFT 4096 Color, 96x65 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 40 Channel (MIDI/MP3), Camera VGA, Video, MP3/AAC/H.263/MPEG4 Player, Memory 21 MB, Radio FM Stereo, xHTML, HTML, HSCSD, SMS, MMS, Email, Picture Messaging, Instant Messaging, Push to Talk, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Currency Converter, Voice Dial, Voice Command, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium-Ion 780 mAh, standby 270 hours, talk time 4 hours
Released = Triwulan III 2004

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[NOKIA 7250i]

Tri Band, GPRS 4, Java, WAP 1.2.1, InfraRed

Dimensi = 10,5x4,4x1,9 cm
Screen = CSTN 4096 color, 128x128 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 4 Channel (MIDI), Camera CIF, HSCSD, xHTML, Memory 4 MB, SMS, MMS, Calendar, Wallpapers, Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, radio FM Stereo, SyncML, Calculator, Image Editor, Xpress-on Covers, Digital clock screensaver, Dynamic Font Size, Predictive Text Input, Game
Battery = Li-Ion 780 mAh, standby 300 hours, talk time 5 hours
Released = June 2003

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[NOKIA 7250]

Tri Band, GPRS 4, Java, WAP 2.0, InfraRed
Dimensi = 10,5x4,4x1,9 cm
Screen = CSTN 4.096 color, 128x128 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik, Camera CIF, Radio FM, Phonebook 300 x 3 field, HSCSD, MMS, Voice Dial, Xpress-on Covers, Temperature, Game
Battery = Li-Ion 780 mAh, standby 300 hours, talk time 5 hours
Released = Triwulan I 2003

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[NOKIA 7390]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, Java 2.0, Infrared, 3G/UMTS, Port USB, EDGE 10
Internal Screen = TFT 16,7 Million color, 240x320 pixel
Eksternal Screen = TFT 262.144 Color, 160x128 pixel
Fitur = Poliphonic 64 channel MP3/AAC, Camera 3 MP & VGA, Video, Flash, Memory 21 MB, MicroSD, Hotswap, HSCSD, xHTML, Video Call, MMS, Email, Player MP3/AAC/M4A/eAAC/AAC+, Radio FM, Speaker Stereo 3D Sound, Game, etc
Battery = Li-Ion, standby 220 hours, talk time 3 hours
Released = September 2006

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[NOKIA 7610]

Tri Band, GPRS 10, WAP 2.0, Symbian 7, Bluetooth, Java 2.0
Dimensi = 10,9x5,3x1,9 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 176x208 pixel
Fitur = Poliphonic 48 channel/MIDI/True tone (MP3), S60 2nd edition, Memory 8 MB, Camera 1 MP, Video, Video Editing, RS-MMC, HSCSD, xHTML, HTML, MMS, SMS, Instant Messaging, Email, Picture Messaging, Video Player, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, Calendar, Currency Converter, Voice Command, Voice Command, Voice Dial, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Li-Ion 900 mAh, standby 250 hours, talk time 3 hours
Released = March 2004

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Nokia 7260 Glamorous Package

Nokia have always tried, most of the time very successfully, to come up with handsets that have totally new designs. This time Nokia have taken a step into the time warp and gone back to the 1920’s and come up with three very different mobile phones. The Nokia 7260 is one of the products, and as you can see it has a totally new design. It’s still in the same candy bar format but the aesthetics of the handset are very eye pleasing. The 7260 is a daughter of the Series 40 range of handsets, so nothing has changed internally from older model phones. For those who want to get a new stylish handset but want to stick with the features they’ve got at the moment, this review is definitely worth a read!


Tri Band, GPRS, WAP 2.0, Java, InfraRed
Dimensi = 10,5x4,5x1,8 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 128x128 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik 16 Channel (MIDI), Camera VGA, Video, Memory 4 MB, HSCSD, xHTML, SMS, MMS, Email, Picture Messaging, radio FM Stereo, SyncML, Calculator, Alarm Clock, calendar Currency Converter, Voice Dial, Voice Command, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Lithium-Ion 760 mAh, standby 350 hours, talk time 3 hours
Realese = Triwulan III 2004

New/outstanding features
The Nokia 7620 is the first handset to be reviewed here at iMobile.com.au from the glamour range of handsets released late last year. This is the only candy bar handset in this glamour range. It is a Series 40 handset and therefore has all the features we’ve learnt to love. Not much except from the totally different design has changed from other Series 40 handsets. You will still find all the great Series 40 features like VGA camera, 128 x 128 pixel display, MMS and e-mail messaging, and so on.

If you’re after more on the new design of this handset, check out the Physical Aspects section below, and the images scattered around this review. But onto the features – first off and probably the biggest change from most other Series 40 handsets is the display. Sure, it is 128 x 128 pixels, but instead of supporting the 4,096 colour the display has been boosted to 65,536 colours.

The Nokia 7260 has the default Series 40 VG digital camera, with support for capturing both images and video. These can be sent via MMS or e-mail, or just stored on the handset for your own viewing pleasure. The 7260 has only internal memory to store files on, and the full featured gallery allows you to browse all the files you have stored. You can transfer them via Infrared or download them onto a computer using the USB Pop-Port™ port also.

Other fun features include a Stereo FM radio, Polyphonic ring tones, and Java MIDP 2.0 support. Java games and applications can both be installed either by transferring them from a computer or by downloading from WAP websites. On the subject of WAP, the handset has a WAP 2.0 browser with xHTML support. GPRS, EDGE, and HSCSD protocols are supported for connectivity to remote servers or to use the handset as a modem for PC or laptop.

Physical aspects

The Nokia 7260 is one of three handsets which follow the 1920’s Garbo-esque glamour style. This style is somewhat of an acquired taste, but it’s not that hard to learn to like it. The 7260 is available in two colour schemes – basically one centred around the colour Black, and the other around White. I received the Black handset which seems more sophisticated than the White variation. Basically, where there is black on the black handset, there is white on the white handset. The chrome and red are the same on both. I only had one real problem when it came to the physical side of the handset, which was its ability to remember who was using the handset in the form of mucky fingerprints. More on page 4 about that though.

For the most part, the Nokia 7260 is black; dark, and seductively black. The keys are chrome, and link up to a “wave” which starts in the top right of the handset and sweeps around to the back where it ends in a loop. Black & chrome doesn’t complete the handset though, you’ll find a deep red finishing on the right side and top, between the removable back cover and the front cover. The carrying pouch that is in the sales package also follows the same colour scheme, with black leather exterior and a felt red interior.

The 7260 has some similarity to the 7610. Two curved sides and two pointy sides! The black 7610 also looks kind of like the black 7260. When it comes to measurements the 7260 is much smaller, measuring only 105mm x 45mm x 18mm against 108.6mm x 53mm x 18.7mm. The 7260 weighs 98grams, which don’t get me wrong is light – but not as light as other handsets with similar features. It’s a nice size for fitting snugly into your pocket or bag.

In the top right hand corner and on the left hand side of the handset you will find some wrist-strap inserts. These are used in conjunction with the style coordinated wrist strap which is also included in the sales package. The leather carrying pouch even has a hole for the left-hand-side carrying strap to fit through.

User Interface & display


Take a closer look!
With most new handsets from Nokia the user interface tries to match the physical aspects of the phone. In some cases, this ends up looking quite good and the continuation of theme is a nice touch. In some other models, it just doesn’t look “right”. I found this to be the case with the 7620, although some other users may disagree. This may be in part to do with the 7260’s display (being quite small). Never-the-less, the handset uses the Series 40 Nokia interface, with a 128 x 128 65,536 colour LCD display.

The user interface of the 7620 is operated with use of several keys; this combination becoming quite popular with most Nokia handsets. There are the left and right soft keys, and 5-way navigational stick. The numerical buttons and pick-up/hang-up buttons aren’t used for most things, except of course inputting numbers and so on! :P. The handset has one button on the left side, which is used for volume control – and one at the top which is the on/off button.

From the idle screen (which is just the same as any other Series 40 handset) you can go straight to the Go-To menu, to the main menu, or to your contacts using the left soft key, pushing in the directional stick, or pressing the right soft key (respectively). The 7260 has shortcut keys (other than the soft keys), which are accessed by moving the directional stick. Left starts a new text message, up launches the camera, right goes to the calendar, and down will take you to your contacts.

The main menu of the 7260 can be viewed in two ways – grid or list. With grid all the icons are much smaller and displayed in one “screen” and with list the icons are larger and there is one icon to a “screen”. This menu view was probably first seen on the Nokia 7250i. The go-to menu has the most-used functions of the 7260 in one list for easy access. The icons of the 7260 didn’t look that crash hot, but with the use of themes you can get them looking reasonably okay.

Speaking of themes – they can be used to change the look of the user interface in the press of a few buttons. Instead of just colour schemes that were used in other Series 40 phones the Nokia 7260 supports *.nth files, which are compressed themes. They contain wallpapers, screensavers, and files that modify the look of the UI. There are several pre installed on the handset and as this format becomes more popular you will be able to find them on more and more websites/WAP sites. Colour schemes can also be selected with your themes, all from the settings menu. You will also see these files used in the Nokia 3220, which will have a review here at iMobile.com.au very soon!

Like I mentioned before, the display on this “yesteryear glamour” handset is a 128 x 128 pixel LCD. This is the norm for Series 40 phones, but the 65,536 colour support is only in a selected few handsets. I don’t see the need for 65,536 colours in such a small area, but it is still better than a 4,096 colour display.

Making and receiving calls

The three ways of making and receiving calls are back in the 7260. These are the norms for all handsets these days. The 7260 doesn’t bring anything new to this section, but not many handsets do. Bluetooth isn’t supported so wireless conversations straight out of the box aren’t possible, but with enhancements you may do so. Use of the loudspeaker, a wired headset (included), and the normal earphone are the three options you have with this handset.

The in-call menu can be accessed by pressing the right soft key. This will give you all the options you need. To turn on/off the loudspeaker at any time, press the right soft key. When in a call you can still access the menu, your messages and other aspects of the handset by using the navigational keys. Most handsets do allow this but it’s barely ever documented. It’s great for using when a message comes through and you’re in a call – you can still read it!

The 7260 has a photo phonebook, allowing you to put images in with your contacts, which will show up when that contact calls. To enable this functionality the contact must be stored on the phones internal memory and not on the SIM card. Images must also be captured in the “Portrait” size with the integrated VGA digital camera. Details other than just phone numbers can also be added, like addresses, other phone numbers, as so on.
Messaging Nokia 7260 Glamorous Package

The Nokia 7260 allows for several messaging formats, from MMS to basic SMS messaging. T9 predictive text is support for fast messaging, but other than that there is nothing extra brought to the table on this handset. MMS, SMS, EMS, and e-mail messaging are the supported formats.

Directly from the main menu the messaging icon is selected first, and on opening this you can select from Text Messages, Multimedia Messages, E-mail messages, and other options including settings. There is no shared inbox on the 7260 like the 3220 which was a bit of a down side; I grew quite fond of that feature even though it did have its flaws.

The keypad of the 7260 is great for text input as the buttons are nicely shaped and perfect size to press down properly and enable super quick messaging. As always you can change text input to multi tap by pressing the hash (#) key, and if you hold down the hash key the handset will change to numerical input.

The integrated VGA digital camera allows you to attach video clips and images to your MMS messages and e-mail, of whatever you want! MMS messaging combines text, pictures, videos, and sounds into the single message that can be sent directly to a handset or e-mail address. With MMS messaging slowly getting cheaper and reduced rates on messages on some service providers during the weekends, there’s never been a better time to jump on the Multimedia Messaging bandwagon!

An e-mail messaging Java Application (which is accessed from the messaging main menu) allows you to connect to your e-mail servers and download/send e-mail messages directly from your handset. When it comes to staying in touch when you’re out and about, or if you’re just waiting for an important e-mail the Nokia 7260 can help you out.

Connectivity
The Nokia 7260 offers you two local connectivity options, and three remote connection options. There is a WAP 2.0 browser built into the handset for browsing WAP pages and downloading data. The high-speed Pop-Port™ interface at the bottom of the handset is used to connect all accessories to the handset. Instead of having several ports for different connections, the Pop-Port™ combines them all into a single interface.

The local connectivity methods come in the form of Infrared and USB/Serial data-cable. The infrared port allows wireless (very) short-range connectivity with other mobile handsets/PDA’s, and also computers or laptops. The Pop-Port™ interface at the bottom of the handset is used for the data-cable connections, and supports the high-speed USB 2.0 protocol. Nokia PC Suite software is available from the Nokia website which allows you to install Java applications, transfer files to and from the handset and much more. Bluetooth isn’t supported on this Nokia handset, which would have been great. Just think of what a Bluetooth headset designed to match the 7260’s style would look like! :D

Build quality Nokia 7260 Glamorous Package
The only thing I could possibly mention here is the removal of the back cover. The 7260 doesn’t support Xpress-On™ covers, but the back cover is removed for access to the battery and SIM card slot. It’s a little tricky to do, as there isn’t a button on the face of the cover. It is located at the bottom of the cover near the Pop-Port. Push in the little button, and then pull the cover away. If you don’t have nails it’s a little tricky but you can master it quite easily.

Once off the battery is accessible, and there isn’t really a big finger-insert to get the battery out so you may end up scratching the label if you’re not careful. When it’s finally out the SIM card can be accessed and removed or inserted as you wish. To remove the SIM card you’ll need to press in the little tab at the top and then slide it right on out.

Overall, there is nothing major that I can complain about in this section. Possibly the fingerprint problem, but that’s not really build quality as such. More can be found on Page 4 if you’re interested.

Battery life Nokia 7260 Glamorous Package
Nothing fishy going on here! The battery life of the Nokia 7260 wasn’t anything other than great. The handset makes use of a 760mAh lithium ion battery pack for around 3 hours of talk time and 350 hours of standby time.

Of course these are the official values and will decrease when you for example play games, use the camera viewfinder, and so on.

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Nokia 7600 e-leaf Overview

As we reach further into technology, there are new features left right and centre - but there are also style improvements. Slider phones, clam-shell phones, rotating phones and more are just some examples of style improvements from mobile phone manufacturers. The new ionic or “block” shape has been adapted with the Nokia 7600 phone with the key pad located next to and below the display. The 7600 operates on both 3G and 2G networks seamlessly, so whichever network generation you’re with the Nokia 7600 is a magnificent acquaintance. The phone has many features to keep you connected and personalized all of the time. Read on to find out more about the 7600 and it’s features, including a VGA camera, huge internal memory, Bluetooth & Infrared connectivity and rich multimedia capabilities.Dual Band, GPRS, WAP 2.0, Java, Bluetooth, 3G/UMTS, InfraRed
Dimensi = 8,7x7,8x1,9 cm
Screen = TFT 65.536 color, 128x160 pixel
Fitur = Polifonik, Camera VGA, MMS, SMS, xHTML, Talk & Shoot, Player MP3, Speakerphone, Game
Battery = Li-Ion 850 mAh
Realese = Triwulan IV 2004

New/outstanding features
The Nokia 7600’s most outstanding feature is the physical aspect of the phone. A revolutionary new ionic design, known as the “block” form factor to some has brought on wild impressions of the phone by just looking at it. With the display in the middle and the rest of the keys surrounding it, it’s a convenient way to keep size down and functionality up. The 7600 also has Bluetooth and Infrared support, full messaging capabilities, 3G network support, Xpress-On™ sleeves, 30mB of internal memory and a VGA camera.

The Xpress-On™ sleeves change the overall look of the phone in just a few seconds. They clip onto the sides of the phone, one curving from the top of the handset to the bottom right and the other from the top to the bottom left. A single set of these Xpress-On™ sleeves will be included in the sales package to put on the phone straight away. They don’t fit on perfectly though, check the Build Quality section for more on that.

With an internal memory of 30mB, one would expect the Nokia 7600 to be feature rich. Well it is, with an MP3 player, VGA camera, Java application and gaming support, and much more. The memory shouldn’t run out too fast - and if it does you can always ship data off the phone in a number of ways.

Bluetooth, Infrared, and the USB capable Pop-Port™ on the bottom of the phone can all be used for PC connections and the first two can be used to connect two devices together for sharing of information. The Nokia 7600 has Bluetooth Headset profiles for use with an Audio headset, and images, video, music, and more is easily sent with Infrared.

The Nokia 7600 can send and receive all the standard messaging formats - namely SMS, EMS, MMS, and e-mail. MMS messages containing video, images, audio and text brighten up the old and somewhat monotonous text messages. Messages longer than 160 characters (SMS) can be both sent and received with extra-long messaging support.

The VGA camera enhances your MMS messages, with video and image capturing - this will surely help fill up the 30mB of internal memory! The images can be up to 640 x 480 pixels, and the video can include audio. For more information about the camera and example shots, check out the Camera Performance section of this article.

Physical aspects
Totally redesigned from other Nokia models, the 7600 is in a league of its own when it comes to style and wow-factor. A new ionic shape with two curved corners and two rounded corners, the 7600 also has Xpress-on™ sleeves to personalize the sides of the phone. The un-changeable sections of the phone are silver and white, complimenting any Xpress-on™ sleeve combination you may choose.

From the front, the main difference from other phones is that the display is now more centred due to the fact that the buttons are in two rows beside the display. You may remember the Siemens SX1 which also has this design, except it was a standard form factor phone but large buttons below the display. The directional and selection buttons are below the display on the 7600, but they wrap around the display to make a U shape around it.

The Xpress-on™ sleeves change the look of the sides of the phone, one reaching from the top left hand corner to the bottom right on the top of the phone, and the other from the top left to the bottom right on the bottom of the phone. They encase around all of the external buttons on the 7600, including the on/off key, infrared sensor, Pop-Port™ interface and charging port. The only other removable part on the 7600, although not changeable is the back battery cover which can only be removed when the bottom Xpress-on™ sleeve is removed. The bottom right hand corner of the 7600 is stationary and has an insert for the wrist-strap.

The camera can be slightly seen from the front, a small lump on the top of the handset is where the Xpress-on™ sleeve curves around it. The lens protrudes out on the back of the phone just above the battery panel in a section that cannot be removed but moulds in with the battery panel.

All of the buttons on the 7600 remind me of porcelain, but offcourse they aren’t! They are white and the numerical keys from 1 to 5 including the * button run down the left side, and 6-9 including 0 and the # key run down the right side. Underneath the display resides the directional pad, hang-up/pick-up buttons and the two selection keys. On the left side of the 7600 you will find the recording button and volume up/down keys, and the infrared panel. On the top far left is the on/off button, and further right is the dedicated camera button. The speakerphone is located on the back of the phone adjacent to the volume keys, and the microphone is at the bottom, just right of the Pop-Port™ interface.

The 7600 is a great looking phone, and will turn heads thanks to its uniqueness.

User Interface & display
Take a closer look!
The well-known Nokia Series 45 interface makes another appearance in the Nokia 7600. The listed menu or grid menu can be changed as you please, and for those who are familiar with the interface from other models like the 6610, and 7250i will notice the similarities immediately. The display that brings to life the 7600 is a 128 x 160 pixel 65,536 colour TFT LCD.

There are 16 main menus on the 7600, a boost from other models in the Series 45 range of devices that only had 10 or 11 if you have a SIM Services menu. The new main menus include “Music,” and “Media Player” along with some others that have appeared singularly on other devices. The menus on the 7600 all have icons and text labels clearly explaining what they are enabling you to find what you want quickly. The icons for the main menus was something I didn’t really like, they just looked very plain to me. Only a few basic colours are used, something more bright and colourful like the Sony Ericsson icons would have looked much better.

Underneath each main menu are text submenus, sometimes only one line and others are two per screen, with details underneath the main name of the function/option. The main menus are as follows; Messages, Call Register, Contacts, Profiles, Settings, Camera, Media Player, Music, Gallery, Organizer, Games, Applications, Extras, Connectivity, Services (this is the WAP Browser), and Go-To. The Go-to menu can be selected for the right selection key if you wish.

The display on the 7600 is big enough to accommodate the needs of the features, and isn’t anything too small or overly large. It measures 128 x 160 pixels and can display 65,536 colours in that range. Using it as a viewfinder for the VGA is fun, and viewing pictures, WAP pages and multimedia using the Media Player is much the same. With the buttons on the side of the screen a sense of being even more control of the device is given off.
Making and receiving calls
When I received the Nokia 7600, I really had no idea how I was going to talk into it due to the ionic form factor. However, once having a close inspection of the handset it becomes clear, the phone is held like any other, with the top left corner on your ear. This isn’t difficult when using the phone on the left or right ear. The speakerphone function is always there if you need it, and then there is Bluetooth and the supplied stereo headset to use also.

The phonebook on the 7600 supports portrait sized photos to display when a contact rings you, and also multi-line contacts including e-mail addresses, work and home address, notes, and additional phone numbers. Contacts can be synchronized with a PC or remote server using the 7600 too. Entering numbers into the 7600 may take a while to get used to thanks to the new keypad design, but if you can’t remember a number just press either the down or up button to jump to the last or first contact respectively.

When in a call, most functions on the 7600 are accessible. You can access the main menu, record sections of your call, read received messages and more. Changing volume is easy with the dedicated buttons on the left side of the handset, and de/activating the speakerphone is just as easy!

Ring tones on the 7600 can be a range of different formats, including the cool 24-chord polyphonic type, and the even better full-quality MP3 format. With around 30mB of user-accessible memory, the 7600 can accommodate all your MP3 ring tones. AMR and AAC files can also act as ring tones.

The only minor problem I had with the 7600 and making/receiving calls was when using the speakerphone - even when at 100% it’s quite hard to hear what the other person is saying. This isn’t due to location of the speakerphone, even when close to my ear it was hard to hear. Other than that, the 7600 performed well in this section.

Messaging

Messaging on the 7600 is to the tune of SMS, EMS, MMS, and e-mail. The intergrated VGA camera personalizes MMS and e-mail messaging, with either video or images. SMS Chat is also supported, which is just SMS messages displayed in a chat-format like many Instant messaging services. All messaging formats can be sent and received on the 7600.

The new keypad layout takes some time to get used to, don’t get me wrong. At the end of my trial I was only a little bit slower than normal keyboards, and with T9 predictive text the slow down was barely noticeable. There is very little typing delay which is something that made me very happy! Pressing the ‘#’ button will change between text input modes, and holding it down changes to numerical input.

The e-mail application on the 7600 is a Java application, and can connect via the default wireless connection protocol, or another connection installed on the phone. Up to 5 mailboxes can be defined, and the 7600 can send and receive e-mail messages. MMS messages can contain images, video, text, and audio files when they are sent and received, as long as they are below the maximum 100kB MMS limit.

The voice recorder on the 7600 allows you to personalize MMS messages for the recipient, which can either be an MMS supported phone or e-mail address. The digital camera is capable of capturing video with audio and images for MMS messages that won’t go over the size limit.

Connectivity
Using the Nokia 7600 you will be able to connect to wireless services on 3G networks, wireless services on 2G networks, and local Bluetooth and Infrared devices. The Nokia Pop-Port™ interface at the bottom of the phone can be used for high-speed USB connections with a data-cable.

The 7600 is a dual-mode device, so it works on 3G networks like “Three” in Australia. The WCDMA data-speeds allow a maximum 384kbit/s downlink and 64kbit/s uplink in packet transmission areas. This means rich multimedia streamed to the device in the form of video, audio, and images. Multi-tasking also allows you to take and send images while you talk.

GPRS and HSCSD protocols are supported for connecting to wireless services on 2G networks, however in Australia the only protocol supported is GPRS - with a maximum speed of around 48kbit/s. The internal browser is WAP 2.0 compliant and has support for xHTML and cHTML pages.

Bluetooth headsets and computer adapters can be paired with the 7600 for high-speed wireless transmissions with the two devices up to 10m away from each other. The infrared port on the side of the 7600 can send and receive files wirelessly too, but within a much more limited range. From the menu you can choose to send files via Infrared, Bluetooth, or MMS.

Build quality
The 7600 is built well because of its size and shape, and the only issue I had was with the Xpress-On™ sleeves, and the fact that the top of the one on the left side crept upwards and became un-aligned with the rest of the phone. When you push it back down the lights behind the sleeves can be clearly seen.

Other than that, the 87 mm x 78 mm x 18.6 mm and 123 gram Nokia 7610 is built fine.

Battery life
The 7600’s BL-5C battery powered the phone all through my trial without any dropouts. The charging port is next to the Pop-Port™ interface on the left hand side, hidden almost inside the handset.

Nokia state the battery has different talk-times for GSM and WCDMA networks. On a normal GSM network (2G) the talk time is 3-4hours, and for WCDMA networks 1.8-2.9 hours. The standby time for both networks is 7-12.5 days on the single 850mAh Lithium-ion pack.

Nokia's second 3G phone has an unusual design, and lacks support for video calls.

The curiously shaped Nokia 7600 has several factors that make it noteworthy. Based on the Symbian Series 45 platform and operating on WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM 900/1800 networks, it is Nokia´s second 3G phone, following the dated-looking Nokia 6650.

Data transfer speeds up to 384Kbps down and 64Kbps up are theoretically possible in WCDMA networks. Currently, 3 is the only network running true 3G services in Australia, but the 7600 does not support video calling -- which is one of 3's key services. Nokia hasn't yet released pricing information or release dates for the 7600 as yet, but the phone is expected to go on sale here at some point this year.
Editor's Note: This preview originally stated that the 7600 was already on sale at an RRP of AU$899. This is incorrect, and ZDNet Australia regrets any inconvenience this may have caused.

The leaf-shaped handset is, according to Nokia, ‘a synchronous blend of torqued curves´. Two vertical columns of six keys either side of the screen is something that Siemens has tried on the SX1 and requires both hands to use. The central five-way navigation key has a slightly unpredictable action.

The 7600, which is 87mm wide and weighs 123g, is a somewhat slippery customer to hold, and comes with a leather wrist strap to keep it from getting away. The 16-bit colour screen measures 128 by 160 pixels. A one-touch key on the top controls the slightly protruding camera on the back, and there is a sound recorder key on the left-hand side above a pair of volume controls.

he camera has a maximum resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, three settings, and a self timer. In Video mode, recording is limited to 15 seconds at 15 frames per second with audio. The 7600 can download video streaming clips up to 1.4MB in size.

Bluetooth is fully supported, with ten profiles to satisfy most wireless connections. Underneath, a USB with Pop-Port doubles as the stereo headset and PC connection. Once connected by USB to the PC-based Nokia Phone Browser, there are shortcuts to the management tools in Nokia's PC Suite.

There is 29MB of internal memory for contacts, videos, music, applications and other media. A Digital Music Player supports MP3 and AAC files and can be played through the stereo headset or internal speaker. Lack of removable memory means a maximum of only 50 minutes of music in AAC format.

Battery life, notoriously short on WCDMA networks, is claimed to be between 1.8 and 2.9 hours talk time on the 7600 or 3 - 4 hours with GSM, while standby is between 7 and 12.5 days. Check back soon for our full review.

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