I'm thinking of getting a new mobile phone, and given that I tend to keep them for quite a while, I should get one with quite a few features which I might use down the track.

I currently have this Nokia 6150

My requirements are:
* decent size - small phone would be lost around me.
* robust - I'm occasionally clumsy with it
* calendar

Optional (but preferable)
* should be a Nokia and compatible with my in-car kit


I was looking at the Nokia 6310i.
It has -
* Tri-band world phone - EGSM 900 and GSM 1800/1900
* HSCSD - high speed data
* WAP - 1.2.1 browser (over GRPS or CSD)
* GPRS - general packet radio service
* Downloadable Java™ applications
* Wallet
* Customizable and timed profiles
* Clock and alarm clock
* Calculator, currency converter
* Stopwatch, countdown timer
* Voice commands, voice recorder
* Connectivity options: Bluetooth, infrared, and cable

It looks like it has far more features than I could use at the moment. But given that I'm not likely to replace it for some time, I would use them eventually.

Does anyone have any info on other phones with similar features (which don't require signing over the first born to get hold of)?

One thing that is very important in my opinion is waiting a few months for the firmware in new phones to stablise. Early phone firmware is notoriously flakey and I've had loads of trouble before with random crashes.

I've got a Nokia 7650 and it's a good phone apart from it's size. The downsides are that it's massive, has no cable connectivity option, no bluetooth headset profile and it's a dual band phone so it's Europe only pretty much (The one I've got is anyway). The advantages are that it's got a really nice screen, big memory and a camera. The picture quality to be honest is horrible. Unless you're exactly the right distance it is fuzzy and it has to be quite bright otherwise you get noise.

Downloadable Java apps is really useful once you get used to it. It allows you to add anything that you find missing from your phone.

- Trevor

I've also got the Nokia 7650, and I also really like it, apart from it's size.

That's why I'm already looking forward to Nokia's new 7250. It seems to have almost all the features that the 7650 has, apart from Bluetooth (which I don't use anyway - and the 7250 supports USB!) and Symbian operating system (although I'm not really sure if this is bad or good). It's also got less memory than the 7650 so not as much ringing tones and/or messages can be stored on it.
But I don't really care for those. All those cons are made up for by the smaller size and weight. AND longer battery life (though that isn't bad with the 7650 also, but there's always room for improvement!)

I've only got one major gripe with my 7650 : the handsfree option is too damn silent! As in : you can't hear a thing unless you put your head to the phone. Which pretty much defies the purpose of having a handsfree option alltogether.

Trevor : Have you also noticed this, or is my Nokia faulty ? (it's so silent that I wouldn't be surprised if it was)

You may want to get somebody to have a look at it. The handsfree on my Nokia isn't that quiet. It's not particularly loud but it's okay when used in a reasonably quiet room.

Other people have complained about the volume but I don't think it was about the handsfree being nearly silent.

What firmware version do you have? I got one of the first few Orange branded phones so it's v3.16. I think there is a few newer versions after that. Press *#0000# to see what you've got.

- Trevor

The handsfree on my Nokia isn't that quiet

Mine is. Eg. it's impossible to use it in the car. I simply can't hear what the other party is saying. It's impossible to understand anything if the room I'm listening in isn't whisper-quiet and there is more than a two foot distance between the phone and my ear.
The volume is set at it's maximum.

I've also got 3.16. What is the latest firmware?
Is there a way to upgrade to it? I've looked at the Nokia site and found nothing.

egad! the 7650's a brick!
My first 3610 wasn't that big. I'd have to change the car kit for it too.
Do you use the camera function much?

Hmm. Sounds like there is something wrong with your phone. I can just about hear it if the TV is on loud.

I've got no idea what the latest firmware version is. I seem to remember there being a newer one but I'm not 100% sure. The only way to upgrade it is to take it to an official Nokia Service Centre. You can't upgrade it yourself even if you do have the correct cable as the firmware isn't available.

- Trevor

I know what you mean about it being a brick. That was my thought too when I first saw it, but in the end it's not that bad. My previous phone was a Nokia 8810, so the change was even more dramatic for me.
But when I measure it up, the 7650 is about as tall as the 8810, it's only about 1cm more wide and 0.5cm more deep.
It's certainly smaller than the phone you suggested, only maybe a tad more wide.

Yes, I know you'll have to change your carkit to if you want a 7650. You'll have to change your carkit if you want any model other than a 6xxx (or some 5xxx) models. It might be worth it though.

The camera functions is a nice option, but the novelty of it wears off quite fast. I don't know anybody who also owns a MMS capable phone, so I can't send the pics to anybody. (though that will probably change in the immediate future) The quality of the pics is not good enough to use the phone as an actual digital camera. They are only 640x480 and it's only usable in well-lit areas because it lacks a flash.
It does have it's purpose though, and I like the idea. Something can be said for always being able to take pictures of people in embarrasing situations!

Oh, it's definitely not that loud. I'll take it to a Nokia service center next week to have it checked out then.

A quick google search revealed that the latest firmware is 4.37. I might ask the people to also upgrade my phone's firmware then while I'm at it.

Hmm... is the 7650 compatible with iSync? Apparently Nokia has a habbit of doing it's own thing in the phone world, making the 6310i incompatible.
I can see how the camera novelty would wear off quickly. Aren't digital cameras with bluetooth on the horizon though? That would alleviate the need to have a half-arsed camera in the phone. You can email from the phone anyway cant you?

Other than needing a device like this; what is required to connect and sync in outlook?

soo many questions! Jees I'm a phone novice!

What protocol does iSync use? If it's SyncML then there is a downloadable app from Nokia for the phone which allows you to use it.

Yeah. Ericsson phones are much more compatible and standards compliant than Nokia phones. The Nokia Bluetooth stack doesn't like to connect to most PC Bluetooth stacks and they don't support the headset profile in Bluetooth.

Some of the newer Sony video cameras have Bluetooth support. I haven't looked at digital picture cameras but I wouldn't doubt they have Bluetooth support.

Yeah. You can email from the phone. There is a basic email client built into the messaging app. It supports POP3 and IMAP mailboxes and sends with SMTP. You can always download an app into the phone if you find it doesn't do what you want.

- Trevor

> What protocol does iSync use? If it's SyncML then there is a downloadable app from
> Nokia for the phone which allows you to use it.

Nokia still only support SyncML over the air and not via bluetooth, so it isn't compatible with iSync.

In addition the Address Book can't pair with the 7650 to show incoming calls, dial out, etc. I'm not sure why, but since Apple act as if the only Bluetooth-enabled phones out there are made by Erricsson, I'm not holding out hope if it's something Apple need to support.

You say it yourself : Nokia has a habit of not following standards. Unfortunately this is also the case with the PC bluetooth adapters. Most of them don't work with the Nokia 7650.
Overall, the Ericsson T68i is a much more compatible phone. It also is fully compatible with bluetooth, be it data or voice transfer. The only problem is : it's not a Nokia. While this may sound stupid this is exactly what annoyed me about it. Not the design or so, but the software. Nothing was where I thought it would be (or at least where I thought it would be after four years of Nokia use), so after only one day of use I traded the T68i in for a Nokia 7650.

I don't know if this is all you need to sync with Outlook since I don't use Outlook. I know you can email from the phone, bit this is also an option I won't use in the immediate future since over here that would mean I would have to pay a substantial amount extra for that option. To me it's not worth it.

As for the iSync option : a quick google search told me what I feared : since the 7650 is nut fully bluetooth compatible it does not work with isync because it does not support Sync ML. You can read about it here and here. Apple themself advise to buy a T68i

For me the Nokia 7650 is still the better phone since I don't use it for data transfer. If this is something you do need to do with your phone, I would stay clear of the 7650. Of any Nokia phone for that matter. (except maybe the communicator)

I got the 6310i for exactly the same set of requirements - I can't stand those small phones - just too fiddly and weak.
I only use it as a phone or as a modem sometimes, but the mic gain and sensitivity are good, the speaker is loud enough to cope with very noisy environments, the battery lasts a week between charges, and I use it a lot, and it is solid as a rock. The voicedial function is pretty good, too. It works well in the car.

That's really good to hear. I wish Nokia would see what the customers are now asking for (compatability with syncML) and make the updates available.
You have a car kit frog51? Is it the 'normal' cradle and electronic link or ther wireless one? Also, how good is the voice dialing in the car?