Customer Reviews

Nokia 6300, Brushed Silver Phone (Unlocked) US VERSION

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this phone to replace my aging Nokia 3650 and 3120 phones. I wanted another candy bar style phone, but with lots of modern features. The 6300 seemed to be a good price, and Amazon sells the unlocked version so it works great with my old AT&T (before they merged with Cingular and before Cingular became ATT again) SIM card.

To answer someone's question from a comment below, my phone was made in Mexico.


Pros:
- The Amazon version is unlocked and the price is actually pretty good!
- Slim design. About the same size as a Moto SLVR. It might be a tad bit heavier, but it's not as wide.
- Lots of great features: Bluetooth, 2mp camera, MicroSD support, USB support, voice dialing, voice recording, etc.
- S40 interface is pretty easy to use and fairly responsive.
- Transferring/deleting/moving files on the phone memory is surprisingly fast.
- Screen is nice and bright.
- Speaker is loud and clear.
- Build quality is very solid.
- Reception seems better than my older 3560 and 3120 phones.
- 2GB microSD cards are really cheap and easy to find now. Just one card provides more than enough storage for ringtones and photos.

Cons:
- The phone's aluminum body seems to retain heat. Just holding it in my hand for a while makes it really warm.
- The phone won't charge off the USB port.
- The side and top buttons are a bit hard to press.
- The camera lens is exactly where I normally rest my index finger on the back of the phone.
- Only supports 3gp h.263 video (176x144 @ 15fps).

Overall, it's a great phone. The major cons for me are that it doesn't charge off USB and that it gets so warm when I hold it, but the positives still outweigh the negatives.

My Nokia 6101 with my Tmobile-to-Go has been very good, but I still have a preference for candybar phones, and I coveted more camera resolution.
The Nokia 6300 works with T-mobile, but it is "unsupported". Inserting the SIM card for my account immediately gives me my telephone, text messaging, and voice mail. Nokia provides an online configuration tool that gives me multimedia messaging and T-zones. T-zones has some limitations with this phone. It won't provide download of games or ringtones. T-mobile's webpage provides a configuration tool for some unlocked phones, but the 6300 is not among those models.
Voice quality has been excellent. The Nokia 6101 is tough competition on that, but the 6300 possibly exceeds it. In the building where I work T-mobile signal is good by the window, but drops to nothing deeper in the work area. The 6300 works deeper than other T-mobile phones I have used.
The display provides beautiful color when backlit in low ambient light. Under bright incident light it appears monochromatic. This is good. It provides excellent readability in direct sunlight.
The 2 MP camera is not a good substitute for a stand-alone camera, but it could be nice to have if something photogenic happens when my better camera isn't with me. It is noticeably superior to the VGA camera of the 6101. However, to get a 2MP picture out of the phone requires a data cable or a card reader. MMS messaging can be set to a maximum resolution of 640 X 480, but it actually only sends portrait shaped pictures to email at a maximum of 480 X 360. Landscape shaped pictures will transmit at 640 X 480, but the only landscape shaped picture in my gallery was transferred into the phone by data cable, having been taken with my old 6101. Landscape can't be selected, and the 6300 can't rotate the portrait shaped images it takes into landscape. Incoming images from email get shrunk even smaller.
Keys are small. Battery life is not bad, but shorter than average. I think a better design would have been to use a slightly smaller landscape screen, make the phone a little thicker, and give it a heftier battery. That's not the current fashion.
The 6300 is slightly longer than older or less expensive medium sized Nokia candybar phones. Being thinner it fits in most leather belt cases that work with the chunkier phones, because the case flattens enough to accomodate the extra length.
I was able to transfer my phonebook from the 6101 to Nokia Suite in Windows using the CA-42 cable, and I transferred it into the 6300 using the DKE-2 cable. Cable sold separately. I hope by now Nokia is finished coming up with new cable standards. The data port on the 6300 has a plastic cover with nothing to grasp. The trick to opening it seems to be to remove the battery cover to find an edge to dig a fingernail into. Linux does not seem to recognize the phone and data cable. The micro SD card can be read with an adaptor and reader in linux. The phonebook cannot be copied to the micro SD card.
While it would be nice if a slightly better design were available, the 6300 seems to be a good choice so far from among what is available.

I have been using Nokia cell phones exclusively for as long as I have had a wireless account, 13 years and counting. The 6300 is just another fine example of exceptional design and function from Nokia.

THUMBS UP:
- form factor is super-slim, super-sexy with a "just right" kind of heft to it;
- the design is spot on and gives the phone a "rich and luxe appearance" all for a reasonable price;
- continuing tradition of super easy-to-use Nokia phone menus; if you've never used a Nokia phone before, it won't take you long to figure out all the basic functions;
- feature set is adequate for a no-nonsense phone; no extraneous features;
- microSD support means up to 2GB of whatever you want [MPs, pics, games, videos, etc];
- 2MP camera with digital zoom and basic picture effects;
- above average phone loudspeaker; MP3s sound pretty good!
- programmable softkeys allow for unique customization for quick access to your most used apps;
- gorgeous screen!
- easy to use Nokia software makes synchronization, backups and file management a breeze.


THUMBS DOWN:
- battery life is pretty poor thus far [blame the gorgeous screen];
- camera is poor in low light or less than ideal conditions; no lens cover;
- default ring tones not loud enough, but this is solved if you use your own MP3s provided they are already pretty loud.

That's pretty much it. This is terrific phone and will make a worthy companion.

Check out the new Nokia 6301 which is the same as the 6300 but with UMA support [so you can make cell calls on open wireless networks].

Of course, I am now in love with the new Noia 6500 Classic, an all aluminum monoblock beauty...

Cheers,
-mariusar

I am very pleased with this phone. While it lacks the bells and whistles of the N Series, it does what a phone should do, and perfectly might I add. The display, the ease of use, the simplicity of the interface, the reception, etc, make up for the lack of gadgets and buttons.

Furthermore, it feels incredibly sturdy and solid, with brushed aluminium components and such a detailed, clear screen.

My only reservations are in regards to it's non phone components, namely the lack of mirror and flash in the camera. While well lit day shots come out very well, indoor low light situations leave a little to wish for.

I would recommend this phone without reservations if you are seeking a good, elegant and simple phone.

I am a loyal Nokia customer. I have used their bar phones for years and have always appreciated their durability & reliability even though they weren't the sexiest phones. Well the 6300 has the old reliable Nokia qualities to go with a great style. I love this phone! Nokia has really stepped it up on this one. Being that AT&T does not carry this phone I had to buy it unlocked. No problem using the standard sim card from AT&T. My contacts and everything switched over. No need to purchase the software or mini usb cable that is sold seperately. I was able to download the software (Nokia Suite I believe it is called) off the Nokia site and was able to sync the phone with my outlook using the mini usb cable from my Creative Labs MP3 player once the software was downloaded. Once I synced my calendar and contacts from Outlook I had to use Nokia's customer service via the web to allow me to send and receive multi-media text messages. That was easy...they sent the settings straight to the phone and all I had to do is punch in a pin number that they send you and you are ready to go with multi-media messages including sending pictures from your phone to friends & family. I had to make a similar request of customer service to begin receiving AT&T's Media Net but that was just as easy just follow the directions. The only cons: I wish the battery lasted a little longer - I am having to charge every 2 days. To get the cap off the mini usb port takes a little effort and the call volume could stand to be a little louder. But if you are like me and like Nokia & their bar phones but want a more modern up-to-date phone you will love the 6300.

Excellent item, very fast shipping... Very good camera with 2 MP, bluetooth, USB port, mp3, fm radio, microSD card slot...

This is an amazing device. It is intuitive and elegant. This phone is a pleasure to use and I have had no issues (besides trying to get t-zones set up but I don't really use it anyway). If you want a well made device then please buy this phone. It is worth every cent I paid for it. I have only had it for a day and already feel like I have it all figured out. I was able to install a 2 gig SD card and upload music via bluetooth from my ibook without even a glance at the instruction booklet. Nokia is so great! I had a t-mobile Dash for 3 days and it was the worst phone experience I had ever had; dropped calls, hard to dial, terrible interface, etc., but this phone has been amazing. The interface is well-designed, smooth, efficient, with great pre-installed ring tones and graphics. It is very stylish. The physical form is one of the best I have seen on a mobile device. ZERO complaints. If you want a solid well built candybar phone buy this now. you will love it.

Got the White-version of the Nokia 6300 for my wife. She loves the form factor. slim, aluminum battery cover, camera pouch. Unique white color (compared to the black and red). Great sound and camera. Downside is battery life since it has a small capacity battery which needs to support the 16 million color screen. Small internal memory (7.8MB usable) to save SMS. A safe buy. Go for it.

This phone has been great. Not as high tech as some, but beautifully designed. The reception is far above any other phone I have owned, and the sound both incoming and outgoing is very loud and extremely clear. The speaker phone is fairly underpowered, and the battery life is under par. That said, the positives of this phone far outweigh the negatives, everything works, and well. Best phone I have ever owned.

Sophisticated and stylish, this is the best Nokia phone in years. Terrific build quality, great menus and a slim form make user friendly in every sense.