Customer Reviews

PCS Vision Picture Phone Nokia PM-6225 (Sprint)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've had this phone for about 3 weeks now, and have been pretty happy with it. My previous phone was a Motorola Timeport (Startac-style) flip-phone, which I was very happy with.
As for the Nokia 6225...
Pros:
-good size...not too small
-good reception
-speakerphone works acceptably (for hands free operation when needed; people on the other end report a bit of static/echo, which is to be expected from a speakerphone on a device this small)
-camera is a gratuitous but neat feature (be aware that Picture Mail will cost you extra if you intend to use the camera)
-lots of features (calendar, voice recorder, speakerphone, camera, web, contacts, voice dial, FM radio [only with the special headphones which double as an antenna, though],etc) which might come in handy
-no attenna jutting out from a corner

Cons:
-weak battery life...Two hours of talk time is Nokia optimism. Whereas I could go a few days with my old phone with normal use (a few calls per day), this one needs to be recharged every day or after a longish phone call (an hour) and it doesn't give much warning before shutting itself off. Consider getting an extra battery or the car charger or an extra charger for work, etc.
-stupid ring tones. Why can't they provide simple ringers? You've got to go online to find them and then buy them if you want some normal ringers. (This is a minor gripe.)
-While inactive (when not in use or after a little bit of inactivity [such as a long pause when loading a picture or typing a message]), the backlight on the screen turns off and the screen is virtually invisible. I'm not sure if this "sleep" time might be adjustable.
-small keys with no space between them. I find that I press the keys with my fingernails because a fingertip might press multiple keys.

I got the Nokia PM-6225 phone about a month ago and I have generally been very pleased with it. This phone is PCS Vision Enabled, which means it can take advantage of all the online features that Sprint offers for a 15 dollar fee per month. This includes downloading games, ringtones, applications, and screensavers which all cost extra money. It also includes web access, email, and text messaging. This phone also comes with a digital camera, though the resolution is poor as camera phones go. You can take pictures using the phone and send them in an email to anyone with a computer or a camera phone. The games look great on the 128x128 pixel display, though the keypad can feel a bit cramped. You can only access the web about 60 percent of the times you try, but this can be blamed on the Sprint service, not the phone and may be different in places other than New York. When you do gain access it runs pretty well and takes about 5 seconds to load each page which is good for a mobile phone. The reception is clear most of the time, and voices usually sound good though they can get staticky occassionally. The phone comes with a speakerphone feature that works pretty well although people on the other line have told me that my voice appears distant at times. The phone also gives you the ability to listen to FM radio, though this requires an extra 30 dollars to buy the antennae/headset. The reasons this phone did not receive five stars were:
-Fairly low quality on digital pictures.

-The power button is on the top of the phone and does not stick out so it is hard to turn the phone on/off.
-You cannot gain access to the web a good portion of the time.
-The keypad can feel cramped while playing games.
-The screen can be hard to read in bright sunlight.
Overall the Nokia PM-6225 is a great option for the Sprint customer who wants a cheap, PCS enabled camera phone, and I would recommend it. (The Nokia 6200 for ATandT is essentially the same phone without the camera feature.)

Pros:

Decent battery life

You can set profiles and each profile having a diffrent setting for ringer,screensaver etc

You can group your contacts as VIP,Family etc and have the phone ring only when it is a call from family ..

Cons:

There is always a constant hiss on the speaker.( i am comparing this to my sanyo)

Squeaky noise- looks like something is going to fall off.. whenever you press a button you hear the sqeak!

Camera is absolutely useless!.. Minimal resolution

Speakerphone is not loud.I would want to use a speakerphone when i drive, This is not loud enough for the road noise. I can hardly hear anyone ( I live in NJ .. so you know that i would drive slow!)

I having been using Nokia brand phones for close to 10 years now. I have tried Ericssons, Panasonics, Samsungs, etc... and I still prefer Nokias to all of them. For starters, the menu design is great for the technically inept or for older folks who just want the basics. My favorite Nokia models were the 6160, 6162, and 5160. Those models ran off of a TDMA platform with AT&T as the service provider and this one is CDMA. This particular model is pretty basic. I hate flip phones so this was one of a few options available to me. The display is pretty good - clear graphics and color. I'm not a big fan of the keypad layout - it dips in the middle and I prefer it flat. I do like the fact that it is backlighted though. Talktime and standby time are plentiful enough for the standard user. Hands free options for this model stink. I haven't found one that I like yet. In lieu of a decent headset I've been using the speakerphone option which works pretty good. I don't need the camera phone and could do without it but if you are into stuff like that then you should invest in a case for the phone otherwise in less than a year your viewfinder will get scratched up due to its terrible location. Additionally, I prefer the keylock function on older models. Used to be that you could just hold down the endkey and it would lock. This model requires you to press the menu * option. If you are looking for very basic gear on the inexpesive side this is the phone way to go.

I had to downgrade my phone recently, as I needed some cash and my Treo was more of a luxury than a necessity. So, I sold my Treo and bought the Nokia 6225. I shouldn't have done that. Even with whatever deals I got and the pocket cash I wound up with after the fact, this has got to be the worst phone I have owned.

First off, the built-in camera stinks. Now, I understand some people will say that it's a VGA camera, and it's not meant to make prints. I don't mean that. I mean that compared to other VGA cameras on phones, this one stinks. It's constantly blurry and grainy, even in the best of lighting, with noticeable discoloration and aberration in lowered lighting. I've played with other cameraphones, and none of them had picture quality this bad. Even the Sony Ericcson T610, with a smaller picture file had better results.

And then, let's not forget how Sprint disabled the ability to beam the pictures to other devices, which mean you have to use their PictureMail service as the only way to keep the pics. Too bad you have to pay up to $$$ a month for the service! It's a good thing the picture quality stinks, as I probably wouldn't even want to keep the pictures anyway, thus saving me money.

The reception on this phone is decent, however, and I can receive calls even in my office. My Treo's reception, however, was much better. The speaker on this phone, though, isn't very good, and I sometimes have trouble hearing the person on the other line unless I have it pressed up against my ear a certain way.

And then, battery life stinks, too. After a 30 minute call and checking football scores a few times, my phone is down to only two bars, and if I take another five minute call, I need to worry if my phone will die on me. Terrible.

The only positive thing about this phone is that it's small and light, so it's easy to pocket.

You get what you pay for, and this phone shows it. Spend some money and buy a better phone--you'll be glad.

I like this phone, many features - camera, infra red to synch with my laptop, Nokia easy menus, pictures assigned to contacts.

I have been a long time customer of Nokia and have tried other brands but Nokia is the only brand that really gives consistently good service I can count on. I got a pair of these phones - one for me and one for my son. And had the same strengths and weaknesses with both. As far as the noise it makes when it takes photos - you can change the sound so that it is silent if you prefer. The camera doesn't take expremely clear photos but honestly about half of the camera phones I have seen have the same problem with not devoting enough pixel space - it's a camera phone. I really like the reliability of service though. Battery lasted a really long time and didn't have a problem with missed messages or dropped calls like I'd had with other phones. The big problem was - it did not stand up to the tough beating both me and my son put a cell phone through. ONly lasted about a year before the connective case started to fall apart, the on off switch stopped working, the face got scratched...the mechanics are great but the outer components are way too fragile unless you buy a case or are a very careful gentle person.

Sprint is great, but this phone is not. I bought it for my wife since it matched the UI on her old ATT nokia. She HATES this phone for three reasons:

1. My wife needs to charge it every night, whether she has used it or not. Sprint says this is normal because it has a small battery.

2. The buttons are impossible to use when you are driving since they flow together.

3. When you go to unlock the phone the screen doesn't light up

If Nokia came out with a battery that lasted twice as long - even if the phone ended up bigger - we could deal with it. As it is I have been directed by "she who must be obeyed" to get her the new Treo when it ships, or any other sprint phone except this piece of junk.

The phone battery drains very quickly, the problem may be is with the Sprint service and not with the phone, cause I used the same phone with a GSM service and the battery lasted for approx 3-5 days and now the abttery lasts barely for a day(with a talk time of 15-30 mins).

I like my little Nokia PM. When I went to buy it I just wanted the cheapest phone that was a little better than my LG I was using. I had my land phone cut off because people only call on my cell phone. I was going to get the plain Nokia but this one was on sale for just 10.00 more. My college age kid has the Sanyo 8200 and I won't lie her camera is fantastic because it zooms and has a flash but for an extra 10.00 I always have a camera handy and most of my pics have come out pretty decent. They always look better once they are on my PC. I haven't used the radio on the phone. I didn't get it for that purpose but I have the headset. Sprint's been decent to me and I got this in the Sprint store so for the price it is a good deal. Cell phones are just so expensive now due to all of the gadgets. This is a good basic phone. Don't expect expensive phone reception or expensive phone camera options when you are paying the bare minimum for a cell phone. I give it an A. It serves my purpose. Has my phone book in it and I don't lose calls like I did on my old LG phone.