Customer Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Nokia 6800 represents a leap forward in interface design that mobile executives will appreciate. Unlike most phones that require multiple key presses per character, the 6800's full QWERTY keyboard allows users to rapidly type information. At first glance, the phone looks like a conventional cell phone. Ingeniously, the main numeric keypad folds open, to reveal right and left halves of the keyboard that sit on either side of the screen. This arrangement allows significantly faster typing than via QWERTY keyboards on the Handspring Treo or Blackberry. It makes entering notes, adding contacts or accessing the Internet much more appealing. My reason for purchasing the phone falls into the last category, Internet use, which has been disappointing due to the network performance.

Unfortunately, ATT Wireless GPRS service is spotty at best. In fact, here in downtown Chicago (as of 4/04) access to mMode can be hit or miss even though there is maximum signal strength. Oddly, the data network appears to have degraded significantly since it went live 2.5 years ago. With reliability being as bad as it, one has to question the value of a superior interface, especially if the primary motivation for upgrading your phone is easier use of data functions. Clearly, one could not rely on this network for critical access to data for business purposes.

Data performance aside, the 6800 is an impressive phone with the best keyboard on the market. It also has a joy stick that allows for easy navigation of menus. Although I have never played games with the phone, the joystick would be excellent for this purpose. To aid users typing in poor ambient light, full keyboard lighting is available at the press of a button. The elaborate set of interface elements, especially folding keyboard, makes the phone appear fragile. Yet, my experience shows the phone is quite rugged as it has survived several drops on hard concrete.

There are many bells and whistles on the phone including a programmable FM radio. Although the reception is adequate in the city[Chicago], it degrades significantly 10 miles outside the city limits. Compared to a car radio with external antenna, it leaves something to be desired. Oddly, the stereo headphones (not required) cost $25, which is more than most digital FM radios. At first glance, one might think a radio on cell phone is a useless feature. However, many health clubs have their television screens' audio broadcasted through FM. Having an all-in-one device is nice in this regard.

Combined with an excellent interface, the phone's feature set is sufficiently robust as to supplant most PDA functions. The screen is large enough for the calendar and note pad. When traveling, I have found the multifunction calendar and alarms very helpful. A surprising feature of the phone is the quality of the speakerphone. Clearly there was major engineering to get the clarity and volume is good as it.

One very useful capability, which many users are not aware, is the phone's ability to use any POP email account. Hence, you can send and receive business email - and NOT use an ATT address. ATT has its own SMTP capability, which is transparent to the sender and recipient and lets users avoid blocked SMTP access hassles. More recently, all of the major web-based formats (Hotmail, Yahoo) have been added to the ATT mMode offering.

While most of the problems with the phone stem from the data network performance, there were some Nokia-created glitches. The original headset and numerous replacements kept breaking. I went through four in the first three months. The salespeople at the ATT wireless store were kind enough to provide a new one each time. One even suggested that there were many headsets from this particular model being returned. Nokia may have had some manufacturing problems with the initial production lot as I haven't had any problems in the last five months.

Although the overall design is excellent, I would have appreciated a keypad cover. The main numeric keypad is prone to accidental key depression when the phone is placed in a pocket or backpack. Many users will lament the lack of a camera or Bluetooth. However, I truly miss higher data rates from offered by EDGE. These features, including EDGE data capabilities, are available in the recently released Nokia 6820. Given the enhancements of this later generation model, there is little reason to purchase a 6800. If you don't mind the flashier design of the 6820, skip the 6800.

Pro's
Excellent interface design with QWERTY keyboard
Joy stick
Excellent sound quality and reception
Excellent speakerphone quality
Personal email (POP accounts)

Con's
No EDGE (available in 6820)
No Bluetooth (available in 6820)
GPRS Network performance poor
No camera
No expandable memory
No MP3

FINAL WORD
Skip the 6800 and purchase the 6820 instead

Don't follow your friends and coworkers who pay more for Treos and Blackberries, then have to deal with a stylus and/or a teeny, tiny keyboard on a big, awkward, heavy phone. The Nokia 6800 is THE mobile professional's phone and PIM/PDA in one. It has 5MB RAM plus a SIM card to hold all your mobile data, and it really does last 1-2 weeks on a charge.

If you use Outlook or Lotus Notes you can synchronize your contacts, to-dos, memos (notepad notes), and appointments using infrared or an optional USB cable. This phone's perfect for people who do a lot of texting, instant messaging, and email--the T9 dictionary is the best predictive text input tool available and this phone's flip-open, full qwerty keyboard (with keys big enough and spaced out well enough for two-thumb typing to actually work!) makes it quick and easy to type. It also has voice dialing, voice commands, and a voice recorder for when you're in a hurry or have your hands full. And when you're sitting in a meeting without a pen and paper you can type notes on it too--even when talking on the phone, using the speakerphone capability.

This isn't an "everyday person" phone: it's a bit pricier (although you can get it free depending on what provider and plan you choose, and it almost always costs less than Treo, Blackberry, Palm, etc. PDA-phones) because it's not just a phone, it's a PIM/PDA; it only comes with two built-in games (which isn't a priority for businesspeople, although you can easily download additional games and other Java software); and it doesn't have a built-in camera (but have you ever seen a cell phone camera that was any good?).

My only complaints about this phone after having used it for over a year are: the GUI is a bit slow moving from screen to screen; the color display isn't as big, sharp, and impressive as some other phones with, well, bigger and sharper displays--but this phone was designed for text-based features anyway; the calendar doesn't support the complex recurrance and rescheduling features as Outlook so you sometimes get duplicate entries in your phone after synchronizing; the flip-open keyboard has a few characters in odd places that you have to get used to; and the proprietary accessory connector is horrible--impossible to tell whether you've got it upside-down, forces you to use Nokia's stereo headphones for the FM tuner, and often doesn't fully connect in the desktop cradle. Bluetooth and international GSM capability would also have been nice, as would MP3 playback capability.

The best thing you could do is go to a service provider's store where they have a real phone (not a shell) you can hold to see if you like it. If you're considering the 6820 just because it's newer, look carefully at the specifications because they aren't all improvements--also make sure you try typing on both keyboards because they're very different.

Oh one more thing, this phone is very durable, in my experience. I've fallen on it while mountain biking and playing sand volleyball, and while the window did crack, the phone kept working fine and the LCD didn't bleed or anything. I'm pretty impressed about that. Someday I'll send it in for repair, but it'd be hard to live without this phone even for a few days--it stores all my names, numbers, addresses, email addresses, directions to people's houses and businesses, personal notes, to-dos, appointments and meetings...and I probably send up to 50 emails and text messages a day because it's so convenient to type on.

I got the 6800 with service by Cingular and, except for when I'm underground on the "T" (subway), service here in Boston is fine. I bought the phone four months ago and my main criteria were: 1. I wanted a phone that could store contact information beyond phone numbers & 2. I wanted a phone with a full qwerty keyboard because I've tried "typing" on standard 9-key phone pads, and I hate it.

Enter the Nokia 6800, and it does exactly what I need it to. The fold out keyboard is sturdy (I was very worried that the keyboard would be flimsy and am relieved to say it can take some heavy duty typing despite the fact that it's very thin) and fairly easy to "thumb type" on and even has a shift key and can be backlit for outdoor typing at night.

As I said before, the reception on my Cingular plan in Boston is fine.

The phone also has memory and it can hold up to 500 address book contacts with multiple entries (including: home phone, mobile phone, work #, fax, street address, email address and even "notes" that appear like tiny post-it's on the person's address book entry). This is great because, for the first time I can keep up with the contact info for my ever-changing, ever moving (and always changing their phone number) family, friends and colleagues. And, in fact, I've done away with my paper address book entirely.

You can also buy a special USB adaptor cable that you can use to backup all the info from your phone onto your PC (and vice-versa). The cable is a little expensive but well worth it from my perspective since lost contact information is incredibly annoying and hard to get back. (as an aside: You will need to download Nokia Phone Editor to use the USB adaptor cable, which can be downloaded for free from Nokia sites).

The color screen is a nice touch too, it's a little easier on the eyes than the old monochrome standard.

If I have a minor complaint, it's that the keypad is never covered, so that sometimes keys accidentally get "pushed" when I put my phone in a bag (although I've never "accidentally" made a phone call). I think the keyboard may be "locked" but I've been too lazy to research how to do it.)

The phone also has a few small gimmicks like some games and you can change the background color. For a few additional dollars you can use it to text message and (to my understanding) you can also send email which might be worth it since you actually have a qwerty keyboard. I haven't used those features, so I can't honestly tell you how well they work. I have played the games a few times but generally don't like them because the screen is small and "joystick" hard to use. Anyway, if you want video games, I would recommend buying a gameboy.

Overall, I wanted a sturdy cell phone that was easy to type on, with a color screen, and something that could replace my old address book and the 6800 did all those things, so I am a satisfied customer.

The moment I set eyes on the folding design of this phone with the full keyboard I knew I had to have it. This is great if you do a lot of text messaging, and those of you who do will know how FRUSTRATING it is hitting a key 3 times to select the letter you want. You may find though that once this phone is in a standard case you may not put in the time and effort to take it out of it's case and then unfold it to text message anyway. This phone has a lot of good features and it is like a mini organizer. With the phone book you add a name and it then allows you to store a home, work and cell number for each person. Great - but unfortunately, when adding a new contact it assumes it's a home number and you have to change it afterwards - which is a pain. Too bad you can't select type when entering. The thing I really HATE about this phone is the volume - it is really soft compared to the other phones I have had. It is easier for me to hear when putting the phone on Speaker, unfortunately this naturally results in the other person hearing everything in the background. (btw, I recently went to an audiologist and my hearing is fine!) For this reason, unless you are really into text messaging, get something else. AT&T also sells this phone, if you are going to get it, stick with AT&T. Cingular are awful!

I ordered this phone from the AT&T website, not Amazon.com. The phone itself is awesome, but I cannot get a signal inside my office building. I use this phone primarily for emergencies only (my father has been ill for some time), but since I cannot get a signal, that really defeats the purpose. AT&T is terrible, their customer service is frustrating, more than once I have had to call 4-5 different numbers and have been shuffled from one department to another. If you get this phone get it from some one else. IMHO AT&T has gotten too big to care about the average consumer.

I got this phone about two weeks ago, and so far, it's amazing! This is my first cell phone so I really don't know how good it is compared to others.

PROS:
-big & bright color screen
-radio
-loudspeaker
-QWERTY keypad
-loud volumes
-lots of different ring tones to choose from.. 44 i believe?

CONS:
-it has only 2 games. my sister has a Nokia 3100 and she has 4 games
-quite big compared to today's cell phones
-my friend has a motorola t720 and her phonebook is way better than this nokia's.
-needs to use the given earphone in order to listen to the radio, even when you're playing it over the loudspeaker
-boring wallpaper.. there isn't much that can be cusomtized.

as far as reception goes.. it's awful at my house. Normally it doesn't even have any reception. But everywhere else I go, it's a full 7 bars..

Another problem I'm having right now is that the backcover is starting to sqeak like the Motorola flip phones. I'm not sure if I'm going to change my phone yet. If I do though, it's definately going to be another Nokia.

I went ahead and ordered the Nokia 6800 from ATT, they shipped it to me the next day and I was fairly impressed by it. The flip open keyboard is a great feature and I really hope more phones adopt this feature. It makes text messaging and emailing a lot easier. The phone is light, a little big compared to other phones - but then again, all Nokias are about this size anyways. I definately prefer this style as to those flip-top phones.

The only few complaints i have about this phone is that it doesnt have a built in camera - but thats already solved with the 6820(if you so choose). But you can get an attachable for it. The screen display, while large, is slightly dim and the refresh rate is horrible for playing action games - if you're a gamer like me. Also, this phone only runs the series 40 java games - oh well. Color support is 12-bit, which is ok....for now. I really didnt see the need for a head set just to listen to the radio - alhtough thats not a big deal. The reception does seem to bounce around....once in a while i get good reception and other times i dont - even in the exact same location.

Anyways, I reccommend this phone if you are big into messaging and emailing. But not for gamming....

In looking for a new phone after I smashed my Sony Ericsson T68i (easily the worst phone I've owned), I was stuck between getting the 6800 and the Palm Tungsten W, but settled on the phone rather than the PDA/phone. As it turns out, the 6800 turned out to be a great phone with some adequate PDA-like functions.

Pros:
-reception MUCH better than my old phone (but that's really not saying a whole lot).
-typing is much, much easier due to the flip-open keyboard.
-I can send and receive email via my Earthlink account.
-I can quickly jot down notes into a note file.
-with the optional PC cable, I can sync my information with Microsoft Office on my PC.
-It's a Nokia, and once you've gone Nokia, you should never go anywhere else. I find their interfaces very intuitive.

Cons:
-it's substantially bigger and bulkier than my old phone. That's tough if you're a hip Asian kid, but I'm probably past that stage now.
-battery life is surprisingly disappointing (this can be due to heavy usage, however), and the charging period can sometimes be akin to an ice age.
-voice recognition isn't any better than my old phone, which is to say it's lousy at times (especially when using the headset in the car).

Bottom line - definitely a keeper. I have no intentions of smashing this one.

i have has the attws gsm service for over 1 year now and this nokia is the best i have found. the phone is solid. holds the signal where other phones would not. i used the s46 and t/720 and this works great with attws. the keyboard is nice only complaint is the backlite can not be controlled

I purchased this phone at about Chrismas '03 and it's by far the best phone I've ever had. The fold out keyboard makes it much easier to send text messages, type in web addresses, instant message, etc. (for those of you who don't like to press a key 3 times for a letter) The phone book is great and lets you store to about 200 or so contacts (which is way more than I need). The screen is fully customizable by letting you select any of wallpapers it comes with (or the ones you download) and lets you select color themes. As far as games go, it only comes with 2 games but they're great games that I could spend a couple hours on if I really wanted to. Once you get bored with those, AT&T Wireless has A LOT of games to choose from (60-70 of them) if your willing to purchase them. They're not too expensive except for games such as Splinter Cell and Tony Hawk: Underground (which are $5.99). The web browsing is great compared to my friend's Sony Ericsson T226 but I haven't compared it to others yet. The AT&T Wireless service is great in my area except in my house which I only get about 1-3 bars at. I'd say the only flaw in AT&T Wireless is their customer service. Don't get me wrong, they're all friendly and nice people, but every time I call it says that they're experiencing high call volume and it puts me on hold for 40 minutes to an hour. My particular phone has been having some defects like my buttons stick, as soon as I place a call it goes to speakerphone, when I try to hang up and i'm on headset volume it goes to speakerphone (or when your on speakerphone vice versa) but that's only in the cold when I'm outside, and theres a black spot on one of the recievers connecting the keypad to the rest of the body that I haven't noticed before. I think that it's just my particular phone though. I'll be sure to look at any warranties before I decide to take it back or not. Anyway, take my advice and get this phone if your looking to get one. This phone is definately one of the best phones out there with excellent service. It's definately worth your money.