Plenty of mobile makers have in the past been prepared to get their phones up on the ramps for a bit of Vodafone modification, but the 6234 marks the first time that the top brand on the leaderboard has given the thumbs up for a bit of Vodafone live! with 3G customisation.
As such, the mid-priced 6234 is bit special for a Nokia 3G phone - although there is a near-identical model without the Vodafone branding, the 6233 for other networks.
The 6234 puts 3G multimedia content right at the front of the grid, and on top of its download-friendly demeanour, it has other features worth shouting about such as a 2 megapixel camera, music player, swappable memory and an FM radio.
From the front on, the 6234 doesn't have the swooning good looks of some mobiles, or the ultra-sophisticated styling of other 3G Nokias.
Features
It looks simply like a fairly straightforward candybar with large numbers keys and spaced controls. However, its smooth chrome styling and matt black rubberised backing make it a tactile pleasure to hold.
Featuring a large 262,144-colour, 320 x 240 pixel QVGA colour screen, the phone's facia is arranged in an elegant fashion; the main key array is simple and uncluttered, with four thin control keys and a central menu rocker between the numberpad and display.
Unfortunately, the thinness means it's not that clear which of the control keys are used to make, answer and end calls. However, you do get used to it quickly, and the softkey functions are easy to follow.
This phone is a bit of a marriage of two systems; on the one hand, it offers Nokia's signature design with an easy-to-use menu structure (a quick access bar of shortcuts sit at the top oif the screen in standby), but the Vodafone branding also comes through with graphics, icons and menu texts and themes.
Users can get easy access to Vodafone's 3G services, with a live! softkey option a default setting that pops up on the bottom right of the standby display, plus links within the menus to download videos, ringtones and so on.
Go Live!
Pop the live! button, and you're soon up and running on the Vodafone live! with 3G portal. This presents you with plenty of download options, plus streamed video. As well as videos and music tracks, you can opt to subscribe to Vodafone's Mobile TV streaming service.
