All of which leads us seamlessly to the music player. The 6600 Slide comes with Nokia's standard player, with everything kept clean and organised – if not particularly inspiring. There's also an FM radio for fans of the old-fashioned wireless.

Unsurprisingly there's still no 3.5mm jack, but a microUSB is on hand for both transfer and charging duties.

Leading the way

One surprise bonus chanced upon in the menu is the presence of Nokia Maps.

There's no GPS onboard, so you' need to invest in the optional Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module to give you pinpoint positionings. You can, however, get directions and search for maps using postcodes.

Another highlight of the 6600's added extras is the Flickr app, which complements the 3.2-megapixel camera and allows you to upload photos straight to your account. Aside from this there is Flickr's benefactor Yahoo! Go and the usual host of organizer functions and tools to get you through day-to-day life.

Solid performer

Ultimately, you know where you are with a Nokia and the 6600 Slide ticks all the standard Nokia boxes.

Call quality is excellent, with the metal casing proving no obstacle to securing a strong 3G signal in most areas. Battery life, too, is healthy and you're unlikely to find yourself caught short over a few days' use.

For those who like their phones to be phones with a little added support for multimedia dabbling, the 6600 Slide is a perfect fit.

Great looks combined with solid build quality and performance make it an attractive proposition – just don't expect too much by way of added extras.

Network availability: 3, Orange, O2, T-Mobile

Looks: 4/5
Ease of use: 4/5
Features: 3.5/5
Call quality: 4.5/5
Value: 3.5/5