TechRadar Verdict
A competent effort but one that feels a little too '2008' in a world filled with decent budget offerings
Reasons to buy
- +
Nice build material
- +
Good Home screen widgets
- +
Clear, vibrant screen
- +
Good macro camera shots
- +
Easy-to-use messaging
Reasons to avoid
- -
Poor battery life
- -
Occasionally laggy and ageing OS
- -
Below average touchscreen
- -
Wobbly build
- -
Lack of social network integration
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With the Nokia C7 looking like it'll pack Symbian S^3 when released, and MeeGo on the horizon, the Nokia C6 looks like it could be something of a swan song for Symbian S60 on the Nokia's smartphones.
We looked at the Nokia C5 recently, and this certainly has a step up in features to match its higher-numbered name (we'll save the jokes about it being "one higher" for when the C11 comes out).
The C6 is a touchscreen smartphone with a 3.2-inch screen and slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard for good measure. Running on Symbian S60 5th Edition, it's packing 3G HSDPA and Wi-Fi for speedy internet access.
It comes loaded with Nokia's now-standard Ovi features, including Ovi Maps for navigation – which is aided by the integrated A-GPS – and the Ovi store for getting new apps, widgets, ringtones and other sundries.
On the back is a 5MP camera featuring an LED flash, while the front features a small QVGA camera for video calls. The rear camera can also take VGA videos at 30 frames per second.
The Nokia C6 is taking aim at the mid-range smartphone market, coming it an RRP of £299.99, but seemingly available from as little as £229.00 on PAYG. On contract, the handset can be had for free from around £20 per month.
This price range puts it in the firing line of the HTC Wildfire, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro, Nokia's own X6 and, probably its closest rival, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz Pro.
The C6 is available in white or black. In the box, you get the phone and its battery, a micro-USB cable, 2GB SD card, mains charger (Nokia's clever sliding-pin one, which is great for traveling), and earphones with microphone for hands-free talking.
