Nokia 6255i (MetroPCS)

CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
Detailed editors' rating
Design: 5.0
Features: 7.0
Performance: 7.0
Overall score: 6.3 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 60 reviews
• See all user reviews

Product summary

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
• Edited by: Kent German
• Reviewed on: 05/31/2005

Just a couple months ago, we got our hands on Nokia's 7270--the first flip we'd seen from the company in quite a long time. While that in itself was exciting, the phone wasn't all we had hoped. Now the Nokia 6255i offers a different take on the flip-phone form factor. Available through MetroPCS, the mobile not only supports Bluetooth and a speakerphone but also offers a VGA camera, a video recorder, an FM tuner, support for streaming media, and an MMC slot. Sound quality is also solid--that is, if your conversation can survive MetroPCS's spotty service. The Nokia 6255i costs $249, but you should be able to get it for less with a service contract.Nokia apparently didn't have sleekness and stylishness in mind when designing the 6255i. With a simple two-tone silver and midnight blue casing, the only reason the flip phone will catch your eye is its large size. At 3.4 by 1.9 by 1.0 inches and 4.4 ounces (not counting the extendable antenna), the handset is bulky and heavy, fitting snugly in a jeans pocket. However, the 6255i's size has its benefits. It feels solid in the hand, and it's comfortable to use when held up to your ear, almost like your cordless phone at home.

The sizable (1.25 inches diagonal) external display on the front cover is great for a Nokia phone, but at 4,096 colors, it pales in comparison with the high-resolution screens found on some of today's handsets. Still, it shows useful information such as your signal strength, battery level, time, and caller ID (where available). While you can change the color scheme, the wallpaper, and the screensaver, you can't adjust the backlighting; however, the time is still visible even after the backlighting turns off. In the bottom-left corner are the camera lens and the flash. In addition, you can use the external display for self-portraits.

Flip open the Nokia 6255i, and you're presented with a 2-inch (diagonal) screen that displays 65,536 hues. Again, we were somewhat disappointed by the quality of the screen, particularly for a device that places such a heavy emphasis on its multimedia capabilities such as video streaming. It's not as sharp or as bright as competitors' screens, especially the Sanyo MM-5600's gorgeous 262,000-color mug. That said, the menus are easy to use, and you can choose between two menu styles.

Below the screen, you'll find two soft keys, the Talk and End keys, and a dedicated camera button. They all surround the five-way navigation toggle. While there's a convenient OK key in the middle, users with larger digits might want to inspect the layout since it's easy to slip and press the wrong button. Thanks to the 6255i's ample real estate, though, the phone's backlit keypad is spacious, making it easy to dial by feel.

On the left spine, there's a volume rocker, but you can't use it to navigate through the menus. A 2.5mm headset jack and a power button are at the top, while the infrared port and a voice recorder/camera shutter key are located on the right side of the front flap. The latter button serves several purposes. A quick press of the key brings up the voice recorder, and once the camera is activated, you can use it as a capture key, though not to activate the camera. Also, if you hold down the button, you can answer or make calls via the speakerphone even if the phone is closed. Finally, hidden behind the battery pack is the 6625i's MMC slot. While we certainly appreciate its inclusion, we still can't understand why Nokia continues to place it inconveniently underneath the battery rather than on the side of the phone.

Just like its size, the Nokia 6255i's feature list is big and plentiful. The mobile has a 500-name phone book that lets you store up to five numbers; an e-mail, Web, and street address; and a note for each contact. For caller-ID purposes, you can pair a contact with an image or any of 24 polyphonic ring tones or assign it to a caller group. Messaging fanatics will be pleased to see text and multimedia messaging supported, as well as e-mail (POP3 and IMAP4). Other treats include a calendar with notes and reminders, an alarm clock, a calculator, a to-do list, voice commands, a WAP 2.0 Web browser, and support for 1xRTT networks for high-speed data transfer. And while the 6255i certainly has a playful side, business users can take advantage of the handset's conference-calling feature as well as the speakerphone and the integrated Bluetooth, two things noticeably absent from the Sanyo MM-5600. The mobile also provides USB-cable support for data transfers between your phone and your PC.

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User reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 60 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 60 user reviewsSee all 60 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  14 out of 14 people found this review helpful

  "Nice phone, very impressed!"

  by phonebuff on May 6, 2005

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• 4.5 stars

  7 out of 7 people found this review helpful

  "Great phone with a few small draw backs"

  by brendan007 on July 31, 2005

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• 4.5 stars

  6 out of 7 people found this review helpful

  "This phone is pleasure!! Form and function!!"

  by Esper on June 13, 2005

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• See all 60 user reviews Write review

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