Review: Building on the success of its predecessor, the Nokia 6800, the Nokia 6820 offers a slimmer, more attractive design and useful new features, such as an integrated camera and video-recording capabilities. Still, the main attraction of this AT&T Wireless handset is the built-in QWERTY keyboard, which is sure to please text-messaging junkies and e-mail fanatics. However, this phone will face tough competition from the ...
Expand full review Building on the success of its predecessor, the Nokia 6800, the Nokia 6820 offers a slimmer, more attractive design and useful new features, such as an integrated camera and video-recording capabilities. Still, the main attraction of this AT&T Wireless handset is the built-in QWERTY keyboard, which is sure to please text-messaging junkies and e-mail fanatics. However, this phone will face tough competition from the
Motorola A630, which offers many of the same features in a more slickly designed package. The 6820 doesn't come cheap at $369, but you should be able to find it for less with service.
Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more. On first impression, the Nokia 6820 looks like your typical candy bar-style phone. It's clad in an eye-catching, light blue and silver casing, and at 4.7 by 2.2 by 0.9 inches, the mobile retains the same dimensions as its predecessor, the 6800. However, it sheds some weight, slimming down to a svelte 3.5 ounces, compared to its forerunner's 4.4 ounces. The phone is compact and can fit in almost any pocket. It also feels comfortable yet solid in your hands.
Bonnie Cha Bonnie Cha is chief correspondent for Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Average User Rating
3.5 stars out of 51 user reviews Rating Breakdown
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5 star: 13
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4 star: 21
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3 star: 11
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2 star: 4
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1 star: 2
My Rating
0 stars click stars to rate product Most Helpful User Review
4.0 stars 21 of 21 users found this review helpful
Pros Battery, Keyboard, Form Factor, RF receiver
Cons User Interface
Summary I did a lot of research before selecting the Nokia 6820. My research indicated it had an excellent RF transceiver, while also having advanced features (BT and EDGE), a long battery life, internet access, a keyboard and some bells and whistles. I had many requirements but focused on one primary ... Expand full review
Summary: I did a lot of research before selecting the Nokia 6820. My research indicated it had an excellent RF transceiver, while also having advanced features (BT and EDGE), a long battery life, internet access, a keyboard and some bells and whistles. I had many requirements but focused on one primary requirement – voice and signal quality. Based on this requirement alone the 6820 is a winner. I’m writing this review in Feb. 2005 but purchased the phone in Summer 2004.
I also wanted to have internet access but the 6820 came up a bit short on this requirement due to the small screen size and inability to display secure websites, e.g., scottrade and wellsfargo bank. You can also access email using EDGE.
The Bluetooth feature is excellent when used with a headset. Set up and pairing with my BT Epox headset was a snap although the keystrokes required to pair the devices using Nokia’s shortcuts is a bit awkward. Overall, I am an enthusiastic user of BT in this regard.
I have also synched my laptop calendar program with the 6820 using BT after spending a considerable amount of time figuring out how to establish the BT connection. I think Nokia needs to get to version 2 of their software. It’s not intuitive and difficult to figure out to use since Nokia’s on-line site and the manual provide very little guidance. I recommend using the BT feature for synching your PIM for those who like end-user challenges and have a lot of time. Plus, the data translation between Outlook and the 6820 leaves a lot to be desired.
BT synching is a great idea but too much work to use on a daily basis – back to the drawing board for Nokia on this feature. Try using the infra-red port instead to synch instead.
The fill-up keyboard is handy and easy to use and would probably keep text messaging and/or email users very happy.
The speaker-phone is surprisingly loud and clear, coming from such a small phone.
The battery has an extremely only standby and has a small form factor battery charger.
The user-interface and menu (including the short-cuts) are not easy to use and requires a lot of drilling down to find the correct submenus. Could be more intuitive – a lot more. In Nokia’s defense, the phone has a lot of features and ergo, needs a lot of screen menus.
I haven’t used the voice tagging features, yet. The camera and video are both low resolution but are of decent quality. They were probably never designed to be used as replacements to your existing camera/camcorder.
You can also use the 6820 as a modem using the EDGE feature by using a serial connection to the 6820 using BT (I think - I have yet to confirm test this feature) as the connection to the phone.
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