Hello From Karlls,
Nokia fuels the current trend towards convergent devices with the 7610 smart phone. While it does a decent job at integrating phone, organizer and camera functions, techies will be put off by a few glaring omissions.
Design
Marketed as a fashion handset, the plastic-encased Nokia 7610 is unconventionally asymmetrical. Its shape resembles a stretched version of the leaf-like 7600, while the keypad is arranged in a unique parabolic formation. Two metallic-colored bands frame the front of the phone while the back is adorned by an abstract pattern. At 108.6 x 53 x 18.7mm and 118g, this mobile is more pocketable than its 6600 predecessor. However, its glossy surface smudges easily.
Nokia has recycled the splendid 176 x 208-pixel, 65K-color TFT first seen in the 6600. Users may be wary of the unusual keypad, but can rest assured that the keypad functions conventionally. Numerical buttons are easy to press, although the five-way navigation pad is rather stiff. A joystick control similar to that of the 6600 would have been preferable.
Features
The triband 7610 runs on the Series 60 platform and third-party applications can be installed to extend its functions. RealPlayer comes preloaded but this mobile offers only mono audio output, resulting in tinsy-sounding music tracks. Nokia?s exclusion of stereo output in the 7610 is baffling for such a top-tier model.
Handsets by the Finnish manufacturer are well-known for fast phone operation, but the 7610 is a tad slow. We encountered a slight lag whenever applications were launched on the review unit as opposed to the snappy N-Gage QD which uses the same platform.
This Nokia?s messaging interface is user-friendly, save for two gripes. Firstly, words added to the T9 predictive dictionary for some obscure reason aren’t retained once the phone is switched off. Secondly, to compose a Chinese SMS, users have to cycle through several options to change the phone?s language to Chinese.
The main selling point of the 7610 would have to be its 1-megapixel camera. No ghosting is encountered, thanks to the fast refresh rate of the LCD. Photos captured are crisp but color reproduction appears a little dull. The problem is further aggravated by the lack of imaging tweaks as this Nokia offers only a 4x digital zoom, night mode and a self-timer. Such omissions are surprising as lower-end models from rivals offer more adjustment options.
Fortunately, the 7610?s video functions outshine its camera’s. The 10-minute video recording is a vast improvement from the 10-second video recording capability of the 6600. Creative users will be pleased with the movie director application, which allows them to edit video footage by applying style, music and typed messages. With other video styles available for download, the possibilities are endless.
Regarding storage, this handset?s 8MB of internal memory is supplemented by the uncommon RS-MMC. Fortunately, Nokia has included a 64MB media in the package, good for about 16 MP3 songs.
Other notable features include a resonant 48-chord polyphony, a voice recorder, currency converter and standard PIM functions such as an alarm clock, calendar, to-do list and notes.
Connectivity
The 7610 offers speedy GPRS, WAP browser and Java support in addition to well-implemented Bluetooth connectivity. While an infrared port is absent, the logic being that users would not want to transfer 1-megapixel images via a slow IR connection, they can sync content with a computer via the supplied USB data cable.
Reception, Battery Life And SAR
When tested, reception was good, with signal strength consistently high even in areas where other phones registered fluctuating signal strength. There was no problem with voice quality during the review period, either. The 850mAh battery achieved an average standby time of three days on moderate usage, a far cry from the purported eight days.
The highest Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value recorded for this model was 0.54W/kg, which meets international requirements concerning exposure to radio waves.