Jul
02
Nokia’s 6263 is one of the first phones on the market to support T-Mobile’s upcoming 3G network, which will use WCDMA (1700MHz), and it brings quite a package to the table. Heavy on the features, is the 6263 the perfect clamshell?
The Nokia 6263 is a mid-sized clamshell with a musical tendency. It measures up at a slightly thick 23mm, (0.9″) but has a very nice in-hand feel. The phone is weighted nicely and feels solid, though not overly heavy. It is slightly difficult to open, thanks to the top portion of the flip being slightly smaller than the bottom. The edges are nicely curved, which helps to give the phone an overall pleasant feel. The body of the phone does not emit any creaks, and the hinge has absolutely no wiggle room, which further proves the superior build quality of the 6263.
The volume up and down buttons are located on the right side of the 6263, with the camera button positioned directly below. These buttons protrude slightly, but offer enough resistance so that they are not pressed accidentally. The mono speaker is also located at the bottom of the right side of the 6263. The left side of the phone is where you will find the microSD card slot, with an extremely flimsy door that attempts to protect the slot from dust. This small rubbery door is incredibly difficult to open, and feels as though the slightest tug would easily rip it off the phone.
The front of the 6263 features a 2 megapixel camera with no flash, in addition to the dedicated music playback keys and large 262k color TFT external display. The music buttons sport raised labels, allowing them to be easily found and used, even when the device is in a pocket. The top of the handset houses the small-barrel Nokia power port, a miniUSB port for data transfer, and a 2.5mm audio jack that you can’t help but wish was the standard 3.5mm.
Once you flip the 6263 open, you’re greeted by a large 2.2″ QVGA display and ample keypad. The d-pad on the 6263 is extremely pleasant to use, with well defined feedback for each directional key and the large center key. The keypad’s white backlight evenly illuminates every key, as well.
The 6263’s vibrate notification is very powerful, making it less likely that you would miss a call. However, since the only speaker is located at the bottom right corner of the device, it often gets muffled when in your pocket or in a holster, therefore reducing the volume.
The 6263 operates on T-Mobile’s GSM network and uses EDGE for data access on the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900MHz frequency bands. Reception is very strong, as is typical of Nokia’s handsets, and during my tests there was little fluctuation shown on the signal indicator, showing that the 6263 has no problem holding a signal. Unfortunately, the audio quality when on a phone call was somewhat empty, as if speaking into a large barrel. The volume is plenty loud enough, even at the medium setting, but some work could go into the speaker quality. The speakerphone is also loud, however, the aforementioned placement of the speaker does not lend itself to using the speakerphone function when holding the device.
The Nokia 6263 runs Nokia’s S40 user interface, which includes a very capable web browser, despite it being a bit slow to render larger pages. This little clamshell’s internal display is a joy to browse the web on, with support for Java and the ability to send a web page to a friend via SMS.
The 6263’s 1.3 megapixel camera takes several seconds to process each photo, which is disappointing. The photos, however, are decent, considering their resolution. Good lighting is a must, though, as the camera performs poorly in low-light situations and as mentioned earlier, does not feature a flash. The camera application does, however, feature plenty of options such as white balance adjustment, scene mode, and even includes a night mode and sequence shot for extra fun. Image editing is another fun feature that’s included, with several included clip-art images and borders that allow users to customize a photo directly on the phone.
This smart little clamshell also sports video mode, allowing you to record video at 15 fps in 176 x 144 pixel resolution. The results are great for MMS, and can also be used for incoming caller id, which is a fun feature. As with video calling, low lighting conditions will result in poor quality video from the 6263, as will excessive movement.
The Nokia 6263 supports themes, which allow the user to customize the background image, as well as ringtone and menu colors. Users can set a group of pictures as the background, resulting in a constantly-changing slideshow. The main display also features Active Standby, offering users several shortcut options for their favorite or most used features, or alternatively, users can assign shortcuts to the four directions on the d-pad.
The Nokia 6263’s menus are very snappy, and users can easily rearrange the icons to their liking. Several games are also included, such as AMF Bowling and Frogger 25th anniversary, with more available through T-Mobile’s tzones. The 6263 also supports both POP and IMAP email in addition to the standard SMS and MMS messaging options.
The 6263 features a built-in FM radio tuner, though it requires wired headphones, which function as the radio’s antenna. The music player is compatible with MP3s and sports a robust music library, album art, and can be controlled via the external display and music buttons. The music library is organized by artist, album, and genre, with support for playlists, which be created directly on the phone. A full graphic equalizer ensures that the sound is optimized to the users’ taste, and there are three different themes for the music player. Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for Bluetooth stereo headsets adds another option to enjoy your music.
Conclusion
The Nokia 6263 is a sleek, music focused clamshell, with convenient music playback buttons and stereo Bluetooth support. The 2.5mm audio jack is disappointing, though, as is the flimsy microSD slot cover. I would still classify the 6263 as “Recommended”, however, thanks to the build quality and friendly S40 user interface.
The Nokia 6263 measures 94mm x 48mm x 23mm (3.7″ x 1.9″ x 0.9″) and weighs 105g (3.7oz). The manufacturer rated talk time is a 3.3 hours, and standby time is rated at 11 days. After personal use, I would suggest bringing a charger on a weekend trip with the 6263, as even with light data usage, the battery barely makes it through the day. This clamshell is available now through T-Mobile.com.
You’ll find a gallery of sample photos shot with the Nokia 6263’s built-in camera on the following page.
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