Look out for cheap imitations N6310

The 6310i is effectively the updated version of the 6310, which many service providers are still offering as a free phone. Esssentially Nokia jumped on the Microsoft bandwagon and released a product that wasn't really ready and was buggy as hell. The 6310i seems to have had most of these problems ironed out but as a result it often requires a premium payment over the standard 6310 to get it on a contract.
I upgraded to my 6310i a few months ago so prices may have fallen somewhat now and have been using most of the features on a day-to-day basis. To give some backround to the phone I've lifted the specs from the Nokia site and have added my comments where applicable: Size
Weight: 111 g Dimensions: 129 x 47 x 17-21 mm
All in all a well dimensioned phone, light enough to go relatively unnoticed in your pocket but with a good sized keypad and screen, thereby avoiding the button-mashing you often get with smaller phones if your thumb is a little on the pudgy side! However, the phone is available in 3 colors. black/gold, silver and mistral beige. Never seen a beige one yet and the silver ones ar hard to come by, hence I ended up with the black version, which is OK but looks a little dated. I really fancy swapping the front as it would match better with the aluminium dash in my car. Sad I know...just call me a slave to aestethics!

Display
High resolution, illuminated, full-graphics display
Dynamic display layout which adjusts automatically for the best viewing. Up to 6 lines for text, numbers and graphics.
The display is a pretty cool blue backlit affair with a very good resolution and contrast. Think this probably stemmed from the numerous after-market alterations for nokias. Text is easy to read and menus open and scroll well, especially in comparison to my old 6210, which was as slow as a ZX81. The menus are easy to access and are logical in approach, in addition you'll find that if you are upgrading, your service provider will also supply you with a new SIM card, nt sure if its a 16 or 32 bit version but basically this provides a range of different features that are network specific. On my Vodafone version it provides a further menu setting with options for traffic info, location services and network enquiries.
Memory Functions
The following functions share dynamic memory (On the SIM Card):
Calendar notes (up to 250 entries)
To-do list (up to 30 entries)
WAP cache (up to 20 entries)
WAP bookmarks (up to 25 entries)
Java™ applications
Wallet notes for storing credit card info and account details. Call me paranoid but I don't feel comfortable having this ona phone when there is so much software available allowing people to hack phones. The following functions use static memory (Stored on the Phone's internal memory):
Phone book (up to 500 entries)
SMSs (up to 150 text messages or 50 picture messages)
Voice recording (2 minutes)
Handy for recording memos and reminders
Voice name tags (10 places) for voice-dialling. I find this very useful when used with the in-car kit.
Voice commands (5 predefined). Someone may find this useful but I'll be honest I haven't really bothered with it.
Ringing tones (35 preset, 5 downloadable)...Nuff said
Much of the settings and data on the phone is controlled with the bundled software, Nokia PC Suite. However, unless your PC has an infra-red port you'll have to buy the optional cable at around £30 to use it. In addition, the IR settings seem to be a bit flaky, mine seemed to work well for a while with my laptop but then refused to connect. I don't have any problems connecting to my PDA via IR. Extra applications can also be downloaded fom the Nokia website for the built-in Java system but this doesn't seem to be widely supported as yet. Power Consumption
Talktime: 3 h 15 min - 6 h (GSM 900/1800), 4 h - 7 h 30 min (GSM 1900) Standby time: up to 17 days.
Without doubt this has been the best phone I'e had for battery life, it never seems to need charging. Usually it gets topped up on the 45 min trip to and from work but I can't recall the last time I actually ran the battery down, even over a long weekend.
Key features: Tri-band - world phone, WAP, GPRS, HSCSD, wireless connectivity via Bluetooth.
These features establish this phone as a leading business communications tool. I've recently signed up for GPRS with Vodafone and so far have been impressed with the connection speeds obtained. Prices may be prohibitive for heavy use at the moment but for the amount I use it (downloading the odd e-mail while out and about) it makes good sense. I'd agree that the bluetoth accessories are somewhat expensive but for connectivity with other devices like PDA's and laptops it makes life a lot easier than having to balance the phone somwhere to get a line of sight for the IR connection. All in all I'd have to say this is the best phone I've used for the range of features and would recommend it as a business users first choice.

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