Nokia has been a firm supporter of the Symbian operating system for many years and is one of the founding firms behind the Symbian Foundation, overseeing the development of the platform and implementing it in many of its smartphones. The Nokia 6600i Slide interface is based on the Symbian S40 5th edition package and although this is not quite as capable as the fully fledged S60 version, it still offers a good range of functionality and semi-smart capabilities presented in a way that is basic enough for anyone to understand.

If you have used a midrange Nokia phone in the recent past you will already be familiar with the look and feel of the Nokia 6600i Slide interface. You get a simple home screen and you can customise the background with any image that you like, whether it is one that you have snapped with the camera or one that you have downloaded from the internet. The basic home screen displays information including signal strength, date, time, battery level and message updates. This is all par for the course, but there is another home screen accessible that can be overlaid on the basic version. Called Active Standby, this secondary interface allows you to access a fully customisable array of information. The screen is divided into four sections, with the top representing a shortcut bar that can be filled with little hotlinks that take you to various apps and services including the camera, the browser and your messaging inbox. The next section can be used to activate the built in radio receiver or your music player and the Nokia 6600i Slide interface allows you to have these two running in the background, with updates showing what track or station is being listened to appearing on the home screen. The next section contains your calendar and notifications, to let you know if you have any upcoming appointments that you need to see to. Finally at the bottom of the screen you get a little bar that can be modified using the Ovi services. You can use this to view news feeds from your most frequently visited sites, although you will need to go online in order to get the updates delivered, otherwise this will remain inactive.

The 6600i Slide interface is not limited to the physical keypad and customisable softkeys; there is also an accelerometer built in that allows for some intuitive controls that can be accessed at any time. Basically you just need to tap the surface of the phone twice to perform a few commands. For example, when the phone is closed and the screen is not active, you can tap twice to reveal the current time. If you get a call and you want to ignore it, you can silence the ringtone by tapping the phone. A double tap can put your alarm into sleep mode, which is certainly an easy way to flail your arm in the general direction of your phone and turn of the alarm when you want five minutes more in bed in the morning.

The main menu of the Nokia 6600i Slide can be fully customised as well. The standard array of icons is fine for those who do not like to fiddle, but if you have a specific idea about how you want your phone to be laid out, it is something that you will certainly enjoy tinkering with. With a grid of 12 menu icons to modify, there is quite a wide remit for customisation. You can always reset the phone to its default settings if your alterations to the interface turn out to be imperfect, but having the option to craft your own mobile experience is a boon.

There are many different camera phones now available and as the technology matures, the basic standard that consumers expect becomes inevitably ever higher. Only a short time ago the norm was for 2 megapixel cameras, with 3.2 megapixel phones representing the high end of the market. Now the bar has been raised. 3.2 megapixel cameras are common and the most desirable mid-ranged handsets have to have 5 megapixels or more to grab the attention of the snap happy shopper. The Nokia 6600i Slide camera phone fits nicely into this niche, with a 5 megapixel camera and various other features which work to improve the overall performance of its all important photographic facet. Whether the 6600i Slide does enough to gain popularity remains to be seen.

With a 5 megapixel sensor you can capture images of 2592×1944 pixels, giving you plenty of highly defined pictures to use on your phone or to transfer to your PC. The camera itself has an 8x digital zoom function which will help to bring those far away objects that much closer. The Nokia 6600i Slide camera benefits from having a built in autofocus function. This means you will have the ability to point and shoot far or near objects without having to fiddle about with complex settings or relying on the compromise of a fixed focus that most other low cost camera phones offer.

If you are using the 6600i Slide in a darkened area there are two LEDs linked to form a single bright flash. LEDs are not as sought-after as Xenon flash solutions, but for the money the dual LEDs are as much as you could ask for. LEDs are still used on far more expensive models and do an admirable job of making light of a dark situation.

When it comes to viewing the photos you take with the Nokia 6600i Slide camera, you will benefit from the rich colour pallet available on its screen. With up to 16.7 million different visible hues on display you will really be able to determine the quality of the picture that you have taken. This high colour resolution also makes using the screen as a viewfinder a great deal easier and clearer.

The 6600i Slide is often bundled with a 1GB micro SD memory card for storing all of your pictures, although you can add in memory cards with up to 8GB of additional capacity if you want to expand the storage as far as it will go. There is plenty of room for hundreds of pictures on a basic card, so most will be happy with the phone as it comes, straight out of the box.

Where the Nokia 6600i Slide falls slightly flat is in its video capturing abilities. The basic QVGA resolution video can be captured at 30 frames per second, which is what you would expect given the low definition of the resultant video. However, the VGA video capture only operates at 15 fps. That is about half as fast as you would expect from a phone that is otherwise in possession of a decent photographic pedigree. With the popularisation of handheld digital video camcorders influencing most other mobile phones in this price bracket, it is surprising that Nokia has not improved the Nokia 6600i Slide Camera when it comes to recording video. If you are a frequent user of video sharing and streaming sites then this could put you off the 6600i Slide completely.

The Nokia 6600i Slide is a good stepping stone towards quality mobile photography. Although it is not perfect, there is enough functionality and technical wizardry to satisfy the average consumer.

Nokia’s new releases traditionally highlight the areas of the mobile phone industry which are expected to develop and evolve over the coming year. However, with stiff competition in the smart phone market the recent raft of Nokia mobiles harks back to simpler times.

Nokia 2370 Classic

The ‘Classic’ badge, which is applied to many of Nokia’s modern handsets, usually represents a phone which is a stylish update of a previous best selling platform. The 2370 classic features 3G high speed connectivity for decent mobile internet speeds as well as a 2 megapixel camera that is fine if you are not too concerned about image quality. Finished in black and silver with a pleasant polished screen the 2370 Classic is undoubtedly classy and in its price range there is little that can measure up to those good looks.

Nokia 3720 Classic

With its rounded edges and chunky yet elegant design the 3720 Classic is promoted as offering durability. It is designed to take the punishment of everyday use and still come back for more. It is perhaps slightly disappointing, then, that it is relatively basic beneath the skin, lacking 3G connectivity and featuring a slightly under par 2 megapixel camera. On the plus side the 2.2 inch screen is bright and has a rich colour palette available to make viewing images and watching videos a pleasant experience.

Nokia 2700 Classic

This phone is perhaps the least remarkable of the new Classic range, although it cannot be faulted for its easy to use design and down to basics functionality. The 2700 Classic has a 2 megapixel camera and a 2.2 inch screen which lacks the abilities of its more expensive cousin the 3720. However, if you are in the market for a cheap SIM free model then this is as good a choice as any. The Nokia badge virtually guarantees quality and long life in a mobile phone, so as a workhorse mobile this is perhaps and ideal selection.

Nokia 2720 Fold

The era of the flip phone has come and gone, with touch screen handsets currently setting the world alight. That has not prevented Nokia from producing this excellent clamshell phone with both an internal and external screen. The outer screen is integrated into the deep red of the top casing and displays information such as the time and details of text messages, signal strength, network choice and caller ID. The internal screen is fairly small at just 1.8 inches across and the 1.3 megapixel camera is hardly up to scratch when compared against more expensive models. But for those who prefer a phone that takes one or two key functions and performs them to the best of its abilities, the 2720 fold is a robust, no frills, low price phone.

Nokia 6600i Slide

This is a small slider phone that packs in some interesting features without breaking into the smartphone market. The 5 megapixel camera is one of the strongest assets of the 6600i Slide, as it has an 8x zoom function as well as autofocus and a double LED flash. It would have been nice for the 6600i to utilise a Xenon flash system to really set off its digital camera capabilities, but for most purposes there is plenty of power to play with. The 6600i Slide is a thoroughly modern-looking phone with smooth edges and a good slide mechanism that will not break after a little use. The shiny surface of the screen can pick up dirt and fingerprints quickly, but any handset of this style is susceptible to the same issue.

Nokia 6730

The 6730 is a well appointed multimedia phone that proves that, when it comes to design, Nokia is still at the top of the class. You can expand the internal storage capacity up to 16GB with a micro SD card, giving you plenty of space for tons of music. Expanding the memory is also sensible if you want to make the most of the 3.2 megapixel camera, though the lack of a decent flash is somewhat of a problem in this model.

Nokia E55

The business phone market is a highly contested one and the E55 is the thinking person’s alternative to staples offered by the likes of BlackBerry. It has a clever and compact QWERTY keypad which makes writing emails and SMS texts fast and fluid. It also features a 3.2 megapixel camera, though much of the focus is placed on office and business functionality. There is compatibility with all of the most popular email clients as well as PDF viewing capabilities and a 3G network connection to make sending and receiving emails a breeze.

Nokia E52

The E52 is a smaller, pared down version of the E55 that lacks the QWERTY keypad which makes typing emails and messages slightly more difficult. Otherwise the E52 is a no-nonsense business phone that does not try to overwhelm the user with features and as such is able to offer longer battery life than some of the competition.