Simple Technology Choices - Cell Phones - Cingular Nokia 6102 Review

The Nokia 6102 from Cingular

Ease of Use: Overall Rating:

Reviewed by Jamie Lendino 7/15/06

If you looking for a pure voice phone that’s as simple to use as possible, it’s hard to go wrong with the Nokia 6102. This phone is all about making calls; everything else is secondary. And there’s not much else, to be honest.

The Nokia 6102 looks like the quintessential inexpensive phone. It’s small, kind of "squarish", and not slim enough to place in your pocket, despite its otherwise diminutive design. The recessed keypad is difficult to type on quickly. We get the impression this phone will survive a lot of abuse; nothing about it feels delicate. The screen is low resolution, and the icons are not at all fancy. It’s about what you’d expect from an old monochrome phone (except this one is in color).

Instead, Nokia must have spent all its time on voice quality. Simply put, the 6102 sounds great. Voices were crystal clear and neither too harsh nor too dull sounding. Our testing model didn’t let us mail photos, so we couldn’t evaluate the quality (there’s no other way to get photos off the 6102). We wouldn’t expect much from the VGA sized sensor at any rate.

Navigating the 6102 is simple. Menu options are widely spaced, with just two showing at any one time. You’ll need to do a lot of scrolling, but at least it’s easy to find options. Taking a picture and saving it was easy enough, though keying in an e-mail address wasn’t pleasant, due to the recessed keypad and having to scroll through many characters before finding the @ symbol. This isn’t a great text messaging phone, for those who are into it.

As a basic, easy to use phone, the 6102 delivers. Just check the Cingular counter or web site for alternative free phones before signing up. If the user wasn't afraid of a bit more complexity, we’d suggest going for the fancier Sony Ericsson Z520a at the same price, but we wouldn’t argue with anyone who preferred the minimalist Nokia 6102.

Pros: simple to use, good value, great sound, feels durable, nails the basics
Cons: a bit too thick, external antenna, recessed keypad

Details:

Nokia 6102
Carrier: Cingular
Price: Free with 2-year contract
Dimensions: 3.4 x 1.8 x 1.0 inches
Weight: 3.4 ounces
Camera: VGA
Bluetooth: Yes
Card slot: None
Battery Life: Up to 4 hours

Ease of Use Rating: 4.5 stars
Overall Rating: 3 stars