Thursday, August 13, 2009

Nokia 6720 classic review: Up a notch


Introduction

Nokia 6720 classic ventures to send the 6220 classic into retirement. There's a year's gap between the two gadgets and a casual observer may as well conclude that a year is a mere eye-blink for midrange Symbian smartphones. Well, we guess it's part of what defines a classic too.
We just need to take due note of the fact that Symbian comes in different Nokia flavors. Nseries, Eseries, classics and touchscreens (as of late) are jostling for the user's favor and securing the platform's market lead. Handsets like the 6720 classic are bottom of this in-house smartphone ladder, so jaw-dropping upgrades are probably not to be expected. Dressing up an old concept without breaking the bank feels quite right in the midrange.
Indeed, only a few changes have been made since the Nokia 6220 classic. Some of them (faster processor, increased battery capacity, 3.5 mm jack and the free lifetime global pedestrian navigation) are duly noticed and appreciated. And the facelift (apologies, 6220 classic) is more than welcome.
Nokia 6720 classic official photos
So, Nokia 6720 classic is good at the smartphone basics and looks quite the realistic and affordable handset it is. A dream gadget it sure isn't but a handy tool for mature budget-conscious users. 6720 classic is pleasingly compact and - thanks to the 600 MHz processor - very snappy. And the curve design makes it sufficiently distinct from the predecessor.

Key features

ARM 11 600 MHz processor
Symbian OS, S60 rel. 3.2
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Tri-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
2.2" 16M-color QVGA display
5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash, Carl Zeiss optics
Nice image quality
VGA video recording at 15fps
Built-in GPS receiver
Free lifetime global pedestrian navigation
Built-in accelerometer sensor
Turn-to-mute and turn-to-snooze
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth (with A2DP), TV-out, 3.5mm audio jack
microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 1GB included)
Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
N-gage support
Steel battery cover


Main disadvantages:

No Wi-Fi support
Display is small, poor in image quality and brightness
Questionable build quality
Unprotected camera lens, LED instead of xenon are downgrades from the 6220 classic
Video maxes out at VGA@15 fps
No TV-out cable in the retail box
The feature list above implies enough skill to make those contemplating an upgrade to stop thinking and start acting. In all honesty though, the 6720 classic is not to be construed as an upgrade of the 6220 classic. The xenon flash has turned LED, the screen estate hasn't grown a bit, video-recording framerate has dropped. So in the end, this entry-level Symbian smartphone feels more proper choice for those upgrading from S40.
The Nokia 6720 classic isn't the coolest piece of equipment to ever cross our threshold but will never frown at hard work. It claims to have the speed and power and probably enough identity for a basic smartphone package.
Nokia 6720 classic live shots
We don't mean to sound condescending, it only feels fair to have the right expectations of a mid-range device. Users always have the final word but this entry-level Symbian looks quite focused on serving its target audience. No promise made is no promise broken. So, the Nokia 6720 classic is about to prove itself in action. As usual, we'll start by taking a close look at what's on the outside

Economy class retail package
The Nokia 6720 classic carries quite little luggage, even in this price range. Other than the handset itself, there's a 1GB SD card and a ridiculously short microUSB cable.
Of course you also get a charger and a stereo headset (the same unit as the E63 has). It looks just fine, but the sound is rather disappointing. The 6720 classic has a 3.5mm audio jack anyway, so you can use your favorite headphones no problem.
The retail package contents
Nokia have also enclosed a booklet reminding you to activate your Ovi Maps device lifetime global walk navigation, which is completely free. You also get a 10-day drive navigation license.
Nokia 6720 classic 360-degree spin
Perhaps one of the best things about the Nokia 6720 classic is its compact size. The dimensions of 110 x 45 x 14 mm add up to volume of the mere 64 cc, which is even more compact than its 6220 classic predecessor (66 cc). The handset will fit in every pocket or purse just like that.
What seems quite an advantage to us, the small Nokia 6720 classic weighs the quite respectable 110 grams. The solid hand feel is definitely an asset for the 6720 classic.
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Design and construction
Dressed to the nines is perhaps the last thing to say about the Nokia 6720 classic. But the handset's subdued styling is quite in line with its rank actually. While the Iron grey variety of the device is more mainstream, the Chestnut brown just isn't everyone's cup of tea. The very subtle bend at the bottom is supposed to improve handling and it kinda manages to. It also gives the phone a distinct outline, Androidish in a way, though a lot less prominent.
The 2.2" display of the Nokia 6720 classic supports QVGA resolution and up to 16 million colors.
The screen estate is among the first things to be held against the 6720 classic. Not only is it the same size as the year-old 6220 classic, the screen does look below par in terms of image quality.
Above the display there is an ambient light sensor but brightness can be set manually too. In either case the maximum brightness setting feels inadequate (especially for a company with such a track record in displays).
Color rendering is also quite inaccurate and though the user interface themes look quite alright, viewing any images is quite a disappointing experience with a distinct bluish hues and overall washed colors.
Sunlight legibility is perfect though as usual - Nokia transflective displays don't rely on backlighting to ensure performance in direct sunlight.
The 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display could have been brighter
Below the display we find the standard set of Symbian controls - three knobs on either side of a traditional D-pad. Those include the two context-dependent keys, Menu and Clear buttons, along with the Call and End keys. They are decently sized and tactile.
The controls below the display are quite friendly
Below the navigation deck is the standard 12-key numpad. The alphanumeric buttons are large enough to guarantee trouble-free typing. The keypad styling is quite reminiscent of the Nokia 6233, only even more comfortable now. Anyways, visually it's quite an improvement over the cheapo looking Nokia 6220 classic keypad.
The curve in the lower part of handset's body is supposed to enhance handling (especially the use of the bottom row of keys), but the improvement is less than marginal.
A very comfortable keypad
The other things to note up front are the ambient light sensor, the secondary QVGA video-call camera (capable of taking QVGA still-shots and QCIF videos) and the earpiece grill at the top.
The ambient light sensor is next to the earpiece
The sides of the Nokia 6720 classic are slightly curved at the bottom and feature the standard controls.
You get a shutter key and a volume rocker on the right. The camera button has glossy finish, while the volume rocker uses the same matt plastic that covers the phone's edge. Both controls are quite comfortable and there isn't a thing to complain about. Just above the volume rocker is one of the two inbuilt speakers.
The camera and volume controls are large and solid to press * one of the two inbuilt speakers
The left side hosts the microUSB port and the microSD card slot, hidden under a shared protective lid. Lifting the lid sometimes can cause the whole side panel to wobble which feels terrible really.
The other speaker along with the microUSB port and the microSD card slot
The bottom of the Nokia 6720 classic hosts the standard 3.5mm audio jack and the mouthpiece, as well as the proprietary charger plug. The latter has a status LED that glows when charging.
Mouthpiece, charger plug and 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom
The top of Nokia 6720 is completely bereft of controls. As smooth as it gets, this certainly is the better looking side of the device.
There's nothing going on at the top
The back cover of the handset features the 5 megapixel camera lens with its LED flash. Around the lens and the flash, there is a fake gemstone patterned surface, which is quite a questionable ornament for a conservative handset such as the 6270c.
The 5 megapixel camera lens and that thing around it
Xenon is not the only difference from the preceding 6220 classic. The camera lens has virtually no protection against scratches. You'll need to be extra careful handling your phone if you don't want to compromise the image quality with a damaged lens.
The better part of the Nokia 6720 classic rear is the actual battery cover, which is made of steel. Removing it reveals the SIM card compartment and of course the Li-Ion battery. The 900 mAh unit in Nokia 6220 classic has been promoted to 1050 mAh. You can easily count on three (even up to four) days of light-to-moderate use.
The battery has grown compared to the 6220 classic
The overall build quality of the Nokia 6720 classic is quite adequate but just keep in mind that the phone side is quite wobbly once you've removed the battery cover - that was the only unpleasant surprise. Otherwise, the phone is well put together and a lot classier than the Nokia 6220 classic
Great telephony
Reception is great on the Nokia 6720 classic. The phone has commendable speaker quality and the sound during calls is clear and free of any interference. Vibration is also strong enough to make sure you never miss an incoming call or message.
Calling Dexter on the Nokia 6720 classic
The 6720 classic passed our loudspeaker test with quite decent scores. Check out the table to see how it stacks up against some of the handsets we've measured. In case you want to find out more about the test itself or a complete list of tested devices, hit the link.
Speakerphone test
Voice, dB
Pink noise/ Music, dB
Ringing phone, dB
Overall score
Nokia N82
70.2
61.2
65.9
Below average
Nokia 6220 classic
70.7
65.8
69.8
Average
Nokia 5630 XpressMusic
68.6
65.7
76.0
Good
Nokia 6720 classic
70.8
66.3
80.5
Good
Nokia 5320 XpressMusic
74.3
66.6
78.3
Very Good
Nokia N96
77.3
76.0
78.1
Excellent

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