Stylish design; easy-to-use keypad; HSDPA (3.5G) connectivity
2-megapixel camera is relatively poor
Nokia has produced a classic handset that delivers in the looks and features department. While we're not overly impressed with the camera, it's definitely worth checking out if you're on the look out for a cheap and cheerful 3G phone.
7.9 Very good
Reviewed by Andrew Lim
While 3G handsets have a reputation for being bulky and expensive, the Nokia 6120 Classic is an altogether different animal. This stylish handset wouldn't look out of place next to a fancy pair of sunglasses, but it comes with a variety of features that will keep most people happy. You should be able to find it free on a contract from most networks.
Design
Nokia has decided to go with a stylish silver and white casing that manages not to look cheap and creates the kind of attention normally associated with higher-end models. For an HSDPA (3.5G)-enabled phone it's relatively thin (15mm) and light (89g), making it comfortable to carry around in a pocket or bag.
Using the 6120 is fairly straightforward. The screen is large enough to view text messages properly and the keypad is well laid out, so you don't need to use your fingernails to text. Accessing the microSD card slot is made easy via a hinge-mounted cover on the bottom-left side.
On the bottom, gone is the annoying proprietary Nokia Pop-Port and in its place is a standard mini-USB port so you can connect it to your PC, plus a 2.5mm headphone jack and a small-pinned charging port. We're slightly confused about the 2.5mm headphone jack, as most good headphones come with 3.5mm pins, but you can buy an adaptor.
A noteworthy design feature, which is something we'd like to see on more phones, is the loudspeaker placement on the side of the phone, instead of the back. During calls you can put the 6120 on a table facing up and have a clear conversation without the sound being muffled.
Features
If you're on a budget but you still want a 3G phone then the 6120 is worth checking out. It's not the cheapest handset out there, but relative to other HSDPA (3.5G) phones it's a bargain. You can use the secondary VGA camera to make video calls, and browsing the Web is quite speedy over an HSPDA connection.
It's not all about making video calls and browsing the Web -- this handset runs on the Symbian platform, which means it's a smart phone. Quick Office, which lets you view Microsoft documents, and Adobe PDF reader are pre-installed, but you also have the option of installing third-party apps, such as maps and dictionaries.
As I mentioned before, there's a microSD slot on the bottom left that supports up to 2GB of extra memory, which is enough space to store a fair amount of songs and pictures. The 6120's music player supports MP3, M4A, eAAC+ and WMA files, which you can listen to using a pair of stereo Bluetooth (A2DP) headphones.
If music isn't your thing and you prefer photography, the 6120 comes with a 2-megapixel camera with LED photo light. Relative to other camera phones, such as the Sony Ericsson K810i, the 6120's camera isn't great, but it's fine for MMS messages.
A noteworthy camera feature is the panorama mode, which lets you take a succession of photos to create a larger panoramic image.
Performance
Audio quality during calls is good, with no
noticeable distortions or muffling. The loudspeaker sounds loud and
clear, particularly because it's on the side of the phone.
The picture quality from the camera was as expected from a 2-megapixel sensor and didn't look very clear at full size, but was perfectly good for MMS messages and mementos.
The HSDPA connectivity worked fine, reaching speeds of up to 1.8Mbps, which meant downloads didn't take too long and browsing the Web was fast.
Conclusion
The Nokia 6120 Classic is an attractive 3G
handset that comes with a few useful features -- the HSDPA
connectivity, music player and expandable microSD slot are particularly
useful. While you might not find the camera all that great, the rest of
the phone is well designed and easy to use.
If you're looking for a handset that packs a little more punch in the camera department then it's worth checking out the Sony Ericsson K800i or K810i. Alternatively, if you're not that bothered about a camera or 3G connectivity but you want a Nokia device, then the Nokia 6300 is the phone for you.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Nick Hide
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