Nokia 6111 review

Nokia's 6111 is the latest handset from the Finnish manufacturer, and it moves away from the traditional 'soap bar' design. Its sliding chassis means there is room for a large keypad, despite the phone's small size.

The 6111 is available in pink or black and, unlike many recent Nokias, has a normal keypad layout. The phone is fairly bulbous but fits comfortably in your hand, and the keypad's large keys are spaced evenly and ideal for texting. You can slide the phone open with one hand, but there is no ridge to grip to close it again, so you have to put your thumb on the screen. The phone is also comfortable to hold during phone calls, but call quality is mediocre, with some distortion from the speaker.

The 218x160 pixel screen is significantly larger than most non-smartphone Nokias, and is very bright and colourful with a fast refresh rate. This makes it perfect for mobile games, and the 6111 comes with three full games, including an excellent 3D rally title.

Even though the 6111 is not a Symbian-based smartphone like the 6630 or 6680, it has a similar menu layout. Instead of the traditional Nokia menu with its large icons arranged in a vertically scrolling list, the 6111's small icons are grouped in rows and columns across the screen. This makes it easier to see your phone's functions at a glance, but harder to skip to a specific one in a hurry.

It might be a budget handset, but the 6111 has some impressive features. The calendar program is just as comprehensive as that installed on Nokia's smartphones, with support for month and week views, the option to add memos and alarms, and a to-do list. The phone can even synchronise your contacts and calendar over Bluetooth using the supplied PC Suite program, so it can keep you organised just as well as a PDA.

The 6111 can also play MP3 and AAC music files. The music-player application has a graphic equaliser and support for ID3 tags but, as the phone has only 23MB of free storage, there is room for just five or six songs. Sound quality through the supplied headphones is mediocre, and their proprietary connector means that there is no way to swap them for a better pair. The 6111 also includes a built-in FM radio with automatic tuning and presets.

As with Sony Ericsson's W800i, you turn the 6111 on its side to use the camera. This makes taking photos feel more natural, as you can operate the shutter button with your index finger rather than use your thumb on the front of the phone. The camera has only a single megapixel sensor, so photos are nowhere near as good as the W800i's, but the bright flash makes it possible to take reasonable night photos.

Nokia's 6111 is a good-looking handset with plenty of features for the price. Its call quality is not the best, but its excellent organiser and vibrant screen are impressive for a budget phone.

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