Nokia 6131 review

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Verdict:

Review Date: 20 Dec 2006

Price when reviewed: £150

Supplier: http://www.t-mobile.co.uk

Reviewed By: Tom Royal

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

User Rating

Unlike most Nokia handsets, which use the standard phone shape or slide open, the 6131 has a flip-open clamshell design.

More unusually, you don't have to flip it open manually to access the screen and buttons. Instead, you push the large button at the top and the phone unfolds itself. This sounds neat, but in use it doesn't feel that great. The rest of the phone feels curious, too, with a rubbery back and a nasty, single four-way key made of hard, shiny plastic that activates the menus. The number pad buttons also feel plasticky.

This rather unpleasant tactile experience is a shame, because the 6131 has some impressive features. Most noticeable is its large colour screen, which has a high resolution of 320x240 pixels. It's bright, clear and easy to use, and there's a second colour screen on the outside. The menu system is neat and simple to use, too. Having a high-resolution display makes browsing the web easy, while the email client is able to display lots of text.

The 6131 has a 1.3-megapixel camera, but no flash for taking pictures in low light. It does, however, produce acceptable pictures. You can play music files, but with only 11MB of memory included as standard you won't be able to listen to more than a few songs without adding a MicroSD memory card. Overall, the 6131 is an average phone; its excellent screen is balanced out by the poor buttons and strange rubbery case.

Nokia user guides, reviews, FAQs and downloads at Know Your Mobile

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