Nokia 6300 Review – Still Going Strong

With the 6300, Nokia made their first proper entry into the burgeoning slim-phone market and it has been very well-received. Its attractive, yet conservative design, makes it the ideal successor to the incredibly popular 6230i, which will go a long way to justifying its existence. With a minor upgrade (the 6301) on the way, it’s perhaps time to see how the 6300 stands up to its current rivals.

The first thing worth mentioning is the build-quality, which is very good due to the solid materials used in construction. Stainless-steel coats the back cover and the whole of the keypad making it an eye-catching mobile, though the (inevitable?) use of glossy materials mean that fingerprints are unavoidable. The glossy plastics on the screen and the back of the phone by the camera lens recess are by far the worst culprits.

One aspect that Nokia mobiles are known for is the quality of their keypads, which in the case of the 6300 doesn’t waver. Though the keys are possibly a little too flat, in practise they’re as easy to use as its not-so-distant relative the 6230i. A slight degree of elevation on the keys would have been welcome to make the feedback even better, but this surely would have spoiled the streamlined look of the phone, so you can forgive it for that. Above the main keypad, you get the usual 4-way D-pad with a central ‘confirm’ button, two soft-keys and the 2 call buttons.

Though the 6300 never aspires to be an all-in-one solution, the features available make it very competitive in its price-sector. The connectivity options are basic, as you only get EGDE, Bluetooth and a Mini USB connector.

The 2MP camera also strives to be ordinary as well, as it doesn’t come with either a flash or autofocus. The lack of flash in particular reduces its effectiveness somewhat, meaning you’ll only likely to get decent photos indoors with plenty of light, or outside during the daytime.

Surprisingly, the music features merit a mention in this article. The music player is the same as the excellent version we saw in the 5300 Xpress Music phone and if you decide to use this phone on that basis you will not be disappointed. Memory is also expandable up to 2GB as well, so the 6300 can realistically be used as a basic music phone. Useful for long journeys, which as this phone was designed for the business market, was probably the intention.

Unfortunately one flaw that needs mentioning is the quality of the earpiece. There have been a number of reports of users noticing rapid deterioration on the earpiece over a few months after purchase and some new models have been known to experience the same issue as well.

Even though it may be usurped by the imminent release of the Wi-Fi enabled 6301, the Nokia 6300 shows itself to be a capable handset with a good combination of build-quality and looks, at a very reasonable price. The low price is sure to mean that the 6300 will continue to sell in the same numbers it has managed so far. Though the susceptibility to fingerprints, common issues with the earpiece and mediocre camera may put off some, remember that the 6300 isn’t meant to be perfect; it’s just a capable product that offers good value for money. If you simply want a good quality phone, with no particular bells or whistles, then this is a very good option. The fact that multiple colours are now available should only add to its appeal.

The Nokia 6300 Silver is also available in White and Red.