Nokia 6800 Phone - Next Generation (AT&T)


Compras Nikon
Bluetooth
1 Great features, reliable service (now)
I have used this phone and service for about 6 months now. First, let me tell you that I love the phone and service in my area, but it wasn't always so.

When I first purchased the phone, it dropped calls constantly. I finally decided to call AT&T. They were very courteous and knowledgeable. After trying to troubleshoot the phone several times, they replaced my handset. Meanwhile, AT&T merged with Cingular. I'm not sure which of the two events did it, but I now have no problems! The replacement handset works better than the first one, and I think it even came with updated firmware. The coverage has increased to include all of the Cingular areas. I travel a lot, so this is very important.

The games are lame. I love to play mobile games, but the ones that come with the phone did not impress me. I wish it would have other games. I don't find the need to pay for downloading better games either.

Very reliable alarm clock.

I love the keyboard. It's easy to use. I use text message from time to time, and this phone is wonderful for that. I tried to use a Motorola once to write a message, and ended up calling instead, since it was too many darn clicks for me! :)

Synchronizing with the laptop was very easy and effective. I like the fact that you can add different number types to each contact. I tried a Motorola, and had to make a new contact entry for each different phone number for the same person. Not good. Also, I was able to designate a different ringtone for different groups. I found great free ringtone, and even made some of my own with the included software, but only a small percentage worked properly. Perhaps I need to practice more.

Finally, the speakerphone is wonderful, especially if you're concerned about frying your brain! I use it almost anytime I'm not around other people. In fact, I try not to use the phone at all around other people. I realize how much people DOES NOT want to hear my conversations, as I don't want to hear their private calls either! Some folks still don't realize that as a general rule "normal" voice levels increase while talking on the phone.

All in all, I'm happy. I give it 4 stars because of the initial problems.

2 O:K Range
Phone is very attractive . But is very easy to
break. Nice idea of the Keyboard!!!
3 The Best
If you like to send text messages, this is the phone to have. It takes seconds instead of minutes to send a message. You don't have to press the number 7 key 4 times to get to the letter S. Just open, type and send. The phone is just GREAT!!!
4 Front panel and arms split after 1yr
Great concept, I was completely enthralled in the beginning. Then, fine cracks began to appear on the arms, due no doubt to the click lock mechansim always bending them a little. Then, where the contact pins press against the front flip, a crack appeared on the main casing and one on the flip, going right to the first key. Numeric keys stopped working reliably.

I found several similar reports, so I assumed Nokia knew about it.

Sent it back, just 12 days out of guarantee. This is clearly a design fault, not abuse. Nokia were not interested, out of guarantee is out of guarantee, period. Am deeply disappointed.

Next phone will be the Motorola A630. Never a Nokia.
5 Smaller, faster, cheaper, better than Treo, Blackberry, etc.
Don't follow your friends and coworkers who pay more for Treos and Blackberries, then have to deal with a stylus and/or a teeny, tiny keyboard on a big, awkward, heavy phone. The Nokia 6800 is THE mobile professional's phone and PIM/PDA in one. It has 5MB RAM plus a SIM card to hold all your mobile data, and it really does last 1-2 weeks on a charge.

If you use Outlook or Lotus Notes you can synchronize your contacts, to-dos, memos (notepad notes), and appointments using infrared or an optional USB cable. This phone's perfect for people who do a lot of texting, instant messaging, and email--the T9 dictionary is the best predictive text input tool available and this phone's flip-open, full qwerty keyboard (with keys big enough and spaced out well enough for two-thumb typing to actually work!) makes it quick and easy to type. It also has voice dialing, voice commands, and a voice recorder for when you're in a hurry or have your hands full. And when you're sitting in a meeting without a pen and paper you can type notes on it too--even when talking on the phone, using the speakerphone capability.

This isn't an "everyday person" phone: it's a bit pricier (although you can get it free depending on what provider and plan you choose, and it almost always costs less than Treo, Blackberry, Palm, etc. PDA-phones) because it's not just a phone, it's a PIM/PDA; it only comes with two built-in games (which isn't a priority for businesspeople, although you can easily download additional games and other Java software); and it doesn't have a built-in camera (but have you ever seen a cell phone camera that was any good?).

My only complaints about this phone after having used it for over a year are: the GUI is a bit slow moving from screen to screen; the color display isn't as big, sharp, and impressive as some other phones with, well, bigger and sharper displays--but this phone was designed for text-based features anyway; the calendar doesn't support the complex recurrance and rescheduling features as Outlook so you sometimes get duplicate entries in your phone after synchronizing; the flip-open keyboard has a few characters in odd places that you have to get used to; and the proprietary accessory connector is horrible--impossible to tell whether you've got it upside-down, forces you to use Nokia's stereo headphones for the FM tuner, and often doesn't fully connect in the desktop cradle. Bluetooth and international GSM capability would also have been nice, as would MP3 playback capability.

The best thing you could do is go to a service provider's store where they have a real phone (not a shell) you can hold to see if you like it. If you're considering the 6820 just because it's newer, look carefully at the specifications because they aren't all improvements--also make sure you try typing on both keyboards because they're very different.

Oh one more thing, this phone is very durable, in my experience. I've fallen on it while mountain biking and playing sand volleyball, and while the window did crack, the phone kept working fine and the LCD didn't bleed or anything. I'm pretty impressed about that. Someday I'll send it in for repair, but it'd be hard to live without this phone even for a few days--it stores all my names, numbers, addresses, email addresses, directions to people's houses and businesses, personal notes, to-dos, appointments and meetings...and I probably send up to 50 emails and text messages a day because it's so convenient to type on.


6 Superior Interface Design, Poor GPRS Data Performance
The Nokia 6800 represents a leap forward in interface design that mobile executives will appreciate. Unlike most phones that require multiple key presses per character, the 6800's full QWERTY keyboard allows users to rapidly type information. At first glance, the phone looks like a conventional cell phone. Ingeniously, the main numeric keypad folds open, to reveal right and left halves of the keyboard that sit on either side of the screen. This arrangement allows significantly faster typing than via QWERTY keyboards on the Handspring Treo or Blackberry. It makes entering notes, adding contacts or accessing the Internet much more appealing. My reason for purchasing the phone falls into the last category, Internet use, which has been disappointing due to the network performance.

Unfortunately, ATT Wireless GPRS service is spotty at best. In fact, here in downtown Chicago (as of 4/04) access to mMode can be hit or miss even though there is maximum signal strength. Oddly, the data network appears to have degraded significantly since it went live 2.5 years ago. With reliability being as bad as it, one has to question the value of a superior interface, especially if the primary motivation for upgrading your phone is easier use of data functions. Clearly, one could not rely on this network for critical access to data for business purposes.

Data performance aside, the 6800 is an impressive phone with the best keyboard on the market. It also has a joy stick that allows for easy navigation of menus. Although I have never played games with the phone, the joystick would be excellent for this purpose. To aid users typing in poor ambient light, full keyboard lighting is available at the press of a button. The elaborate set of interface elements, especially folding keyboard, makes the phone appear fragile. Yet, my experience shows the phone is quite rugged as it has survived several drops on hard concrete.

There are many bells and whistles on the phone including a programmable FM radio. Although the reception is adequate in the city[Chicago], it degrades significantly 10 miles outside the city limits. Compared to a car radio with external antenna, it leaves something to be desired. Oddly, the stereo headphones (not required) cost $25, which is more than most digital FM radios. At first glance, one might think a radio on cell phone is a useless feature. However, many health clubs have their television screens' audio broadcasted through FM. Having an all-in-one device is nice in this regard.

Combined with an excellent interface, the phone's feature set is sufficiently robust as to supplant most PDA functions. The screen is large enough for the calendar and note pad. When traveling, I have found the multifunction calendar and alarms very helpful. A surprising feature of the phone is the quality of the speakerphone. Clearly there was major engineering to get the clarity and volume is good as it.

One very useful capability, which many users are not aware, is the phone's ability to use any POP email account. Hence, you can send and receive business email - and NOT use an ATT address. ATT has its own SMTP capability, which is transparent to the sender and recipient and lets users avoid blocked SMTP access hassles. More recently, all of the major web-based formats (Hotmail, Yahoo) have been added to the ATT mMode offering.

While most of the problems with the phone stem from the data network performance, there were some Nokia-created glitches. The original headset and numerous replacements kept breaking. I went through four in the first three months. The salespeople at the ATT wireless store were kind enough to provide a new one each time. One even suggested that there were many headsets from this particular model being returned. Nokia may have had some manufacturing problems with the initial production lot as I haven't had any problems in the last five months.

Although the overall design is excellent, I would have appreciated a keypad cover. The main numeric keypad is prone to accidental key depression when the phone is placed in a pocket or backpack. Many users will lament the lack of a camera or Bluetooth. However, I truly miss higher data rates from offered by EDGE. These features, including EDGE data capabilities, are available in the recently released Nokia 6820. Given the enhancements of this later generation model, there is little reason to purchase a 6800. If you don't mind the flashier design of the 6820, skip the 6800.

Pro's
Excellent interface design with QWERTY keyboard
Joy stick
Excellent sound quality and reception
Excellent speakerphone quality
Personal email (POP accounts)

Con's
No EDGE (available in 6820)
No Bluetooth (available in 6820)
GPRS Network performance poor
No camera
No expandable memory
No MP3

FINAL WORD
Skip the 6800 and purchase the 6820 instead


7 ATT Wireless? Never again!
AT&T Wireless has the WORST customer service I've ever encountered!
8 Does What I Need It To
I got the 6800 with service by Cingular and, except for when I'm underground on the "T" (subway), service here in Boston is fine. I bought the phone four months ago and my main criteria were: 1. I wanted a phone that could store contact information beyond phone numbers & 2. I wanted a phone with a full qwerty keyboard because I've tried "typing" on standard 9-key phone pads, and I hate it.

Enter the Nokia 6800, and it does exactly what I need it to. The fold out keyboard is sturdy (I was very worried that the keyboard would be flimsy and am relieved to say it can take some heavy duty typing despite the fact that it's very thin) and fairly easy to "thumb type" on and even has a shift key and can be backlit for outdoor typing at night.

As I said before, the reception on my Cingular plan in Boston is fine.

The phone also has memory and it can hold up to 500 address book contacts with multiple entries (including: home phone, mobile phone, work #, fax, street address, email address and even "notes" that appear like tiny post-it's on the person's address book entry). This is great because, for the first time I can keep up with the contact info for my ever-changing, ever moving (and always changing their phone number) family, friends and colleagues. And, in fact, I've done away with my paper address book entirely.

You can also buy a special USB adaptor cable that you can use to backup all the info from your phone onto your PC (and vice-versa). The cable is a little expensive but well worth it from my perspective since lost contact information is incredibly annoying and hard to get back. (as an aside: You will need to download Nokia Phone Editor to use the USB adaptor cable, which can be downloaded for free from Nokia sites).

The color screen is a nice touch too, it's a little easier on the eyes than the old monochrome standard.

If I have a minor complaint, it's that the keypad is never covered, so that sometimes keys accidentally get "pushed" when I put my phone in a bag (although I've never "accidentally" made a phone call). I think the keyboard may be "locked" but I've been too lazy to research how to do it.)

The phone also has a few small gimmicks like some games and you can change the background color. For a few additional dollars you can use it to text message and (to my understanding) you can also send email which might be worth it since you actually have a qwerty keyboard. I haven't used those features, so I can't honestly tell you how well they work. I have played the games a few times but generally don't like them because the screen is small and "joystick" hard to use. Anyway, if you want video games, I would recommend buying a gameboy.

Overall, I wanted a sturdy cell phone that was easy to type on, with a color screen, and something that could replace my old address book and the 6800 did all those things, so I am a satisfied customer.


9 very nice phone. look for the new upgraded 6820
This phone is excellent. I have purchased a total of three over the last year or so for myself and family. All were excellent phones. A pleasure to use if you text message a lot (even though AT&T is too expensive for this service). The only problem I encountered was a slight hairline crack in the hinge area of one of the three phones. But, it still works and is not causing any major problems. Battery life is very long (as usual with Nokia), the screen is decent--not the best--but for the price you cannot beat it. Easy to use platform (common Nokia). Overall a very well made product. Look for the new updated version: the 6820. The style and a few features have changed. It looks sharp. If you like messaging this is the phone for you, but beware: with AT&T's $0.10 per message over your plan this phone can rack up the message charges for you because of how easy to use it is.
10 Definately One Of The Best Phones Out There
I purchased this phone at about Chrismas '03 and it's by far the best phone I've ever had. The fold out keyboard makes it much easier to send text messages, type in web addresses, instant message, etc. (for those of you who don't like to press a key 3 times for a letter) The phone book is great and lets you store to about 200 or so contacts (which is way more than I need). The screen is fully customizable by letting you select any of wallpapers it comes with (or the ones you download) and lets you select color themes. As far as games go, it only comes with 2 games but they're great games that I could spend a couple hours on if I really wanted to. Once you get bored with those, AT&T Wireless has A LOT of games to choose from (60-70 of them) if your willing to purchase them. They're not too expensive except for games such as Splinter Cell and Tony Hawk: Underground (which are $5.99). The web browsing is great compared to my friend's Sony Ericsson T226 but I haven't compared it to others yet. The AT&T Wireless service is great in my area except in my house which I only get about 1-3 bars at. I'd say the only flaw in AT&T Wireless is their customer service. Don't get me wrong, they're all friendly and nice people, but every time I call it says that they're experiencing high call volume and it puts me on hold for 40 minutes to an hour. My particular phone has been having some defects like my buttons stick, as soon as I place a call it goes to speakerphone, when I try to hang up and i'm on headset volume it goes to speakerphone (or when your on speakerphone vice versa) but that's only in the cold when I'm outside, and theres a black spot on one of the recievers connecting the keypad to the rest of the body that I haven't noticed before. I think that it's just my particular phone though. I'll be sure to look at any warranties before I decide to take it back or not. Anyway, take my advice and get this phone if your looking to get one. This phone is definately one of the best phones out there with excellent service. It's definately worth your money.
11 Very good phone.........could be better...
I went ahead and ordered the Nokia 6800 from ATT, they shipped it to me the next day and I was fairly impressed by it. The flip open keyboard is a great feature and I really hope more phones adopt this feature. It makes text messaging and emailing a lot easier. The phone is light, a little big compared to other phones - but then again, all Nokias are about this size anyways. I definately prefer this style as to those flip-top phones.

The only few complaints i have about this phone is that it doesnt have a built in camera - but thats already solved with the 6820(if you so choose). But you can get an attachable for it. The screen display, while large, is slightly dim and the refresh rate is horrible for playing action games - if you're a gamer like me. Also, this phone only runs the series 40 java games - oh well. Color support is 12-bit, which is ok....for now. I really didnt see the need for a head set just to listen to the radio - alhtough thats not a big deal. The reception does seem to bounce around....once in a while i get good reception and other times i dont - even in the exact same location.

Anyways, I reccommend this phone if you are big into messaging and emailing. But not for gamming....


12 Great Mobile ....No Bluetooth
This Mobile has everything. But it is sad that it has no Bluetooth.
Nokia could have done better. But it has got GPRS and MMS which are advanced features. It has also got broader screen which is makes it more attractive. A four-way joystick presents an additional mode of navigation. Standard organizational features include a calendar with a monthly view, a to-do list with priority levels, and a Notepad application for jotting down brief notes of up to 3,000 characters. The phone book, calendar, and to-do list can all be synchronized with a PC using Nokia 6800 PC Suite software. This phone's extended Li-Ion battery is rated for up to 4.5 hours of digital talk time and 10 days of digital standby time.
13 I LOVE THIS PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!
This phone is great and i think it is one of the best phone out right now. It got some really cool feature such as keyboard for easy text messaging. It expensive but really worth the price. Check it out for yourself.
14 great!
great phone. higly reccomend it. esp if you like text messaging
15 wonderful phone
I got this phone about two weeks ago, and so far, it's amazing! This is my first cell phone so I really don't know how good it is compared to others.

PROS:
-big & bright color screen
-radio
-loudspeaker
-QWERTY keypad
-loud volumes
-lots of different ring tones to choose from.. 44 i believe?

CONS:
-it has only 2 games. my sister has a Nokia 3100 and she has 4 games
-quite big compared to today's cell phones
-my friend has a motorola t720 and her phonebook is way better than this nokia's.
-needs to use the given earphone in order to listen to the radio, even when you're playing it over the loudspeaker
-boring wallpaper.. there isn't much that can be cusomtized.

as far as reception goes.. it's awful at my house. Normally it doesn't even have any reception. But everywhere else I go, it's a full 7 bars..

Another problem I'm having right now is that the backcover is starting to sqeak like the Motorola flip phones. I'm not sure if I'm going to change my phone yet. If I do though, it's definately going to be another Nokia.


16 Phone good - If you get one that works
Hello, all!

I've had the 6800 for about two months now, so I think that makes me qualified to pass some advice on about it. When I first got the phone, I needed something that would replace my dead Nokia 3360, and being that I send text messages and emails out a lot from the phone, I figured that the phone would be ideal for that purpose. So, I purchased one from an AT&T wireless store. Thus began my ordeal. A few days after purchase, the phone never turned on again after turning it off. After explaining to AT&T what happened for about 45 minutes, they agreed to send me a new phone. Got it, and several days later, same problem. Sent phone back once again. Advised AT&T that phone was dead again for SAME problem, and then got a new phone again after a really long time of arguing with them. Mind you, I pay for shipping for these phones. Finally got a new phone, and so far this one has been working. I pray that it does! Anyway, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:
- Great keyboard, and overall a solid unit. Very well built.
- Decent built-in applications.
- Love the radio.
- J2ME support is cool, got some decent games for it.
- Small size when folded up.
- Love the fact that there is no camera, less circuitry to suck the juice from the battery.
- Good battery times. Only goes really low after about 4-5 hours of constant use.
- 5 Megs of memory!

CONS:
- Hate the fact that I have to use a proprietary connector for the headset.
- Although you have polyphonic ring tones, they are limited to only 4 MIDI channels. Why, Nokia, why?
- Screen is nice, but I've been spoiled by laptop screens. Needs a better screen, but decent enough for day-to-day use.
- Occasionally the phone slows down when using programs on it.
- Slow on-board processor, but I got what I paid for in this respect. ;)
- No MP3 support? Doh!
- Limited customization features for your screen.
- I don't know if this is a phone problem or a GPRS problem in my area (I suspect the latter), but Internet access via the WAP browser was PAINFULLY slow.
- Cache needs to be bigger, or at least user-selectable for web browsing!
- Although not technically related to the phone itself, AT&T's customer service needs a DRASTIC change, which is sad considering that I was a loyal customer since 1997, which is saying a heck of a lot nowadays! Rest assured that when my current contract is up, I'm switching. Don't care for number portability, either. ;)

Overall, a solid unit if you want to do a lot of text messaging and/or emails. Not so good with web browsing, and a decent voice phone. It has a lot of potential, but is being overshadowed by the latest and greatest phones out there. I'm thinking of handing down this phone to my wife and then getting a Motorola MPx200, as it has more of the features that I'd think I'd like. I just hope that they come out with a folding keyboard for it soon! =D


17 Nokia 6800
This phone, is easy to use, with a lot of functions, and soft touch, simply its a friendly phone.
18 nice phone
i have has the attws gsm service for over 1 year now and this nokia is the best i have found. the phone is solid. holds the signal where other phones would not. i used the s46 and t/720 and this works great with attws. the keyboard is nice only complaint is the backlite can not be controlled
19 a vast improvement over my old phone, but...
In looking for a new phone after I smashed my Sony Ericsson T68i (easily the worst phone I've owned), I was stuck between getting the 6800 and the Palm Tungsten W, but settled on the phone rather than the PDA/phone. As it turns out, the 6800 turned out to be a great phone with some adequate PDA-like functions.

Pros:
-reception MUCH better than my old phone (but that's really not saying a whole lot).
-typing is much, much easier due to the flip-open keyboard.
-I can send and receive email via my Earthlink account.
-I can quickly jot down notes into a note file.
-with the optional PC cable, I can sync my information with Microsoft Office on my PC.
-It's a Nokia, and once you've gone Nokia, you should never go anywhere else. I find their interfaces very intuitive.

Cons:
-it's substantially bigger and bulkier than my old phone. That's tough if you're a hip Asian kid, but I'm probably past that stage now.
-battery life is surprisingly disappointing (this can be due to heavy usage, however), and the charging period can sometimes be akin to an ice age.
-voice recognition isn't any better than my old phone, which is to say it's lousy at times (especially when using the headset in the car).

Bottom line - definitely a keeper. I have no intentions of smashing this one.


20 Good phone, TERRIBLE SERVICE
This phone in itself has some pretty useful features - like the fold out keyboard, organizer, pop email and web access - but the service from at&t renders all these perks either unusable or terribly expensive.

I cannot get a signal at my apartment, my mother's house, my girlfriends house, my best friends house, the corner store, the lower level of most shopping malls, the office, the gym, or most anyplace else with a roof. And if you use text messaging, you need to keep it under 300 a month (and get the additional text package for $10 a month, or get ready to pay. Also the web access is VERY EXPENSIVE @ .03PER KB!!!!

WOULD RECOMMEND ONLY IF INTO GADGETS, OR IF YOU TEXT MODERATELY, OR IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT SERVICE (CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS TOO).


21 great Device
this is a great phone but AT&T needs to be more competative with their rate plans.
22 AT&T Sucks
I ordered this phone from the AT&T website, not Amazon.com. The phone itself is awesome, but I cannot get a signal inside my office building. I use this phone primarily for emergencies only (my father has been ill for some time), but since I cannot get a signal, that really defeats the purpose. AT&T is terrible, their customer service is frustrating, more than once I have had to call 4-5 different numbers and have been shuffled from one department to another. If you get this phone get it from some one else. IMHO AT&T has gotten too big to care about the average consumer.
23 I Love this Phone
Geart model from Nokia. I was never a great fan of AT&T..but just for Nokia 6800 I had to go for ATT. No regrets. Quality of the sound is great. I liked the FM radio. Looks like after a long time I got a great Phone.
24 You could do better!
The moment I set eyes on the folding design of this phone with the full keyboard I knew I had to have it. This is great if you do a lot of text messaging, and those of you who do will know how FRUSTRATING it is hitting a key 3 times to select the letter you want. You may find though that once this phone is in a standard case you may not put in the time and effort to take it out of it's case and then unfold it to text message anyway. This phone has a lot of good features and it is like a mini organizer. With the phone book you add a name and it then allows you to store a home, work and cell number for each person. Great - but unfortunately, when adding a new contact it assumes it's a home number and you have to change it afterwards - which is a pain. Too bad you can't select type when entering. The thing I really HATE about this phone is the volume - it is really soft compared to the other phones I have had. It is easier for me to hear when putting the phone on Speaker, unfortunately this naturally results in the other person hearing everything in the background. (btw, I recently went to an audiologist and my hearing is fine!) For this reason, unless you are really into text messaging, get something else. Cingular also sells this phone, if you are going to get it, stick with AT&T. Cingular are awful!
25 Its a great phone and even greater with AT&T
It was like love at first sight..it got better with the feel. I have had it for a week now and still love it. No jokes..i have had 3595 with the same service and the call quality on the 6800 is exceptionally good compared to 3595, the voice quality is awesome..it doesnt sound as if u are speaking from a cave at all. The keyboard is very useful if u have m-mode, which i dont but i still like the feature for text messaging and email. The speaker phone is good and has good sound quality, the ringer tones sound so much better on this phone, u wont believe your ears and hence the radio sounds good. I wish they had mp3 player added to this phone. The key pads are very soft, which might be a lil disturbing if one is not used to those kinds. The reception again is phenomenonal, it reaches where other phones will drop calls. The color screen has very good resolution and is very sharp. SO if anyone is considering this phone, I would say go for it.

Tuesday, 07-Oct-2008 12:23:16 CDT
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