Nokia 6315i


Rating: 8/10

Phone features:

Carrier: Verizon Wireless
Bluetooth: Yes
VCAST: Yes
Camera: 1.3 megapixels with 2x zoom
Speakerphone: Yes
MicroSD Card compatible: Yes
WAP Browser: Yes
Modem Connection: Yes

21.5 MB internal memory
Phonebook - up to 500 contacts
Calendar
Alarm clock/world clock
Stopwatch
Calculator

Weight: 3.49 ounces
Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.87 x 0.72 in.
Battery life: up to 3.8 talk time/10 days standby


The Nokia 6315i is very impressive with its elegant and professional design. It also offers a well-rounded package for the average user with its features.

Outward Appearance

The phone is slightly larger than the palm of one's hand with an external antenna.

The phone is a silver/black two-tone with MP3 functions on the face of the phone for play, rewind, and forward. The external antenna is placed on the top right of the phone. On the ride side of the phone is placement for the MicroSD chip; below is placement for the charger; and to the left side is placement for an earpiece, along with camera functionality and volume adjustment. Last but not least is the fairly well sized front color LCD screen which is rough 1.0 in x 0.75 in.

The camera is placed on the back of the phone.

Internal Appearance

The phone's screen is large and bright, sizing roughly 1.5 in x 1.10 in. The keypad is very easy to use, and seldom does the user fumble to use the keys. It only becomes slightly difficult if the phone is held casually while the user pays little attention to the keys. The backlight for the keys is a light blue color, and the key tone of the keypad can be adjusted from low to high volume.

The top right and left are select buttons which correspond to the respective menu options which are shown on the screen. Directly below them are the speaker phone option and the camera option, respectively.

-Screen Menu
To reach the menu, press the "OK" button in the center top of the phone. This will lead you automatically to the "Contacts" tab on the screen. The other 4 tabs are "Get it Now", "Messaging", "Recent Calls" and "Settings and Tools." The menu is very easy to navigate. However, if you leave the phone on without pressing the keys, the screen will turn to black (the light will not stay dimmed). This is a slight annoyance when it is easy to get caught up in something else and you find the screen to your phone black, where you may inadvertently press a key which can delete or cancel what you were doing.

- "Messaging"
In the messaging center, the user can
1) read and create text messages - text messages can be sent to numerous people, up to a max of 10 or so at one time. You can also send to "grous" which you create through your contacts.
2) listen and view voicemail messages
3) view and send email
4) engage in Mobile IM and chat

- "Get it Now"
Get it Now is a free feature which comes with the phone. Through Get it Now, the user can download ring tones, pictures, videos, games, news, and various other programs. VCAST can be seen as an advanced version of Get it Now with more ring tones, more videos, and more games to download. Many of these games are more interactive, and are 3D. The ring tones also have a greater selection.

- "Contacts"
One can insert 500 people into the contacts group. If they want to further group their contacts, they can categorize their contacts by placing them in groups. However the downside to this option is that there is only a limited amount of people who can be entered in a particular group. This limits the user from forming larger groups of people for them to use. The Contacts menu also allows the user to set up speed dial options.

- "Recent Calls"
This menu is as simple as it sounds. Listed are recent Calls lists missed calls, received calls, dialed calls, all calls, and a timer. The timer informs the user of the length of talk time for the last call, all calls, received calls, dialed calls, roaming calls, as well as the total amount of data sent, data received, and the last reset of the phone.

- "Settings and Tools"
This sub-menu allows the user to access their wireless provider account online to see billing information, upgrade options, and other specific data regarding their account information. The Tools section contains a calculator, calendar, alarm clock, world clock, notepad, and stop watch. The calculator can definitely come in handy when you have to pay a tip at a restaurant. The calendar is also good, but unfortunately there are only a limited number of spaces you can store entries for dates (which can be increased with a MicroSD card). The alarm clock allows 3 alarm settings for you to choose. The world clock is an interesting feature which shows various times for cities around the world. The notepad allows the person to write down brief notes, and the stop watch is characterized with a 3D pie graph which moves like a clock and changes color for the duration of the start time to the stop time.

The sounds settings can change the master volume, alert sounds, call sounds, as well as keypad and ear piece volume. The volume ranges from Silent > Alarm Only > Vibrate > Low > Medium Low > Medium > Medium High > High.

Display settings can change the time of the backlight, contrast, and the wallpaper for both the Front and Main LCD. You can also increase and decrease the dial fonts and the display themes (business, blue, tropical). The clock format can also be changed here from digital to analog.

Phone settings allow the user to set the standalone mode, any shortcut keys to reach the menu, the language, location (GPS continuously or for 911), and security passwords.

Call settings allow the user to alter answer options, auto-retry, voice privacy, and voice services.

Bluetooth can be activated under the "Settings and Tools" menu. Phone information such as phone number, system program version, and memory used/available can be seen here as well.

One of the attractive things about this phone is the camera. The 1.3 megapixel camera can be activated with or without flipping open the phone. Because the camera is located on the back of the phone, you can press the camera button on the left hand side and view the camera picture on the front LCD screen. The picture quality is fair. The camera can be adjusted so you can select from various color options (black and white, antique, color, etc.) and you can also adjust the flash to occur during a certain session or not.

The camera does protrude from the back of the phone; meaning, it does not sit in alignment with the shape of the phone but instead comes outward. At first glace this might not seem like a problem, but it does seem different than the design of the phone.

When using the camera, you can easily place your finger below the camera.

The phone itself is noticeable by weight and very sturdy. After dropping it a few times, marks were not immediately visible on the phone, but a few nicks and scratches did appear.

Voice quality of the phone is good. The volume of the receiver can be increased by using the up and down arrows on the left side of the phone. The voice wasn’t crackly or difficult to hear.

Reception for the phone is very good. Of course this is dependent on the number of stations you have around you, but if you are in a prominent city or suburb you should have no problem. Dropped calls were not an issue. The external antenna can be extended for better reception but I find that it isn’t necessary. The reception of the phone is excellent without having to do so.

Unfortunately I did notice that the estimated talk time for the phone was not very accurate or consistent. After spending 45 minutes to about 1 hr+ on the phone, the battery life tends to fade. The battery life indicatory also is somewhat inaccurate - it can show a full battery one moment and after using the phone manually, the icon shows 3/4 battery life or even less. The standby time I found to be accurate. Recharging does not take a long time- usually a few hours if the battery is not completely used. With an empty battery, the phone can be fully recharged in a matter of 5-6 hours.

Pros- Good camera options
- Simple and easy-to-navigate menu
- Sturdy and professional looking
- Bluetooth capability
- Bright and visible LCD screen (front and main)
- VCAST compatible
- Acts as a music player

Cons
- Battery life is not so great
- Camera is only 1.3 megapixels
- Camera is slightly protruding
- Limited memory if you do not have MicroSD card

To sum up: The 6315i has much to offer. If you are looking for a simple yet stylish phone with some advanced features, this phone is for you.

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