Nokia 6700 classic review: Sirocco Lite

The slim and stylish no-nonsense handset has been a Nokia trademark ever since the 6300 took the world by storm a few years back. However, it's only now after a run of equally popular successors that we realize just how much the Slim Finn changed the rules of the game. And the Nokia 6700 classic is here to say that no matter how simple and seemingly perfect things are, they can always get better.

Not everyone wants a high-end camera, a huge touchscreen or a QWERTY keyboard and - even if they do - not everyone is keen to dish out. The extra features are always welcome to have on board but in the end it's about the core functions of a phone that you want to work and want to work well. They say money can't buy you love but when a handset is great at the basics and looks like a million bucks it has every right to disagree. And the Nokia 6700 classic, like its forerunners, seems to know just how to please a massive crowd.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Tri-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
• Slim and sharp
• Solid metal casing and beautiful design
• 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display with excellent sunlight legibility
• 5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash
• VGA video recording at 15fps
• Built-in GPS receiver
• S40 user interface, 6th edition
• Built-in accelerometer sensor
• Tap-for-time and turn-to-mute
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Bluetooth (with A2DP) and microUSB port
• microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 1GB included)
• Rich preinstalled application package
• Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
• Push notifications
• Dedicated camera key and good image quality

Main disadvantages:

• Memory card slot under the back cover
• Smallish display
• S40 interface feels clunky and out of date
• No smart dialing, multi-tasking or even an office document viewer
• No 3.5 audio jack
• Poor image gallery

A brief look at the features listed above is enough to convince you that the Nokia 6700 classic is more than a pretty face. However we doubt it that anyone with I-want-features-and-I-want-them-all mentality will put it on top of their shopping list. On the other hand, the extra stuff will be better used to persuade Nokia 6500 classic owners that there is enough there for an upgrade.

By the way, one of the best-equipped S40 handsets might also be able to convert new fans who want decent functionality but are intimidated by smartphones. Until recently Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung were enjoying a free run there, but with the Nokia 6600i slide and the Nokia 6700 classic, the market leader is quite keen to regain some of that ground.