The Nokia 6120 Classic reviewed - the smallest and lightest smartphone in the world!

Great review. I was particularly taken with the AEM measurement unit. Seems like a tasty way to compare sizes.

I remember when I first saw the 6120 I was surprised by the size. Its more impressive when you think back to what the typical smartphone size was even a few years ago.

Also interesting to hear about real world HSDPA usage - I've never actually used it myself (hopefully soon though).

By the way, if anyone has any questions about the 6120, please post them here and I'll try to answer them!

HSDPA is a bit of a surprise because there's nothing to indicate it's available until you actually use it. The connection logo says 3G by default, but when you try to download from the internet it turns into a 3.5G logo. I was taken by surprise when it happened as I didn't even know HSDPA was available in this area. As I implied in the review, I suspect we'll get the most out of HSDPA when phone processors and RAM amounts have developed further, so that they can display pages as soon as they've downloaded.

Of course you can already do this if you connect your laptop to the internet via an HSDPA phone, in which case you get the enormous download speeds along with the PC's processing power. Some phone networks in Finland actually market their 3G/HSDPA services as an alternative to fixed line broadband, with similar prices and speeds.

look like last year's 6234 but without video capture of 640x480.
And the usual series 40 apps; stopwatch, count down, speed, improved player and standby screen, ....
Nice to know S60 team are getting there with matching the size of other nokias and handsets on the market.

Wirelessly posted (Sony Ericsson M600i: Opera/9.50 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.0.8462/20; U; en))

This phone would blow everyone else out of the water if it had built-in wifi and integrated gps.
Great review though.
-Those who where scared to own a s60 phone ,because of size or what-not, can now safely come out of the closet.

Wondeful review..

The size isn't all that different from the E50, which I got quite close to buying about a year ago. You don't hear much about the E50 though, I guess it might not have caught the fancy of people who are interested enough in phones to discuss them on the internet...

Thank you for a great review.

I have a question:

I have read much about HSDPA and how it is impossible to make or (perhaps more importantly) receive a call during HSDPA data reception. In the Danish forum I frequent, there is a great deal of disagreement whether it is due to a fault in the HSDPA capable phones (I have only read N95 owners complain - though someone mentioned a HTC having the same problem) or due to a flaw in the specification of HSDPA, or maybe something entirely different.

I find it hard to believe that is a flaw in the HSDPA spec., but of course someone just might have slept during review of the standard - or maybe it was just not possible to design it differently.

"This phone would blow everyone else out of the water if it had built-in wifi and integrated gps."

That would be nice, but then the cost and size would go up quite a bit. You can't really win in the phone world, as soon as you improve one thing you ruin something else. :-)


"I have read much about HSDPA and how it is impossible to make or (perhaps more importantly) receive a call during HSDPA data reception."

I didn't notice any problems with the 6120, so any faults may just be with earlier HSDPA phones. I'll try to test this properly and get back to you though, watch this comments thread.


"The size isn't all that different from the E50"

The E50 is just a little bit bigger (70cc instead of the 6120's 66cc), but you're absolutely right, they're very similar indeed.

The E50 is a very unfairly ignored smartphone, it's nice and small and cheap. Its problem may have been that it was marketed as an Eseries business phone when it would have been more suited to a consumer audience.


"look like last year's 6234 "

The 6120 is actually a lot smaller, the 6234 is 81cc and weighs 20g more than the 6120.

Great device... size matters:)

It all very well comparing the thickness to AEM's but I don't like dark chocolate and so never buy them and I am not sure of their size anyway.

It looks good, I am interested.

I don't know much about nokia S60. (been using WM smartphones).

But I did have the use of the Nokia E65 for a week and I liked it.

Apart from the shape and weight does the Nokia 6120 Classic operate much the same as the Nokia E65 and are the screen sizes the same?

It seems there may be a flaw in the AEM unit.

"Apart from the shape and weight does the Nokia 6120 Classic operate much the same as the Nokia E65 and are the screen sizes the same?"

The 6120 Classic is basically the same type of smartphone as the E65, although the 6120 Classic has an upgraded version of the user interface. E65 runs Symbian S60 3rd Edition while the 6120 Classic runs S60 3rd Edition FP1 (Feature Pack 1).

They can both run the same S60 3rd Edition third party software, but the 6120 Classic has some enhanced features in the interface such as support for user-created folders and sub-folders, active application indicators (a blue circle next to active applications' icons), 3D menu options, a horizontal mode on the web browser, a single settings menu etc.

The screen resolutions are the same, QVGA 240x320, but the E65's screen is physically a bit bigger than the 6120 Classic's. You can see Rafe's comparison photo here:

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/media...6219605&page=1


"It all very well comparing the thickness to AEM's but I don't like dark chocolate"

You can get a milk chocolate version now:

http://www.sweetstall.com/acatalog/M...er-8-Mints.jpg

There's also an orange version, but that tastes horrible! :-)

I've handled an e50 and it's very small, does it have 3G? Not as far as I could tell.

Right, after some testing with the 6120 Classic I have some answers about HSDPA!

"I have read much about HSDPA and how it is impossible to make or (perhaps more importantly) receive a call during HSDPA data reception."

The short answer is: it's not a problem. The 6120 can make and receive calls at all times.

The long answer is: if you make or receive a call during a 3.5G (HSDPA) connection, the phone automatically switches to 3G for the duration of the call, then switches back to 3.5G when you end the call.

In all cases, 3.5G is only active during downloads, you don't see the 3.5G logo when there's nothing to download.


"I've handled an e50 and it's very small, does it have 3G? Not as far as I could tell."

E50 doesn't have 3G, 6120 Classic does have 3G (and 3.5G too).

Thanks a lot for the HSDPA testing!

This phone will be mine (I have already ordered it) - the Danish distributor states that it will be shipped to retailers such that they will have it in stock on July the 10th :-)

Which do you recommend for T-Mobile network in the USA? 6120 or 6121?

The really pressing question about this phone is: can you charge it using the USB port? I hate carrying around extra cables.

I think the reason this phone is so anticipated is its economy and flexibility. It's S60 which means it runs a variety of software, it's inexpensive, it's small and light and it supports the broadest network connections of any Nokia phone. It means you can get HSPA in the EU, US, Australia under both frequencies and get EDGE everywhere where 3G isn't.

I use my phone mainly as a modem for my laptop, as I'm sure alot of other people do, and this phone fits the bill perfectly. It provides basic browsing, email and document access when you can't use your laptop, and a fast internet connection when you can. For people who travel around a lot and are serious about being connected to the net at all times, this phone is perfect.

My main concern is that Bluetooth can't handle the higher HSPA speeds and ultimately limits the download speed. So WiFi is sort of key going forward.

You'll need the 6120 which supports 850MHz 3G. The 900Mhz supported by the 6121 is pretty much used by no-one right now.

"can you charge it using the USB port? I hate carrying around extra cables."

You can charge through a computer's USB port, but you need to buy the Nokia CA-100 USB charging cable.

http://europe.nokia.com/link?cid=EDITORIAL_182803

As far as I know, the phone's USB port doesn't take charges, but the CA-100 plugs into the phone's charging socket with the other end plugged into the computer's USB port.


"I use my phone mainly as a modem for my laptop, as I'm sure alot of other people do, and this phone fits the bill perfectly."

I do this too, and I think even more people will start doing this as phone network speeds increase (HSDPA maximum speed is greater than my home broadband connection's) and as phone internet charges go down (my network charges just 10 euros a month for uncapped unlimited access).

3G phone modems are also excellent backup connections for when your home broadband connection breaks down.

Wifi is all very well, but it doesn't have even a fraction of the coverage of a phone network.


"My main concern is that Bluetooth can't handle the higher HSPA speeds and ultimately limits the download speed. So WiFi is sort of key going forward."

I'd strongly recommend using a USB cable to link the phone to your laptop. It saves a lot of battery life, it's much faster, more reliable, easier to set up, works with non-bluetooth computers, and it's also more secure. Cables are greatly underestimated in this wireless world, but in the right places they are still by far the best method for making connections (and indeed all wireless base stations still mostly rely on cables to connect to each other).

Wi-fi tends to use battery life more quickly than other methods, it's not an ideal solution for connecting battery-dependent mobile devices IMHO.

Ultimately though, each person has their own circumstances, so it's worth experimenting with all three methods and seeing which is best on balance.


"Thanks a lot for the HSDPA testing!"

No problem, that's what this site is here for! Let us know how the phone works for you.

I think Nokia not supporting USB charging is really slack. The port is there, it provides sufficent current and voltage, yet they want me to spend $US25+ on another cable instead of my existing $2 cable so it can charge on a power port that serves no other purpose and takes up space? It's nuts.

As far as using USB for network connection, I agree with all the points you make, but it's a wireless world and I use a laptop exactly becuase it has no wires and I can be comfortable while I use it all day. Also on the road juggling cables is very painful, so Bluetooth wins out for me.

Good review krisse, a good looking phone with some decent features. I find WiFi is almost a necessity now however, so that lets it down a little. I agree adding these features adds to cost and this is quite a breakthrough device at the price so I can't really complain. Hopefully the next version will have WiFi.

I am now trying to think how I can work After Eights into game reviews....:)

What about SIP/VoIP support in 6120? Is it built in?

The 6120 has a 2.0" QVGA screen (same as the E50 but not with 16 Million colours) and the E65 a 2.2" QVGA screen.

"What about SIP/VoIP support in 6120? Is it built in?"

There is a SIP settings menu, but I didn't have the chance to test it with VOIP.


"I find WiFi is almost a necessity now however, so that lets it down a little. I agree adding these features adds to cost and this is quite a breakthrough device at the price so I can't really complain."

That's the thing to bear in mind, this is a model for a much more mainstream audience, I think it's meant to make S60 a more viable proposition for people who currently don't buy smart phones.

At the moment most phone users don't use wifi, so including it would have made the phone unnecessarily expensive for its target audience (and a bit more bulky and heavy too). The same goes for 5mp cameras, TV out etc, they'd be nice but they'd turn this into a completely different phone.

I suspect wifi (or perhaps wimax?) may well become a standard feature in most future phones though, even on cheap models, just as Bluetooth has become. Nokia and various other major manufacturers have said they're already doing wimax handsets right now, which will hopefully get the phone network operators worried.


"I think Nokia not supporting USB charging is really slack."

They've only just started supporting standard USB cables at all, most models in 2006 still used the proprietary Pop-Port standard! The current situation is huge progress on where they were (Pop-Port cables and adaptors were very expensive compared to USB cables), although as you say they ought to be giving people the option of ordinary USB charging as so many other devices do.

With the 6120 though, I would say it's worth bearing in mind that most ordinary phone users don't charge their phone through a computer, and it's ordinary users that this particular model is aimed at.



"but it's a wireless world and I use a laptop exactly becuase it has no wires and I can be comfortable while I use it all day."

It is a wireless world, but if we're just talking about the foot or two between your phone and your laptop it's plausible that you could use a cable. But as I said, this is all down to personal circumstances and taste!

I still use an ethernet cable to connect my desktop PC to my router for all the reasons I gave earlier, though I know this is a deeply unfashionable thing to do in the tech world. I suppose I'm a fan of using wires where possible. ;-)

Things sure move fast in the mobile phone business. A year ago the first phones with wifi hit the market, and now wifi is "almost a necessity". :)