The key features of Nokia 6220 Classic are the camera and supporting xenon flash. The product enjoys all the strengths inherent to Feature Pack 2 revision of the platform, is more compact-sized than N82, and comes with a standard keyboard (which looks more useable than it actually proves to be in practice). 6220 is targeted at the mass market just like N82, though it is meant to play in a lower price bracket. The unavailability of Wi-Fi is a significant weakness, though it makes the key difference between the two models, putting them apart into different segments both in terms of price and functionality. The starting price for 6220 Classic is just 325 euros, which is lower than any comparable competitor would be selling for. We weren’t able to find a combination of Wi-Fi and a 5 Mp camera for a fair price like that, leaving little ground to the claims that the item is overpriced. Nokia 6220 Classic is going to start selling shortly, making a milestone of 2008 in terms of Nokia’s marketing plan. An aggressive advertising campaign is in the works, so we predict a successful start for this product regardless of its numerous, and quite obvious, drawbacks, which are efficiently outweighed by the high-quality camera and a skillfully implemented xenon flash to match. The availability of GPS and the latest revision of the operating system strengthen the handset’s positions only further.

Another difference in the hardware platform is a lack of an accelerometer, though this is obviously not a serious reason for getting upset. An onboard GPS unit has been recently growing into a must have feature for all of the company’s smartphones Due to the same standard Nokia Maps 2.0 navigation software preinstalled on all models, the functionality is identical in all instances. Its presence in a mid-end handset is a big plus, though as for the rest of the options the model is habitually lacking any serious innovations or outstanding features. This is a very typical S60 smartphone, the software differences from Nokia N78 are minimal, mostly consisting in a lack of multimedia applications like Photos or the Multimedia Menu. Of course, a small number of new features are still observed, though none of those can be listed as a cardinal change; these additions are to be discussed in a later section of the article.

	Nokia 6220 Classic specifications
Supported networks:	EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSDPA 850/2100
Memory:	120 Mb of user memory, microSD slot, a 512 Mb card bundled
Screen:	2,2" , QVGA (240х320), 16M
Connectivity:	USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, A2DP supported
Camera:	5 Mp (up to 2592x1944), AF, Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash
Battery:	BP-5M 3.7V 900 mAh up to 3,5 hours of talktime up to 250 hours of standby
Dimensions:	108 x 47 x 15 mm
Weight:	90 g
Guiding price:	€325

It’s quite remarkable that Nokia 6220 Classic doesn’t officially belong to the Nseries line. The manufacturer intentionally keeps the lower bar of the Nseries price bracket at 350 for a starting price (N72, N78, N81 – all these are good examples of inexpensive multimedia PDAs). The extra money are charged for the brand, design and a different positioning in general. Meanwhile Nokia 6220 Classic is meant to be but a mere mass-market 5 Mp smartphone, and successfully fulfills the cause.

«Meanwhile Nokia 6220 Classic is meant to be but a mere mass-market 5 Mp smartphone, and successfully fulfills the cause.»

Design and Ergonomics

The design of Nokia 6220 Classic is maximally neutral, or universal if it would be a better fitting word. Similarly looking handsets by Nokia can be found in different market segments: Nokia 3120 Classic, 6212 – all of them being budget-class offers. Such an allusion doesn’t get well with the prominent abilities of 6220 at all. Using a design normally typical of a top-ranking product series is a well-known marketing strategy seeking to invoke an illusion of at least a better quality of materials and assembly. Vice versa, an expensive smartphone in the guise of a budget product isn’t going to produce much impression regardless of its actual advantages; what is even more surprising, the quality of materials and assembly proved to be rather average as well, which is hardly understandable in this case.

This might be explained by Nokia’s intention to minimize the price to achieve the striking ratio between the camera power and the price; putting on the guise of a cheaper product is meant to reduce any possible internal competition. The only weird feeling we couldn’t do away with was the one we got from certain design aspects. The choice of materials is one of the weakest points of this product. At the first glance the handset lures you with the seemingly good quality of assembly and a nice-looking matte soft touch cover on the back panel; once in the hand, the soft touch cover proves to be nothing but plastic with a rough texture, and the quality of build isn’t as high as it initially appears. Nokia N82 and N72 left much better impressions. The battery bay cover suffers from a looseness, certain parts of the casing also appear to lack tight contact, especially at the spot where the keypad and the screen meet.

«The choice of materials is one of the weakest points of this product.»

It also should be noted that Nokia 6210 Navigator gave a much better feel, to our taste. Probably that could owe to its red-colored, peculiarly texturized plastic. It doesn’t suffer from fingerprints that much, the color is even unlike the violet 6220. The assembly, sliding mechanism and the battery bay cover are all fairly done, the model produces a very positive overall impression, much better than seen in the photographs. Sporting a price below 6220 classic, the new navigator looks a very interesting solution. This is one of the few slider smartphones which manages to keep a distinct touch of elegance despite the multiple onboard units. It would be a mistake to have labeled this product as a niche one just because it bears the Navigator postfix. It can also be regarded as a stylish, mass-market oriented product which will surely enjoy notable success due its large screen size and slim build. Its orientation towards GPS functionality is augmented by the availability of a number of interesting addition like a compass, location sensor and so on.

«Sporting a price below 6220 classic, the new navigator looks a very interesting solution.»

Both smartphones will start selling in June, 6120 Navigator is going to cost 300 euros. Nokia 6210 is also very competition-elusive, the only likely possible rival being its relative Nokia E66 with similar capabilities and also a Wi-Fi unit on board. However E66 is going to cost an extra hundred euros, which makes a rather considerable difference and reduces the likeness of competition between the two. As a result, 6210 is deprived of the most drawbacks the previous model in line, 6110 Navigator, had: the unreasonably thick build, small screen, weak camera, dull design and high price The starting price for 6210 is significantly lower, and the functionality is quite up to this day’s standards. Moreover, the evident lack of direct competitors says for itself. This smartphone will be reviewed shortly, talking in advance we’d like to note that the choice between 6210 and 6220 is a very delicate matter. The senior model offers a better camera while the junior one comes with a better screen (both in terms of size and image quality), better ergonomics, a more popular form factor, the same dimensions, a rich bundling, and a marginally better build. However, the whole 5 megapixels is a rather weighty argument which is likely to incline the majority of consumers to the latter’s side.

So let’s get back to Nokia 6220 Classic for now. The right edge is the home to the volume, zoom and shoot buttons. The left edge hosts a microSD memory card slot (protected with a plastic flap) and the Nokia Maps launch button (as bound by default). This button is labeled Own and can be assigned with any function as the user sees fit. A tiny flickering blue bulb is found just nearby. The top edge only has a Power On / Off button, the bottom edge is the home to the slim charger slot, microUSB slot and a 2,5 headset jack. The latter is another difference from other Nseries products. However, 3.5 mm jack adapters are widely available in retail so this poses no real trouble. In this case, if you’ve cared to buy a decent headset, Nokia 6220 sounds almost like Nokia’s music-oriented models, the audio quality is comparable to the N81 model and is clearly better than in N82. The only inconvenience is the lack of player control buttons on the casing. The interface of the music player is the same with all the models, so the primary means of differentiating the products into the music and non-music sectors is the bundling: the music-oriented handsets receive better headsets, jack adapters and remote control units.

The back surface hosts the lens of the integrated 5 Mp camera, normally covered with a moving lens guard while not in use. The same type of lens guard is used in N82, the only difference for 6220 being a tougher sliding part which on some occasions made us feel a bit discomforted. On the other hand, this peculiarity eliminates any chance of unwanted opening. Just nearby sits the xenon flash, the very same type of unit that Nokia N82 has, as well.

Screen

The screen of Nokia 6220 classic is a kind of a disappointment. The size is only 2,2 inches (32x46 mm). That is just as large as SE K850i or Samsung G600 offers, and is a very limited value hardly sufficient for a photo-accented solution. The screen is powered by the TFT technology and is capable of supporting a 16 million color palette. The mirror backing efficiently combats the sun glares. The picture stays bright and readable even in strong daylight. The view angles are very wide, the info is readable from almost any angle. The colors are a bit cold and unnatural, bearing a bluish tint.

«The colors are a bit cold and unnatural, bearing a bluish tint»

A comparison to Sony Ericsson C902 discovers the latter’s superior quality (save for the low maximum brightness level). The overall quality of the screen in 6220 is satisfactory but little than that. The screens of Nokia N78, 6210 Navigator are much more preferable in all aspects. The screen is lined with a glossy frame, which exposes the fingerprints better than you would want. Right above the screen, the small frontal camera lens resides, neighboring the metal-capped speaker and the luminance sensor on the sides.

Keypad

The keys are quite traditional, rather large, so stray keystrokes are clearly out of the question. The downside is that the material used for the keyboard itself quickly yields to physical pressure, squeaking and cracking, also due to a poor assembly quality. Two buttons, Menu and Delete, are lifted above the main keypad’s surface, they’re very comfortable in operation even regardless of their small size. They are easily felt even with a subtle touch. The keypad is backlit with an even blue light.

Battery

Nokia 6220 classic utilizes a BP-5M, 900 mAh battery. This might appear as rather unimpressive even if compared to Nokia N82, let alone Nokia N78. As we have already mentioned in our article devoted to the new features in FP2, the power consumption has been reduced via a series of optimizations, resulting in longer standby cycles in a number of applications. Comparing the new models to FP1 devices (e.g. N82) we witnessed significantly longer video and audio playback cycles, in other words the multimedia department can now endure longer periods of time without crying for a recharge. This is only partially due to the updated software platform, and partially owes to a different hardware stuffing. In any case, the results are above good, the handset stood through about 17 hours of continuous mp3 playback which is simply brilliant for a compact-sized smartphone like that!

As stated by the manufacturer, the handset can stand for about 3.5 hours of GSM talktime which roughly equals to 250 hours of idle standby. Under a moderate duty (about an hour of talks, four hours of listening to the music, an hour of working with the camera, menus and miscellaneous functions) the device survived through two days and a half of use before a recharging became inevitable. That’s quite a fair results for today’s level of smartphone technology. In this aspect, the handset is comparable to 6120 classic and is lightly worse than Nokia N82 (as long as we don’t mention mp3 playback cycle, which in this model is significantly longer)

Nokia 6220 classic Battery

Model	Nokia 6220 classic	Nokia N82
Standard duty	2,5 days	3 days
Multimedia cycle, video (3GP)	3:55	3:40
Multimedia cycle, audio (MP3)	17:30	11:20

Connectivity

The handset lacks an integrated Wi-Fi module, which is the most serious limitations imposed by the design and positioning. The Home Media application (UnPNP support for mobile devices) has also been left for Nseries products, you aren’t going to find it here in 6220.

The handset utilizes the 2.0 version of the USB protocol with full support for Mass Storage connections, it’s possible to choose from PC Suite, Image Print, Media Player and Mass Storage modes when prompted on connecting the smartphone to the PC. Both onboard storage and memory expansion card are available for reading and writing during phone-to-PC sessions, also the phone stays fully active and loses none of its functionality even when used as a Mass Storage unit, the data transfer rate in this mode reaches above 900 Kbyte / s.

All the popular Bluetooth profiles are supported, as stated in the specifications sheet, the BT version is 2.0 + EDR.

• A2DP
• Audio/Video Remote Control
• Basic Imaging
• Dial-up Networking
• File Transfer
• Generic Access
• Generic Object Exchange
• Handsfree
• Headset
• HID
• Object Push
• SIM Access
• Serial Port

The A2DP profile support allows for a wireless stereo headset to be used with the device, this feature works without any problems. Wireless settings include the visibility period and the blocked devices blacklist.

Functional feculiarities

The following peculiarities have drawn our attention during the tests: GPS (as well as A-GPS) with the geo-tagging function (Location Tagger). This application combines three modes: Sharing, GPS and Photo. The camera interface includes an option which will enable location acquisition, and the onboard GPS module is used accordingly to imprint a geo tag into a photo right after you press the shoot button. So people visiting your webpage with photos will be able to quickly learn of the location where these photos were taken. A very interesting feature indeed, another step towards a fully convergent mobile device. On the desktop, a info bar indicates the number of files uploaded to the Web.

The gallery differs from the Nseries multimedia devices: the Photos applet is missing, and all the photos are shown as thumbnails. It’s possible to sort the content by date, name and size, though there’s no option for making a slide show. A rather ascetical approach.

«The gallery differs from the Nseries multimedia devices: the Photos applet is missing»

The hardware platform used in Nokia 6220 Classic is virtually the same with Nokia N81; the CPU operates at a standard frequency of 369 Hz, the performance stays the same or slightly reduced if the advanced graphics effects (which debuted in FP2) are turned on. The RAM size equals to 128 (after a successful boot, a total of 86 Mb remains available to the user application), so there isn’t going to be any trouble with multiple applications running in the background at the same time. Nokia 6210 Navigator comes with half as much RAM as 6220, which is an important thing to know. Miscellaneous features include a TV-out with a minimum of settings (PAL, NTSC)>

model	Nokia 6220 classic	Nokia N82
Jbenchmark 1.0.1 Score	5601	5311
Text	1580	1419
2D Shapes	1446	1303
3D Shapes	691	640
Fill Rate	370	336
Animation	1512	1613
Jbenchmark 2.0.1 Score	595	568
Image Manipulations	376	410
Text	716	710
Sprites	533	520
3D Transform	906	817
User Interface	591	476
Jbenchmark 3D HQ	199	973
Jbenchmark 3D LQ	360	1018
Triangles ps	51455	48330
KTexels ps	3443	6393
Jbenchmark HD Gaming Score	156 (5.4 fps)	91 (3.0 fps)
Smooth triangles	102251	44190
Textured triangles	83512	27310
Fill rate, KTexels	2175	1107

A detailed review of S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 is currently available on our site, so we won’t be repeating things concerning the already known facts about the functioning of the software platform. Save for a few very minor differences in multimedia implementation (Photos, Gallery), everything stays the same. A few user themes are available, made in calm and strict colors to support the classical spirit of this handset.

As we have already said, the Own button can be customized to launch any available application, by default it is used to open Nokia Maps. In the settings, it is possible to reassign the button so it would launch any other available application, including third-party ones. The button also serves as an indicator, flickering blue on occasions.

«the Own button can be customized to launch any available application, by default it is used to open Nokia Maps»

Camera

The camera unit used by Nokia 6220 classic is just the same as in Nokia N82, the photo flagship of the company. That’s Tessar 2.8/5.6 which stands for a superb quality going far ahead of the rivals’ efforts for the time being. The lens is protected with a moving guard, though it’s a bit less convenient than in N82 due to the handset’s slimness. The camera interface is left almost unchanged, an option serving to customize the quick settings access pop-up menu was added, and the rest of the menu remains the same.

The settings include:

• switching to the video mode
• shooting mode (auto, custom, macro, portrait, nighttime shot, nighttime portrait, landscape, sports)
• flash controls (auto, on/off, red eye filter)
• timer (2, 10, 20 seconds)
• serial shot (a frame taken every 10, 30 seconds, 1, 5, 10, 30 minutes)
• exposure adjustment (from -2.0 to 2.0)
• white balance presets (auto, sunny, cloudy, glowlamp, fluorescent lamp)
• effects (sepia, negative, black and white, boosted transparency)
• ISO settings
• Sharpen / Soften
• Contrast (20-notch scale)
• Brightness (10-notch scale)

On a number of occasions, we compared Nokia N82 with other 5 Mp cameras, the device eventually ended up as the winner in all imaginable competitions, be it by a small margin or a huge gap in photo quality and operational comfort. Judging by the photo samples and camera specs, here in 6220 Classic we have the very same camera unit which was used in N82, even the photo post-processing algorithms are all the same. Nevertheless, below you fill find a short comparison of photos taken with 6220 C and Sony Ericsson’s C902 Cyber-shot handset:

In the macro mode, it’s hard to tell an absolute leader, both devices are doing quite well. We didn’t manage to spot any color corruption, the photos remain very crisp and detailed. In the landscape mode, Nokia 6220 Classic gets an upper hand, making par to N82. However this leadership ceases where camera controls and options start: Sony Ericsson C902 has a better controls system, a bigger number of settings, and is positioned in a different segment where Nokia can’t offer an adequate alternative. Samsung U900 Soul keeps up with the two, producing very nice photos.

The device allows for video recording at an VGA resolution (640x480, 30 fps), which is the same with the company’s flagships N95, N82.

The xenon flash used in Nokia 6220 classic is similar to the unit employed by N92, serving to same results. A few tests have firmly proved that the flash utilized by N82 overpowers any other model employed by the rival devices. In general, 6220 deserves the title of a photo flagship as far as the quality of photos is concerned, just the way N82 used to be.

GPS navigation

Nokia’s trademark feature is their unmatched implementation of GPS functionality. Enormous sums of money have been invested into acquiring navigation companies; by the end of 2008, Nokia’s estimated sales of GPS-equipped handsets are to reach 35 million copies, which is more than the whole market of GPS devices in 2007. Regardless of target audience and positioning, almost every new Nokia smartphone comes with a GPS unit on board.

Nokia Maps 2.0 is not just a cosmetic update, but rather a total reworking of the whole application interface. It became more comfortable and intuitive, providing even more information in a more compact and easy form. Nokia Maps 2.0 is available for downloading from the site: http://europe.nokia.com/A4984199

Probably the most significant addition is the support for pedestrian navigation (the Walk mode), which is unique on the market, unseen in any products manufactured by Nokia’s rivals. Pedestrian navigation sports voice hints, a track of footprints is optionally shown on the screen to illustrate the route, the movement direction can be governed with the help of the integrated compass (in the case of Nokia 6210 Navigator). The map resolution is maximized, even walking paths in the parks are visible, let alone highways and roads.

The search interface was greatly improved, all the search results are categorized, quick search (without the need to open the context menu) is available. The so-called hybrid maps make an excellent addition to the remaining two view modes available for the maps, everything is shown in a very friendly and intuitive way. As before, pathfinding algorithm relies on three criteria, and route calculation can be dynamically redone should a traffic jam get in the way or something like that. Maps are available in the daytime and nighttime versions. During GPS standby, a small satellite icon is displayed among other indicators on the status bar at the top of the screen, letting you know when satellite positioning is being done. Nokia Maps 2.0 offers you a vast variety of possibilities encased into a friendly and intuitive interface, demanding very little understanding even from a newbie who has never had a chance to use a GPS navigator before. As we have mentioned earlier, the application sports the same functionality for all existing models, and 6220 along with 6210 Navigator are no exceptions as well, if we don’t mind the small addition of a compass in 6210. The license for voice navigation varies in duration with different models, but no other differences. Judging from this point we’d say that Nokia doesn’t offer any GPS-capable handsets offering better navigation options than the rest of available models, and, secondly, the already existing GPS features put this part of functionality on a very high level, totally beating any other company’s production on the whole market. Nokia maps is steadily increasing its presence on the market due to the expansion of Nokia’s portfolio.

Nokia’s trademark feature is their unmatched implementation of GPS functionality. Enormous sums of money have been invested into acquiring navigation companies; by the end of 2008, Nokia’s estimated sales of GPS-equipped handsets are to reach 35 million copies, which is more than the whole market of GPS devices in 2007. Regardless of target audience and positioning, almost every new Nokia smartphone comes with a GPS unit on board.

SMAPE's opinion

Nokia 6220 Classic is the least expensive 5 Mp cameraphone supplied with a xenon flash and a lens guard; the handset fully exploits all the benefits provided by the S60 platform. It enjoys a classical design, is compact-sized and has good prospects for future price cuts. Among the likely indirect competitors such products can be named as Sony Ericsson K850i (comparable price, lower functionality), Motorola ZN5 (much better quality of materials, Wi-Fi onboard, bigger screen), but neither of the two possess any GPS capabilities. The closest competitor is Nokia N82, which is only slightly more expensive, and comes with Wi-Fi, a much better assembly and quality of materials and the brand Nseries image.

All in all, this smartphone deserves its status as of the company’s key device among the rest of milestone products on which Nokia’s welfare rests in 2008. The handset will start selling by mid-June, simultaneously with Nokia 6210, the guiding price is 325 euros. Nokia 6220 Classic is very determined to become the most massively sold 5 Mp cameraphone of 2008, becoming a very prominent product in the mid-end sector. You could hardly expect any comparable cameraphones to appear in 2008. For the time being, this is the limit for Nokia’s portfolio

+ Minimal dimensions for a product of its class
+ All Feature Pack 2 native features
+ High ergonomics
- Mediocre material and assembly quality
- Undersized screen
- Missing Wi-Fi

Author: Spiridonov Anton, editor@smape.com

SMAPE.com

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