Nokia 6610

Nokia's 6610 is a small phone weighing in at just 84g, but it has plenty of features.

Tri-band operation means it will work throughout Europe and the US, and it supports the very latest in communications and messaging standards, with GPRS and MMS catered for.

The screen is large and displays 4,096 colours. You can download wallpaper to personalise the screen but its best use is for playing simple games.

There are two supplied with the phone. Bounce requires you to manoeuvre a ball through hoops and avoid obstacles, while Chess Puzzle provides a selection of chess board-based tasks.

Neither are desperately exciting but as the phone supports Java, better games and other potentially useful applications can be downloaded.

Polyphonic ring tones are also catered for and the phone comes with plenty included but again, less irritating ones can be downloaded to taste.

We haven't mentioned the integrated FM radio yet. Some may see this as a gimmick but the sound quality is excellent and the automatic tuning and channel saving make it a pleasure to use.

The headphones plug in to the same socket as the data cable but don't lose them; a set with a standard connector won't do the job and replacements cost around £20.

Among the other features, we especially liked the timed profiles concept. This lets the user set a chosen profile to run for a certain amount of time. The phone issues a little beep when its timer runs down so you don't forget to return it to standard settings.

Other extras like a clock, countdown timer and calculator help bulk out the features list and there is some PC software with which you can perform various functions such as converting images for use as wallpaper and editing ring tones, as well as the more everyday contact management.

Navigation through the menus is easy. The menu structure on the phone is intuitive and the buttons are large considering the small size of the handset. This is a neat little phone that packs in lots of functions.

Price: £130 (with Vodafone contract) £330 (Sim free)
Contact: Nokia 0870 055 5777
www.nokia.co.uk

ALSO CONSIDER:
Nokia 7650. A clever but chunky phone. £230 (with contract). Worth it.