Nokia 6110 Navigator mobile phone - FIRST LOOK review

Nokia wants to bring navigation for all - but is this the phone to bring it?

12 February 2007 12:27 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Nokia has launched a range of new phones at 3GSM this year in Barcelona. Pocket-lint was lucky enough to get a first look at the new handset.

The new Nokia 6110 Navigator is a slider phone with its main focus being a built-in satnav GPS receiver similar to the yet to be released N95. The phone comes with Route 66 software and features a simple design and in our brief play is very simple to use.

The crux of the simplicity is the need to press one button on the front of the phone to access the GPS application. In an approach similar to Sony Ericsson's Music button on the Walkman range, the GPS button is a nice touch.

Surprisingly the phone also packs HSDPA and 3G connectivity alongside quad-band GSM and this means that downloading new maps or accessing traffic updates is promised to be incredibly fast. Nokia has said it will include one country map in the box on the accompanying MicroSD card (hot swappable) and you will be able to buy further maps online without the need for a PC.

In our First Look we weren't able to test the GPS signal (we were in a building) but we were able to have a play with the software interface. The software supports postcode entry and the route calculation seemed to be very quick even for the prototype we were looking at. As for the map interface it seemed very easy to read and view.

Of course there is the usual array of points of interest to either interest or bore, and speed freaks will be pleased to see this includes speed cameras.

In practice and the screen is going to be smaller than most have come to expect fro a Satnav device - the screen is 2.2 inches rather than the now almost defacto 3.5-inch display and although Nokia aren't yet sure whether it will be including a windscreen cradle in the box we hope they change their mind and do.

Beyond the navigation functions of the handset, the 6110 features a 2 megapixel camera and Bluetooth connectivity while claimed battery performance is 11 days standby time and 3.5 hours talk time.

First Impressions

With mobile phones having conquered the digital camera and music sectors the next big thing is GPS.

"We are bringing navigation to everyone", said a Nokia spokesman at the event.

We've seen a number of handsets over the last year from a number of different manufacturers all offering some form of GPS either via an SD in the box or via an over the air solution, so far this seems to be the best yet.

Although when we put it to them, Nokia were keen to differ, the Nokia 6110 Navigator for us is like an N95 lite. You get the small form factor, the slider design (albeit this isn't three way) but without all the multimedia fanfair.

If you are looking for a simple handset with GPS functionality on our First Look this could just be the solution we've been waiting for.

We will have a full review of the Nokia 6110 Navigator as soon as we can get a unit from Nokia. The 6110 is due out in Q2 2007.

Review Recap

Made by: Nokia
Price as reviewed: £price dependent on contract
The good: GPS, HSDPA, 2 megapixel camera
The bad: Not much so far
First Impressions: If you are looking for a simple handset with GPS functionality on our First Look this could just be the solution we've been waiting for