Nokia 6500 Slide

Messaging in the 6500 is easy, considering the S40 UI allows you to select and create Favorites or select from the contacts you’ve recently used. The messaging screen itself has a section below that lets users simply insert data such as images, songs or videos, and convert the SMS to MMS. I also notice that the ringer is usually low – again, I tested this on two handsets. It's so muted that you may not even realize that you’ve received a message.

Camera
The 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera uses Carl Zeiss optics, like most Nokia handsets. It has two LEDs for flash and performs well on the whole. The images appear crisp and clear, unless you view them in native resolution (then you’ll notice slight noise and grain).

The camera doesn’t have too many settings but what’s there will help immensely if you’re looking to achieve that near-perfect shot. It offers white balance settings, a few effects, and a night mode. Closeups are quite clear, with the focus staying where it should be. It can record video in VGA (352 x 288 resolution) at 15fps, which is not bad at all.

Battery
Battery life proved to be quite impressive. To extract the best out of it, however, I'd suggest that you lower the brightness level a bit, deactivate unnecessary sounds such as keypad tones, and avoid animated screensavers. As it stands, the Slide will easily give users about four hours and 40 minutes of talktime before dying. It may not meet Nokia's claims, but it’s pretty darn great in my book. On an average a full charge should see you through two days, perhaps even three. That includes messages, calls, and some games and images.

The Bottomline
I feel the 6500 Slide falls short with regard to some of its features, if only a little. The camera, battery, and elegant design stand out as strong pluses. The price tag of Rs 13,200 doesn't make it that expensive, but there are plenty of other handsets in the market that offer as much in the same price range. However, if you’re more into style and basic functionality, the Slide is worth considering.

Specs