Test-Driving Nokia's 6110 Navigator in Barcelona

Nokia 6110 Navigator

Nokia 6110 Navigator

Nokia 6110 Navigator

Michelle and I had the chance to see Nokia's new 6110 Navigator in action during our last day at 3GSM last week. Nokia took us out in a new Nissan Qashqai that was equipped with a windshield mounted 6110 and took us on a brief tour of Barcelona. They also provided us with a 6110 that we could play with during the trip so that we could see how the user interface worked and such.

The phone itself is very nice. It is perhaps a bit large, but it felt somewhat appropriate considering the device's capabilities. The QVGA display was reasonably large and bright, the d-pad worked well, and the phone overall felt quite solid. We were using a black version in the back seat of the car while the driver made use of a white model.

My first impression of the navigation software was that it was a bit awkward to use. There simply seemed to be a few more steps required and things that had to be set correctly before we could get on our way that I thought reasonable. Nokia had the 6110s pre-programmed with a number of pre-defined routes, complete with multiple waypoints, that we could choose from. But even so, the process seemed a bit awkward, making me wonder how it would have been if I had wanted to enter my own destination address - something I didn't try.

Once we were on our way, however, the software seemed to function quite well. A few of the keypad number keys act as shortcuts for commonly accessed features in the application, making it easier to adjust certain aspects of the system while driving. For example, one key lets you switch between the day and night color scheme, another toggled between 2D overhead view and the cooler looking 3D view.

Night mode

2D view

3D view

 

Featured products from the MobileBurn store