Review of Nokia's 6220 Classic 5MP cameraphone

Nokia 6220 Classic

Nokia 6220 Classic

Nokia 6220 Classic

Nokia 6220 Classic

The 6220 Classic is a candybar smartphone from the Finnish behemoth Nokia, designed to bring high-end imaging features in a more affordable model than its Nseries brethren. The 6220 Classic features a 5 megapixel camera with Xenon flash and autofocus, in addition to a built-in GPS receiver and Nokia's S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 user interface. Is this friendly cameraphone a straight shooter, though?

Physical Aspects

The Nokia 6220 Classic's front fascia is clad in high-gloss piano black, which would typically attract lots of fingerprints. However, the buttons serve to hide these fingerprints well, and I didn't find it annoying or even really noticeable. The back of the 6220 is matte black, with a slight texture to it for easy grip. The outer ring is somewhat of a champagne silver color, and looks really classy against the black front and back plates.

The Nokia 6220 Classic feels really solid in your hand, as though there isn't any free space inside the phone at all. The materials used are solid, though they feel slightly cheap after extended use. After several weeks, there was no sign of wear, but I also was not confident the phone would last for more than about a year. The 6220 Classic is very light, and its tiny 108mm x 47mm x 15mm (4.2" x 1.85" x 0.6") frame feels more like that of a feature phone than a fully-packed smartphone.

From the front, the Nokia 6220 Classic looks like your typical candybar cell phone. The smallish 2.2" QVGA display takes up roughly half of the front of the phone. Below this display is the S60 navigation cluster, consisting of the left and right softkeys, dedicated end and send keys, the S60 menu key, and the clear button - all surrounding the squared-off d-pad. The S60 menu key and the clear button are extremely small, but their positions on either side of the d-pad made them easy to accidentally press, which was frustrating.

Below this S60 navigation cluster is the standard numeric keypad. This keypad is flat, with a raised ridge running along its outer edge. The buttons are brightly labeled, large, and easy to press, with a very satisfying tactile click. If you're a heavy texter, you'll likely enjoy this keypad, even after extensive use.

The bottom edge of the Nokia 6220 Classic is where you'll find the micro-USB data connection, alongside the 2mm Nokia power port and 2.5mm audio jack. The 2.5mm port is also used for the TV-out cable, allowing you to show the phone's display on a compatible TV with the included cable. The microSD card slot is located at the bottom of the left side, with its protective door, and a My Own key, which can be customized by the user, is located on the top of this edge, directly beneath the small GPS indicator light.

The power button is the only thing on the top of the phone, and the volume rocker is located on the right edge. Below this volume rocker, at the bottom of the right edge, is the dedicated two-stage camera button. The back of the Nokia 6220 Classic is where you'll find the manual lens cover, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and Carl Zeiss optics, and Xenon flash. The phone's single loudspeaker is also located at the top of the back.

Nokia 6220 Classic

Nokia 6220 Classic