Review: Nokia 6210 Navigator

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Nokia 6210 Navigator Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: A GPS-equipped phone that offers a large display for browsing, with built-in Nokia Maps and a 6 month navigation license for driving and pedestrian usage. The 6210 is a smartphone that also includes 3G HSDPA, video calling, a 3.2 megapixel camera, a music player and FM radio, Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a microSD memory card slot that can take cards up to 8GB. On the negative side, the build quality is poor, and battery life is challenged too.
Best buy: *Free* from Vodafone Business Shop.

Review: October 2008.

The Nokia 6210 Navigator is an upgraded version of the Nokia 6110 Navigator. It's a slide phone that majors in GPS navigation, but is a fully equipped smartphone with a good range of other features too. There are a number of improvements in the 6210 compared with the 6110. 6 months integrated GPS navigation licence is included, and a digital compass has been added for pedestrian use. The display size has been increased from 2.2" to 2.4", the camera has been uprated from 2 megapixels to 3.2 megapixels, and the memory has been increased from 40 Mbytes to 120 Mbytes.

Rather depressingly though, the body has been modelled on the cheap and plasticky Nokia 6220 Classic. The keys stick and squeak, the slide wobbles, and the whole thing feels like its ready to explode if dropped onto a hard surface. Why, Nokia, why? This is definitely a backwards move. The only improvement in the body design is that the 6210 is quite a bit thinner than the chunky old 6110, and weighs a little less too.

The GPS application is accessed by pressing the dedicated Navigator key, and finding a location is simple and straightforward. In another backward move though, Nokia have removed the Route 66 software that came pre-installed on the 6110, so now the only option for navigating is Nokia Maps. The digital compass is a welcome addition though. The increased display size is definitely an improvement, making the maps much easier to read. Despite the removal of the Route 66 software, the 6210 works very well indeed in its primary role of satellite navigation. It can't beat a dedicated satnav system, but it's perhaps the best of the current generation of GPS enabled mobile phones.

We've mentioned the 3.2 megapixel digital camera already, and we'll also mention now that the 6210 is fully equipped with the usual range of modern phone gadgets. These include a digital music player, that's capable of playing back MP3, AAC and WMA formats. There's also an FM radio built in. The phone supports push email, with a document viewer. 3G video calling is supported, and the phone supports 3.5G with HSDPA for download speeds up to 3.6 Mbps.

In terms of connectivity, the 6210 has Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0, as well a 2.5mm AV jack. We'd have preferred to see a standard 3.5mm jack instead. The phone's memory is excellent, with 120 Mbytes of memory built in, and support for microSD cards up to 8GB. Battery life could be better, and if you're using the GPS and 3G, you'll find that you have to charge it up quite regularly.

In our opinion, Nokia have fumbled the upgrade of the 6110. They've made some definite improvements, but in other ways they've made the phone worse. And in the year that has passed since the launch of the 6110, GPS-enabled phones have become much more common. Nokia needed to move forward, but instead they drifted sideways.

Features of the Nokia 6210 Navigator include:

  • Series 60 Symbian SmartPhone
  • 3.2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom and flash
  • Secondary video camera for video calling (CIF resolution)
  • Photo and video editors
  • Display: 16 million colours, 240 x 320 pixels (2.4 inches)
  • Music player (MP3, MP4, AAC, eAAC+ and WMA formats)
  • FM stereo radio
  • Messaging: SMS, MMS, Instant messaging, Audio Messaging, push email with document attachment viewer
  • Java applications
  • PDF reader
  • Nokia Maps 2.0
  • Internet: GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps, OSS web browser, Flash player
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, 2.5 mm AV connector
  • Memory: 120 Mbytes plus microSD card (expandable to 8 Gbytes)
  • Quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) plus 3.5G (WCDMA 900/2100 HSDPA)
  • Size: 103 x 49 x 15 mm
  • Weight: 117g

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Nokia 6210 Navigator Consumer Reviews

Love your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!

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Average rating from 40 reviews:

Reviewed by Ed H from UK on 30th Jun 2009
This is the poor man's iphone. Its got absolutely everything; 3.5G, great email, camera is really good, bluetooth, music player, radio, you name it its got it. You can hook it up to your laptop (via bluetooth)and use it as a mobile modern. You can buy it on ebay for about 110 pounds. You can also download apps via omi store (nokia's app store) things like opera mini are great. However battery is not great IF you use it a lot, like any other phone. For the price and features its got to be number 1 if you (like me) on a tight budget
Rating:

Reviewed by Philip W from england on 27th Jun 2009
I have had a Nokia 6210 navigator for about eight months now and both speakers have gone twice. I am currently trying to find time to take it back to be repaired again. I would have to say avoid it. I have had countless other phones and not a problem with any.
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Reviewed by phil from england on 20th Jun 2009
Battery time in real usage around London did not last all the day. The sat nav is compilcated and exceptionally not user freindly.in short i prefer my ancient nokia 6310 i even without any of the cmaeras sat nav etc.
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Reviewed by marelbobo from romania on 10th Jun 2009
it'is a very good mobile but it's very complicated and mobile not work themes animated
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Reviewed by Latifa from Bahrain on 15th May 2009
For many reasons i dislike this phone and regret that i bought it 1- buttons are easy to text and dail however u must press hard. 2-theres nothing interesting in this phone except for the rotate feature. 3-the mobile quality is poor;it sometimes freezes and the camera get errors. 4- the camera is quit good and clear but not excellent. 5- the headphones are rubbish and it falls down every min or so. 6-the designe is failure and im quit conscious of not dropping it because its delicate. 7-its boring and i certanily dont recommand it except if u want it for the navigator feature. 8- i'll buy an ipod touch for entertainment and keep this mobile just for my basic use!
Rating:

Reviewed by Steve from England on 13th May 2009
Although I agree with review about creaking and the slides a bit wobbly it's still a very good phone and the satnav is excellent much better than the useless stand alone navman I had previously which is now redundant in a drawer somewhere! Battery life is no worse than other feature packed phones these days - buy an in car charger though if using satnav - that's a must!! Overall great phone no problems at all.
Rating:

Reviewed by Duncan from Scotland on 4th May 2009
I've had the 6210 Navigator for approx 7 months. I got it mainly for the 3.5G connectivity & the built in Sat Nav but wish I had simply got a cheap stand alone Sat Nav from Halfords or simply spent the extra and got the N96 or an iPhone. This is probably the worst Nokia phone I've had! I couldn't agree more with the review above, especially where it says 'The keys stick and squeak, the slide wobbles, and the whole thing feels like its ready to explode if dropped onto a hard surface.' The battery life is terrible. Expect to charge the phone every couple of days even if just using for talking & texting!
Rating:

Reviewed by ilie from romania on 20th Apr 2009
it is not a practical tool and the worst problem for me is the short live battery even when used only for calls. it is my sixth nokia but the last
Rating:

Reviewed by Michael from N IReland on 5th Apr 2009
I purchased this phone for GPS and Nokia Maps. It appears that the GPS feature somehow works inside buildings - is this done via triangulation with the mobile masts? And the GPS signal is instant. You don't have to wait for ages as it locates satellites.
Rating:

Reviewed by Tony Williams from UK on 26th Mar 2009
Worked for 2 days and then wouldn't start up! Completely dead and waiting (still waiting!) for a replacement from Vodafone. Not really impressed with what I did see and for the time being I'm back with my ever faithful Nokia 6300. If the next one is a dud I will cancel my latest contract and buy the I Phone!
Rating:

Reviewed by aylmer from n.ireland on 20th Mar 2009
any one who complains about the 6210 .would complain if they won the lottery..brill phone !!wise up moaners
Rating:

Reviewed by tony from u.k on 9th Mar 2009
i recently upgaded from 6110 to 6210 and to be honest apart from the 6210 being lighter and better photo quality i think i prefer the 6110,the main problem i find with the 6210 is that i find it difficult to txt one handed,
Rating:

Reviewed by harris from philippines on 23rd Feb 2009
i'm planning 2 buy 6110 navigator last feb.9. But i didn't find it in the mall.. So i shifted to 5610 & 5220.. But they look cheap & plasticky.. Then they offered me 6210 navigator. I'm not sure bout the phone but i still bought it.. Now it's been 2wks with me & i never regret the day i bought it... The sounds was loud enough for me, the d-pad works well, & almost everything.. Only 3 things were little bit problems for me... The phones' 2.4" display is prone to fingerprints... the keypads, & the diamond shaped navigator, which i always press accidentally evrytime i open the slide & use the d-pad.. which i hated very much coz' it activated the online & gps mode of the map...
Rating:

Reviewed by Dr David Banner from UK on 20th Feb 2009
To be honest it's very hard to argue with the main review given in this site. The build of the phone is undeniably poor. Slide feels very loose when fully opened and prone to wobble, and there is a definite cheapness in the plastic feel on the keys and casing. However, it cant be denied that the phone packs plenty of features into it's relatively small build. Camera and Music player better than average, but they're not what this phone is about. It's all about Navigation and the phone does that very well. Not convinced it's any better than the 6110 though. Must try harder Nokia.
Rating:

Reviewed by james from usa on 17th Feb 2009
I purchased the 6210 about 3 weeks ago and found the phone to be quite a bit different than your review suggests. First, the phone quality appears to be very good: nothing cheap feeling about the phone. The keys and D pad move freely without squeaking and is easier to use than most phones I've had. The battery life is excellent and doesn't drain down as some of the other Nolia models. The camera takes good photos outdoors and fair photos indoors. I would rate this phone 4 stars at least.
Rating:

Reviewed by vijay from india on 5th Feb 2009
sexy phone
Rating:

Reviewed by Vince Clark from England on 4th Feb 2009
Further to my post below. I have now had the phone for 2 days now. In that time I have upgraded the firmware, surfed the net, sent/received emails, taken pictures and played some of the games. I still have 2 bars of battery left. I think that is a reasonable battery useage for the amount of processing it has been used for. These phones are nearer to laptops than phones so users need to be aware that heavy useage of applications will run the battery down. I for one, are very happy with my phone...but then I bought it cheap from ebay...hehehehe
Rating:

Reviewed by Vince Clark from England on 3rd Feb 2009
I've just bought one of these phones from Ebay. I did it in haste without reading any reviews. After completing the purchase...I happened across this site and to put it mildly...was gutted at the reviews for the phone. One issue was the battery life. I received this phone this morning and started to charged it. I then spent the rest of the day fiddling with the camera and the music and I kept looking at the battery charge bar and thinking...hang on....there's still loads of battery left. What's going on here? I then connected the phone via the laptop, installed the nokia software from the CD provided and then updated the firmware. The firware update is 124Mb. It took about 40 minutes to do. At the end of the process...which went very smoothly...I looked at the battery again. No problems. I am miffed about the battery complaints I am reading here.
Rating:

Reviewed by saravanakumar from india on 3rd Feb 2009
it is an extraordinary performance and good stylish look
Rating:

Reviewed by zhao from liverpool on 27th Jan 2009
good phone
Rating:

Reviewed by kath from Gt Britain on 27th Jan 2009
I really like the features on this phone, but it does feel quite cheaply made and the slider is a bit wobbly.The battery only lasts a day so turned off 3G and now it lasts for 3 days and thats just using it for texts and calls, so yes the battery life is pretty awful!! Theres no screensavers on my phone only the voda icon!! Can anyone tell me where I can find the screensavers on the phone because I cant find any! I do like the phone but its not as good as my old 6300,but will be keeping it as its on 18 month contract.
Rating:

Reviewed by sasa from montenegro on 27th Jan 2009
exellent cell phone
Rating:

Reviewed by Hannah from Wales on 25th Jan 2009
If you rated this poor youur out of your mind! It's Amazing! My dad bought it for me before he went to hospital! It's amazing what you can do to pictures you've taken, and the sound quality of the music, the games are awesome too! Best Phone I've Had in a while. Hannah, 13, Wales
Rating:

Reviewed by Brian from UAE on 23rd Jan 2009
Aviod this phone at all costs, it's awful. Mine has had software problems from day 1 and now wont even allow connection to save contacts, its falling apart and it's just a rubbish phone all round with bad battery life and system problems. the most dissapointing cheap feeling Nokia ever
Rating:

Reviewed by melanie from australia on 20th Jan 2009
i bought my navigator 4 weeks ago, only dropped it once or twice and the whole top talk of the phone (the part that slides up) is already coming loose and everytime i open it it wobbles phone is also becoming quite slow already but the battery life isnt that bad. not very satisfied with this phone even though everything else is good.
Rating:

Reviewed by Chane! from South africa on 17th Jan 2009
Nokia 6210 is not a best phone i bought it 3 weaks back and now it has to be repaired.it got 4 grey horizontal lines on it ,now i hav to wait for about 6 weeks,i am so heart broken .all my friend uses nokia 3500c it is a great phone.6210 should be cancelled!!
Rating:

Reviewed by JR Ewing from UK on 16th Jan 2009
"Navigation is spot on, JR Ewing u must be a moron to be taken on a 54 mile detour, come on get real!" Charming I'm sure. However, if you actually read the review you will actually see that I didn't go on said detour. This was what the phone suggested. Oddly enough I know the quickets way to and from work ! However, your insults aside they do not distract from the point of the review. This is a terribly designed and dreadfully programmed handset. Enough to put you off Nokia for life.
Rating:

Reviewed by Urban from slovenia on 10th Jan 2009
nice phone.....:)
Rating:

Reviewed by john from australia on 25th Dec 2008
As a Newbie to a phone with a gps all i want is somthing idiot proof and um?? i still cant use the thing , how about somthing simple just like a dedicated car type gps so simple no instructions needed, not that hard i would'd think but hey what would i know i must be an idiot.
Rating:

Reviewed by Kona from England on 22nd Dec 2008
Damn, people, don't buy this piece of junk. Appalling battery life, flimsy build quality, GPS failed to work, Symbian OS a distilled NIGHTMARE to navigate through, ugly, fingerprint magnet. I shall be sticking with Sony Ericsson in the future.
Rating:

Reviewed by Claudio from Switzerland on 21st Dec 2008
I just comme back from a week-end of skiing. I tried to use the navigator in/between mountain (cloudy and snowing day) but was use less It could not receive signal ... my fried with the Nokia N95, could receive the GPS signal. I buy it for this feature: Navigator ... so for my now is just a phone
Rating:

Reviewed by Robert Olivier from Cape Town, South Africa on 18th Dec 2008
I love this phone! Got it as a backup for my iPhone, but I'm still using my 6210 Navigator and the iPhone is spending time in the cupboard. :) The Symbian OS is fast & very user-friendly, it's ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT in direct sunlight (I'm using the default Navigator theme), has a very good display and the battery life is good. If I'm gonna use it for navigation in my car, I'll get a car charger. It's that simple. Very happy with my 6210 Navigator.
Rating:

Reviewed by Kent Clark from South Africa on 16th Dec 2008
The phone is good in every aspect, ok so the slide is a bit wobbly, but so is the N95's and people rave about it. Navigation is spot on, JR Ewing u must be a moron to be taken on a 54 mile detour, come on get real! My phone is great and I love it, from the display to the camera. Battery life could be better but I can live with it. All in all a good phone and with all the symbian software available never a dull moment. Get it and get home from where ever u are wihtout any problems.
Rating:

Reviewed by Peter from South Africa on 11th Dec 2008
Must admit I hate the loose feel of the phone when opened. This is my first navigator so I cannot comment on the previous one. It is quite accurate and easy to use and the sport tracker software is good. Display is brilliant, coming from an HTC P3400 with only 65k screen. Connectivity is very good and battery life average. All in all a decent phone with a rather loose slider.
Rating:

Reviewed by Simon from Malaysia on 9th Dec 2008
3 days is enough. Terible battery life span. I didnt even know 6 months navigator license!! Now the software navigator im using is GarminXT which is free(the best thing happen,finally). 6 hours on the field and the battery is dead!! Imagining charging in a car, keeping another battery which is nonsense at this tech era.
Rating:

Reviewed by Dave from UK on 24th Sep 2008
Oh I would so loved to have given this phone 5 out of 5. However, having now gone through 4 of them in a 2 week period it's just not going to happen. The old 6110 Navigator remains (in my opinion) one of the finest handsets Nokia produced, so it was with much excitement I unwrapped my new 6210. My happiness was quickly shattered by it's cheap flimsy construction. Horribly sticky, clicky keypad that's just a magnet for fingerprints. A terribly loose feel whenever the slide is up. It really does shake around like it's going to fall apart. Switching it on did nothing to cheer me up as it continually froze on me. Sadly these same issues have occurred on all 4 of the handsets I have went through, so I dont see the point in going for a fifth. Weirdly the Navigation actually works really well. However, nothing else really does. Not entirely sure how this handset managed to sneak past quality control. With a heavy heart, I would have to urge you to avoid.
Rating:

Reviewed by richard from uk on 11th Sep 2008
i ahve now had the 6210 for three days, and i hate it. the battery power is rubbish... if you do get the GPS to work then it will drain the power in about 18mins. the whole phone feels cheep. and all the buttons feel like they will easley fall apart.... what is the point in have a navigator phone that wont navigate over all very very poor phone
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Reviewed by Andrew from UK on 1st Sep 2008
I returned my 6210 navigator to vodafone after one day. It has lots of great features but feels very cheaply made (as does the 6220 classic from the reviews I've read). The slide is ok but the navigation and soft keys have a horrible 'click' when you press them and the vibrate alert is awful. Also, the slide doesn't quite clear the top row of keys enough so they can be tricky to use. A shame, as features wise it's hard to fault.
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Reviewed by Mike from UK on 29th Aug 2008
On contract via Vodaphone UK. So far I am pretty disappointed with my 6210 Navigator. Looks great, nice camera and fine as a phone/text message machine. BUT battery life isn’t good despite following the first charge instructions. Note I’ve only tried charging with “mains” electricity and have so far just left the thing plugged in all night once the battery is exhausted. Mapping very disappointing (although I’ll admit to not having gone back to the shop to complain and/or get a demo). This could be because I'm used to using TomTom as a sat nav and the Nokia system just isn't intuitive enough for an old luddite like me. So I’ll cancel the internet access deal I have and just use it as a phone/camera (now there’s a novel idea !) Mike
Rating:

Reviewed by JR Ewing from Scotland on 19th Aug 2008
Well I "upgraded" to this from my trusted 6110 Navigator - the biggest mistake of my phone owning life ! Within one week went through 3 chronically built handsets - creaky and uneven keypads, one very dodgy slide and all 3 prone to cutting out at completely random intervals. Difficult to know where to start with my loathing of this phone... However, here goes. 1) Sat Nav is terrible and not as good as the original 6110. For example a 12 mile journey for me from my work to my home came up (Despite trying all settings) as sening me on a 54 mile detour !! Absolutely crazy. Remember too that voice navigation is only free for the 1st 6 months. A total con. Camera is OK at best and has no lens cover on the back (unlike the old phone) so loses marks for that. I could go on all day but wont bother. Suffice to say my contract was ripped up and I'm back using my beloved 6110 Navigator which in almost every way is a superior phone to this.
Rating:

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