Review: Nokia 6301

Nokia 6301 Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: The 6301 is an enhanced version of the now classic 6300 phone. This is an elegant slimline phone finished in stainless steel, and with excellent ease of use. The "killer app" of the 6301 is WLAN/UMA connectivity, which enables you to make free phone calls and data connections over a WLAN network at home or work, or out and about at a WiFi "hotspot". The phone also features a 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player, memory expandable to 4 Gbytes and Bluetooth. An enhanced battery provides longer life than the 6300, but is still less than we'd like. Available in silver initially.

The Nokia 6300 was our favourite Nokia of 2007, and launching in January 2008 comes the 6301. The 6301 is almost exactly the same as the 6300, but with the addition of one new and important feature: WiFi connectivity with UMA support.

What is UMA? It's a way for you to make free phone calls over a WiFi / WLAN network connection. Very simply, you make a call over a broadband internet connection instead of the usual GSM cellular network. Apart from being free, you have the benefit of stronger reception, and faster data connections. You can use this at home, in the office or in any WiFi "hotspot" such as Starbucks.

Apart from the addition of UMA, the 6301 is almost exactly the same as the 6300. The thickness of the phone has been increased by about a millimetre to allow room for a slightly more powerful battery, which is a welcome improvement. The only other difference is that the 6301 has more internal user memory: 30 Mbytes instead of 7.8 Mbytes, and can support microSD memory cards up to 4 Gbytes.

In other words, the 6301 takes an excellent phone as its starting point, makes a couple of minor but welcome improvements, and adds in a brand new feature: UMA. We are awarding the 6301 4 stars, the same as the 6300, as we think that these are minor enhancements and we doubt that UMA is going to take off in a big way just yet. Read our Nokia 6300 review for full details about what this phone can do.

Features of the Nokia 6300 include:

• 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom
• Video camera (176 x 144 pixels)
• Display: TFT, 16.7 million colours, 240 x 320 pixels (2 inches)
• Music player (MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, H.263, H.264 formats)
• FM stereo radio with Visual Radio
• Integrated loudspeaker
• Voice commands and voice recording
• MP3 ringtones, 64-voice polyphonic ringtones, video ringtones
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, email, Instant messaging, Nokia Xpress audio messaging
• Push to talk
• Java games
• Personal organiser with calendar, To-do list, and notes
• Contacts (up to 1000)
• Alarm clock and countdown timer (normal and interval timer)
• Memory: 30 Mbytes plus microSD card slot (expandable up to 4 Gbytes)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB, WLAN
• Flight mode
• WAP, GPRS Class 10, EDGE
• XHTML web browser
• Vibration alert
• Triband
• Size: 107 x 43 x 13 mm
• Weight: 93g
• Talktime: 3.5 hours
• Battery standby: up to 14.5 days (350 hours)

Nokia 6301 Consumer Reviews

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Average rating from 25 reviews:

Reviewed by Derek Baker from UK on 1st Jul 2008
I've had my 6301 for 2 weeks now & find it's a great mobile Phone. Nice to handle & once the menu is mastered & profile set up, I love it. One hiccup though. I tried the radio shortly after getting it, then discovered the battery life to be less than I'd hoped for. I've since realised that the radio must be switched off afterwards or it continues to drain the battery. It now holds it's charge very well.
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Reviewed by jimmy from japan on 18th Jun 2008
very good phone love the wifi. it allows me to surf the web just like my PC, obviously not as fast but just as gd!
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Reviewed by Ange from Uk on 16th Jun 2008
Great phone coming from the prism i find the battery life good. Very classic and easy to use and has s40 5th edition software ill keep mine for a long time im very happy with it.
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Reviewed by Dustin from Canada on 14th Jun 2008
I got the phone from FIDO its a good thing I have 15 days to take it back. It wont connect to any of my wireless networks (WAP) (WAP2) I was not told it was UMA not a real wireless phone what a joke. I will be returning this phone. Worst battery life ever!
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Reviewed by Greate from MY on 31st May 2008
GREAT PHONE !!!! The best phone ever !!!
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Reviewed by Johnny from UK on 29th May 2008
High pitched noise rings out from the ear piece making calls incredibly painful. I'm sure this is not good for the hearing. I seem to be experiencing tinnitus like problems. If I could this phone would be on par with minus 10! (-10 rating). You cannot put a price on your hearing.
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Reviewed by jay from canada on 22nd May 2008
purchased the phone and loved it, all the features and clarity, wife bought the LG chocolate and is exchanging it for 6301 Nokia. Had many phones from the first Motorola (brick) to a Diamondtel, and so on, technology has come a long way, and this phone is one I would recommend. Ease of use and tons of storage. One downfall is battery life, can be a bit longer, but hey with all the functions thats why it drains fast, i can't get my hands off of it.
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Reviewed by Tracy from England on 20th May 2008
I have recently got a 6301 and love it except for the fact that the battery only last 5-6 days before it needs charging. A long way from the 14.5 days it's supposed to have! Other than that it's a great phone and really easy to use.
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Reviewed by Ellen from UK on 29th Apr 2008
I upgraded from my 6300 to a 6301 with orange. Thank goodness they offer a 7 days no quibbles return option. The build quality of the 6301 is inferior to the 6300 - materials used are not as nice, keys stick and the casings front and back don't match smoothly. Colours are icky brown and orange (lights) as opposed to the black and blue lights of the 6300. Functionality is essentially the same a few nice tweaks with the SMS functions. Orange are advertising it as WiFi - which it is but it is NOT for browsing, only making internet calls - you can set it to automatically pick up your home network when you are in range which is neat but very thirsty on the battery which, despite hearing is improved on the 6300, it is not. It is exactly the same battery - I know this because I had my old 6300 and got the batteries muddled - they are exactly the same - same capacity etc. So I sent it back and am sticking with my 6300 for now.
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Reviewed by neil prince from united kingdom on 16th Apr 2008
A superb phone.Clearly Tom from London is mistaking his for a hammer or possibly a jemmy.Perhaps he should stick to landlines.
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Reviewed by Tom from London on 10th Apr 2008
Replacement phone now falling apart like the last. Only been out of the house for an hour and a half. The face of the phone is coming away in the corner and there is no tool thhat I have ever seen to tighten it. Annoyed. A great phone but in my experience poor build quality.
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Reviewed by Tracey from Manchester on 1st Apr 2008
After enduring the torture that is a Nokia N73 for a whole year I finally upgraded. I was very biassed against getting another Nokia but this phone has restored my faith in them. Quite simply, it works! The entire phone is well thought out, incredibly simple to use and everything is exactly where you intuitively expect it to be. The reception is a huge improvement, the buttons are nicely engineered and the whole thing has a very pleasingly slim but solid feel. All in all, I'm delighted!
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Reviewed by Tom from London on 31st Mar 2008
Absoluite gem of a phone. Really regret moving away from Nokia in the past and this is a welcome return. Battery life is far better than my wifes 6300 and much nicer overall. Only gripe is the build quality as the silver front to the phone is coming away at the top of the phone but Orange are more than happily exchanging this and I suspect is a one off. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed by Wayne from Manchester on 27th Mar 2008
This is a brilliant phone, the only fault I can find is the ring volume. Even on full its not good. But apart from that it gets 4 stars for me.
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Reviewed by Suzanne Winter from UK on 22nd Mar 2008
Lovely phone to use. Only one complaint though - even on max volume, this phone does not ring loudly.
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Reviewed by Sangvad Keaney from England on 13th Mar 2008
I have this about 2 days now. I am pretty pleased with its slimline appearance and feel. I am disappointed there is no integral light and I am finding it a little difficult to get my ringtones up and running as its not easy and straight forward. I am still waiting for the phone which will give me DAB radio too.
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Reviewed by Krys from UK on 2nd Mar 2008
Just got this as upgrade. Huge improvement on previous(6111).Poor reception where I live but this phone gets good signal.Easy to use like all Nokias. Minor quibble, hand book could be more user friendly. Great phone!
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Reviewed by Allie from uk on 29th Feb 2008
I got the nokia 6301 yesterday and it's fab!! My dad has the 6300 and I said i liked them, but the 6301 is even more awesome
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Reviewed by kevin from uk on 28th Feb 2008
I had the nokia 6300 found the battery to be very poor needed charging daily its nice to see nokia have bought out a new updated phone with better battery performance and wi-fi the camera is also very good on this phone the call quality is also very good I would recommend this phone but not the 6300.
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Reviewed by bonia alhein from sudan on 22nd Feb 2008
pretty outstanding fone.. great camera.. love it..
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Reviewed by luqmaan from england on 20th Feb 2008
best phone in the world
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Reviewed by nicos from cyprus on 16th Feb 2008
just an a perfect phone!
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Reviewed by piers from england on 7th Feb 2008
best phone ever
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Reviewed by John from England on 31st Jan 2008
I still have my 6300, and i love it. I would get this phone for the Wlan, Wifi, and Uma support alone, seems a welcome change. If its just like the 6300 with improvments as your saying, I'll get one. Definatly.
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Reviewed by rob from england on 26th Jan 2008
had a bad experience with the n73, a really poor phone. got the 6301 yesterday and am really pleased with it top marks in every dept. superb phone nokia at their best
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You can read more Nokia 6301 reviews at RecommendedBuys UK.

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