Nokia 6263 (T-Mobile)

RATING DOWNGRADE
When I first wrote this review I rated this phone "Excellent". I've had to reduce this to "below average" based on reliability issues. About 75% of the 6263 devices I've run into that had more than 100 hours on them seem to develop serious electrical issues. My initial review was based on my experience with fairly new devices. This model does not age well. I have had more warranty return and failure issues with average used examples than with any other single model I've ever handled. I no longer handle these as a service to my customers.

If you can find a near new or new example expect to get about a year out of it and then expect trouble. The most frequent issue has been "white screen"; volume key issues come in second.

After using, buying and selling over three dozen Nokia 6133 handsets in a 15 month period I found them to be pretty decent. But despite being reliable and very functional they were lacking in ways that were made obvious by the advent of more full featured devices such as the N75.

Nokia took those extra features, squeezed them a bit and put them in a package that has about the same hand feel as the 6133. Features such as? you might ask.

‘ External music player controls
‘ UMTS 1700/2100 for T-Mobile's T-G high speed network
‘ Format compatible with most music files
‘ MPEG-4 video recording
‘ 30 megabytes of internal memory
‘ Large 2.2 inch diagonal screen
‘ Secondary video call camera
‘ E-mail with attachments
‘ Opera Mini browser
‘ Higher capacity battery

All of this in a form factor that is only a tenth of an inch longer and a smidge thicker than the 6133. Okay, so we had to give up the very cool push button flip opener. No more playing "Captain Kirk" with our mobile phones. But the array of improved features is impressive.

Physical improvements include losing the Pop-port and gaining the USB connector; losing the Pop-port and using the the Nokia 2.5 mm audio jack. Now we can transfer information and listen to music at the same time.

The camera maintains the same pixel density but now you can store your images to a 4 gigabyte microSDHC with Class 4 speed (4 MB per second.) Twice as many images, songs, video clips or whatever can be stored on this device than you could store on the 6133.

Because it is a Nokia the signal, voice and other basic mobile phone functions are all there. This has the full range of voice codecs to save battery power or make sure you are heard loud and clear. (Full Rate, Enhanced Full Rate, Adaptive Multi Rate)

For anyone who was not wanting to step up to a Symbian based Exx or Nxx Nokia but wanted an easy transition from their 6133, 6103 or similar Nokia for T-Mobile flip phone this will provide that. The learning curve will be flat and the rewards will be rich.