Is it your type?Nokia would be very happy if we told you this phone is great for the road warrior, and it is, only not necessarily for the corporate road warrior Nokia had in mind. This phone is the ultimate long-weekend device. If you're the kind of person who tends to take off at a moment's notice and needs to bring along a phone that can serve as a phone, camera, email device and maybe even something to do a little work on, the 6682 will suit your needs just fine.
BodyFor a candybar style phone, the 6682 is rather large, however it is actually small for Nokia smartphone. The phone gets most of its extra bulk from additional width. Due to the width, the phone feels rather large in the hand, but it is still comfortable. All the edges and corners are well rounded, allowing the phone to be comfortably gripped despite the extra bulk. It does not take long to get used to the feel of the phone in your hand.
The 6682 isn't just large, it's hefty too. Although the body is plastic, and there appears to be nothing out of the ordinary that would cause the phone to be heavy, you can really feel the additional weight.
Despite the heft and the size, the 6682 is both comfortable in the hand and in the pocket. It may be wider than your average phone, but it's thinner than your average modern clamshell - even with the thickness added by the sliding lens cover. This slimmer form allows the 6682 to slide pretty easily in and out of even tight pants pockets. It does however prevent the phone from fitting into change pockets.
KeypadNokia has finally stopped trying to design unique (or as we call them, "goofy") keypads for their Series 60 smartphones, and has started to concentrate on making the keypads more usable. The 6682 is an excellent first step in the direction, but it is far from perfect. The left and right softkeys are each very large but the numeric keypad keys are still tiny and scrunched at the bottom of the phone. To enhance usability, Nokia used a more standardized keypad layout , and also beveled each key, creating rows you can physically feel - making it a bit easier to use the cramped keypad. Those with large hands will still find the keypad difficult to use, though.
In order to use the keypad, you have to hold the phone with the top 2/3rds of the handset hanging off your hand in midair. Balancing a heavier phone while texting on tiny keys is uncomfortable and takes a bit of getting used to.
Series 60 requires a number of extra keys, and these are placed vertically down each side of the keypad. They are not any larger than the keypad keys, but they stand out higher than the rest of the keys, making them fairly easy to press, even without looking, which is especially nice for the send and end keys.
ScreenThe 6682 further improves the screen Nokia debuted on the 6630. It is the same bright, sharp 176 x 208 LCD, only now it has been upgraded to 262k colors. It works very well in all lighting conditions, especially since there is a light sensor to adjust the backlight automatically. Because the screen is dimmed in darker conditions, it doesn't make a good flashlight or firefly light to attract attention in dark bars and clubs. The screen is very responsive, making it a very useful viewfinder when taking pictures or video. *
SignalNokia has come to be known for reliable reception and this phone lives up to Nokia's reputation - for the most part. 99% of the time the 6682 had a strong, clear signal, however like every smartphone we've ever used, there were anomalies. Every once in a while the phone would just lose all signal, even in a spot where it normally had a very strong one, and then it would be fine a minute later. There were never any problems during calls or data transfer.
it is worth noting here that the 6682 has one of the fastest EDGE implementations we've used. Data speed was incredible.
SoundThe 6682 is very loud. The default volume setting is at 4 out of 7 and you rarely will need to turn the volume up to 5. Even at 4 the ringer is still fairly loud and can be heard from a pocket in all but the noisiest of spots. When things get noisy the 6682 has an acceptably strong vibrate alert, but we would still recommend turning up the ring volume. As with ringing, in-call volume is usually loud enough at the default, which is good because adjusting the volume in call is a bit tricky. Nokia does not include volume side keys on their smartphones for some reason. To adjust the volume during a call, y the D-pad. You'll either need to reach around and feel for it or just take the phone away from your ear to adjust it.
BatteryNokia must have worked quite diligently to improve the battery life on their smartphones. While a Series 60 phone normally lasted about 2 days on a charge as recently as last year, the 6682 easily went 4, and usually lasted 5 days on a single charge. This was even more shocking considering how often we used the camera and checked email or browsed the web during these periods. Nokia is certainly doing something right, and other smartphone manufacturers would be wise to find out what it is.
