The 6500 Classic not only boasts a super-slim profile and gorgeous design, but also has a surprise up its sleeve.
Tucked away inside its slender body is a whopping 1GB of memory. The phone is available free on most contracts or will set you back around £250 SIM-free or less on pay as you go.
Strengths
The 6500 Classic fits neatly into the new wave of super-slim 3G phones alongside the likes of the W880i from Sony Ericsson. It is barely 10mm thick and tips the scales at a featherweight 94g. We've got to say that the overall design of the phone is just gorgeous. The slim frame, curved edges and polished steel finish make it one of the best looking phones Nokia has ever produced.
The handset has support for 3G downloads, but can't be used for video calling as there's only a single camera mounted on the rear. It has a 2-megapixel resolution and takes decent, but not outstanding shots. However, it is equipped with an exceptionally bright LED flash to help it along when taking snaps in dimly lit bars and clubs.
One of the most surprisingly things about this phone is the mammoth amount of onboard memory. Whereas most handsets make do with 10 or 20MB, this one has a huge 1GB of RAM onboard. After the phone's operating system has taken its share, you're left with around 980MB, which is still very impressive.
Obviously most people will use this memory for storing tunes. The handset has a microUSB port at the top and when you connect it to your computer it appears as a standard removable hard drive, so you can copy songs straight into the Music folder or sync them via Windows Media Player.
The microUSB port also doubles as the headphone socket and once you've got the supplied headphones fitted, you'll find that the sound quality from the music player is top class. In fact, the player is a vast improvement on what we've seen before from Nokia. The graphics look much more stylish and it feels more responsive, too.
As with most Nokias, the phone is very easy to use and you'll find functions like texting a breeze thanks to the nifty directional pad and surprisingly large keypad. The phone's reception and call quality were also first rate.
Weaknesses
Nokia may have stuffed this handset full of memory, but you'll soon see why when you go looking for the microSD card slot. There isn't one, so that 1GB of RAM is all the memory that you're ever going to have available on this handset.
The handset also lacks an FM tuner, which is found on most of Nokia's other phones. The USB port is also a micro socket, rather than the more usual mini-sized port. This means you're unlikely to have a spare cable lying around if you misplace the one that comes with the phone.
The biggest issue for some may be the battery life, however. Whereas the equally slim and 3G-capable Sony Ericsson W880i offers up to 6 hours 30 minutes of talk time, the 6500 Classic can only manage 3 hours 30 minutes.
Conclusion
The Nokia 6500 Classic is certainly not the most advanced phone in the world, but it is one of the best-looking handsets we've seen in a while. It's not flashy like the Nokia 8800, but it does look remarkably cool and sophisticated. Add in the fact it's extremely easy to use and has a decent range of features and you've got a sure-fire winner on your hands, available free on contract or for around £250 SIM-free or less on pay as you go.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Jon Squire
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters
User reviews5
Add your review
db2807 9 March 2009
Good: The style is just amazing, and then it is wonderfull to use!
Bad: Nothing
Comment: This phone is amazing! It looks wonderful and even works wonderfully! It seems heavier than other phones in its class, but don't let that put you off, its not much more. There isn't a memory card slot which seems to annoy some people, but that doesn't bother me, seeing as there's just under 1GB already on the phone. when I was in the shop I thought it was a little overpriced, but when I got it home I realised it wasn't, the workman ship is outstanding, and beats all the other phones I've ever had-it is really robust and solid in your hand!
I bought it direct from o2 at £97.86, as it was the cheapest way. But shop around you may find it for cheeper.
Chappers24 22 September 2008
Good: Looks, size, build quality, functions
Bad: Battery Life, no FM Radio, Charger
Comment: I "Upgraded" to this Phone from my brilliant 6300 & after 1 week, am still struggling to find out why it was an upgrade. Like the 6300, its beautiful to look at & beautifully made, however, unlike the 6300, it doesn't have an FM Radio, an expandable memory, or LED's that flash when you recieve a Text, or missed call. The Battery life is less than the 6300 & the Phone itself is slightly longer, although, slightly narrower & very slightly slimmer, so occupies the same space in your pocket. The Charger connects through a USB slot at the top, which is covered by a rather tacky rubber bung, which is sure to fall off before long. In fact, the only 2 things it has that the 6300 hasn't got, is a Camera Flash, which makes night Photos no better than "Night Mode" and 3G, but do people really use that....? In summary, if you wan t a great looking Phone that does everything most people would want, don't pay extra for this, get a 6300
arsenalclub01 16 April 2008
Good: Size, Looks Classy, 1gb Memory, Easily Worked
Bad: Battery Life Could Be better, Smudges easily.
Comment: I love this phone. I bought it a week ago and cant seem to put it down. I think this is one of the nicest looking phones on the market right now, from the sleek shape, to the all black colour, its just my perfect phone.
See all 5 user reviews