Nokia 6110 Navigator review

Nokia 6110 Navigator Review

Reviewed by: Mark Harris

Reviewed on: 13 August 2007

Another revolutionary navigation option is the ability to send your current position as a map image via MMS, or as a standard text message with your street name or longitude and latitude. You can even ask your mates for their current location, set up a route to where you are, and then text them a detailed itinerary in moments. It sounds complicated but, trust us, you'll soon wonder how you ever found friends without it.

The 6110 ships with a Route 66 CD that has sync software and extra maps (you get the UK and Ireland free), safety cameras, more voices and global travel guides. Loading any of these to the phone takes just minutes, and you can unlock them over the air in moments if and when you want to buy them.

Apart from navigation, the 6110 is home to a decent media player (with a surprisingly competent stereo headset), a suite of office applications and Nokia's excellent Web browser. You should certainly rotate the screen into landscape mode to make full use of the superb display -- and note that blisteringly fast 3.5G (HSDPA) data access is available for anyone on a high-speed tariff.

Performance
Don't judge the 6110 by its sluggish first-time lock on time (about five minutes). After that, it reliably finds its position within a minute of activation, even through a window -- a feat we can only attribute to the smart 'assisted GPS' (AGPS) technology. This uses a packet data Internet connection to deliver pinpoint accuracy, without making a noticeable impact on your bill.

Route calculation is fast and pretty much faultless. In pedestrian mode, the display rotates to match your direction of motion, although the display of street names can be erratic. It's clearer and simpler in motorised mode, with bright, cartoony arrows and crisp, loud voice commands. Setting up a roadblock detour is simple enough, but don't expect advanced features such as being able to set multiple way-points.

The 2-megapixel camera on board is fine for amazingly sharp landscapes and natural-looking portraits, although its fixed-focus lens struggles with close-ups, and the lack of a flash means indoor and night-shots are a mess of noise and blur. The small video clips are fine.

Voice calling and messaging are well handled. You should definitely try the hilarious text-to-speech function, which barks out texts in the style of a 1980s Barrett Homes TV ad voiceover, with a digital edge. It's presumably been incorporated as a safety measure to pick up messages while driving, although we're not convinced that doubling up with laughter is significantly less dangerous than glancing at the screen.

Battery life is very good in normal use, although expect the sat-nav to make quite a dent in the quoted 265-hour stand-by time.

Conclusion
No sat-nav phone, however sophisticated, can rival even a basic dedicated GPS unit for in-car use. The screen lacks touch sensitivity and it's too small for really clear navigation.

Having said that, the 6110 does have real advantages: its portrait format LCD is well suited to pedestrian navigation; it's small and light enough to pocket easily; and the integration of phone and GPS is impressive. Above all, this Nokia is simply an attractive, powerful mobile phone, making it an ideal choice for anyone who spends more time on foot than behind the wheel.

Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield