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ajprice · Apr 25, 2004, 06:49 AM

My phone (SE T610) is up for an upgrade in a few months, so I'm starting to see what's around for a replacement phone when the contract is up. T630 isn't much of a step up, and I'm not sure if the K700 will be released in time, or how much it will be. The Nokia 6600 is nice, but expensive at the moment, and the N-Gage and QD use the same Series 60 system with the camera replaced by the game console part. I've got a digital camera, so I'm not bothered about having a cameraless phone, as the quality of phone cameras is about the same as those �10-�20 USB mini cameras that do 640x480 pics.

The QD fixes a lot of the N-Gage problems:
The cards can be slotted in instead of taking the phone apart
You don't look like a prick because your holding this big thing sideways on the side of your head!
Its smaller

A few things I want to ask to any N-Gage or 6600 users here:

How mac compatible is it? I got the T610 because at the time is seemed the most mac friendly phone.

How good are the games (the bought MMC card games and downloadable Java games) compared to, say, a Game Boy Advance?

Does it do everything the 6600 does (camera features excepted)?

Thanks people

angelmb · Apr 25, 2004, 12:47 PM

To be honest I dislike the N-Gace, but is just my opinion, I even unknow what QD is?, but I have read that maybe Nokia�ll show the new N-Gage at the coming E3, seems that the picutes of the new N-Gage shown in the internet are so real that a guy from Nokia so said it. You, as british, can check it in the EDGE magazine.

ajprice · Apr 25, 2004, 01:01 PM

Ah, sorry about that, people, didn't put any links or pics up, here you go!

Nokia site:
http://www.n-gage.com/qd

Pictures here:
http://media.ngage.gamespy.com/artic...40/imgs_1.html

TheMosco · Apr 25, 2004, 01:09 PM

You know you want the Nokia 6230:

I know I can't wait for the north american version.

ajprice · Apr 25, 2004, 01:28 PM

OK TheMosco, I'm interested... a few questions though, I just had a quick look up of that phone on carphonewarehouse.com, and in the specs it says it has EDGE, what is this? And the screen looks smaller (square instead of rectangular) is it the same system as the N-Gage and 6600?

Socially Awkward Solo · Apr 25, 2004, 04:34 PM

Originally posted by TheMosco:
You know you want the Nokia 6230:

I know I can't wait for the north american version.

Get the year old Sony Ericsson t616 and you will be better off.

tekno_geek911 · Apr 25, 2004, 05:23 PM

Definately get a Sony Ericsson(P900,T630,Z600 or wait for the S700). Brokia sucks

imikeDotMac · Apr 26, 2004, 12:58 AM

The T616 is the North American version of the T610. I just upgraded to the T616, and while it's an awazing phone, the receptions is terrible. This could be my local carrier (Rogers) which I am told has poor reception, but this is not the first SE I've heard to have poor reception due to the internal non-extendable antenna. Stick with a phone with good reception!

andretan · Apr 26, 2004, 11:33 AM

The N-Gage QD looks great. No more side-talkin', smaller in size, Bluetooth connectivity, and blah blah... but they removed the radio and MP3 feature from the first N-gage as well.

And it doesn't have a camera and I think that's the part that makes me not wanna get it. Gah!

Pity about Nokia wanting to remove those features... else the QD might just be my next phone upgrade from my SE T68i.

Bennylen · Apr 26, 2004, 12:13 PM

I've had an nGage since January and I have enjoyed it. Let me try to answer some of your questions.

1. Mac compatibility - With the bluetooth the nGage connected first try with my 17" PB. iSync works great. iSync even has a little nGage icon. I also have the Salling Clicker software and that program works great too. One thing I like about the Ngage (and I guess other Nokias) is that they store all the information for names. Some systems only allow you to load a couple of numbers. Nokias keeps all the info from your address book. And there is no limit to the number you can have. (Up to the 4MB onboard memmory anyways). I keep a 256MB card in the MMC slot and that hold all kinds of stuff. I have several small movies to show off to friends with. With Quicktime Pro I can export a movie as a 3GP file and it runs on the nGage.

2. How good are the MMC games - I have only played Tomb Raider off the card. And that was for just a few minutes. But it was just like playing it on the computer (except smaller of course). The problem is that there aren't too many games out yet. There have been several announced but I haven't seen 'em. And not really interested in them anyway. I have several Java games (like Doom) and they are what I want. with my memory card I can have several of them loaded and then pick and choose which one to play. With the MMC cards you have to take the memory card out to put in the game card.

3. Does it do everything - I don't know what the 6600 does but the nGage is a great phone. It's not perfect but it gets the job done. It doesn't have a camera, which is good for me. My work has started putting restrictions on camera phones so I don't have to worry about that. And if I want to take pictures that's what my Canon Digital Elph is for. The talking in the side is fine too. You get used to it. And what I like about it is that it makes people ask what that is and I get to show off my cool little phone. I don't really like the new QD but that is simply a personal preference.

I think Nokia has messed up by marketing the nGage in the game market rather than the cell phone market. They have admited that their sales are not as they expected. If they would change their marketing scheme I think they could do well with the nGage.

Keep looking around, compare phones and I think you'll find that the nGage is a competitive and capable phone.

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Apr 26, 2004, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by imikeDotMac:
The T616 is the North American version of the T610. I just upgraded to the T616, and while it's an awazing phone, the receptions is terrible. This could be my local carrier (Rogers) which I am told has poor reception, but this is not the first SE I've heard to have poor reception due to the internal non-extendable antenna. Stick with a phone with good reception!

I can't say the same, i am also on Rogers in Toronto and I almost always have full bars with my t616. It is much better then the T68i it replaced.

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Apr 26, 2004, 01:21 PM

http://www.sidetalkin.com/

maxintosh · Apr 26, 2004, 03:25 PM

Originally posted by Socially Awkward Solo:
Get the year old Sony Ericsson t616 and you will be better off.

Ummmm.... no. The T616 isn't half the phone the 6230 is. Don't get me wrong, I had a T610 and I loved it, and I'm using a Z600 now and love it twice as much, but if the 6230 gets iSync compatability I will be more than tempted to take a look. 2 MB of internal memory *really* limits the capabilities of a phone, MMC expansion is almost enough to sell me right now... add in a better camera, video recorder, MP3 capabilities and you have a phone that can kick my Z600's ass. And the T610/Z600 cameras SUCK, period.

Please don't ramble on about battery life, the T610 and Z600 give me 3 days per charge and it was nice, but it's pretty comparable to the new Nokias. (Except the 3650 which has pretty poor life).

Also looking at the 6600... I loved my 3650 except it was too damn big. But I really, really miss Symbian OS.

Of course when the K700 hits American shores...

Immortal K-Mart Employee · Apr 26, 2004, 04:22 PM

Originally posted by maxintosh:
I had a T610 and I loved it, and I'm using a Z600 now and love it twice as much

The only difference between those 2 phones is that the Z600 is a flip version of the T616. So what is so twice as good about it?

ajprice · Apr 26, 2004, 04:40 PM

Thanks Bennylen, that helped

Yeah, the T610 camera does suck, and the screen in daylight is barely readable (something to do with the type of screen, TFT screens are supposed to be better, but I've never seen a TFT phone screen in daylight so I wouldn't know)

Just incase Kmart didn't read it the first time:

"You don't look like a prick because your holding this big thing sideways on the side of your head!"

So this doesn't apply to the QD, which is the one I'm asking about...

As for the missing Radio and MP3, I'm pretty sure you could install an MP3 player app onto the QD, and there is probably a set of FM radio headphones/handsfree kit for it too (I have one for my T610).

maxintosh · 01:24 AM

Originally posted by Immortal K-Mart Employee:
The only difference between those 2 phones is that the Z600 is a flip version of the T616. So what is so twice as good about it?

Reception is about 4 times better, screen is MUCH better, speaker is louder, keypad is bigger, battery is bigger, external display that's always visible, network status indicator, better joystick...

It's basically everything the T610 was supposed to be put into a clamshell design.

TheMosco · Apr 27, 2004, 04:53 PM

Originally posted by ajprice:
OK TheMosco, I'm interested... a few questions though, I just had a quick look up of that phone on carphonewarehouse.com, and in the specs it says it has EDGE, what is this? And the screen looks smaller (square instead of rectangular) is it the same system as the N-Gage and 6600?

EDGE is a new download standard that is starting to come to different GSM providers in the states. It allows for faster downloads than the current system. I don't think the UK has it but I don't know.

Yeah, the screen is only 128x128 as it runs a series 40 OS from nokia while the ngage runs the series 60 i believe.

BT
FM radio
Camera with video
MP3 and AAC player
MMC slot for tons of storage
snap over covers
EDGE (great for those in the US that want to tether their phone to a computer)

This phone is very nice. I am just waiting for the 850 band version to come out along with the T637 so I can hold both in my hands and see which one I like more.