Flush with the surface of the phone, they can best be compared with the keys on a laptop keyboard. The keypad is very small and has oddly constructed keys, which, in turn, are slightly wobbly with hard edges. ![]() But the size of the phone doesn't allow more buttons than absolutely necessary. We are disappointed in the lack of dedicated buttons for the speakerphone or the camera, and we thought the company might have considered making the radio-the highlight of the phone-more accessible with its own control. Other controls consist of two soft keys, as well as Talk and End buttons. The joystick acts as a shortcut to the messaging menu, the Web browser, Verizon's Get It Now Service, and the calendar, but the setting cannot be changed. The backlighting of the arrows surrounding the joystick is bright on the right and left side but dim on the top and the bottom. The only caveat is browsing for more than 15 minutes is uncomfortable. We did, however, find the joystick useful for wireless Web browsing, as it made our movements quicker and more fluid. ![]() Moreover, as mentioned previously, the joystick is much too close to the silver border surrounding it, which results in an overall cramped effect. The joysticks' edges are flat, they bothered our fingers after repeated use, and we thought it too easy to accidentally press down and select the wrong option when trying to go in a different direction. The joystick control is unique but not necessarily better than a traditional five-way navigation toggle. The screen is easy to see indoors and out in any lighting conditions. Still, the display is fine for the user-friendly menus, and the standard Nokia font is blocky, although easy to read we were unable to adjust the font size. The difference between it and higher-resolution screens is readily apparent, as colors and graphics looked a bit washed-out. The display measures a substandard 1.5 inches diagonally (128x128 pixels) and supports only 65,000 colors. On the upside, however, the 6236i, like most Nokias, is solidly constructed. We found the handset slightly more comfortable to use with an earpiece, but it caused discomfort after a short amount of time. Holding it up to your ear or even in your palm is difficult for a person with average-size or large hands. While the Nokia 6236i is easy to carry around, it's somewhat difficult to use. While we like the two-tone silver and gray hues, the shiny silver border around the navigation negatively affects its ease of use (see below). Though it gets lost easily in a purse, it fits comfortably in a pocket, and it's very comfortable to wear on a belt clip, especially with the internal antenna. Yet, despite its height, the phone weighs in at only 3.5 ounces, which appeals to our sensibilities. ![]() With a solid rectangular shape and sharp edges, the candy bar phone is tall, measuring 4.2 by 1.7 by 0.7 inches. Let's be clear form the start that the design of the Nokia 6236i is far from fetching. The Nokia 6236i is fairly priced at $169 with a one-year contract or $69 with a two-year contract. Overall, a decent mix of features makes it a decent low-end selection. On the downside, the design suffers from a couple of weaknesses, such as small buttons and a small screen, but if you want a lightweight phone that integrates features such as a radio, a camera, video capture, downloadable video games, and ring tones, then the Nokia 6236i may be right up your alley. Offered by Verizon Wireless, this decidedly low-key cell phone takes on a candy bar-style form factor that we would have expected from Nokia a couple years ago. You get what you pay for with Nokia 6236i.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |