Nokia 6700 slide

Those looking for a stylish slideout mobile phone with a numeric keyboard usually can't go too far wrong with one of Nokia's handsets. One of the best features of the earlier 6500 slide and 6600i slide models was the metallic finish which gave them a premium feel. The recently announced 6700 slide appears to be of the same pedigree design-wise, but it comes with another trick--a full Symbian S60 smartphone OS.

Upside

The 6700 slide is equipped with the Symbian-based S60 3rd edition interface. The previous 6500 slide and 6600i slide handsets sat in the feature-phone category as they sported the more basic S40 interface. So with the 6700, you can expect the same kind of customizations usually found in phones from Nokia's Eseries and Nseries including access to the Ovi Store for downloading third-party S60 apps.
With a metallic finish and choice of six different colors, the 6700 slide is truly meant for those who value a phone's physical design. At 95.2 x 46.1 x 15.9mm and 110g with battery, it is also quite compact and light.

Connectivity-wise, this slider features 10.2Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA for fast transfers over the cellular network. Take note that those are maximum theoretical speeds so your experience may vary according to the operators' network speed and quality.
On the back of the phone is a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus. It is also equipped with a dual LED flash for lighting up dark subjects.

Downside

Interestingly, Nokia decided to leave out Wi-Fi connectivity on the 6700 slide, which means you won't be able to take advantage of wireless hotspots for Internet access.
Those who need GPS navigation will be disappointed to know that this handset does not have built-in satellite navigation hardware. You will still be able to view maps using Nokia Maps or Google Maps, but finding your exact location is a no-go.
Even though many of Nokia's phones use a standard 3.5mm audio port, the 6700 slide is not one of them. The microSD card slot may give you lots of room for memory expansion in case your phone is also your MP3 player, but you'll still have to plug an adapter into its 2.5mm connector to use standard headphones when listening to music.

Outlook

As mentioned earlier, the main draw of the 6700 slide will be its stylish design and choice of colors. It may be lacking a few features but we don't expect that to dampen interest too much if it has an attractive price. Expect to see this handset in stores in Q1 2010. Its price in Asia is still undisclosed for now but in Europe, it's expected to retail for 160 euros before taxes and subsidies.