Speaking about Java, Gmail, Opera Mini and GMaps worked perfectly (and loaded really fast), but Google Maps didn't. The S40 3rd Edition phones use the middle "ok" button as their default softkey instead of the softkey on the left, and so when you try to select a menu item in the Google Maps application, a new menu pops up rather than carrying out the action. I have seen this Google Maps bug in the LG U8500 phone too and it seems that the 6288 is also one of the phones affected by it. Hopefully Google will fix the bug, I have reported it here.
The 2MP camera in the 6288 is very so-so compared to, let's say, the Sony Ericsson's also 2MP cameraphone W810i. Only the 2MP camera can be used for capturing, as the VGA video call camera is only enabled for video-calls. It is easy to use the camera, there is an 8x digital zoom support and a number of effects, flashlight and night mode, but I think what really sets this phone apart is its ability to capture video at 640x480. Unfortunately, you can't capture MP4 video (which usually captures better audio quality than 3GP).
I loved the Bluetooth implementation in the 6288. It never let me down as it was very fast, usually transferring files at around 90 KB/sec. The IrDA OBEX file exchange worked fine too. Also, the reception is acceptable and call sound quality very good. The device supports speakerphone functionality, call waiting, call hold, call divert, call timer and conference calls. Battery life is ok too, averaging about 4 hours of talk time and about 10 days of standby. EDGE-based web browsing and downloading yielded speeds up to 6-7 KB/sec here.
Of course, the phone has a few areas where it could have been better. It comes with only 4.5 MBs of free space and the fact that you can use a miniSD does not help you if you want to download or receive via Bluetooth a file that's bigger or around that size (e.g. an mp3 file). The transfer will just stop, as the phone doesn't let you specify if you want to save in the card or in the internal memory. Other areas where the phone could be better is in its default theme which I found repulsive in terms of usability, the Active Standby screen where the font is almost unreadable, the "Gallery" where the file manager actions require too many clicks and recognized filetypes arriving via IrDA/BT are not saved automatically in the right folder, the web browser window which does not make usage of the available screen space (there is an unused bar at the bottom of each web page) and the fact that creating IM/GPRS/PTT/email/etc accounts is not as straight forward as it should be (are global "configurations" and you can have different sets of them).
In conclusion, we highly recommend the Nokia 6288 to all GSM users who don't require a smartphone or anything more than a good feature phone. This phone can surely please users who want a high megapixel camera, high resolution display and all the basic functions that work fast, accurately and solidly. It's one of the best feature phones available today, beat to the punch only from some higher-end smartphones.
Pros:
* Full-featured J2ME implementation
* VGA video capture using 3GP
* 3G support, video-call camera
* Very nice stereo handsfree
* PTT, IrDA, BT, card slot
* Bright, high-res screen
* Fast 3D engine
* Fast and stable
* A2DP support
* FM Radio
Cons:
* Fullscreen video playback has softkeys on top of picture
* Video-call camera can't be used for video recording
* Can't fast-forward video playback
* Some UI and usability problems
* Limited internal flash storage
* Can't record MP4 video
* Not quad-band
* Bulky
Overall: 8/10
- "Nokia 6288 review, Page 1/2"
- "Nokia 6288 review, Page 2/2"
