Nokia 6500 Slide

The basics

Sliding 3G handset with 3.2MP autofocus camera, LED flash, VGA movies and TV Out in its metal housing.

The good

Scientists have nailed down the reason why no one makes video calls. ‘3G Big Face Syndrome’ is the official name for the looming, distorted mugshot you get when holding a handset in front of you. But what if you could attach your phone to your telly for less intensely scary video calls? The 6500 Slide has TV Out for your space-age chats, plus a squeaky clean Carl Zeiss lens for great 3.2MP snaps and smooth(ish) VGA video capture. Its 2.2-inch 320x240 display throbs with colour, the music player is great and even the silky brushed steel case repels fingerprints nicely.

The bad

Big screen means small battery life – you’ll be sliding this phone into its charger at least every other day. With all its multimedia muscle, you’ll want to upgrade its skinny 256MB MicroSD card immediately. Also, some users have reported annoying firmware problems with the handset freezing or resetting to factory defaults.

The bottom line

Image is everything, and the 6500 Slide makes a great first impression. If you’re in the market for a videophone, it should be right at the top of your list.