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NEC E606 Review

NEC E616

The NEC 606 turned heads all around the world when it was first released. As the first 3G phone to be released globally, it was almost as if the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow had actually materialized right in front of people’s eyes. Of course the reality of the phone is a lot plainer than it first appeared to be, and although the features are not bad, they leave a lot to be desired.

With two separately mounted digital cameras, one devoted to video calling, the other to picture taking, the E606 had not yet advanced far enough to produce a dual-function rotating lens. The two cameras add to the weight of this already bloated phone. At 150 grams it’s a bit of a whale by today’s standards, and the dimensions aren’t much better: 117 X 59 X 27 mm.

Although this phone was designed to support Bluetoothä connectivity, it is extremely difficult to use, and is barely functional. The resolution on the digital camera is likewise almost primordial, with barely enough resolution on the pictures to be clear, and even less on the video calling.

An integrated MP3 player is a nice bonus, and the 16-tone polyphonic ringtones can provide a decent tone, but with 32 MB of memory and no ability to augment it with memory cards, things can get tight pretty quickly with all the different data that this phone can hold. A USB cable attachment allows you to hook the E606 to a PC and do some memory management, but that may not be enough.

Javaä games, both embedded and downloadable, provide the standard gameplay options on this flip. EMS, SMS, MMS, and E-mail round out the usual suspects of file and text transfer, while infrared connectivity will let you synch with some of your friends.

The phone is somewhat of a mirage. As both the first 3G phone, and as a mobile loaded with features, it seemed like the perfect device. Time has shown it to be otherwise, with poor reviews coming in regarding the picture quality, memory, and the Bluetoothä. In the end, many new phones have usurped the E606 for control of the global 3G network market. Because of that, this phone has become exceedingly inexpensive. Although it’s a bit outdated, the NEC E606 is a cheap, feature-laden and functional brick of a phone.

The main features of the NEC E606:

  • Tri Band: GSM 900/1800/1900
  • Speaker Phone
  • Javaä Games
  • MP3 Player
  • 16-Tone Polyphonic Ringtones
  • Predictive Text
  • E-mail
  • MMS
  • SMS
  • EMS
  • Infrared Connectivity
  • 65,536 Color Display Screen
  • 2 Digital Cameras
  • Flip Form
  • Organizer
  • WAP 1.2.1
  • Bluetoothä Connectivity
  • Voice Dialing

Technical Specifications of the NEC E606:

  • Weight: 150 g.
  • Talktime: 2 h.
  • Standby time: 41 h.
  • Battery: 600 mAh
  • Memory: 32 MB
  • Height: 117 mm.
  • Width: 59 mm.
  • Depth: 27 mm.
  • Internal Display Width: 132
  • Internal Display Height: 176

The features that the NEC E606 is missing:

  • FM Radio
  • Touchscreen

Accessories available for the NEC E606:

  • Extended Capacity Battery
  • Handsfree Device
  • Car Cigarette Lighter Charger
  • Desk Speaker Stand
  • Alternate Covers