what i wana know is can it run app's in the background?? e.g can make a call while running a messenger app?

u can only receive a call while running msn messenger but u can't make a call...

while for yahoo messenger it's able to make a call and receive call..

i like the phone but how the hell do you use the front camera
does anybody know
please help as it is really bugging me

LOL to use the front camera just make a video call :)

It's a crappy camera I wouldn't wanna use it for anything else, just use the proper 3.2mp on the back for happy snaps!

Have just got one, great for me, its photo capabilities are great, just like a camera with a large lcd screen
BUT cannot find in instructions about "the front camera", what is it for, and how do you work it, why have one????
thanks

Secondary camera is for video-calls.

Having read all the reviews, I just picked one up - and it's terrific. True, there is a small delay as you slide up to answer a call, and the battery life isn't great if you use 3G a lot. Otherwise, it's great. So thanks, Softpedia, for such a balanced and informative review - I'll certainly be taking your comments into consideration in the future!

Had this phone as an upgrade on 3 for just over 2 weeks, and thing has busted already. when switching it on, 'nokia' shows on display, then screen goes blank, and shows nothing at all. after a couple of seconds, switches itself off again. also found during use, that it freezes, and hangs when trying to access menus, or 'backing up' a page. locks up regular too, or doesnt want to access some applications. Have been a nokia user for about 10 years, and stick to what i know, but am having my doubts over this recent arrival

Is der anyway u can use d secondary camera ??
I no its suppose to be for video-calls

I wont to use it to take pics

I have checked all the possible way to use the front camera edi and I do not think it can be used for photo taking :-(

Seriously you have a 3.2MP Carl Zeiss Camera with a flash on the back which is just as good as any Compact Digital Camera on the market.. why would you want to use the inferior front camera for anything other than video calls? It is not a good quality camera!

Aesthetically, a nice looking slim phone, though, nokia has some way to go to match samsung, in looks.
For a multimedia phone using Nokia's S40 ED 5. operating system, I'd say the best buy cos the S60 symbian based Operating systems used largely in the N Series Nokia phones are a complete pain in the a**, (frustratingly slow).
For a 3.2 Mpix Camera Phone and Mp3/FM player with 4 GB Max storage capacity, i'd say nice configuration (way up there).
Battery life is decent during normal data/voice usage. Should comfortably serve u 2 days between each charging cycle. (Not the best option for heavy voice/data users/music listeners).

The truly ugly side of Nokia 6500 Slide would be its transceiver capability, which could have been worked on a little better by Nokia.
If the mode selected is automatic 3G or GSM, you'd find the phone exhibiting extremely poor reception capabilities. And If you were to manually set the phone to GSM only mode, even then, if the phone is not in a network coverage area that is strong, it struggles to stay online. Fortunately, havent experienced call drops so far.
It appears, the phone just goes on its own trip searching for a network every once in a while.
Multimedia apart, the basic function of a mobile phone should be served well, especially for the amount one pays for the phone.

Had Nokia worked on its transceiever capabilities a little better, would've rated it 8.5 on 10. In its current state 7/10.

very good model. but could i know the price of this model

hi i am interested in this phone here but i am not sure should i purchase the nokia 5610 xpress music or this 6500 slide as the functions are almost the same. may i noe which phone is of a better quality and better functions?

It depends on what you expect from your phone. Design of both 5610 XpressMusic and 6500 slide is cool, so it's a matter of taste. Functions may seem the same, but 5610 XpressMusic also offers great music quality, besides the 3.15 MP camera. As soon as we receive a test handset for Nokia 5610 XpressMusic we will write a review, so you'll be able to compare both devices.

is the silver phone same as the all black version?

Yes, they both have the same technical features.

I have 3 days of standby time with heavy use (gsm only, Firmware 6.60) I find the phone and especially the design very impressive. After 3 weeks of usage still no scratches on the keys. Maybe i have a newer build ?

I sincerely believe that you were lucky. It's a 25% chance that you get a Nokia 6500 slide that doesn't have the 'keypad scratch' problem.

This review is titled "Buggy little slider". You also talk of "some bugs that I could discover pretty fast" and "so many .... bugs".

But what are they? It appears you mention only one -- the short delay when answering calls. Your other comment on this topic,
the fact that the keypad doesn't automatically lock after you slide down the phone, is scarcely a bug. I much prefer it this way, and indeed (on my phone anyway) you are given the option of locking the phone as you close the slider, by pressing the main selection key.

You use the word "bug" nine times in this review, giving a vague impression of dire faults which you don't actualy detail. Perhaps you could list a few.

I don't mind listing a few problems that I had with Nokia's 6500 slide. Sorry for not mentioning in detail these but there are so many and I didn't want people think that I have something against Nokia:)
1. Problems connecting the phone with the PC via PC Suite (this might be corrected with the latest version of PC Suite)
2. Frequent freezes, especially when I'm missing calls and want to check the missed number.
3. The keypad doesn't automatically lock when you close the phone (yes I know you like it, but most users don't).
4. Memory card isn't always recognized, but when it works if you choose a ringtone on the memory card it automatically reverts to Nokia default tone (this might be a hardware issue with memory cards).
5. Misses GSM signal in areas that usually have strong signal reception.
6. Choosing themes that are found on the MicroSD card is a bad move as the phone automatically changes it to another one found on the phone's memory (just like ringtones; can be solved by putting themes on phone's memory, but it's still a bug)
7. Once or twice per week (depends on how often you use it) it restarts by itself for no apparent reason.
8. Video playback problems with 25fps and higher movies. They all look crappy, but it helps lowering the bitrate. Strange that its own movies are played correctly:)
9. Camera startup is very SLOW.
So here's your 9 bugs:)

Some of these software related problems might have been corrected in the latest firmware (v6.60), but some aren't. It can even happen that while most will be repaired, but others will appear. Personally I consider Nokia 6500 slide a fiasco, but fans of the brand may think otherwise.

Hi all,
1st i wanna mention that i received this phone as a gift from my father, so if i paid for it this $450, i would regret much.
but now i think its price goes down.
anyway i maintained the mobile software version(initial one v3.8) coz the new version v6.6. is not safe as my feedback.
the phone battery life SHOCKED me , the freezing but not that much (by the way all Nokia freeze from 3310 model till the N versions) so its normal.
also this 6500 doesn't support 3rd parties applications at all, i can't play any video clip i put on it....it SUCKS
finally the Nokia PC and Update softwares don't work with Vista...VVVVVVV sucks.
but as comparing with other Nokia , its a good phone,
but u know whats the best mobiles phone,
beleve me its ALCATEL , but now it has been sold to korean firm so i dunno whats their performance now.
i think u must hold ur money till Alcatel purshase back its devision, and don't ask me why i have this Nokia, i told u before ITS A GIFT.

a few from my side
1. the calendar application does not have work week no. now that is pretty much necassary if you intend to use it for scheduling your meetings and work 'organizer'
2. the wallpaper gets frozen and the phone refuses to go in screen saver mode of clock display only. after struggling a lot fianlly the problem was rectified only when i switched off- on the phone
3. I tried editing my contact list using PCsuite shipped along with the phone, but the contact list that it showed had only the names and no other information , not even phone no, was visible for any contact. I tried 6300 on the same PCsuite and it showed all data related to every contact without any hassle.
4. finally I do not understand why change to micro usb when standard usb ports are equally good. 6300 usb port is compatible with camera/handcam cables which are easily available if you are at a friends place. but if you want to share something with this phone you need to caryy the special cable with you always.

overall i like the phone, but is disturbed by these issue. and yes, my keypad is getting scratched!!

I dont know how to space my words in a text message.

my phone software corrupted...from where can i download the software...pls help me.

Now on my third Nokia in 5 weeks the contract I am in says, I cannot change the phone for one that is reliable, Ive been seriously let down by this phone first one the screen kept breaking up, was exchanged after 20 days, 16 days later the second phone froze on me with no visabillity to the screen what so ever and eventually nothing, which was on the first day of my holiday, so no holiday snaps, and no phone. Would certainly not recomend this phone to anyone. It has cost me time out of work, and hours of negotiation with my service provider, and to totally have no faith in Nokia.

Nokia 6500 : The worst set ever launched by Nokia..................Guys don't go with the looks of the set....else u gonna pay for it........soooooooo many problems
It Hangs.....
Keys get stuck...
buttons stops workin....
Battery Backup is like hell...
At times does not recognize the memory card....
The screen goes blur and the set restarts automatically...
and on and on and on !!!

My Rating to this set = 000000 !!

has anyone got anything good to say about this phone im having one delivered from 3 and im now rather worried

CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY MY NOKIA 6500 GOES OFF AUTOMATICALLY DURING A CONVERSATION.I CULD HEAR A SOUNG AND THE PHONE AUTOMATICALLY GET SWITCHED OFF.
AN YELLOW COLORED TICK ICON IS DISPLAYED AT THAT TIME .

Great phone - no probs and love it. BUT... upgrade to software v 08.30 and can no longer access internet. WHY?

I have been buying Nokia mobile phones for 10 years. This one is the worst yet. I always perceived that Nokia was a safe buy. The screen went after 6 weeks. When I sent it back to the phone company for a repair under warranty they returned it with a "warranty void" statement. Apparently water got in. I used the phone once in the rain.

Avoid!

Pros: Looks nice.

Cons: Will break really soon after buying. I am not the only one. Read the reviews. The pictures were better on my old 2 Megapixel.

I have this phone, and it is absolutely fabulous!! i love it, it has everything, it does everything. no problems at all..

The Nokia 6500 Slide is a great phone... and the camera is absulletly superb..;;)

i really cannot decide wat to take!!!!!!!! i have to choose between N73 music and the shiny nokia 6500 slide!!! don't want to regret afterward!!! please help

Guys! it s a good phone. nokia had come up after long time, with all features,agreed some minor problems...but it can be handled and ignored

awful phone bought this in April and first few months was ok. now a nightmare. cant upgrade to stop it freezing because the battery wont charge so have to send it off to be fixed. in the middle of convo switches off, does the same when texting, buttons get stuck all the time. if a voice mail is recorded even when uve listened to it the mesage comes though time and time again, hard to get photos.music etc from pc to phone...shall i go on? and on?????? first impressions were very wrong, I had better mobiles in 1998!

I can only view 5 seconds of video clip copied to the phone even though the whole file consists of about a minutes worth of music. Any ideas?

do anyone have a problem with the sound when recieving calls even when it is turned up fully

HOW DO YOU GET THE FRONT CAMERA TO WORK..... some one please tell me:>

Yea this phone has all the problems you all have said. Its not old at all!

I have answered to that question:
"Secondary camera is for video-calls only. You cannot take pictures with it."

I got one of these last week as an insurance replacement for my SE W810i, which was lost or stolen. So far, I'm fairly happy with the phone and have had none of the problems that others are complaining about. I suspect I got a new revision though which solves the problem with the battery compartment sensor. Also, I'm running the 6.60 firmware, which seems to be pretty stable.

Had I paid full price for this phone ($700 New Zealand Dollars at the time of this writing) I would have been less than satisfied with it. It's not that there's anything particularly wrong it, I just don't feel there's enough to it to command such a high price. As it was I only paid $150 for it though - the insurance excess charge.

The insurance settlement covered a new crystal case, a new leather carrying case, a Nokia WH-700 stereo headset (I didn't like the packaged ones, plus they weren't comparable to the SE HPM-70's I lost) and a 2GB MicroSD card. Hell, after everything was purchased, I even had enough left over from the settlement to buy an extra 4GB MicroSD card! Maybe I should lose cell phones every other day! LOL :)

The media player is pretty good and the sound quality is great - it's comparable to the Walkman series phones. However, I do suggest ditching the packaged stereo headset as it's not that good. Right now I'm using a Sony MDR-7506 for my listening needs until the Nokia WH-700 I ordered arrives.

The camera is pretty good and the dual led flash is a lot brighter than I thought it would be. It's a shame they didn't include a lens cover though.

Texting on this phone is a little weird as it's not the same as I'm used to on the SE W810i. I'm sure I'll get used to it though.

It's a sharp looking phone and people do take note of this when I'm using it. That's not why I bought it. However, I do find it to be an added bonus.

The battery life is not as good as my W810's was. SE takes the lead there. However, it's not that bad. I can get two full days of very heavy use of it before I have to recharge. It helps to turn off unneeded features though. For example, I turned off the 3G, as I don't video call or browse the web much with the phone. And, Bluetooth I only turn on for small files transfers. If I'm transferring over CD rips I use the USB cable. It's much faster than Bluetooth anyway.

I'd suggest ditching the Nokia PC Suite software. It's really crap and doesn't maintain a USB or Bluetooth connection well at all. For syncing and contact management stuff I use OxyCube from Oxygen Software.

Anyway, I hope this helps someone with their purchase decision.

Junk.

It crashes, it freezes regularly.
It takes anything from 2-5 minutes after turning it on to read contacts off the sim card and messages in the inbox.
Switches itself off randomly, particularly during calls.
Hasn't read memory card for about 2 months now.
Battery life is shockingly bad.
Also scratch resistance is the biggest piece of false advertising ever.
Get massive lags randomly when doing things on the phone.

probably you didn't pay your mobile bills? that is why it got cut off?

and like i've said, probably.

Mate, you probably need to update your firmware to v 8.30. I started having similar problems about a week after I wrote my initial review. However, once I updated my firmware, the problems disappeared.

As for the memory card problem: there's a little pin on the underside of the battery cover. If you slide something under it, and raise it up about a millimeter, the card reading problem will probably disappear.

after 2 months of using my fone, i already have difficulty it taking some pic. i would use the memory card as the storage of camera pics. then when i use the camera and take some pics, sometimes, it would STANDBY or OPERATION FAILED, cant save image. sumthing like that. the worst is, it says that memory card is nopt formatted, format it anyway? or sometimes, it would suddenly change the storage memory from memory card ( my settings) to phone memory. and it sucks coz i have the largest size for my image so that it would look clearer and my fone memory could only store up to 23 images. huhu help please!

hi when ever i try to see any Video on my phone 6500 slide the cell phone switches off by itself and while listning ti FM radio if i get a call it switch off by itself.

Hi!
My phone switches off wen i talk bt not always.
Keys get stuck....later recover..
Display goes off sometimes...Comes Back to normal...
Whats up with my phone...?
Is there any solution to this problem..?

I pay six times the price of a cheap phone just to get a piece of crap that freezes every time I try to write a txt. Its about to get the bounce test to see how high I can bounce it off a concrete floor. Shame on Nokia for releasing such crap.

This phone worked great for me at first but now i cannot even charge it unless the battery is fully drained. However when it does, battery life is less than a day. From fully charged it skips 1/2 and goes directly to about 1/8 battery life then dies. I'm on my third replacement battery now and the problem remains the same.

Just gave a gift this model to a good friend but found that 'tis very problematic!! what a shame.... give the SHAME to NOKIA! for such crappy phone!!

hi guys got a nokia 65oos had it 4 abouts 5 mths now but display gos off when u switch phone off and takes forever 4 it to come on can some one help me please. i haven,t told my mother about this problem as it was a present from her it would break her heart im only 14 but its like the 4th phone iv had now. please help.

How to turn off shutter sound of camera?

PEOPLE DONT WANT A CELLPHONE THEY WANT SOMETHING ELSE, THEY FOUND BUGS EVERYHERE, I DONT KNOW WHAT THE F... DOES THAT MEAN , I HAD ONE 6500 SLIDE THAT WAS STOLEN, GREAT MACHINE, THEN I BOUGHT THE NAVIGATOR 6110 AND I SURE CAN TELL YOU , I TRADE NAVIGATOR BY ANOTHER 6500 SLIDE , BOTH 6500 I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM, NEVER , NEVER... I FOUND JUST ONE PROBLEM THAT I CONSIDER NO PROBLEM, FRONT CAM DOSENT WORK FOR PICTURES ONLY FOR CALL´S... SO PEOPLE IF YOU WANT A GOOD AND RILIABLE CELLPHONE BUY 6500 SLIDE, THIS IS A MAN CELLPHONE... FORGET THE CELLPHONE FREEKS THAT GET PISSED OFF IF CAM DELAYS ONE SEC TO TURN ON...5*

Our company gave out this phone. At the time, the phone's performance was okay. And then it just got worse and worse. The phone's not even 1.5 years old and it's starting to be very very annoying. The screen suddenly goes all white and then hangs and then reboots on its own (this happens in the middle of texting or just browsing through the menu). It doesn't always recognize the external memory card, which is the larger percentage of the phone's storage memory. I use this memory when storing pictures and music. So, in the middle of viewing pictures, chances are the screen blacks out and returns to the standby screen. Or in the middle of listening to your playlist, the music suddenly stops and the media player will start searching for music files again. And again. And again. And again. I knew of this because while I was browsing through the menu folders, the icon for the memory card appears then disappears then appears then disappears... Or while browsing through the folders IN the memory card, I'm suddenly taken back to the Gallery folder and watch the memory card icon appear and disappear again. Then of course, there are times when everything goes well. It's extremely frustrating if you wish to maximize the features of this phone. But if you just want it for the calls and texting, then go ahead and buy it.