Today we are glad to present you our 1st review of a slide cell phone. We decided to choose a nokia slide phone – 6500. One of the main advantages of this gadget is its metallic frame. The quality of the assembly is quite good. The slide mechanism is well designed. It’s easy to open the keyboard of the phone. The closer is comfortable to use. But the back cover is not closely attached to the phone. It plays and creaks. The ports in the upper part of the 6500 are not protected by pegs. The lower part of the device is made of plastic. The antenna is placed right there and it is not protected by a metallic frame.

The delivery set (pic. 2) includes a handsfree, a USB-cable, a charger, a CD and a flash drive.

The stress test of a Nokia 6500 is going to be interesting because we know that all slide cell phones are easily broken by dust, mud and liquid. Let’s check how the 6500 will pass the tests that we prepared for it.

The results

1. Stress test of the Nokia 6500 Slide. Stage 1 – Ability to withstand light shocks

1.1 Drop-down

According to our tradition we started the stress test with a drop-down. We sequentially dropped the phone down onto each face, edge and corner from 1m on the carpet (video 1) and from 30cm on the ceramic tiles (video 2).

When the Nokia fell on the carpet once the back cover shifted a bit. It was strange because when it fell on the tiles the back cover never shifted. The phone passed the test successfully.

Video 1. Drop-down on the carpet from 1m

The grade is 30 from 30 possible

Video 2. Drop-down on the tiles from 30cm

The grade is 20 from 30 possible

1.2 Ability to withstand squeezing

When we choose a test for a phone we try to simulate real life situations. Squeezing is one of the most frequent threats for any mobile phone.

So we put the phone a flat surface and placed a 3kg load on it (pic. 5). At first we heard a creak of a back cover because it was pressed by the load. The buttons on the front side sounded. This load was not enough to cause any damage to the metallic frame of the Nokia. The phone passed the test successfully.

The grade is  24 from 24 possible

1.3 Bend test

It must be noticed that when a mobile phone is squeezed it does not always lie on a flat surface as in the previous test. Anyone can accidentally sit down on a chair with a phone in a pocket or step on a phone. In order to check how the 6500 will survive in such situations we decided to carry out the bend test.

Actually we placed the device between the two supports and hitched a rope with a load of 1kg over it (pic. 6). We saw no bend, the metallic back cover did not allow the load to deform the phone. The gadget passed the test with no problem.

The grade is  24 from 24 possible

1.4 Wearout test

As the frame of a Nokia 6500 is made of metal we decided to find out what would happen to it if we put this device into a cylinder of a centrifuge together with some keys, coins and plastic balls. The centrifuge rotated the cylinder at the speed of 500 rpm. The test lasted for 5 min (video 3).

The aluminium frame not damaged at all. The screen was also safe. But some scuffs appeared on the plastic part of the phone.

Video 3. The rotation of the centrifuge

The grade is 15 from 15 possible

1.5 Quality of the material of which the phone is made

If a gadget has a scratch it looses its exterior view is lost forever. We tried to to make our 6500 ugly by scratching it with a nail.

In this test we found out what would happen to the back cover and to the screen if we scratched it with a nail at the force of 100g (video 4). Surprisingly we failed to make any scratch either on the screen or on the back cover.

Video 4. Scratching the display

Video 5. Scratching the back cover

The display gets 15 from 15 possible

The back cover gets 15 from 15 possible

1.6 Hot temperature

Perhaps anyone of us left a cell phone in the sun or not far from an open flame. But what would happen to a phone if it was left for a long time? The result may be awful. The screen may darken or the frame can melt to some extent. We simulated such a situation. But instead of leaving it in the sun for a long time we put the gadget inside a metallic box with a 40Wt lamp installed inside. The experiment lasted for 3min.

This time was not enough to damage the 6500. But the metallic back cover was so hot that we could not take it until we cooled it down.

Video 6. Hot temperature test

The grade is 12 from 12 possible

1.7 Dust resistance test

In everyday life any mobile phone can not be absolutely protected from dust. Dust penetrates into gaps between buttons, into ports and everywhere. Much dust can break a cell phone. But slide cell phones are at a greater risk because of their design. In this stress test we put the Nokia inside a container which was full of dust and then shook it for 2 min.

In the result the loudspeaker was full of dust. But in the gaps between the phone and the front buttons we found almost no dust (pic. 7). A lot of dust and mud was on the digital keyboard which made a creak when we pressed it. There was more dust inside the USB-port than inside the charger jack and the ear-microphone socket (pic. 9). Some dust penetrated under the back cover because it was not closely attached to the phone (pic. 10). Mud and dust also penetrated inside the slide mechanism and we heard a creak each time when we opened or closed the phone.

The grade is 12 from 12 possible

1.8 Communication quality

Signal reception is one of the most important features of any mobile phone. All “Nokia” cell phones are known for their high quality of signal reception. In check to check the communication quality of our Nokia we put it into a shielded box with 40×50mm hole (pic. 11) and made a call on it.

When we took the phone out, there were 3 marks in the indicator of the signal reception (maximum 4). The 6500 received the calls with no problems.

The grade is 15 from 15 possible

Overall score for the first stage of our stress test of the Nokia 6500 Slide is 182 from 192 possible

2. Stress test of the Nokia 6500 Slide. Stage 2 – Tougher conditions

2.1 Drop-down

This time the height of the drop-down on the carpet was 1,5m and the height of the drop-down on the tiles was 50cm. (video 7, 8). The phone showed better results of the drop-down on the carpet than in the previous test. The back cover did not shift at all. When we dropped it down on the tiles nothing bad happened. But after the test we noticed some small dents on the metallic part of the gadget while the plastic frame was like a new one (pic. 12).

Video 7. Drop-down on the carpet from 1,5m

Video 8. Drop-down on the tiles from 50cm

The grade for the drop-down on the carpet is 30 (from possible 30)

2.1 Ability to withstand squeezing

In the 2nd test we squeezed the phone by putting a 10kg plank on it. The result was the same as in the 1st stage. The back cover creaked and the buttons sounded. We also heard creak caused by the dust in the slide mechanism.

The grade is 24 from 24 possible

2.3 Bend test

We increased the weight of the load on the rope from 1kg to 5kg. There was no bend and the device passed the test successfully.

The grade is 24 from 24 possible

2.4 Wearout test

We increased the time of this experiment and put the phone into the centrifuge for 10min. After the test we noticed some droplets on the screen and some scuffs on the plastic parts on the phone and on the buttons (pic. 13).

The grade is 15 from 15 possible

2.5 Quality of the material which the phone is made of

We increased the force of scratching the phone to 300g. It did not cause much damage. The scratch on the screen was hardly noticeable.

The display gets 15 from 15 possible

The back cover gets 15 from 15 possible

2.6 Cold temperature

In this test we decided to check the performance of the handset in freezing temperatures. We put it into a freezer (-15 °С) for 2 hours. The phone was in a speaking mode. When the time of the test was over we took out our cell phone and checked its state (pic.9). We found out that the pictures in the screen on the screen hung up. But after we cooled down the gadget to a room temperature the screen started to operate well. The battery was full. It did not discharge at all. In the hot temperature test we could not take the phone by hands because it was very hot. But after this test the metallic part of the handset made it too cold to be kept in a hand.

Video 9. The phone after being in the freezer

The grade is 18 from 18 possible

2.7 High temperature

We increased the time of the test from 3 to 5min. When this time was over we took the mobile phone out and found out that the front buttons did not operate (video10). But soon the buttons started to function again.

Video 10. High temperature test

The grade is 8 from 12 possible

2.8 Water resistance test

Sometimes mobile phones can accidentally be dropped into water. Not all of them survive in such cases. Slide cell phones are prone to be damaged by water more than simple handsets.

We dunked the Nokia 6500 slide under water for 1 second (video 10). After we took the phone out we checked some of its functions. To our surprise nothing bad had happened. However the sound became lower and the unprotected ports and the digital keyboard were all in water (pic. 14, 15). There was much water under the back cover (pic. 16). The water reached the board but it did not damage the electronics. After we dried the phone for an hour the sound became loud again and the handset operated well.

Video 11. Immersion in water for a sec

The grade is 30 from 30 possible

2.9 Dust resistance test

This time we put the phone into the box with dust again and shook it for 5min. The result was almost the same as in the 1st stage (pic. 17). But when we opened the phone small pieces of dust scratched the keyboard.

The grade is 8 from 12 possible

2.10 Communication quality

In order to create worse conditions for the signal reception of the phone we decreased the diameter of the hole in the shielded box and made it 20×20mm. The indicator of signal reception showed only 2 marks. Sometimes there was 1 mark, sometimes – 3. We made calls on it. Only once the handset was out of the coverage. This result is quite good for a phone in a shielded box.

The grade is 10 from 15 possible

Overall score for the second stage of uor stress test is 198 from 240 possible

3. Stress test of the Nokia 6500 Slide. Stage 3 – The toughest conditions

3.1 Drop-down

At the last stage of this stress test we increased the height of the drop-down on the carpet from 1,5m to 2m and we also dropped it from 1m on the tiles.

Once the back cover fell off when the 6500 fell on the carpet but the battery remained it tits place. When we dropped it on the tiles all pars of the handset were on their places. But once the phone did not recognize the SIM card.  The amount of scuffs and scratches on the Nokia increased after this experiment.

Video 12. Drop-down on the carpet from 2m

The grade is 30 from 30 possible

Video. 13. Drop-down on the tiles from 1m

The grade is 20 from 30 possible

3.2 Ability to withstand squeezing

The maximum weight which we used for this stage of the test was 20kg. As in the previous stage the slide mechanism was not damaged.

But for this test the phone deserves only 2 points because of the noise of the slide.

The grade is 24 from 24possible

3.3 Bend test

We noticed 1mm bend when we tied the load of 10kg to the rope (pic.19). Only the plastic part of the handset bended. The metal frame protected the board from any bend.

The grade is 24 from 24 possible

3.4 Wearout test

We increased the time of this test to 20min. After the time was over we saw some small scratches and droplets on the metal part of the phone (pic.20). The screen was damaged a bit (pic.21).

In general the handset passed this test and looked well.

3.5 Quality of the material of which the phone is made

We decided to double the force of scratching (600g) and we were surprised by the result. There were no scratches on the handset. The scratch on the screen was so small that if you did not know the place where it had been made you would never notice it (pic.23). The result of this test was so unbelievable that we decided to check the sharpness of the nail. We took a sample and scratched it at the same force – the scratch was very deep. No more comments.

15 points (from 15 possible) for the screen

15 points (from 15 possible) for the handset

3.6 High temperature

After 10min. under the 40Wt lamp a dark spot appeared on the screen but it disappeared in a moment after we took the phone out. At first the colors were faded but when the phone was cooled down its color rendering was OK (video 14). The front buttons were a bit deformed (pic.24).

Video 14. The result of the heating

The grade is 8 from 12 possible

3.7 Water resistance test

The gadget fully survived in the previous water resistance test. But we went further and increased the time of the immersion to 20sec. (video 15).

When the experiment was over we checked the phone. At first we saw that the 6500 showed connection with the handsfree. The ring sound became low again. There was as much water inside the phone as in the previous test. When we dried the phone it operated well and the ring sound became louder.

Video 15. Immersion in water for 20sec

The grade is 30 from 30 possible

3.8 Immersion in beer

Sometimes the owners of cell phones can spill some drink on their gadgets which can cause more damage than water. We took the most popular drink as an example. We dunked the phone under beer for 10 seconds (video 16) and made a call on it. As in the previous water resistance test the mobile phone showed that the handsfree was on. The menu button and the sound button refused to function. The beer penetrated even under the battery.

After the test we washed and dried the handset. The buttons started to operate again without any repairs.

Video 16. Immersion in beer

The grade is 9 from 9 possible

3.9 Dust resistance test

In the last stage of our experiment we increased the time of the dust resistance test to 10min. In the result a lot of dust and mud was stuffed inside the port (pic.25). Much dust penetrated under the back cover (pic.26). Grain of sand got into the gaps between the front buttons and the handset (pic.27). It was hard to press the buttons. Moreover they produced unpleasant noise.

The grade is 8 from 12 possible

3.10 Test for the keyboard

Digital keyboard of a Nokia 6500 slide is made of plastic. After the dust test the buttons made an unpleasant noise and it was hard to press them. The metal buttons had the same problem. Besides, the upper keyboard did not pass the extreme temperature test and immersion in water and in beer. The buttons at the edges of the handset which are installed directly on the board survived.

The grade is 20 from 30 possible

3.11 Communication quality

We made the smallest hole possible 15×15mm. The signal reception was very weak (pic.28). Only once we got through to the phone. The 6500 was ringing only for 10sec. There was only one point in the signal reception indicator. Sometimes there was point at all.

The grade is 10 from 15 possible

3.12 Electric overloads

First of all we decided to check whether the charger would survive if we made a short circuit. We closed the power supply terminals for a second when the charger was in operating mode (video 17). The charger easily survived. The 6500 continued charging.

Video 17. Short circuit of the charger

The charger gets 15 points from 15 possible

Batteries of new handsets are provided with the system that protects them from short circuits. We found out how the battery of our Nokia 6500 would solve this problem. We closed the power supply terminals of the battery for a second (video 18). Then we put it back into the phone and the gadget operated well. The charging was OK.

Video 18. Short circuit of the battery

The battery gets 3 points from 3 possible

In order to find out the power supply extremes we plugged in the controllable power supply instead of the battery. The average voltage of the battery was 5 volts. We decreased the power supply until the charging was off (video 19). It happened when the voltage was 4,5 volts which is quite a good result. Then we decided to increase the voltage to 8 volts. When we reached 7,5 volts the handset stopped charging because the protecting system was activated.

Video 19. Power supply extremes testing (lack of supply)

For the ability to operate with the lack of voltage supply the 6500 gets 15 points from 15 possible

Video 20. Power supply extremes testing (overvoltage)

For the ability to bear overvoltage the 6500 gets 15 points from 15 possible

3.13 Disassembling, the quality of the assembly

The 6500 has a high quality of the assembly as all nokia handsets have (pic. 29). The main parts of the board are filled with compound (pic. 30). The processor and the memory card are combined in one micro chip. It saves space and makes data exchange faster. The antenna is in the right place. It is not shielded by the metallic frame and the signal reception is good. The digital keyboard is attached to the separate board and is connected to the main board with the help of a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable is strong and safe as the whole construction. By the way it makes it easy to change the keyboard.

The slide mechanism is made of metal. It makes it timeproof. However some parts of the metallic frame were inaccurately adjusted to each other. That is why they played.

The grade is 20 from 30 possible

All in all for the third stage the Nokia 6500 gets 273 points from 351 possible

Conclusion:

We were impressed by the results of the Nokia 6500 slide. We could not imagine that a slide cell phone was able to survive after it had been dunked under water and beer. We dare say that the advantage of this handset is the high quality screen and frame. It is difficult to make a scratch on them. Bending test was not also a problem for the gadget.

The electronic components operated very well as in all Nokia cell phones.

However we do not recommend to take this device with you if you are going the North Pole or to a desert. Extreme temperatures had a bad impact on the 6500.

We were right when we said that any slide cell phone can be damaged by dust. Keep your Nokia 6500 slide away from dust.

All in all the phone gets 641 points from possible 783

According to 100-rating scale the Nokia 6500 slide gets 82 points

The stress test of a Nokia 6500 Slide, 10.0 out of 10 based on 4 ratings