How Good/Bad Is the Nokia 6126?

[davistld01]

I just bought a mint-condition Nokia 6126 (Cingular/AT&T) flip-phone for cheap from a HoFo member as a backup phone.

I know it has been around awhile...and is an S40 phone, that's supposed to be pretty good performer with a good screen...

Does anybody still use one around these parts that can give me the good, bad and ugly about the phone?

Thanks!!

[davistld01]

Nobody still has or uses this phone that can tell me something about it???

I'm shocked...

[davistld01]

I must be on the wrong forum...

Either that, or everybody here is too wrapped up with their N95's and E71's to help somebody wanting info on a cheap phone.

[aw614]

i think there is the old thread about the 6131 which is similar. I havent used one, but the screen with no plastic cover over the lcd worries me...

[tszefr]

OK I will fess up. I bought a 6126 when Cingular released it. New, via premier. Even bought a memory card for it. It was back outta here the next day. That one had inadequate audio gain in the speaker and in wired head set. It was OK over bluetooth. As I recall the price was OK but I was not about to get roped into a "contract" extension for such a PoS. I don't think I was too impressed with the music player either, but then S/E has me spoiled.

[davistld01]

I bought the phone from a HoFo member...and got a fair deal, but when the phone came last night I was shocked at the cheap, totally toy-like plasticky feel to it. It actually more resembled a store "dummy" than a production phone. The build quality absolutely sucked!! RF was spotty...incoming call quality was tinny and horrible...and I was pretty shocked at Nokia releasing such a POS. After seeing the Phonescoop YouTube reviews, I thought I was getting a great little S40 phone...but I was wrong.

After using it for one whole night...I quick-sold it for just what I paid for it today locally via Criagslist. Good riddance!!!

(BTW: None of the above was the sellers fault at all. He was totally accurate and above-board about everything...and I left feedback accordingly. He was a class act. It was only the phone that sucked...not the seller.)

Only problem is...now I have to search for another good backup phone again.

[tzsm98]

I've used several 6133 handsets over the last 18 months, which is a lot like the 6126 but from T-Mobile and has an FM radio in it. I loved most of them. My son has used two. He is an avid skateboarder and even with that they last about a year before they need to be gone through or replaced. I used several because I buy and sell them on eBay. I have one or two I keep as my own but I would use and test the units I was selling for several days to make sure there weren't going to be any unpleasant surprises at the other end.

What I like about the 6133 is they are light, small, have a so-so camera that works okay, will hold up to a 2 gig microSD. The stereo bluetooth is for sure a plus as is the speaker independent name dialing. I've not found the lack of a protective lens over the main LCD to be an issue, even with my son's phones. It is usually the front cover that takes the punishment, and they are snap to replace.

Reception is good, they are quadband. My unlocked phones did well for AT&T as well as T-Mobile.

The memory, at 11 meg, was a bit small so the out of memory message came up pretty quickly when web surfing. If I didn't unload my images and videos to the computer regularly it would fill up quickly. Once I got the Bluetooth dongle that was no longer an issue. They would unload everytime I walked into the computer room.

I don't care for the Pop-port. I like USB and 2.5AV ports and charge ports to all be individualized. The 6126/31/33 all have the Pop-port, as does the N75 for that matter. This was a drawback in my opinion.

Was there anything particular you wanted to know about?

[corys00]

The only big issue I have other then the out of memory error when surfing, which was already mentioned, is that the metal piece that outlines the inside LCD screen always comes off and starts to pull itself off. A leather case fixes it, but I really hate using cases.

[uberphoneguy]

I know someone who wasn't too happy with her 6126... I wouldn't want it either.

[HC - NO "i"]

I bought the phone from a HoFo member...and got a fair deal, but when the phone came last night I was shocked at the cheap, totally toy-like plasticky feel to it. It actually more resembled a store "dummy" than a production phone. The build quality absolutely sucked!! RF was spotty...incoming call quality was tinny and horrible...and I was pretty shocked at Nokia releasing such a POS. After seeing the Phonescoop YouTube reviews, I thought I was getting a great little S40 phone...but I was wrong.

After using it for one whole night...I quick-sold it for just what I paid for it today locally via Criagslist. Good riddance!!!

(BTW: None of the above was the sellers fault at all. He was totally accurate and above-board about everything...and I left feedback accordingly. He was a class act. It was only the phone that sucked...not the seller.)

Only problem is...now I have to search for another good backup phone again.

davistld01,

Greetings.

Two years ago, I have done a test with TelecomZombie and Steve Punter on Nokia 6126. Here is the review http://www.arcx.com/sites/Nokia%206126.htm regarding the RF sensitivity...

RF Sensitivity: I was able to test the RF capabilities of the 6126 against the recently-tested Nokia E50 and it proved that once again, Nokia knows how to build GSM phones that can pull in weak signals. However, you have to be very careful how you hold the phone, because the internal antenna is very sensitive to body parts coming in close contact with it. The antenna (according to the manual) is located in the bottom of the keypad section, which means that you must hold the phone at the hinge and put your fingers on the upper section at all times.

If I might editorialize here for a moment, I think that this internal antenna business has become a huge annoyance. Just for the sake of getting rid of the little antenna bulge at the top of the phone, we now have to hold them in unnatural ways that can be both a pain-in-the-neck and an RF issue if we aren’t cognizant of how we are holding it. So, a thumbs up to Nokia for giving us excellent RF sensitivity, but thumbs down to them for making us hold the phone in ways we may not choose to.

[dictoresno]

i think there is the old thread about the 6131 which is similar. I havent used one, but the screen with no plastic cover over the lcd worries me...

not having a plastic screen never bothered me and it was never an issue. i used an unbranded and unlocked 6131 for the last few years up until recently and put 1000's of minutes on it, dropped it a bunch of times whithout any problems. it was the best cell phone i ever owned and one of the best nokias i ever used. out of all the other phones i bought after it, i would still go back to it. to this day, i still miss it. and the nokia s40 v3 was one of my favorites. i recently updated its firmware for the first time and its flawless. it had very few if any bugs.

[selena12321]

nokia 6126 not very good I am not impressed but it's ok.

[davistld01]

davistld01,

Greetings.

Two years ago, I have done a test with TelecomZombie and Steve Punter on Nokia 6126. Here is the review http://www.arcx.com/sites/Nokia%206126.htm regarding the RF sensitivity...

Your review makes it quite clear that you, and lots of other Nokia-defenders are quite comfortable with Nokia releasing phones that are built worse than Radio Shack childrens walkie-talkies. I've experienced this over and over again with Nokia phones. Even their high-end phones like the N95 (in it's many incarnations) is the most hollow, plasticky thing I've ever owned. Most recent Nokias (aside from the E-series) feel like they would break into a million pieces if dropped even slightly.

My experience (though much more brief than yours, thankfully) was totally negative...and I'm not a Nokia-basher, but rather just really disappointed. The phone looked great in the pictures and reviews, and I was all jazzed about getting it...then totally turned off when I took it out of the box. First impressions are everything...

I spent almost the same money on a used Motorola V3xx and now have excellent RF, 3G data speeds, wonderful sound quality...and a phone that feels like a quality electronic device, and not a free-with-contract "Go" phone.

Glad some of you guys liked the 6126...

[Moderator HF 25]

^ Look, then if you've made up your mind that 6126 is sub-par standard in all counts, then why would even bother ask others? You can accept views only in tunes w/ you? And, then someone quotes you the review w/ the specific item: RF, not about build quality. Then you counter back w/ comments like others are inexperienced like you, drinking koolaid, Nokia-cult?

[HC - NO "i"]

Your review makes it quite clear that you, and lots of other Nokia-defenders are quite comfortable with Nokia releasing phones that are built worse than Radio Shack childrens walkie-talkies. I've experienced this over and over again with Nokia phones. Even their high-end phones like the N95 (in it's many incarnations) is the most hollow, plasticky thing I've ever owned. Most recent Nokias (aside from the E-series) feel like they would break into a million pieces if dropped even slightly.

My experience (though much more brief than yours, thankfully) was totally negative...and I'm not a Nokia-basher, but rather just really disappointed. The phone looked great in the pictures and reviews, and I was all jazzed about getting it...then totally turned off when I took it out of the box. First impressions are everything...

I spent almost the same money on a used Motorola V3xx and now have excellent RF, 3G data speeds, wonderful sound quality...and a phone that feels like a quality electronic device, and not a free-with-contract "Go" phone.

Glad some of you guys liked the 6126...

davistld01,

First of all, it is NOT my review. I just happened to hook up Steve Punter and TelecomZombie to test the then-fresh-out-of-the-box 6126 from Fido around that time.

I quote his review for the particular "different observations" in RF performance - NOT for the comments on the looks, the build quality. If you are not familiar with how Steve to gauge the RF performance with different handsets, feel free to ask him and read his FAQ http://www.arcx.com/sites/RF%20Performance.htm In fact, if you claim to have read Steve's review, have you missed some observations he did not find 6126 performing good like the battery life, outgoing audio.

As for myself, I do not like flip / clam-shell / folder design from the beginning. And, I do not have much faith in Nokia even now. The hinges, the flap cover for the charging / Pop-port are the items I have doubt with the durability in long-term heavy usage. The battery life was the major issue for me, not to keep the 6126 after we have done the test (nor Steve and TelecomZombie).