The Nokia Surge 6790 is an odd little handset. While it is a full-featured Symbian S60 phone, it comes with a quirky styling that resembles the glut of today’s square-paneled messaging handsets. Adding extra spice to the mix is the fact that the phone is relatively affordable, positioned as an entry-level smartphone for young users.
While it looks excessively large at first glance, the Surge is actually a highly-compact phone. Build is largely plastic and a bit flimsy in parts, although it handles well enough to inspire confidence. Despite the unusual looks, it’s actually very attractive. Screen is too small at 2.4-inches with a 320 x 240 resolution. There’s actually enough bezel on the phone’s front panel to allow for a much larger display, so Nokia’s decision not to use it is a bit disappointing.
The phone does make up for it, though, by going heavy on the features set. It comes with a full suite of messaging capabilities, including SMS, MMS, IM and Email (POP3, IMAP and Exchange). A good load of apps are also pre-installed, including a number of productivity, social media and entertainment software.
In terms of multimedia capabilities, the phone goes all out, with support for a wide range of formats, an FM tuner, XM radio, MobiTV and full support for AT&T’s streaming media services. Onboard 2.0 megapixel camera takes average quality stills and videos, though it does offer a good number of settings. Other features include 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, a full HTML browser (with Flash Lite), aGPS, Bluetooth and microSDHC card expansion.
Overall, the Nokia Surge 6790 makes a compelling case as one of the best entry-level smartphones around. While the unusual looks are something you’ll either love or hate, the rich set of features is especially attractive.
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