- Clamshell phone with Wi-Fi capabilities for T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service for unlimited nationwide calls
- Compatible with T-Mobile’s MyFaves service–unlimited calling to your five most called contacts
- Text, e-mail, and instant messaging; Web browser; Bluetooth for wireless headsets; MicroSD memory expansion; VGA camera
- Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 4 days of standby time; measures 3.62 x 1.81 x 0.91 inches (HxWxD)
Amazon.com Product Description
The latest addition to T-Mobile’s Hotspot @Home service, the Nokia 6086 nicely pocketable Nokia 6086 clamshell phone is packed with handy organizational and communication tools as well as multimedia features such as a VGA camera (with video capture), digital audio player, Bluetooth connectivity for stereo headphones, and an FM radio. In addition to its quad-band GSM and EDGE connectivity, it includes integrated Wi-Fi connectivity for use with Hotspot @Home, enabling you to make and receive unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi from home or at any US T-Mobile HotSpot location.
T-Mobile’s HotSpot @Home service provides unlimited nationwide calls over open Wi-Fi networks.. |
T-Mobile Service
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you’ll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile’s wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi–at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard. Whenever you’re not using a Wi-Fi network, this phone works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
Additionally, the 6086 operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile’s EDGE network (which stands for “Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution”). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile’s myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts–on any network, even landlines–without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today’s hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.
The svelte clamshell 6086 also includes an MP3 player, VGA camera with video capabilities, and Bluetooth connectivity for headsets. |
Phone Features
Featuring subtle, organic design lines, an easy-to-tap keypad and an uncluttered menu structure, the elegant Nokia 6086 has a bright internal 1.8-inch LCD with a 128 x 160-pixel resolution and 262K colors. It’s complemented by an external 1-inch monochrome display that offers a resolution of 96 x 68 pixels, making it convenient to see who is calling, check the time and signal/battery strength without the need to open the phone.
The digital audio player is compatible with MP3 and AAC/AAC+ files, and you’ll be able to tune into your favorite radio stations using the integrated FM radio. The built-in camera captures up to VGA-quality (640 x 480-pixel) still photos as well as video clips up to 30 seconds in length for sending via MMS or as long as you have available memory on an inserted MicroSD memory card. The still image camera offers a 4x digital zoom, three quality settings, and several color effects.
Pictures, videos and music can be stored and shared using the optional hot-swappable microSD memory card, which offers up to 2 GB storage (the phone, itself, offers only 4 MB of memory). The 6086 offers Bluetooth version 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate wireless connectivity, and it includes profiles for communication headsets, handsfree kits, and sharing of contacts.
To enable staying in touch with family and friends, the 6086 offers comprehensive functions for easy messaging and voice communication, including MMS, Nokia Xpress audio messaging, enhanced email and instant messaging via AIM, Yahoo!, and MSN. There’s also a built-in WAP 2.0 web browser that supports XHTML and HTML, and you can check email from accounts that support IMAP4, POP3 and SMTP protocols. The T9 predictive text entry technology is built into the unit, which makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets–a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. Other features include:
- PC synchronization using Nokia PC Suite with USB (version 1.1) and Bluetooth connectivity
- Integrated handsfree speakerand enhanced voice commands/dialing
- Macromedia Flash Player 2.0 and Java MIDP 2.0 games and applications
- MIDI 64, MP3, AAC, AAC+ and AMR WB ringtones
- Flight mode
- PIM tools: alarm clock, countdown timer, calendar, to-do list, note, voice memo
Vital Statistics
The Nokia 6086 weighs 2.9 ounces and measures 3.62 x 1.81 x 0.91 inches. Its 970 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5 hours of talk time, and up to 4 days of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies.
I have been a life long Nokia cell phone user, and so when it came to upgrading my mom’s cell phone, I bought another Nokia for her. She has used it for 3 months now. She has had nothing but non-stop problems. The phone keeps getting heated, getting discharged overnight. The wi-fi signal is very poor. I installed a wi-fi signal booster a few feet away from her chair and still no difference. The worst part is the rapid discharge and poor voice quality. I will now have to buy her another cell phone. A month ago I upgraded my own cell phone. I had decided to never ever buy a Nokia and so bought a Blackberry curve. This too has Wi-Fi. I have never had a problem. Strong signal all over the house, no heating up. No doubt battery life is poor, but 2 days with 2 hours of talk time is not bad. I would thus not recommend buying a Nokia Wi-Fi. It is a pity that from the world leader they are continuously going down. I personally will never ever buy a Nokia. I used to blindly buy Nokia phones and they served me real well. But I think they have lost their technology edge. Time to move on to another brand.
Rating: 1 / 5
After three months of constant hard use, this phone has held up well. The battery life and call reception are very good. For an inexspensive phone the features are excellent, the WiFi and bluetooth capabilities are outstanding!!!. I am able to ultilize the bluetooth with both LINUX and Windows Vista, though not a smart phone,syncing the phone is still possible with the nokia software. Internet access is great and fast for a phone of this size and price, I can monitor my IP cameras from the phone and accessing URL IPs are very easy.
Bluetooth connections to other devices are also very good, I presently have a Garmin Nuvi 660 connected and all features work great, minus the texting mode.
My previous phone was the Samsung Blackjack, a windows CE based phone, it had many bells and whistles , but not as functional or compatible with the Nuvi 660 as the Nokia 6086.
For texting the 6086 T9 and its prediction text can use a little improving, but I donot text much so I can live with this draw back. As with all phones with american firmware the Nokia is limited to English, French, and Spanish languages. Hopefully phone manufactors will be able to give the consumer a choice of languages in the future.
Over all I found the Nokia 6086 a very good phone in features, excellent in price, and extremely good for combatibility with other devices.
Rating: 4 / 5
Summary: Good phone and service. So-So battery life with WiFi and some minor annoying features.
I’ve been with T-Mobile in the south Chicago suburbs for over 6 years. I started my own construction business and needed something to use both in the office and out on jobsites. This phone and the HotSpot service fit the bill perfectly. For the extra $10 a month for HotSpot, I’ve probably saved $30-40/month not upgrading to a plan with more minutes.
I use the phone at my office on WiFi and save my 600 plan minutes to use out in the field. The WiFi connection has been excellent and the only issue has been incoming calls occasionally going straight to voicemail instead of the phone ringing when on a WiFi network. When I am on a WiFi call and leave the office, the transition occasionally has a click or dead moment.
As others have posted, I found that battery life is reduced when using the phone on Wifi. I came from a Motorola phone with a different interface, so there are some minor Nokia annoyances but nothing that makes the phone un-usable.
I would purchase this phone and the HotSpot service again in my situation.
Rating: 4 / 5
I have owned many Nokia phones but never one that disappoints the way this one does.
Battery life – lasts 2 days at best, this is after trading in for a new battery and never using WiFi
WiFi – useless as it eats the battery alive and drops calls. You will have to charge the phone every day if you plan to use this. It also often cannot find a WiFi network even if you are standing next to the router.
Connection – difficult to find service where other Nokia T-Mobile phones have no issues. Also inconsistently receives/doesn’t receive calls when the phone is sitting in the same place at the same time
The ability to make or receive a call is really the most important consideration with a phone and that is the reason for my low rating.
Rating: 2 / 5
I’ve been using a 6086 with T-Mobile’s Hotspot at Home service for several months now, and it’s worked adequately but not incredibly.
The main issues I’ve had with the phone all relate to power consumption, charging and battery life. The battery only lasts for 1-2 days with moderate usage. WiFi connections use more power, even if you have a T-Mobile branded router with the Wireless Multimedia extensions it uses to prolong battery life.
In addition, Nokia has changed from their traditional 3.6 or 3.7 volt charger to a 5 volt 350mA power supply, so all those older power supplies you have are not usable with this phone. In addition, despite the fact that the voltage is the same as USB voltage they didn’t use a USB connector as many other phones have done.
Finally, for T-Mobile usage this phone is locked down so that applications that you install are not able to use the Internet via the phone – this particularly affects third-party web browsers like Opera Mini or applications like Google Maps (Mobile)
Rating: 3 / 5