Nokia has been killing it recently with their Classic range, which marries finely-shaped lines with no-nonsense phone capabilities.  The Nokia 6720 Classic is not my first or second choice from this particular line of phones, but it does many things right that might make it a good option for budget-conscious, older users.

Physically, I love the way this phone looks.  The overall aesthetic is actually more appealing and more rugged than other phones in its line (e.g. 6700 Classic).  Finish is subdued and understated, while build is very sturdy (as long as you keep the steel-plate battery cover on, which seems to hold the whole phone).

The phone's most pressing problem is the screen.  While being tiny at 2.2-inches (with QVGA resolution) can't really be taken against it, image quality is just not up to par with other devices in Nokia's range. Color seems off (right out of the box) and fonts just look too small.

A pleasant surprise is the fact that it's running Symbian S60, which makes it a workable smartphone of sorts, along with a good set of default apps, especially the very handy universal search facility (that actually works "universally," unlike the Palm Pre's).  Phone reception is great with natural sounding voices, although the speakerphone falls a little short of expectations.  Messaging, as always, is spot-on.  There's SMS, MMS, great support for a wide variety of email protocols and IM (Ovi Contacts, which supports many popular IM platforms, comes by default).

Feature set is good for a phone in this price range.  It comes with a 5.0 megapixel camera module that offers a good range of settings, including sequences shots and panorama mode.  On the downside, the onboard LED flash isn't all that usable unless you're doing close range shots and the shutter lag is very noticeable.  Image quality, however, is above average, easily besting many 5-megapixel shooters.

For internet connectivity, the 6720 is armed with HSPA speeds and a full HTML browser.  It comes with full Flash and Java support, a mini-map function and adjustable zoom.  It's a little difficult to use on such a small screen, but it will do.

Media player and music quality are surprisingly rich, hinting at the kind of audio hardware Nokia has been fitting their mid-range phones.  Video is also decent, with a TV-out option, in case you find the screen too small (and you will, I bet).  Other features include an FM radio, stereo Bluetooth and GPS.

If you can live with the sub-par display, the Nokia 6720 Classic is a fast and powerful phone, with plenty of features at your disposal.  Currently priced at around $320 unlocked, it's an undeniably awesome value.

The Nokia Surge 6790 represents the Finnish company's latest attempt to capture the younger market of phone users in the US.  It's a worthy effort, too, bringing a full-fledged smartphone with plenty of features at an affordable price.

Touting a highly-unusual aesthetic that's more familiar to basic messaging handsets, the Surge  is probably the most odd-looking smartphone around.  While some will probably balk at what Nokia did with the creative design, I'm inclined to think that most folks will find it attractive.

It's a lot smaller than it looks in photos, measuring 3.8 x 2.2 x 0.6 inches, so it's actually very compact, despite how it may appear at first glance.  Build is largely plastic and a little flimsy, though, it handles well enough to withstand regular use.

Screen is a  2.4-inch LCD with 320 x 240 resolution.   With plenty of empty bezel on the front panel, Nokia could have easily increased the screen size, though, pricing considerations may have forced the limited viewing real estate.  The full QWERTY keyboard provides a good typing experience.

Like we said, the phone is heavy on features.  It boasts a full suite of messaging talents (including Exchange support), comes with a good set of bundled productivity tools (e.g. QuickOffice) and supports Nokia's Ovi Store, which allows it to extend its functionality even further.  Geared towards younger users, the bulk of the apps that come with the phone consists of social media, IM and entertainment software.

Camera is a 2.0 megapixel unit that offers average-quality shots.  It comes with a good number of settings and a decent camcorder option.  The phone supports 3G and full HTML browsing (with Flash Lite), putting it up a notch over many entry-level smartphones.  There's no Wi-Fi, though, so you'll need the data plan to stay connected.

It's heavy on the multimedia, packing in every audio and video nicety you can imagine. Details include support for a wide variety of files (AAC, AAC+ v1, AAC+ v2, WAV, MP3, WMA 9, and RealAudio), an FM tuner, XM radio, MobiTV and support for AT&T's range of streaming services.  Other features include aGPS, Bluetooth and microSDHC expansion.

Overall, the Nokia Surge 6790 is an excellent choice for an entry-level smartphone.  Priced at $79.99 with a two-year tie-in, it's also highly affordable.  If the unusual, youth-oriented design doesn't put you off, the rich set of features should make it worth your while.

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