Nokia doesn't get it right every time, but when the company hits the spot, it gives every other mobile phone manufacturer a lesson in the correct marriage of form and function. The 6300 is a case in point.

This is a small, light, candybar handset. Measuring 106mm x 43mm x 12mm and weighing 91g it doesn't break any records, but it does feel comfortable in the hand and lightweight in the pocket; and that's despite the fact that there is quite a lot of metal in the fascia.

The number pad is slightly squished into the bottom section of the phone, but its keys are pretty large nonetheless, and the squishing means there is room for a sizeable navigation button and well spaced softkeys, Call and End keys.

The screen is a bit small at just two inches corner to corner, but it displays 240 x 320 pixels and a massive 16.7 million colours, and as a result it is pin-sharp.

The specifications aren't awe-inspiring. This is a Tri-band GSM phone with GPRS. It runs Symbian Series 40. As a consequence it lacks some of the more sophisticated applications we are used to seeing in Nokia handsets.

On the other hand, the less bloated software suite means that non-techy types should find it easier to get to grips with, and it can synchronise with a PC. You will need to use the phone's Bluetooth or buy a cable, though, as Nokia fails to provide one. But at least the Pop-Port connector has been dispensed with in favour of mini USB, so that you may be able to use a cable you have lying around.

My main gripe is the 2.5mm headset connector, which is a disaster if you have your own favourite earphones. A converter to 3.5mm is just too unwieldy. You are stuck with Nokia's headphones if you want to use the built-in FM radio as they house the antenna. When will Nokia learn to bundle a two-piece headset with a 3.5mm connector?

Don't try too much Web browsing as the browser is not all that wonderful. Don't expect great things from the 2-megapixel camera which has neither self portrait mirror nor flash. And don't expect to cram the built-in memory with music as there is only 7.8MB of it. You'll need a microSD card for this, and you may want to buy something more substantial than the 128MB card that comes with the phone.

With all those negative comments it may be surprising that we say we like the Nokia 6300 as much as we do. But for many people, oodles of top-notch specifications aren't the prime motivator when buying a mobile. What the Nokia 6300 offers is great hardware design and a 'good enough' set of features.

Don't choose this phone if you want the very latest features and more specifications than you can shake a stick at. But if you want a good phone for voice calls and texting with some useful extras attached, it is well worth a look.