I started with an entry-level phone, a Nokia 3390, but decided to upgrade. After a bit of research I was determined to get the Nokia 6590i. It had all the things I wanted improved over the 3390 and a similar and very intuitive menu/controls.
First things first, this phone is tiny and light. I love it. I can just slip it in my pocket and forget that it's there until I need to make or receive a call.
The 6590i is a dual-band phone operating at 850 and 1900Mhz. It should be noted that there is also a 6590 (without the i) available. The only difference between the two is that the plain 6590 only operates at 1900Mhz. In large cities with extensive 1900Mhz coverage like NYC the difference is marginal, but outside of these areas 850Mhz is very good to have, in some places it's absolutely necessary. Reception is great with my 6590i.
This phone is chock full of features including voice dialing, one-touch dialing, voice commands, FM radio, organizer/calender, voice recorder, WAP, IrDA and the standard games/calculator/etc. I've found voice dialing to be really convenient when coupled with a hands-free device while driving and I've gotten plenty of use from the FM Radio (requires an earplug).
Recently I've started to use the organizer/calender feature and it's been really helpful for organizing/planning and remembering events and birthdays. I've even bought an infrared adapter for my PC so I can sync up the info on my phone with Outlook.
Battery life on this phone is vastly superior to my old phone. It's advertised at 16 days of standby or up to 5 hours of talk time. In reality I've never had a phone that lived up to the advertised standby/talk times, but power consumption depends on a variety of factors, including how hard the phone has to work to find a signal. I know my battery tends to drain faster when I'm in the basement. I'm not really sure how much talk time I could get on my phone because I'm obsessive about recharging it, but I'd say it's easily double or more that of the 3390.
The only issues I can think of are that the ringer volume is a little low even with the volume turned all the way up and the earpiece is really direction-sensitive- if you don't hold it directly by your ear it's hard to hear.
It's a great phone. I'd heartily recommend it.
