Mobile Phone and Gadgets

Introduction:

The Nokia N8 can be likened to the second coming, not because it’s necessarily salvation in a phone, but more so because it’s taken a really, really long time to get here. Since it was officially announced back in April 2010, with leaks out in September 2009, we’ve all been waiting for Symbian Foundation’s follow up to S60 V5, and Nokia’s follow up to the Nokia N97. Finally, here it is, in all its anodised aluminium glory, with a 12MP camera with Xenon flash and an OLED screen, the new Nokia flagship phone for 2010/2011 - the Nokia N8.

In the box, as well as the phone itself there is a charger, a miniHDMI to HDMI connector, two microUSB to USB cables (one female USB, one male USB), a set of headphones, a power charger and some literature on the phone.

Design:

The Nokia N8 feels special. With an anodised aluminium body, it delivers a really luxurious cold metal sensation when you pick it up, and a fantastic weighting behind it. It is truly a tactile pleasure to hold and fondle and would still be even if it didn't switch on.

The only areas of the Nokia N8 not encased in anodised aluminium are its ends. Both top and toe are instead covered by slick, super-glossy plastic strips sporting the headphone jack, miniHDMI port, and power button at the top with the bottom end containing the proprietary Nokia charging port. These offer a visual and tactile contrast to the rest of the phone's body, however, like most things glossy, love fingerprints.
The Nokia N8's front side marries glass and aluminium, with the screen, front facing camera, light sensor and menu button found on the fascia. A thin, semi-gloss 3mm strip of metal frames the glass front, inside which is the 3.5-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 360x640 pixels.

The screen of the Nokia N8 shines. There is little jaw-dropping about it in terms of specs, with similarly spec'd screens having been available on phones for nigh on two years (i.e. the Samsung OMNIA HD). The N8's screen nevertheless performs exceptionally well with above average pixel density, very vibrant colours and fantastic viewing angles. 3.5 inches is a decent size for the screen of the phone touted as Nokia's multimedia powerhouse.

Well, of course, a bigger screen with a higher resolution would better show off the on-board 12MP camera and make web-browsing that bit more enjoyable, however, Nokia have decided to go with 'pocket-friendly' rather than 'computer in the pocket'. In turn, what you're left with what is distinctly a phone, not a PMP or a tablet wannabe, but a smart phone with a good, sharp, bright screen.

The anodised aluminium body has a novel shape, like something out of a Megaman videogame, it's got a retro look coupled with a futuristic feel. In addition to looking and feeling refined, it's also quite practical. The flat top and bottom make it easy to pick up, handle and even stand in portrait orientation.

The curved edges feel complementary as they are smooth for comfortable hand holding, an ergonomic touch that makes the buttons on the right hand side a breeze to press. On the right is a volume rocker, a small, ribbed sliding button to lock / unlock the Nokia N8, and a camera button. There are no buttons on the left of the phone, however you will find the microUSB port which remains uncovered, as well as the SIM card and microSD card slots located under two flaps. These flaps close nice and flush with the N8's body and despite being plastic, have the same matted feel as the aluminium body, making for a smooth, unnoticeable addition. With no removable battery, there are also small screws visible on either side of the phone, which are neither here nor there. While we are tempted to say they add to the industrial, sturdy design of the Nokia N8, they also manage to detract from the minimal finish.

Another component that detracts from the minimal design, and at the same time, reiterates the aesthetic novelty factor of the Nokia N8 is its back. Flat and clean for the most part, it is almost a simple reflection of the phone's front, except for a curiously raised rectangle of functionality jutting out of the top half, housing the camera, flash and loud speaker. As with the rest of the Nokia N8, the finish is such that it feels too solid and considered to question. The raised element on the back means the phone won't sit flat, but this has been needed in order to make the larger sensor possible. One thing that is for sure though, love it or hate it, the N8's build quality is way, way up there with the best.

Interface:

Symbian^3 has been the subject of much speculation over the past months, so is it a break-away from what made Symbian S60 V5 feel dated? Can it springboard Nokia’s touchscreen phones into the current generation of user interfaces? Does it offer something unique that no other mobile OS does? All these questions can be delved into now that we’ve got Symbian^3 on a premium handset in front of us, the Nokia N8.

Our Nokia N8 review unit is currently in standby mode. There is a large, semi-illuminated analogue clock displayed on the screen, which immediately adds a nice element of thoughtfulness to the OS. Unlock the phone and it’s bye bye, clock; hello, bright screen and... Symbian S60 V5? The multiple home-screens alone convey very little change between Symbian^3 and its predecessor, with 3 screens, each with a grid of 8 spaces for optional widgets that can be added or removed by a long press. The bottom part of the homescreen contains three keys: options (relating to homescreen options only), homescreen switcher (indicated by three dots) and call (bringing up the dialer). The menu is accessed using the physical button to the bottom left of the Nokia N8’s screen, though a shortcut to the menu can be added to the homescreen, if you prefer.

Symbian^3 has been the subject of much speculation over the past months, so is it a break-away from what made Symbian S60 V5 feel dated? Can it springboard Nokia’s touchscreen phones into the current generation of user interfaces? Does it offer something unique that no other mobile OS does? All these questions can be delved into now that we’ve got Symbian^3 on a premium handset in front of us, the Nokia N8.

Our Nokia N8 review unit is currently in standby mode. There is a large, semi-illuminated analogue clock displayed on the screen, which immediately adds a nice element of thoughtfulness to the OS. Unlock the phone and it’s bye bye, clock; hello, bright screen and... Symbian S60 V5? The multiple home-screens alone convey very little change between Symbian^3 and its predecessor, with 3 screens, each with a grid of 8 spaces for optional widgets that can be added or removed by a long press. The bottom part of the homescreen contains three keys: options (relating to homescreen options only), homescreen switcher (indicated by three dots) and call (bringing up the dialer). The menu is accessed using the physical button to the bottom left of the Nokia N8’s screen, though a shortcut to the menu can be added to the homescreen, if you prefer.

Nokia N8 specifications

also known as Nokia N98, Nokia N8-00

General info

Device type:
- Smart phone
Network technology:
Network technology - Referes to the kind of network technology used. Three major technologies are used today - TDMA, CDMA and GSM.
- GSM:
  GSM - Global System for Mobile communications. A world standard for digital cellular communications using narrowband TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), which allows up to eight calls at a time on 800 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies. Introduced in 1991. Is the standard most commonly used in Europe and Asia, but not in the United States. GSM phones use a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) smart card that contains user account information. Any GSM phone becomes immediately programmed after plugging in the SIM card, thus allowing GSM phones to be easily rented or borrowed. SIM cards can be programmed to display custom menus for personalized services.GSM provides a short messaging service (SMS) that enables text messages up to 160 characters in length to be sent to and from a GSM phone.
  - 850, 900, 1800, 1900
- UMTS:
  UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service, also called WCDMA, is a 3G (Third Generation) packet-based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia at data rates up to 2 Mbps. It is based on GSM standard and is supported by major standards bodies and manufacturers
  - 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100
Data:
Data - Shows the particular phone's type of data. the major mobile phone data types are GPRS, CDMA2000 1xRTT, EDGE, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, UMTS, etc.
- - EDGE
- UMTS:
  - Yes
- HSDPA:
  - Yes (HSDPA 10.2 Mbit/s)
- - HSUPA 2.0 Mbit/s

Design

Design:
Design - Phone design type
- Form Factor:
  Form Factor - Refers to the form factor of a phone. The main handset designs are bar, clamshell, slide, swivel
  - Candybar
- Dimensions:
  Dimensions - Phone's dimensions
  - 4.47 x 2.32 x 0.51 (113.5 x 59 x 12.9 mm)
- Weight:
  Weight - Phone's weight
  - 4.76 oz (135 g)
    the Average represents the mean value, calculated from all phones, from the last year.">average is 5.3 oz (151 g)
- Colors:
  - Black, Orange, Green, Blue, Gray

Display

Display:
Display - Phone's main display
- Technology:
  Technology - Refers to the type of the color displays. There are five major types: LCD, TFT, TFD, STN and OLED
  - OLED
- Resolution:
  Resolution - Refers to the width and the height of the display
  - 360 x 640 pixels
- Physical Size:
  - 3.50 inches
- Colors:
  Colors - Shows the number of colors that the display supports
  - 16 777 216
- Touch Screen:
  - - Yes (Capacitive)
- Multi-touch:
  - Yes
- Proximity Sensor:
  - Yes
- Light sensor:
  - Yes

Battery

Capacity:
Capacity - Shows the battery capacity in mAh
- 1200 mAh
Talk time:
Talk time - Maximum talk time in hours
- 12.00 hours
  the Average represents the mean value, calculated from all phones, from the last year.">average is 7 h (448 min)
Stand-by time:
Stand-by time - maximum Stand-by time in hours
- 390 hours
  the Average represents the mean value, calculated from all phones, from the last year.">average is 433 h (18 days)
Talk time (3G):
- 5.83 hours
Stand-by time (3G):
- 400 hours
Video call time:
- 2.66 hours

Software

Smart Phone:
Smart Phone - Phone that has capabilities, not usually associated with phones. Usually it has some of the above features: - Email, Web browsing - Personal information management - LAN connectivity etc
- - Yes
- OS:
  OS - Operating system, which is the software that enables and controls the basic operation of an electronic device. The major OS for mobile phones are UIQ over Symbian, Microsoft Mobile for Pocket PC Phone Edition, Microsoft Mobile for Smartphones, Linux, Palm
  - Symbian (Symbian^3)
Processor:
- - ARM 11
- Processor speed:
  - 680 MHz
Memory:
- 256 MB RAM / 512 MB ROM
3D Graphics hardware accelerator:
- - Yes
Adjustable Interface text size:
- Yes

Camera

Camera:
Camera - Camera specs
- - Yes
- Resolution:
  Resolution - Shows the particular phone's camera resolution. The major mobile phone camera resolutions available are QCIF; CIF; VGA (640x480); 1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.0 and 3.0 megapixels.
  - 12.1 megapixels
- Flash:
  - Yes (Xenon)
- Features:
  - Auto focus, Image stabilizer, Video stabilizer, Face detection, Exposure control, Geo tagging, Self-timer
Video capture:
- - Yes
- - Resolution:
    Resolution - Shows whether the particular phone's camera can record a video clip
    - 1280x720 (720p HD) (25 fps)
- Recording format:
  - MPEG4, H.264
Additional camera:
- Yes (0.3 megapixels VGA)
Video Calling:
Video Calling - Feature allowing you to not only listen but also view the other party.
- Yes

Multimedia

Music Player:
Music Player - Audio support such as MP3
- - Yes
- Supports:
  - MP3, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, WMA, AMR
- Filter by:
  - Album, Artist, Genre, Playlists
Video Playback:
Video Playback - Video support such as MPEG4
- - Yes
- Supports:
  - MPEG4, H.263, H.264, DivX, XviD, WMV, RealVideo 10
Radio:
- - Yes
- Type:
  - FM
FM Transmitter:
- Yes
YouTube player:
- Yes

Internet browsing

Internet Browsing:
Internet Browsing - Capability to access special Internet sites using the mobile phone
- - Yes
- Supports:
  - HTML, XHTML, Flash Lite, RSS, CSS, WML
Built-in online services support:
- Facebook, OVI, Twitter

Location Based Services

- Location Based Services:
  - Yes
- Type:
  - GPS, A-GPS
- Navigation:
  - Yes
- Features:
  - Points of interest (POI), Turn-by-turn navigation, Voice navigation

Phonebook

Support:
- Yes
Capacity:
- Capacity depends on system memory
Features:
- Caller groups, Multiple numbers per contact, Search by both first and last name, Picture ID, Ring ID

Organizer

Calendar:
- - Yes
Alarms:
- - Yes
To-Do / Tasks:
- - Yes
Document Viewer:
- - Yes
Other:
- Calculator, World Clock

Messaging

SMS:
- - Yes
Templates:
Templates - Pre-set text that can be used to quickly send common messages without typing the message itself
- Yes
E-mail:
E-mail - Shows if the phone supports email features
- - Yes (IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange, Push e-mail)

Memory

Memory Expansion:
Memory Expansion - Capability to add additional memory to your phone.
- Slot Type:
  Slot Type - Shows what type of additional memory can be added to the particular phone. Eight major memory slot types are available: MMC, SD, CF, Memory Stick Duo, miniSD, RS MMC, TransFlash (microSD), Memory Stick Pro Duo
  - microSD, microSDHC
- Maximum card size:
  Maximum card size - Shows the capacity of the memo0ry expansion slot that can be added
  - 32 GB
Built-in:
- 16384 MB

Connectivity

Bluetooth:
Bluetooth - Low power radio technology replacing the need for wires connecting electronic devices such as personal computers, printers, palm top computers and mobile phones.
- - Yes
- Version:
  Version - Shows the paricular phone's Bluetooth version
  - 3.0
Wi-Fi:
Wi-Fi - Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) - used radio waves (RF) or infrared signals to send and receive data over the air. Most popular WLAN solutions today is Wi-Fi (802.11b and 802.11g) standards. 801.11b provides data speeds of around 11mbps while 802.11g can go up to 54 mbps.
- - Yes (802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n)
USB:
- - Yes
- Type:
  - microUSB
- Version:
  - USB 2.0
- Features:
  Features - Universal Serial Bus - is a plug-and-play interface for connection a computer and add-on devices such as joysticks, keyboards, wireless phones, scanner, cameras etc. USB supports hot-swap (ability to add a new device without having to reboot the computer). USB supports data speed of 12 megabits per second.
  - Mass storage device, USB Host, USB charging
Headphones connector:
- 3.5mm
TV-Out:
- Yes
HDMI:
- - Yes (Mini HDMI (Type C))
Tethering:
- Yes

Other features

Additional microphone:
- - Yes
- Used for:
  - Video recording
Sensors:
- - Accelerometer, Compass

Availability

Officially announced:
- Yes (27 Apr 2010)
Scheduled release:
Scheduled release - Shows when is the particular phone scheduled to be made available to the public in North America
- Q4 2010 (Official)
MSRP price:
- - 370 €