The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet was introduced at the Las Vegas CES (International Consumer Electronics Show) Summit in January 2007. It should be noted that the N800 should not be directly compared with other smartphones or PDAs in the market. Web browsing is perfect with the N800 especially when traveling. It also offers an easy-to-use web browser. Other offerings of the N800 include a built-in Webcam, a gorgeous screen, a Wi-Fi, and improved performance, as compared to its predecessor, the Nokia N770.
N800′s lightened up its all-black casing and added up a sleek silver design. It sports a dimension of 2.9 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches and weight of 7.2 ounces. The Internet tablet is slim enough to fit in the bag, and sliding it inside the pocket may not be a good idea. It also includes a kickstand, located on the bottom of the device, for propping it in the desk.
The front interface of the N800 includes a wide screen, 65,000-color display at a resolution of 800 x 400 pixels, wherein texts and images are displayed sharp and bright and are readable in sunlight. It also includes an option for touch screen, which if chosen, will defer the navigation controls.
A four-way directional keypad with a center OK button, an Escape key, a Menu button, and a Swap key are located on the left side of the screen. Zoom in and out, switch to full-screen mode, and power on and off keys are on the top. Located on the left spine of N800 is a built-in webcam for video calls. This feature will pop out by pressing in the circular section in the upper edge of the unit. The webcam can also be rotated 180 degrees. The stylus is held on the right spine, together with the power connector and 3.5mm stereo audio-out jack. N800 also offers two expansion slots located in the bottom of the unit and behind the battery cover. Each slot can accept up to 2GB cards.
While the other phones in the NSeries are getting gaga on the multimedia features, the N800′s redemption is on its web features. N800′s greatest assets lie on its speed, and portability. Connection through Internet can be done via the integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g). The Opera 8 Web browser allows watching videos from YouTube and Google Video, aside from being an outstanding browser.
Inputting texts is possible through a stylus with the onscreen keyboard or through the full-screen keyboard. The handwriting recognition mode can also be useful, however the best alternative will always be a Bluetooth accessory keyboard such as such as the Nokia Wireless Keyboard, especially for writing long e-mails.
Don’t forget this fact: the Nokia N800 is not a phone but you can still make calls using Voice over IP (VoIP). Call your friends using Google Talk, Jabber and Skype. Users can also listen to music and video via the media player. A big problem with the N800 is that it doesn’t allow PC synchronization and PIM tools, but one can easily download applications on their visit to the Maemo.org website.
The introduction of the Nokia N96 marked a two-year gap on its predecessor, the Nokia N95. While it’s normal that anticipations surfaced on N96′s possible fresh offerings to users, it showed otherwise because many were alarmed on its high price despite being almost identical with the N95, on design and on features. Does such reaction from critics justifiable?
As stated above, the Nokia N96 is very much comparable with the N95; however the N96 features a more streamlined design. Nokia N96 has smooth edges and round corners. Sleek black is the color of the N96 while N95 is matt and silver. It has a dimension of 4.05 x 2.16 x by 0.71 inches and weight of 4.41 ounces. N96 boasts a 16 million-color display on its 2.8-inch QVGA resolution screen.
N96 projects a bright and colorful display which automatically adjusts according to environmental conditions. In addition, the N96, with a thickness of 8mm, is slimmer than the N95, making it more comfortable to the pocket. The N96 shares the dual-slide design of the N95. Sliding the phone forward shows the numeric keypad, sliding it backward reveals a small selection of music player control keys.
The latter option also automatically sets the screen to widescreen. Some are complaining with the keypad. The N96′s keypad is entirely flat and without significant definition at all. The back of the handset is where the 5-megapixel camera is located while the top is where the 3.5mm headphone jack is situated. It can also be transformed in to a mini TV set by flipping the stand out, meaning users can watch videos without the assistance of a desk.
However, the features division of the N96 makes it a copycat of the N95. It boasts the trio of the best features: HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS, very impressive for a smartphone. It also includes A-GPS, a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and A2DP stereo Bluetooth. Here’s the problem if the predecessor already has the best add-ons, surpassing is almost next to impossible. A big improvement with the N96 is the inclusion of the 16GB of internal storage, in addition to a microSD expansion slot, a feature that is comparable with the Apple iPhone. N96 also included a built-in DVB-H TV tuner, which received DVB-H broadcast signals for mobile TV channels.
N96 runs on Symbian OS version 9.3 S60, with the productivity tools associated with the N95 were just retained. Other features of the N96 are the following: digital music player, FM radio, support for podcasts and Internet radio, e-mail, text and multimedia messaging and USB 2.0. The GPS also includes maps and voice directions. It is also a quadband phone (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and also supports roaming capabilities. It also supports both the 900 and 2100 3G bands. It also allows instant upload to Flickr, Vox, Yahoo and Google.
To be fair with the N96, it remains to be a good catch for business and casual mobile users alike, as far as feature and design are concerned. However, since it’s still new in the market, the price of $780 still appears to be a burden that users may tend to be practical and choose the older and now cheaper, N95 instead.
The Nokia N95 has been one of the most popular smartphones in the NSeries, having been introduced way back 2006 and it remained on its pedestal up to now, continuing to allure the public. This Symbian smartphone could have predicted the wants of the users so early, considering the inclusion of a 5-megapixel camera alongside an impressive multimedia and wireless features, it has successfully remained a cast on the mobile market.
Nokia N95 broke the law of physics by compacting all of its features in a small gadget with a dimension of 3.8 x 2.1 x 0.8 inches and a weight of 4.2 ounces. The phone is easy to use and comfortable to hold. Its design and color scheme made it more sophisticated. One great innovation in N95 is the two-way slider. By sliding the front cover up, the alphanumeric keypad will be revealed. By sliding it down, the media player controls will be exposed. The only problem with this is that the phone is too easy to slide open and a stronger mechanism to lock the phone could have been used. N95′s display is a large 2.6-inch TFT screen that runs 16 million color at a 320 x 320-pixel resolution. Text and images are shown bright and sharp and the screen automatically adjusts according to environmental lighting conditions.
N95′s buttons remain the same as that of the other models: Talk and End buttons, main menu and multimedia menu shortcuts, Clear key, Edit key and four-way toggle. N95′s keypad is large and easy to press. A headset jack is located on the left side, together with the infrared port and the microSD expansion slot. The volume rocker, camera activation and shortcut to photo gallery are on the right side. The camera lens and flash are covered by the slide on the back. The power connector and mini USB port are on the bottom while the power button is on top.
N95 is a gift from the heavens for multimedia addicts. It proudly included a 5-megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, and the picture quality is great, it is comparable with a normal digital camera. Users can also adjust the the brightness, contrast, white balance, color tone, ISO light sensitivity, and exposure value. It can also record video at 640×480-pixel resolution with sound.
The N95 has an integrated music player that supports a variety of formats and RealPlayer for video. It also includes an FM radio. Another great feature of the N95 is the incorporation of Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi and GPS in a single device. The Bluetooth profiles support hands-free kits, wireless keyboards, and A2DP for Bluetooth stereo headsets. The GPS receiver of N95 has an additinal bonus: a mapping application that supplies color maps and route planning, which can be subscribed. Surfing the net is at its best with the Wi-Fi.
Phone capabilities of N95 are speakerphone, speed dial, conference calling, voice-command support, a vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging. It also includes a number of productivity applications according to the Symbian operating system. It has the QuickOffice application that can view Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. It also supports the following e-mail accounts: IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP.
Nokia N93i is a fold-and-twist smartphone, a slimmed-down but pumped up spin-off of Nokia N93. Most people would argue though that like its forerunner, it is more of a camcorder phone than a smartphone.
Nokia N93i is still bulky at 2.2 in x 4.6 in x 1.1 in and 163 g; however, it is already a good 5mm thinner and 17g less than its predecessor. It looks strikingly attractive with its large, shiny mirror-backed screen and two-toned silver/black exterior.
Nokia used an Organic Light-emitting Diode (OLED) for the phone’s 2.4-inch screen, helping it to extend battery life as OLEDs do not require backlight to function. With a large 240 x 320 pixel display, message sending, web browsing and personal information managing is easier and enjoyable.
The screen gives an impressive view of your applications with its vivid and vibrant colors. Its 16 million color display makes your pictures come alive! However, you might find it disappointing as the outer layer of the screen is too reflective when used outdoors. Especially with sunlight, the contrast is compromised, giving out a glare and blurring the icons on the screen.
One cool thing about this Transformers look-alike phone is that it twists and rearranges in your hand to form a gun-like video camcorder, positioning your thumb rightly on the big record button with an intuitive zoom rocker around it. Video recording from a phone has never been this fun and classy. Its screen is also built to flip around and sit like a laptop, serving as a portable media viewer. It also has a TV out that allows straight connection to a V or monitor, so you can watch your recorded video on TV monitor and even create and manage slideshows with music. How cool is that?
As for connectivity, which is what makes a phone a smartphone, N93i is included in the top list of excellent Web browser with its user friendly Wi-Fi set up connection. It has GPRS data connection and wireless access via 802.11b and Bluetooth 2.0.
Sure, there are 5 mega pixel cameras around now, making N93i’s 3.2 mega pixel Carl Zeiss lens seem less impressive. However, its hinge-mounted 3.0 x optical zoom camera compensates for this. It even allows you to go further to a 20 x digital zoom. So your photos appear as crisp and vivid, if not more, as they would in a 5 mega pixel camera. Also, it has a tiny LED light under the lens for close-up photos in the dark.
Video shooting in this phone is not only flashy but also easy to master as it only has limited features, which include auto and night scene modes. Nokia’s promise is that this phone would give you DVD quality video. Critics on the other hand, beg to differ, saying that its quality is no different from a webcam output. Although it is a full 30 frames per second, the resolution is very low.
The major failing of this smartphone is in its battery. From N93’s 1100mAh, it is now a 950mAh BL-5F, which has reduced capacity. Nokia claims that battery life could last 11 days. However, tests proved that moderate calls and Bluetooth use drain the battery in four days. Media player can also drain it in six hours. And for a full Wi-Fi and camcorder use, N93i could only last 3.5 hours.
Forget the sins of the Nokia N96, as the Nokia N85 is here to save the phone model in distraught. This gizmo is a real entertainer, having been equipped with music and video playback features, 3D gaming and GPS and unlike N96′s robustness the N85 features a slimmer and sleeker frame.
Commonalities between the N85 and N96 still exist; one is the two-way, sliding keypad mechanism. Push the phone upwards to reveal the traditional keypad and push it downwards to reveal four multi-function buttons that change in every mode. These buttons light up as playback controls in media mode, extra control buttons in game mode and zoom in/out buttons in web browser mode. Sliding the phone also changes the phone’s display layout. Show the normal keypad and it is in landscape mode; show the media controls and it is in portrait mode. N85′s usage of the Organic LED screen is a first in the N series handsets, a cool change since OLED displays consume less power compared to TFT screens. While the usage of OLED to other phones yields some disappointments, N85 did it right with its bright and vivid colors, although getting used to it is a little challenge especially for TFT-addicts who might find the N85′s screen look different.
Its music department comes with top-notch features including the standard, easy to use S60 music player. Store hundred, thousands of songs in the 8GB microSD card and listen in private with your favorite headset by plugging it in the standard headphone jack. You better think twice if you really want to replace the bundled headphones that are actually pretty good, and it comes with an inline remote control, microphone and hands-free calling. Another cool feature is its built-in FM transmitter for beaming tracks to your car stereo or FM radio at home.
Gaming is another plus points to the N85, with the rebirth of the NGage software platform embedded in the unit. Preloaded games include FiFa 08 and System Rush.
Connectivity-wise, the N85 also excels. It has Wi-Fi and HSDPA. There are some complaints with the web pages, but it’s good news that they load and display smoothly and quickly. There is always a solution with the bittersweet browser though, just download Opera mobile for the phone and experience the improvement. The built-in GPS also works wells with the Nokia maps software.
There are two cameras in the Nokia N85, one in front for 3G video calling and the 5-megapixel, with Carl Zeiss optics, on the rear. The sensor is covered with a lens cover, and when slid back, the phone automatically switches into camera mode. The rear camera has both autofocus and a dual LED flash and the image quality is bordering on the okay side.
To date, voice calls and SMS/MMS capabilities are nothing but the core and reviewing them is sometimes unnecessary. Most phone reviews are targeted on the extras and basing on this criterion, the N85 does well.
Another NSeries phone is the Nokia N82, which is reminiscent of the Nokia N95. N82 retained N95’s 5.0-Megapixel camera, with additional Xenon flash. The N82 is a Symbian smartphone that continues to offer the best features in mobile technology. One downside of the N82, however, is its design and many have wished that it could have been better. The bottom line is N82 remained to be a high-end multimedia smartphone.
While some users may fall love at first sight with N82 from a distance, they might get disappointed on a closer look. The phone felt plasticky, despite the silver-colored exterior, and the alphanumeric keypad is very hard to use. Blame it to its small dimensions of 4.4 x 1.9 x 0.6 inches, while it looked cute, the keys appeared to have forced to fit into place. The keys are tiny, and even the Talk and End buttons, shortcuts, clear button and navigation toggle aren’t out of the question. The Nokia N82′s 2.4-inch display runs 16.7 million colors at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. It detects ambient light and its brightness adjust accordingly. Two speakers are located on the right spine, at the top and bottom, together with the camera activation and capture button, shortcut to photo gallery and volume control.
The left spine is where the micro USB port, power connector and microSD expansion slot are connected. The power button and headphone jock are on top while the camera lens and flash are on the back side, protected by the sliding cover. As with the other members of the NSeries family, the N82 has a powerful multimedia features, one of which is the 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash.
Editing images are at par in N82, and the user can pick among five image qualities, eight scene modes and five color tone options. N82′s camera also includes features for white balance, exposure, sharpness, contrast, and light sensitivity. Add up the fact that Nokia finally managed to take photos with impressive picture quality unlike the earlier models.
Listening to music and watching videos in N82 is a total delight, with a number of files supported. Users can easily categorize tracks according to albums, artists, genres or composers and create playlists right on the phone. An FM radio is also included, although it is dependent on the included headset as it acts as a tuner. It also works with Nokia Ovi which showcases the Nokia Music Store and Nokia Maps.
N82 is a quadband phone and it offers world roaming, speakerphone, speed dialing, conference calling and voice command support. It also supports SMS and MMS. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi and GPS. Among the e-mail accounts supported by N82 are IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP For productivity tools, N82 runs on Symbian operating system. Among its applications are the Quickoffice, for viewing Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files, Adobe Reader, Zip manager, voice recorder and a lot more.
This time when touchscreens were way overrated, an ordinary looking candy bar mobile phone with the usual-looking keypad is a sigh of relief. An addition to Nokia’s N-series, the N79 a mid-range phone that are sensible enough for the common user.
Laden with a very pleasing external and offering a comfortable grip, the Nokia N79 measures 110mm x 49mm x 15mm and weighs 97 grams. It features a flat number pad to give space to 2.4-in screen with clear and bright 320 x 240 pixels resolution. The screen is good enough to make us appreciate its multimedia offerings. The screen is also equipped with an accelerometer that responds accordingly to every turn of the hand.
Shortcut buttons are situated between the screen and the number pad. A Nokia Multimedia Key is located on the far left, just like the other N-series phones, which will takes its users to a revolving menu of multimedia offerings like Internet, music, photos, and gaming. The Navi wheel is reminiscent of the iPod’s scrolling capability, but not as responsive yet still works well, and you can enable/disable this function. There is also a slider on the top edge of the handset that locks and unlocks the phone.
Customize N97′s shell among three Xpress-on back plates choices (brown, lime green and blue), although you can only replace the back, with the front portion remains at white. No problems with this though, because the front and back’s theme will definitely match.
Connectivity options in the N79 include 3G with HSDPA with download speeds to 3.6Mbps and Wi-Fi. It supports quad-band GSM, GPRS and EDGE. Two-way video calling is possible with the N79, with its front camera and a 5MP main camera equipped with Carl Zeiss lens on the rear. It has a dual LED flash auto focus and a macro mode that helps take the best indoor shoots. Overall image quality is good, although capturing moving images is a little tricky because of high shutter lag.
Music is a high point in the N79. It has stereo speakers located on the upper and lower right edge of the phone that produce nice and loud sounds. A 3.5mm headset jack is located on the top edge of the phone. Listen to music for ten straight hours and the battery can deal with it.
It is equipped with 50MB of internal memory and a microSD card slot that can handle a 4GB card for your files. It has FM radio and an FM transmitter and support for Nokia Music Store. You can also download games with this, being a N-gage phone.
Another wow factor in the N79 is the built-in GPS receiver and pre-installed Nokia Maps that works well with the accelerometer. Other productivity tools include calculator, calendar, PDF reader, unit converter, notes taker and QuickOffice for reading Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.
The Nokia N78 was first introduced as the GSMA 2008. It continued the tradition of the Nokia NSeries, as it focused on the improvements on multimedia. N78 includes the 3.2-Megapixel camera (that can also record video), and MP3 player, an FM radio, and a group of other features that remain commendable.
Available in three colors: pearl white, cocoa brown and blue lagoon, the design of the Nokia N78 is similar to N82, only slimmer. N78 has a dimension of .4 x 1.9 x. 0.6 inches, with a weight of 3.6 ounces. The phone is compact and very comfortable to hold and to keep in the pocket. Its 2.4-inch QVGA display has 16 million colors at a 320 x 20 pixel resolution. Texts and images are bright and sharp, and can be read in any environments. Navigation arrays in the N78 include two soft keys, Talk and End buttons and a four-way navigation toggle and a shortcut to multimedia menu.
The alphanumeric keys, aside from void of spaces, are only visible with the backlit. Some find this as a design flaw, giving problems to user with bigger thumbs. The volume rocker and camera activation key are located on the right side, while the microUSB connector, microSD expansion slot and a power connector are on the left.
There are speakers on both sides. The camera lens and fans are on the back side while the power button and a 3.5mm headphone jack are on top. Multimedia mogul” has slowly become a cliché in the world of the NSeries but aside from its music, video and imaging capabilities, the N78 boasts its integrated GPS to help with navigation. This features offers real-time position tracking, thanks to the help of the preloaded Nokia Maps Application. Other tools included in the software are the satellite and hybrid maps and pedestrian and bicycle modes. This feature can be activated on a subscription basis.
The 3.2-Megapixel camera features the Carl Zeiss optics, with 20x zoom and auto focus. It also includes five image qualities, eight scene modes and five color tone options and features for white balance, exposure, sharpness, contrast, and light sensitivity. It can also record video clips at 30 frames per second. Uploading photos and videos to the internet is also easy as the N78 includes direct access to Flickr, Vox and Ovi. However, enthusiasts of the camera phone should be warned: don’t expect that the picture quality is at its best with N78.
N78’s music player supports the following formats: MP3, WMA, W4A, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ files whie the RealPlayer can play 3GPP and MPEG-4 files. There’s 70MB internal memory, but can reach to 8GB with the microSD expansion slot. One thing that users should not forget about the N78 is that it is still a phone. It is a competent phone, with quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, speed dial, conference calling, voice-command support, a vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging it.
Another monumental piece in the line of mobile phones under the NSeries is the Nokia N77, among the only few mobile phones that has a commendable mobile TV function. This phone was released in 2007, supporting GSM 900/ 1800/ 1900 and WCDMA 2100 networks. This smartphone’s additional multimedia capability has let business persons and casual users the chance to enjoy viewing mobile broadcast content and accessing interactive services.
The Nokia N77 sports a dimension of 111 x 50 x 18.8 millimeters and weight of 114 grams. Its large 2.4 inches high-color and resolution QVGA screen displays texts and images in good color and brightness and it automatically adjusts according to environmental conditions. It presents high-quality viewing of broadcasts and videos to users.
The phone is also easy to grip, thanks to its candy-bar type design. It also features a 2.0-Megapixel camera that can take pictures in a 1600 x 1200 pixel-resolution. A built-in flash is included, with 16X zoom and can also be used for video recording and video calling.
What made N77 special is the mobile TV, supporting DVB-H broadcasts. Dedicated TV control buttons are also included, with program guide and live TV recording. Of course, the penultimate media features like the music player is still embedded in the N77 technology and with help of a high-quality stereo sound, music in MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA formats will be heard at their best. Those who are aiming for a more private listening can opt to choose the 3.5mm jack, allowing standard headphones to be connected as well.
Nokia N77 has a dedicated TV key that allows users to access the DVB-H TV. Here are the things that users can do with the N77: remember the last channel viewed before switching off the TV, set reminders to alert the start of a program, 30 seconds replay, view program information up to seven days through the program guide, browse TV channels, and purchase new channels. Other features of the N77 include hands free speaker, push-to-talk over cellular, still image editor, syncML, themes and the visual radio
N77 has been incorporated with 20.0 MB memory although users can easily beef it up to 2.0 GB with external memory with microSD memory cards. The N77 runs on the Symbian S60 OS and supports tri-band GSM and 3G, which allows the user to engage on video calls. The USB and Pop port allows the user to connect the N77 to the PC. Bluetooth, GPRS and EDGE are also available. It shows that no matter how Nokia’s multimedia capabilities have catapulted an ultimate high in N77 it shows that the basics remains at best, with regards to phone and e-mail functions.
Avaliable in colors red and black is another smartphone in the Nokia NSeries, the Nokia N76. This slim flip phone has magnificently slammed into it truckloads of features, with a strong focus on music, just like the N75. Its speaker also produces one of the best sound qualities for a phone.
Nokia N76′s attractive design is reminiscent of the Motorola Razr. The N76 sports a dimension of 4.1 x 2 x 0.5 inches. Just like the N75, it also offers a 1.3-inch external screen, displaying an impressive 262,000 colors at a 160×128-pixel resolution. This screen displays standard information ((time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID) and can also act as the camera’s viewfinder Dedicated music controls are also located below the display.
Once opened, users will get awe with the presence of the 2.4-inch internal screen,
that features 16 million-color at a 320×240-pixel resolution. Texts and images are displayed in a vibrant and bright colors and the screen easily adjusts according to the environmental conditions. Personalizing it is also possible by changing the screensavers and wallpaper designs.
The QWERTY design is absent in the N76, although the alphanumeric keypad is already promising, thanks to the keys’ large sizes and spaces. Aside from the keypad, the front panel is composed of the standard navigation composed of two soft keys, Talk and End buttons, shortcuts to the Main and Multimedia menus, an Edit key, a Clear button, and a four-way toggle with a central select key. The left side of the phone is where the microSD expansion slot and power connector port are located. The right side is where the volume rocker, camera-activation key, and image-to-video mode are situated. The camera lens is located on the back while the power button, a mini USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack are on the top-edge. The 2.0-Megapixel camera also allows video recording.
N76′s focus on the music is directly reminiscent with the N75. The music player supports MP3, WMA, M4A, AAC, and eAAC+ formats with its library categorizes tracks according to artists, albums, genres and composers. Creating playlists is also possible with the N76. When storing music files, users remember that the internal memory of the N76 is limited to 26MB and a 2GB microSD cards are always helpful. FM radio is also available, although it is dependent with the headset that acts as tuner.
RealPlayer plays video in 3GPP and MPEG4 format.
While the developers of the Nokia N76 focused on the multimedia capabilities, to say that the phone features are in trouble may be deemed incongrous, in a sense. First, it is a quadband phone and offers world roaming and other perks of the other Nseries phones. Second, while it doesn’t support the 3G unlike the N75, it supports EDGE for Web browsing and Bluetooth 2.0 for hands-free kits and wireless headsets. Third, it runs the 3rd Edition of the S60 (Symbian) platform with Feature Pack 1 and offers a number.
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