Introduction
When the Nokia N8 was released, it seemed like Nokia’s way of announcing to the world that they still have what it takes in the world of smartphones. The phone is considered to be the best among the Nokia N Series phones so far, pioneering the Symbian ^3 OS and having a lot of features that appeal to all kinds of individuals. Although many (probably including the very engineers who designed it) would say that the Nokia N8 was never designed to compete with the iPhone 4, it does offer the best camera in smartphones today. Read on to learn more about this powerful device that is the best that Nokia has to offer to date.
Contents of the Box
The Nokia N8 comes with plenty of hardware that would allow you to use all of the features of the phone to your heart’s content. Aside from the charger, manual and data cable, it also comes with several other short cables. This includes one that plugs into the microUSB port with a female USB jack end, and another which is a male miniHDMI to a female standard HDMI adapter that would allow you to use a regular cable to connect your phone to your HDTV.
Design and Construction
There is really nothing to dislike about the overall appearance of the Nokia N8. It has sleek aluminum on its sides and its back and a large AMOLED touchscreen. On the right side, you would find the camera button, the volume control buttons and a hidden 3.5mm audio jack. On the left side, you would find the slots for the microSD card and a microUSB jack. On the top portion of the unit, there are two TV-out slots: one is for Dolby digital and the other is for 720p video. On the bottom, you would see the power adapter plug and at the back, you would see the 12 megapixel camera.
It comes in five colors that use anodized scratch-proof paint: Dark Gray, Green, Blue, Orange and Silver White. If you love phones that are made of metal, then the N8 is something that you would fall for at first glance. It scores high for looks and durability; the only thing that you might not like about it would be that it has a non-removable battery, but then again, so does the iPhone 4.
User Interface
The Nokia N8 is the first device to use the Symbian^3 OS, which Nokia announced to be their answer to the iOS and Android. However, although it is a big step towards the right direction, it is not in the same level as the iOS as it still needs several improvements. It does offer plenty of nice changes in the user interface layout and functionality.
Features
The most notable among the long list of features that the Nokia N8 has would be its 12 megapixel camera which comes with a powerful xenon flash, a mechanical shutter, a 28mm wide-angle lens, a built-in ND filter and a front glass element that is made with hardened glass. It is definitely the phone that you would like to have if you leave your trusty camera at home on a once-in-a-lifetime trip since it also allows 720p video recording.
Some of the other features of the Nokia N8 include a stereo FM Radio, an A-GPS receiver that comes pre-installed with Ovi Maps 3.0. It supports SMS, Email, Push Email and most Social Networking platforms. It has a capable music player that supports common audio formats including MP3, WMA, WAV and eAAC+; and a video player that supports DivX, XviD, MP4, H.264, H.263 and WMV.
For connectivity, it has GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0; and for storage, it comes with 16GB of internal storage and can support up to 32GB external storage via a microSD.
Performance
In the past, a lot of Nokia smartphones have been criticized for the poor performance of their cameras; with the Nokia N8, this issue seems to be a thing of the past. The unit also comes with a 680 MHz ARM 11 processor and an integrated 3D graphics accelerator, making it a breeze to work with, whether you are sending email messages or viewing videos.
The Verdict
You are definitely getting a lot of value for your money by buying the Nokia N8, as far as its design, quality and features are concerned. If you are looking for a good overall device for just about anything you can think of, the Nokia N8 is sure to do the job.
Contents of the Box: 4.5 out of 5
Design and Construction: 4.5 out of 5
User Interface: 4 out of 5
Features: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4.5 out of 5
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
