85
Nokia N8
$599.00
Released August, 2010
The Pros:HDMI output! 12MP camera with Carl-Zeiss optics & Xenon flash. 720p high-definition video recording.
The Cons:Still uses ARM11 instruction set processor - slower than ARM Cortex. Runs the unproven Symbian ^3 operating system - no guarantees it will be around in the long term, limited application selection compared to the well-established competition. No official guarantee about compatibility with S60v5 applications. At least not communicated in product marketing!
Scheduled to be released in 2H 2010, the Nokia N8 will be a media-rich smartphone and the first to feature Nokia's open-source Symbian^3 operating system. The phone's media features include a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, xenon flash, face recognition, 720p HD video recording, video editing software, an HDMI output, Dolby Digital Plus technology, on-demand Web TV, Bluetooth stereo audio streaming, video calling with secondary front-facing camera, 16GB internal storage (expandable via standard microSD cards), FM radio, an integrated FM transmitter (for audio output to car stereos), and Adobe Flash Lite 4.0.
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For in-car navigation, Nokia throws in free Ovi Maps Navigation with car and pedestrian mode. In contrast to many other navigation solutions, this package offers free voice-guidance, free map updates, and global map availability. Navigation can be used offline, i.e. map data is stored locally on the device, so that the user can move independently from 3G data network coverage. The handset will come in white, gray, orange, blue, and green.
Features
- Emphasis on media use
- HDMI connection, 720p output
- 12MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, HD video recording, Xenon flash
- 3.5" touchscreen, OLED lighting
- GPS receiver with compass
- WebTV access
- Customizable and downloadbale widgets and apps
- Bluetooth 3.0
- FM Radio
- USB on-the-go functionality (for connecting USB mass storage devices to the phone)
- GSM/3G compatible
- Multiple personal data management applications
- Approximately 6 hours of battery life (talk time)
User Reviews (22)
Pros & Cons
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14
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9
12MP camera with Carl-Zeiss optics & Xenon flash
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9
720p high-definition video recording
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8
free worldwide, voice-guided offline GPS navigation included!
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8
expandable via standard microSD memory cards (up to 32GB)
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8
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7
integrated FM transmitter (audio out for car stereos)
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7
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7
capacitive AMOLED display with multitouch (pinch-to-zoom, etc.)
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7
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7
USB On-The-Go allows plugging in and use USB mass storage devices such as flash drives, external hard drives, or card readers
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6
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6
Charges also over same charger connector as old Nokia phones like N95. So not only microUSB.
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5
3D graphics hardware accelerator with OpenGL ES 2.0 support
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5
very smooth and extremely responsive user interface
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4
thin aluminum body (12.9mm)
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4
Battery easier to change than iPhone battery. You just need a torx screwdriver?
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4
penta-band 3G radio supports every GSM-based 3G operator in Europe and the US
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4
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4
light and proximity sensors, accelerometer and magnetometer
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4
Gorilla Glass protected display - highly scratch resistant
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3
quite compact compared to the majority of oversized smart phones on the market
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3
will be updated to what was called Symbian^4; will receive any future UI updates
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1
is a great device for entertainment
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-1
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6
still uses ARM11 instruction set processor - slower than ARM Cortex
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4
runs the unproven Symbian ^3 operating system - no guarantees it will be around in the long term, limited application selection compared to the well-established competition
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2
No official guarantee about compatibility with S60v5 applications. At least not communicated in product marketing!
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-2
Aluminum body causes bad reception?
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-2
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-2
Screen is quite small for looking at 12 megapixel photos, especially because it is widescreen, so display is narrow. Some competitors have 4.3" screen.s
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-2
Not usable with fingernails and sharp objects like N97 and N97 mini are.
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-2
No protector for 12MP camera.
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-2
16 GB storage, but how well does file system work in practice? With N97 you easily run out of space on C drive even if you have 10 GB free on mass media.
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Comments (2)
Erik:
#nokia_n8 I don't think it'll be an Android killer. Especially from a market share perspective. Windows Phone 7 has a much better chance at taking some of the wind out of Google's sails.
Oct 12, 10
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dom:
#nokia_n8 I was very skeptical at first about this phone, because it uses an older CPU architecture (ARM11). But with the kind of hardware acceleration they put into this thing, that actually matters much less. I couldn't find out what acceleration core they use, but its benchmarks are
very impressive and the video tutorials look really awesome, too. It might have a bit of a small screen with its 3.5", but it is a capacitive AMOLED, and the iPhone 4's screen is also still the same 3.5" size. The N8, however, does have that 12MP cam with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon, so it could benefit from a larger screen. Then again, there's battery life considerations....
What do you all think? Is this and Android killer or what?
Jun 11, 10
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