Review of the Nokia n8 prototype phone. Nokia N8: testing the best Symbian smartphone. reasons not to buy Nokia N8

General characteristics

Screen

Multimedia capabilities

Connection

Memory and processor

Nutrition

Other functions

Additional Information

Before purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.

Now let's talk about the design of the device, the main features of the new version of the OS, Symbian^3? Let me briefly repeat the key features of the smartphone. This is a capacitive AMOLED screen with glass protection and multi-touch, a hardware 3D accelerator, the ability to shoot HD video with stereo sound, and so on. What went wrong with last year's flagship N97 is fixed here. N8 was brought up to the level of the flagships of other companies in terms of hardware, plus they added a good camera (12 MP with xenon), features such as USB OTG (connecting a flash drive or even a hard drive to the phone), viewing unconverted video (mkv, avi in ​​720p play without problems), HDMI connector, Dolby Mobile 5.1 sound, 16 GB of internal memory + card slot, metal body made of anodized aluminum with one of five color options. The starting price is less than 20 thousand rubles.

With such a pricing policy, characteristics, and appearance, Nokia N8 takes out of the market delayed, comparatively priced Android smartphones such as Motorola XT720, SE X10, HTC Legend, and also casts doubt on at least some success of a number of upcoming multimedia devices, in particular, replacement the first bada smartphone from Samsung, Wave II model. You can make various arguments that the Android OS is somehow better, or the screen resolution is higher, but based on the totality of the characteristics of the N8, it is now out of reach, it is difficult not to admit it. Camera, memory, video processing, free navigation, and so on and so forth. I have no doubt at all that this device will become an unconditional bestseller from the first days of mass sales; in fact, the huge number of pre-orders received and contracts from European operators only confirm this. All other devices in this price segment remain in the shadows; their sales volume will drop by an order of magnitude. Here I’m talking not only about competitors’ devices, but also Nokia’s own models. Against the backdrop of the perfectly balanced N8, the Nokia C7, which will cost comparable but is functionally weaker, makes no sense. Also, the previous flagship N97 mini will disappear from sale in the near future, and the regular N97 is already disappearing. In the coming months, the N8 will take its place as the best multimedia smartphone not only in the Nokia lineup, but also in the market as a whole.

Nokia N8 Specifications:

· Networks : GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS / HSDPA 900/1900/2100

· Display: AMOLED 3.5”, touch, capacitive with multi-touch, 640x360 pixels, 16M colors

· Camera: 12 MP, autofocus, Carl Zeiss optics, video 1280x720, 25 fps, xenon flash

· Memory: 16 GB built-in, micro-SD memory card support

· Communications: Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, TV-Out ( HDMI)

· Built-in GPS module, free navigation OviMaps

· USB on the go

· 3.5 mm headset jack, DolbyMobile

· Battery: BL-4D, 1200 mAh

· Talk time - up to 12 hours

· Standby time - up to 400 hours

· Operating time in player mode - up to 50 hours

· Size: 113.5 x 59.1 x 12.9 mm

· Weight: 135 g

· Price: 19 990 rubles

· Beginning of October 2010

Design, convenience

I am pleased with the new design concept - beveled corners, minimalist design, noticeable metal texture. N8 is the first smartphone in this style; later similar variants will appear, first of all, E7. If previously the same design could be found within one line (for example, N78-N81-N86, or E51-E66-E71), now the naming system has changed and devices belong to lines only according to their characteristics. Hence, there are similar devices in different series; they are united by the time of release.

Regardless, the N8 is a nice step up from the previous plastic Nseries, excluding the most recent model (the N97 mini). The device is metal, made of aluminum sheet, only on the top and bottom there are small plastic inserts that match the body. There will be 5 colors in total - black, silver, blue, green and orange. A variety of color options is a new trend for Nokia, most devices come in bright colors, and I honestly like this trend - the standard black, white and silver options are pretty boring. Besides, diversity is always a plus, not a minus.

The build quality is excellent, with no gaps between the metal and plastic as seen on some other devices. The one-piece body is also a plus in terms of build quality. The problem (or rather, a related feature) is the non-removable battery. The Nokia N8 reboots by holding down the power key for 8 seconds in case of freezing, but no such problems arose during use. When dropped, the plastic ends can be damaged; I saw an N8 where cracks appeared, but this was solely due to a fall from a great height. If used carefully there will be no problems.

Compare with Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and Tag Heuer Meridiist GMT:

The slot for the memory card and SIM, respectively, are external, covered with plugs, they can be changed on the fly, but a reboot is required to search for a network. Right there, on the left side, there is a micro-USB connector with a small LED. Below is another charger socket (2 mm), compatible with older chargers. On the right side there are volume buttons and a camera start/shoot key, plus a very convenient lock slider. At the top end there is a standard 3.5 mm jack, a power button and a mini-HDMI under a flap. The location of the connectors is quite convenient, there are no complaints, except for the plugs for the memory card and SIM pretty tough.

There is a single button on the front surface, which is responsible for calling up the menu and switching between applications. Receiving/hanging up calls is virtual, which is not very convenient - for example, you can’t disconnect a GPRS connection by holding the end call button.

What else I would like to note is the very good quality of the surface coating. I noticed a video online where a smartphone is scratched with an iron coin, after which there are no marks left on it. During the operation of several prototypes, plus a commercial sample, no scratches appeared on the surface.

Screen

The screen is large, 3.5 inches, 43x77 mm, has an aspect ratio of 16:9. That is, the same size as the N97, but made using AMOLED technology, capacitive type, glass protection, and so on. That is, completely modern characteristics. Resolution is 640x360 pixels, qHD; compared to WVGA screens, the picture is not as smooth, but you shouldn’t find fault with this resolution - pixelation is invisible in any case; for 3.5 inches this resolution looks good.

Color reproduction is excellent, as are the viewing angles thanks to the use of an AMOLED matrix. This is not Samsung's Super AMOLED in the Galaxy S model, which has higher brightness and higher resolution, but the difference in perception is minimal, even if you compare these screens head-to-head. Well, when you buy it in a store, the Nokia N8 screen will seem perfect to you, or close to it. Indeed, this time the company managed to make an excellent product in terms of screen, after a couple of years of lost leadership in technology. The behavior in the sun is also excellent, the information is completely visible, there is a reflective transreflective layer.

Everyone has already seen a comparison of screens in the Samsung Galaxy S; I will give a comparison with the Sony Ericsson Satio (same resolution, size, but TFT technology). The advantage of N8 is obvious: colors are more natural, there are no overexposures in light areas.

There is a light sensor that adjusts the intensity of the screen backlight, as well as a proximity sensor. When you approach your face during a call, the screen is blocked; the description of this feature is standard and is used in many touch solutions. But you cannot force the maximum brightness; the phone will adjust the brightness depending on the lighting conditions, this is done to save more energy.

Camera

Nokia N8 has the largest list of hardware specifications among top camera phones to date. 12 MP resolution, Carl Zeiss optics, increased matrix size (1/1.83”), 28 mm wide-angle lens, xenon flash, mechanical shutter, HD video with stereo sound (two microphone system), extremely high speed. We checked the quality of shooting using many examples, compared with competitors, you can read all the conclusions about the camera in a separate material:

Battery

Nokia N8 comes with a B battery L-4D (capacity 1200 mA*h), this is a standard in the current line - exactly the same batteries in Nokia E7, C7, E5, and N97 mini . In some modes, the device shows record results: 45 hours of MP3 playback, more than 6 hours of video playback, 4 hours of games, 6 hours of browsing WiFi , 5 hours of GPS navigation.

That is, the difference with the previous type of battery (1500 mA*h) is compensated by another optimization of energy consumption. And I have to admit that Nokia some of the best in this area, at least switching to N8 after a long time of use Android -a smartphone brings only positive emotions in terms of advantages in operating time.

For most users, we get two days of stable operation, this is provided that widgets are active, listening to music for two to three hours a day, using the camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, and so on. Not a bad result for such a functional device, sufficient for many. If some activities are reduced, the work time may be 3 days.

Communications

Traditionally, there is a built-in Wi-Fi module, only 802.11 n has been added to the b and g standards. There is also a WLAN Wizard, a simple assistant for setting up a connection. There are quite a few options; if there is any network, it is proposed to create a connection, define a default access point, and there is network filtering. Security standards – WEP, WPA, WPA 2. The settings also indicate the scanning time for the presence of WLAN networks.

The USB standard is 2.0, Full Speed ​​(data transfer speed is about 4 Mb/s), so the smartphone in this parameter is quite comparable with other Symbian devices, N97 in particular. There is support for Mass Storage mode, you can choose in what capacity to use the device - disk drive, PC Suite, Image Print, Media Player. Both the memory card and the built-in 16 GB flash memory are visible as a removable disk. As I already said, for the first time for phones have a USB function from the go, that is, the ability to connect a regular flash drive. Some people will obviously like this option, at least other manufacturers have no analogues. I note that you can connect not only a flash drive, but also hard drives, the only limitation is that the FAT 32 format is required, although, most likely, NTFS support will be added in future firmware.

Bluetooth version, according to specifications, is 3.0 + EDR, all major profiles are supported. Nokia N8 becomes the second device after Samsung S8500 Wave with this version of Bluetooth. The most important thing is that the data transfer speed is much higher, but the receiving device must also have this technology. There are only a couple of such phones on the market.

One of the main features of the Nokia N8 is its video capabilities, in particular, a mini-HDMI output and video transmission to a TV screen, and even a regular (!) cinema screen. Yes, this is not an exaggeration at all; a demonstration of this process can be easily found on the Internet. This does not require any settings, the HDMI cable is included in the kit, all you have to do is connect the device to the TV and start the movie (or photos, any video, games - your choice). When playing video, the Dolby mobile 5.1 setting works - as the name implies, this is 5.1 channel sound. Naturally, the effect is audible if there is an appropriate system. Great feature, I tell you.

You can watch movies from a flash drive or hard drive; they don’t even have to be stored in the N8’s memory. In general, this is the first time such a device has appeared that combines such capabilities. Illiterate observers may argue that before the N8 there were devices on the market with an HDMI connector (for example, Motorola XT720, Acer Stream), but can they still do the same in terms of video playback? No, they don’t, and this is a fact that is difficult to argue with.

The final feature is a built-in FM transmitter that can broadcast audio to a compatible system, such as in a car.

Hardware platform

I would like to draw a little attention to the hardware platform. What was used in the Nokia N97 could not cope with many tasks, the speed of operations was unsatisfactory. As I said, N97 is the first Single CPU smartphone in the N9x line, without a hardware graphics accelerator. The Nokia N8 uses a different processor, which is quite adequate for most tasks. This is ARM 11, 680 MHz, and when it comes to graphics acceleration thanks to the Broadcom N8 co-processor, it is in the lead, ahead of many modern flagships. Scrolling and redrawing are performed at a speed of 60 fps, 4 times faster than in the same N97 and all other Symbian^3 smartphones.

The amount of RAM is 256 MB, the memory allocated for launching the application (Heap size) and the size of the executable Java application (Jar size) are unlimited. The volume of built-in memory is 512 MB, of which about 360 MB are available to the user, plus there is 16 GB flash array and support for micro-SDHC memory cards (up to 32 GB). Quite a sufficient amount of memory in current realities. Not the maximum, but compared to the meager 2 GB of internal memory in the Samsung S8500 Wave and the lack of flash storage as such in Android smartphones from HTC, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola, this is a big plus.

There is an accelerometer for automatically rotating the interface depending on the position of the smartphone, silencing calls, everything here is similar to the N97 and other models. But, unlike its predecessors, the reversal occurs without delay, the interface is redrawn smoothly.

A GPS module, accordingly, is also available, Ovi Maps version is 3.04 (in the future - 3.06 with multi-touch support when scaling maps), free voice navigation is also available. Actually, maps in Nokia smartphones and free voice navigation are a good bonus; other manufacturers do not have this (I don’t consider online Google Maps with navigation for some countries here, although they have their advantages). We have repeatedly talked about the capabilities of Ovi Maps and navigation in detail; there is no point in repeating ourselves, so I will give screenshots of the new version from Nokia N8.

A few impressions: this version of Maps works much more stable and faster than in N97, where speed was the biggest problem. As a result, the N8 is quite good as a navigation smartphone. The only thing that upsets us is the detail of the maps and the lack of house numbers (this, however, is true for Russia, but in Europe the situation is different). The traffic jam service is already operating in 22 countries around the world, Russia is still next in line, but next year, I think, the service will be launched here too. In a word, given the free navigation, this is an excellent addition to the functionality of Nokia smartphones, especially useful in other countries where online services like Google Maps are simply useless due to roaming tariffs.

Program organization

The key differences from a user point of view are that Symbian^3 uses a single-click system, scrolling speed has increased 4 times, and the task manager has been changed? Many applications have been redrawn, but in total there are more than 250 changes. Not all, of course, will be noticeable to users; many relate to the organization of the work of individual applications, so we will look at the most important ones.

For me, Symbian^3, after the first acquaintance with it, turned out to be a suitable OS for most tasks. This is far from the S50 5th Edition in N97. The speed has increased significantly, smooth kinetic scrolling in all menus without delays, a single touch of the screen to select one item or another (the double-click system did not suit many), many applications have been redrawn, primarily multimedia ones, 2 additional desktops have been added where you can place widgets. Also important to me is the bonus in the form of free full-fledged navigation and offline Ovi maps stored in the phone’s memory, a very good calling service (Android is extremely inconvenient in this regard). But a little more about everything.

There are three desktops in N8, this is the first difference from Symbian^1. Some people think that three is too few, but I don’t think anyone uses 10 desktops in the same Samsung Wave. Two desktops were enough for me to place the necessary icons and widgets; I disabled the third. The number of widgets that can be placed is fixed, as is the size of each. These are five rectangular windows, in vertical or horizontal mode, which are arranged in the correct order. The windows do not overlap each other, the desktop looks neat, but the small number of simultaneously accessible widgets on the screen and their small size are a drawback. This becomes especially noticeable when working with a social network widget; only one message can fit on the screen. Widgets can be either online (automatically update information) or offline if you do not want data transfer always on.

In addition to widgets, there are traditional panels of quick access icons and favorite contacts; they can be placed on the screen along with mini-applications. There can be 8 quick access icons (two panels of four shortcuts each), two contact panels.

The main menu has not changed, I don’t really like the icons, they are too similar to the first representative of touch smartphones, 5800 XpressMusic. True, due to the bright AMOLED screen, the icons on the N8 look much nicer, but they do not reach the level of rendering in the iPhone. As usual, you can change the order of items, create folders, change the font size. Good level of customization overall.

I liked that the horizontal mode was redesigned; virtual soft buttons are now located at the bottom, and do not occupy a significant part of the screen on the right, as was the case in Symbian^1.

The application manager has changed. It has become less convenient (only one mini-window of the program can be placed on the screen at a time), but more informative and beautiful. It is still called by long-pressing the menu key.

Entering text. The virtual keyboard has not changed much since the days of Symbian^1, and accordingly, the ease of input is at an average level. There is no QWERTY layout in a vertical screen orientation, there is no separate button for switching the input language (this is done in three clicks), there are no punctuation marks on the main keyboard, only a period. In general, the HTC keyboard is far from ideal in terms of typing.

Browser. The browser is based on the same Konqueror project; it supports HTML 4.01 (full work with tables, frames, forms), JavaScript 1.5, CSS 1 and 2, RSS, flash content. Browser localization includes support for 46 different languages, however not all languages ​​are supported on every phone. As in firmware, there is the concept of a “language pack” - a set of supported languages ​​depending on the region where the phone is sold. Russian language is fully supported (KOI-8R, Windows-1251, UTF-8). But everything that was good a few years ago now looks outdated, the browser interface is the main drawback of current smartphones with Symbian^3.

There is no normal work with multiple windows, pop-up submenus, the bookmark service is archaic and inconvenient. In a word, the browser is bad. The only good thing is that it supports multi-touch and fully understands flash content; objects load quickly and there are no problems.

Social media. There is (finally!) its own pre-installed client for the social networks twitter and facebook, with its own widget. The client looks beautiful, but in the first version it has a number of shortcomings, such as a small number of loaded messages and the absence of any settings. However, there are practically no functional clients other than Gravity, so this pre-installed and free option will suit many. I would like to wish it further refinement, since the design is already quite good, only additional functions are missing.

Active Notes. Notes in the usual sense of the word were only text documents, the options for working with them were printing and sending. Now with the Active Notes application, in addition to text, it is possible to insert any objects - images, sound, video files, contact business cards, other files, type the resulting file is XHTML. Such an extended note can be opened using an Internet browser, and also sent via SMS (in this case, only the text of the note is sent), MMS, Bluetooth and infrared. A note can be associated with a contact or a group of contacts, and in the application settings menu there is an item to display a note during a call.

Office. QuickOffice application for viewing Microsoft Office files: Word(*.doc), Excel (*.xls), PowerPoint(*.ptt). You can view files from different versions of Office (97, 2000, 2003), but the availability of document editing options is reserved for Nokia Eseries business devices, so to edit on the N8 you will have to install the full (paid) version of QuickOffice.

OviStore. The version of the Ovi application store in Nokia N8 is updated, it is much more convenient than the previous one in the same N97. This applies not only to the speed of work, but also to the general organization, sorting and search of applications. Quite a good client, although there are, of course, ways for improvement. I’m glad that there is operator billing; you don’t have to pay for applications only with a credit card, as in Android. The prices for programs are not encouraging, so I hope that with the advent of more programs, their prices will change, because now the competition is not so high.

Other pre-installed applications include a YouTube client, Adobe PDF (for viewing the corresponding files), a ZIP archiver, a dictionary with downloadable databases, a photo and video editor, search by device, as well as on the Internet (version 5.00, a very useful application), Here and now (an application for displaying nearby restaurants, cinemas, weather, using GPS and cellular network data).

I will build my own Lunapark! Robot Bender, film "Futurama"

Nokia N8 can perhaps be called one (if not the most) of the most controversial and discussed phones of 2010. It was destined for him to become like this - even his announcement was accompanied by a scandal, which the company was forced to do after its preliminary review appeared on Mobile Review. For Nokia, this is a landmark device into which a lot of effort has been put. So let’s try to understand all its advantages and disadvantages.

Technical characteristics of Nokia N8

Apart from the morally old processor with a frequency of 680 MHz, the hardware of the Nokia N8 can be called very interesting. The device has a unique set of characteristics today: a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus, xenon flash and video recording in a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, HDMI output, the ability to connect USB drives to the device and support for the DivX codec. All this, together with the built-in 16 GB drive, makes the model interesting. The weak points of the smartphone include the resolution and display diagonal, which are seriously inferior to the same Android devices, where 4-inch displays with a resolution of 800x480 pixels were already available in the summer of 2010, while sales of the Nokia N8 began only in the fall. The good thing is that the screen is capacitive, created using AMOLED technology (which is also not the most advanced technology today), it supports multi-touch. The capabilities of the hardware platform are supported by the “transitional” version of Symbian version 3. In general, the situation with operating systems now in Nokia, to put it mildly, is not the best. Constant delays and changes in course have led to the fact that the company today is chronically behind and, together with Windows Phone 7, has been stuck in a catch-up state for many months now. Symbian was originally designed for use in feature phones, at a time when touch screens had not yet captured the hearts and minds of consumers. Symbian has had and still has no equal in this status. But those glorious times have passed and after the release and triumphant march of the iPhone, the market has changed. Nokia has been preparing a new operating system for a long time, initially created for use in touch phones. Nokia N900 running Maemo 5 operating system showed good potential, but suddenly Nokia changed course and joined forces with Intel to work on MeeGo operating system. It will soon be a year since this work has been carried out, but things are still there. Which is very close to the situation with Windows Phone 7, the first devices on which, although they are already being sold in a number of countries, are, as in that joke about the balls, not encouraging.

Nokia N8 equipment

The Nokia package is quite consistent with the idea of ​​a flagship phone. This is a set of cables and adapters (for connecting USB flash drives and HDMI), good headphones with three sets of silicone seals and a remote control that controls the volume and switches music tracks. Taking into account the possibility of charging the built-in battery from USB, the buyer receives two sets of chargers - for work and at home.

1. Box
2. User manual in Russian and Ukrainian languages
3. Quick user guide in Ukrainian
4. Adapter for connecting HDMI cable
5. Portable charger with 2mm jack
6. Adapter for connecting USB drives
7. USB cable
8. Stereo headset with remote control
9. Two additional sets of headphone seals
10. Nokia N8

Appearance of Nokia N8

Nokia N8 uses a new, recognizable design made from solid aluminum with beveled and rounded four corners.

The module with the camera and speaker is mounted on a separate ledge. On the one hand, this increases the size of the device, on the other hand, the phone lying on the table does not muffle calls due to the fact that it always lies at a slight angle, without blocking the speaker.

At the top end there is a power button (you need to hold it for 8 seconds to turn off the phone; if it freezes, it will be much more difficult to remove the battery), a headphone jack and a connector for connecting an HDMI adapter, hidden behind a plug made of polished plastic. A rubber plug would look better, but you are unlikely to use HDMI often - this is more marketing than a real need. At the bottom there is a standard connector for a Nokia charger and a microphone. On the left panel there is a microUSB port and hidden behind tight-fitting matte plastic plugs are slots for a SIM card (hot-swappable, after which the device will reboot) and a microSD memory card. On the right panel there is a camera power button, a paired sound volume control key and a convenient knurled lever that locks the touch screen.

There is a single hardware key on the front panel. With its help, you can unlock your smartphone (confirmation is required by pressing a special button on the touch screen), pressing it sequentially switches the device between the main menu and the main desktop. A long press and hold brings up the running applications manager.

Under the camera window there is a speaker slot used to play music; above the camera is the pride of the Nokia N8, a xenon flash that provides bright white light when taking photographs. Interestingly, the camera itself, hidden behind glass, is covered with a curtain that opens at the time of shooting.

Two adapters are included in the package. One connects to the microUSB connector and allows you to use USB flash drives with the phone. The other connects to the HDMI socket at the top end of the case and then, via a standard HDMI cable, to a TV or monitor for viewing photos and HD videos (including those shot with the built-in camera).

The headset wire is flat and made of soft, pleasant-to-touch plastic. The remote control is equipped with a clothespin and a call answer button, a volume control key and player control buttons. It’s worth saying that when I attached the remote control to my clothes with a clothespin, I almost never managed to avoid catching the music switch keys, which regularly caused irritation.

Chrome-plated headphones are equipped with silicone seals. The delivery set includes three such pairs of seals of different sizes in order to ensure optimal sound insulation during operation. In my opinion, today this is the best option for headphones - they fit well in the ears, do not fall out if you choose the right seals, do not irritate the ears and at the same time cut out external noise.

The question that worries a certain part of people - what to do with a non-removable battery - is actually not such a big problem. True, you will need a special screwdriver. However, I easily found it at the nearest market in a set with a good two dozen other attachments. The Chinese set cost me about 25 hryvnia.

Two screws down and now the lower part of the case is unscrewed, and you can pull out the battery. This is much more difficult than simply removing the cover, but in practice how often do you have to remove the battery? Even with intensive use of the phone, it will have to be replaced in the worst case after a year. Once a year, unscrewing two screws and screwing them back is not such a serious problem. Especially against the backdrop of the elegant appearance of the device, which it will always maintain.

Comparison of sizes with what was at hand: Nokia N97 and Sony Ericsson X10:

Nokia N8 desktop and widgets

In general, updating Symbian to version 3 (or should I write ^3? a completely stupid idea with writing, to be honest) looks cosmetic and poorly in keeping with the times. In general, the operating system is the most important (or even the only) problem of this smartphone. Nokia N8 has three desktops, which at the end of 2010 already looked like a mockery - even budget touchscreen phones from Samsung and LG for 1000 hryvnia have three desktops. Widgets that are one line in size (4 icons) are very inconvenient to use (especially if there is something to compare with). For example, for the mail widget, only two lines with letters are placed, which is very little. And, in the end, there is simply nothing to occupy all three desktops. The only widgets that can be called convenient are the widgets with a player (when the radio is on, it shows radio stations) and with selected contacts - this is the same contacts panel that has been available in smartphones based on the S60 5th edition for more than a year. Desktops can have both vertical and horizontal orientation. You can switch between them with a simple movement of your finger, or you can scroll through them one by one by pressing the middle touch key with three dots at the bottom of the screen. In this case, the white dot shows which of the three desktops is in front of the user.

To customize your desktop, simply press and hold your finger on one of the widgets. Nokia N8 classifies this gesture as a desire to make changes and switches the desktop to edit mode. In it, you can remove any of the six bars or, by clicking on the free plus sign, add it to your desktop.

The good thing is that now you can place as many blocks with application icons or browser bookmarks as you like (the Nokia N97 could have no more than 2). They are all called links. Each bar can contain 4 such links, so up to 24 shortcuts to the user’s favorite applications and sites can be placed on the desktop at the same time. In practice, it will be difficult to type these 24 applications, but theoretically it is possible.

In addition to the list of widgets already installed or used in the Nokia N8, you can download additional widgets from the OVI store, but in practice, out of the two dozen widgets available there, there is simply nothing for our user to choose from - there are simply no local services there. You can also use any RSS feed added by the user as a widget. Although you will be able to see, again, only two headlines.

Some widgets can be deployed on the desktop (for example, a widget with events missed by the user) to provide quick access to the necessary information. Another update in Symbian^3 is the new running applications manager. When you press and hold the hardware button below the display, a ribbon with running applications appears in a pop-up window. You can quickly switch to any of them by scrolling the tape with your finger. Or you can close unnecessary ones by clicking on the cross in the upper right corner. Running applications are now displayed not as their icons, but as screenshots of the screen with the current state of the program. But the main menu remains virtually unchanged.

Despite the visible complications, everything began to work noticeably faster than in previous versions of Symbian. The operation of the display in standby mode is interestingly organized. The screen is off but shows the time and date. If you touch the hardware key, a touch key for unlocking and information about the battery level and cellular network signal appear.

The main menu, as I already said, is no different from the usual one. Of some interest from the pre-installed applications are photo and video editors (more on them later) and games (we will also return to them later).

Reading messages in Nokia N8

The “Message Reading” application has finally become able to read Russian. This may be convenient in some cases (by the way, which ones?) For privacy, it is worth wearing headphones. The program tries to automatically recognize the language of the message. Both letters and SMS are read - everything in the order they were received.

Music player in Nokia N8

The main innovation in the player is very fast scrolling of disc covers. Although the question is more about frills than functionality. Another nice thing is that after you pull out the headphones, the player’s playback stops. Previously, the music continued to play. Now you can “turn off” the player this way. By the way, this method works great with a radio receiver. And if the radio application is not closed, then when you reconnect the headphones, the radio automatically starts broadcasting to the headphones.

Multi-touch in Nokia N8

The entire year of 2010 (and even a part of 2009) was spent by manufacturers under the user slogan “We need a capacitive screen and multi-touch!” Understanding the importance of this was especially difficult for Nokia and Sony Ericsson, who stubbornly and for too long denied the importance of this opportunity for users. As a result, at the beginning of 2011 we have a situation where everyone already sees the need to use such displays and such functions. As a result, Nokia N8 supports multi-touch in the browser, viewing photos, for some reason mail and in OVI cards starting from version 3.06. Nokia itself does not use this concept due to Apple patents, so official documents use the phrase pinch to zoom, which can be translated as “zooming with your fingers.”

Taking photos with Nokia N8

Although a 12-megapixel camera or xenon flash is no longer new to the market, the Nokia N8 in 2010 was the only phone with such capabilities. Which automatically made it the best camera phone of the year (and this is not affected by Symbian in any way, however, Android still demonstrates an insufficient level of cameras in devices). In general, despite the serious history of the issue (at some point in time Nokia became the world's largest manufacturer of devices equipped with cameras), the company had only a few models with good cameras. Off the top of my head, the Nokia N73 and Nokia N95 come to mind. But otherwise, the manufacturer rarely spoiled its customers with first-class cameras. The Nokia N8 is clearly not the case, and its photography capabilities are excellent. You can easily verify this if you look at more examples of photographs and download them in original resolution in a separate photo gallery on Torba. The camera interface has not undergone any significant changes compared to its predecessors. Everything is very familiar, only in the “image quality” parameters a 12MP item has appeared, meaning a shooting mode of all 12 megapixels.

The camera feels equally confident when shooting outdoors or indoors.

Fragment of the image in real resolution. Note the lack of digital noise that is common with cameras built into phones.

Shooting the sky, which is traditionally problematic for phone cameras, gives good rather than mediocre results in the case of the Nokia N8. In the bright sun, it is no longer inferior to ordinary soap dishes.

Another difficult option is night photography. The light from the windows of the Kyiv Central Department Store is enough to get a sharp photo. Try repeating it with another built-in camera in your phone.

Another example is shooting at night on the street in low light conditions.

Indoors, you can combine shooting with or without flash to achieve better results. This picture was taken without a flash, and the next one was taken using it.

When shooting without flash, the colors are more saturated, but there is always a risk of getting a blurry photo due to a long shutter speed.

In this photo, notice the depth of field, which is difficult to achieve during macro photography.

Another example of shooting indoors at close range and with flash. Good detail and no glare from the flash, which ensures even illumination.

And another example of shooting indoors with flash. Every hair of the cat is visible.

And this is a fragment of the previous photo in real resolution. Feel the difference.

This is also a difficult option for automation, which the camera in the Nokia N8 copes with very well: indoors, numerous splashes of water and flash. The photo turned out sharp and without any glare from the flash itself.

Photo editor in Nokia N8

In addition to an excellent camera, the Nokia N8 also has one of the best photo editors I have seen in a phone. True, the question of the feasibility of such an application should be left outside the scope. But, at a minimum, you can entertain your friends (and yourself) if you are of school or student age. And it’s worth using red-eye reduction (xenon flash is guaranteed to provide them).

In addition to the frame (by the way, there are a couple of dozen of them to choose from), you can use various filters (there are also quite a few of them). Some of them simply color the photo using one tone, others allow you to use artistic effects. A huge field for all kinds of experiments.

An interesting tool is a stamp with a dozen templates and the ability to choose the color of the markings. Please note that along with the image editor’s settings for brightness, contrast, sharpness, and color (you can adjust separately in highlights and shadows or add one color channel), you can use the selection of image fragments. For this, rectangular or oval blocks are used, but you can use a very “adult” “magic wand” tool, which automatically selects a fragment of the same color. In fact, these are the capabilities of professional raster image editors that are used in the vast majority of cases when editing photographs.

Another fun feature is adding a bubble with phrases. There are several options for cloud templates to choose from. The text is entered in a standard field, and then the vector (!) block with the text can be moved, rotated and resized. Pay attention to the arrows on the right side of the screen, with which you can step by step undo previous actions and return it back.

The addition of vector animation (that is, an animated picture can be enlarged, and it does not cease to be animated) is more likely to appeal to teenagers, but for a phone this feature looks simply impressive.

One of the most frequently used functions, red-eye removal after shooting with flash, also works flawlessly. It is worth saying that it perfectly fulfills its role in fully automatic mode, when the search and correction of the eyes is performed automatically. So, and manually - in this case, the user himself selects the fragment of the image that requires correction.

Shooting video with Nokia N8

Probably everyone knows that the Nokia N8 camera is capable of shooting video in HD resolution (1280x720), but few people know about the video editing capabilities that are available to the owner of this device. We will talk about it today along with examples of video shooting that the Nokia N8 camera is capable of. The video camera interface can be called ascetic. This can be explained by the fact that we shoot video with our phones in cases where the shooting is not planned, but something interesting happens suddenly, as they say, here and now. And all you have at hand is your phone, which simply doesn’t have time to set anything up; you need to take it out and start shooting right away. However, in addition to the HD shooting mode, Nokia N8 has the ability to record geotags using the built-in GPS module. And there is a built-in video stabilizer.

Evaluating video capabilities based on a YouTube video is a thankless task, the main thing is that the resolution is 1280x720. This means that you will be able to comfortably watch videos shot by Nokia N8 in the future, when all TVs and televisions will work in this high definition standard.

Video editor in Nokia N8

The video editor built into the Nokia N8 works in two modes, similar in their capabilities, but different in purpose. In the first case, we are talking about video editing. In the second - creating a beautiful slide show with music from your own photographs located in the memory of Nokia N8 and made with your own hands. The first thing the user sees after selecting a mode is the storyboard. All that remains is to add a video and/or photo from the gallery, add a soundtrack from the music library, add captions with text if necessary, and choose a beautiful option for animation of transitions between video blocks. Although for the most part it is a beautiful toy that has very little practical use. However, you can consider this scenario: you are returning from a business trip (vacation) and on the plane (train, bus, waiting room) you can quickly make a slide show from the pictures you took. Any realistic scenario with video editing does not occur to me at all.

Creating a slide show is fundamentally no different, except that there is no need to cut out the necessary parts of the video during editing (this option is available in the video editing mode). The process of adding photos and sound materials is quick. And as a result, the user receives a slide show with beautiful animation, when the next photo appears effectively against a beautiful background. There is more than enough room for creativity. This means that you can do such operations on the plane on the way home from vacation and return with an impressive “how I spent my vacation” show ready to show to friends (certainly on a large TV).

Using email on Nokia N8

E-mail is certainly one of the Nokia N8's strongest points, inherited from previous versions of Symbian. The mail program has a convenient interface, adapted for use with a touch screen, supports a dozen popular mail services: Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail, Rambler, Yandex, mail.ru, i.ua, can work with mail for MS Exchange and, of course , OVI postal service. This means that to access the mail of these services, you just need to enter the address and password; the program will determine all other settings itself. In general, the email client in Symbian^3 is one of the best I have ever seen.

If the service is not in the list, you can configure mail manually. The client allows you to work with several mailboxes at once (I easily used three, two of which receive a lot of mail), easily switching between them, and has a rich selection of settings, providing an example of an excellent implementation of a familiar service on a mobile phone. And thanks to the proprietary (and currently free) Nokia Messaging service, push e-mail becomes available. This is the ability to receive mail on your phone literally a few seconds after it arrives. Here it would be appropriate to say that Symbian in general and Nokia N8 in particular have a much more intelligent system of optimal energy consumption than Android. If for an Android smartphone surviving until the evening after intensive use during the day is equivalent to a feat, then the Nokia N8 is easily able to last a couple of days. At the same time, push e-mail works, in which mail is updated regularly. The three tabs at the top of the interface are buttons. The first one with the envelope icon is intended for creating a new letter. The second is used to select a folder with letters (IMAP is supported) and switch between different mailboxes. To access custom folders, simply select “Folders” from the drop-down list. All messages in the current folder can be sorted by date, sender, subject, priorities and attachments. Separately, you can select unread messages or messages marked by the user.

Letters allow you to set priorities, use lists of copies and blind copies of recipients. The “Check” checkbox allows you to immediately mark a letter so that it can then be quickly found. The mail program supports attachments. at the same time, there is no need to search for files in the phone’s memory for a long time - the Symbian file system allows you to get to music, photos, videos or notes that the user is going to attach to a letter with one click. By selecting “Other” you can select any file on the disk.

For each mailbox, you can set your own mail settings. To do this, just select Settings in the Functions menu. And there is the necessary mailbox in it.

Experienced users will love the flexible mail delivery settings tools. Power management in Symbian^3 when working with mail, as I already said, is worthy of all praise - even with maximum settings (delivery as quickly as possible) and throughout the whole week without interruptions, the phone is able to last a couple of days. This time can be increased, for example, by choosing a gentle mode for mail download frequency.

You can add battery life by disabling overnight mail delivery. For example, by selecting the item “9.00 - 21.00” in the loading schedule. When roaming, the function of downloading only titles will be useful. Also in your work mailbox you can, for example, disable delivery of letters on weekends and enjoy a well-deserved rest. The phone will do everything itself. And he'll get back to work on Monday.

You can edit the signature that is automatically added at the end of each letter and limit the number of letters stored in the device's memory. This allows you to use available memory more economically.

Browser and OVI maps in Nokia N8

The browser in Nokia N8 now supports multi-touch, can work with Flash Lite, and has a standard set of settings for phone browsers, the main purpose of which is to optimize traffic consumption and ensure the confidentiality of the user's work. The browser has an integrated RSS client for working with web news subscriptions, which makes it easier to read new materials from your favorite or frequently visited sites. It supports multi-window mode, can block pop-ups and store user site passwords. Although, for example, functions such as selecting and copying text are not implemented in the best way. In the sense that there are more interesting options.

The browser can work in both vertical and horizontal screen orientations, automatically switching between them. The main menu is called up by pressing a button with three lines and offers icons of the main sections that are convenient for pressing with your fingers.

The browser settings have such useful functions as selecting a permanent Internet access point, specifying the start page at startup, automatically adding .com, .net, .org to Internet addresses, as well as selecting a search service provider - Yandex or Google.

The browser can work with Cookies and store user passwords. Change the font size on a web page, block pop-up ads that are especially annoying when viewing web pages on your phone screen, and disable loading images to save bandwidth. The context menu allows you to find the search word on the page or subscribe to the RSS feed of the site's web news with one click.

It also allows you to work with bookmarks and stores the history of pages viewed. The RSS client as a whole has not changed compared to the previous version of Symbian. This is a convenient and fast way to read site updates. It also consumes minimal traffic.

An alternative is the excellent, proven Opera Mini browser, which optimizes web pages and, as a result, loads them quickly. Its touchscreen version is finger-friendly and has a nice, simple interface.

Opera Mini also supports multiple windows and works in both portrait and landscape orientations.

Simple and intuitive settings allow you to optimize the loading of web pages depending on the speed of your mobile connection. You can change font sizes, influence the degree of compression (and quality) of images, or even disable their loading.

Like all new Nokia smartphones, the N8 comes with Nokia Maps with free navigation. The device has map version 3.04 installed, which today makes sense to update to 3.06. You can read more about the new features in a separate article. The main drawback of the cards is the constant need for activated A-GPS mode (and, accordingly, traffic consumption). You can't go far with GPS alone. The advantages include storing maps on the phone itself, which makes zooming very fast and allows you to search for points of interest offline.

Supports 3D mode, convenient for car navigation. The detail is constantly increasing, and courtyard driveways are beginning to appear on the maps.

Settings include sections “Internet”, “Navigation”, “Route”, “Map” and “Synchronization”. Using an Internet connection allows you to increase the speed of location determination, which even starts working inside buildings. By default, the resources of the built-in 16 GB drive are used. This improves operating stability.

The most interesting and detailed settings, of course, are contained in the “Navigation” section. You can select the voice guidance language for driving and walking. Set the coordinates of your home location (they allow you to calculate the route from your starting point to your home with the press of one button). Select the type of route - faster or shorter. Navigation now has the ability to warn you when the speed limit is exceeded.

A distinctive feature of OVI maps are points of interest, sorted into a dozen topics (almost all of them also have their own subsections). Currently, there are several tens of thousands of such points in Ukraine. And search results from the current location are sorted by distance.

A new section in maps is the map Reporter application, which allows the user to take part in the map improvement program. He can indicate an inconsistency or error in the map by selecting one of the specified reasons and send a message to the map developers with the click of a button.

Social network client in Nokia N8

In short, built-in clients for working with social networks have the same childhood problems as those of other manufacturers. No wonder LG abandoned its own application in Optimus One. Because for smartphones this is a completely thankless job - after all, third-party applications for Twitter and Facebook work much better and have an order of magnitude better capabilities. In the case of the Nokia N8, the situation is further aggravated by the fact that to work with social networks, authorization on the OVI service is required. Apparently, in this way Nokia is trying to increase the use of the service and thus look better in the eyes of shareholders.

Nokia N8 provides access to popular social networks - Facebook and Twitter right out of the box thanks to the pre-installed Social Center program running through the OVI service. You can update your status, read messages from friends, publish photos taken with the built-in camera and exchange messages. It is worth saying that the social center has its own widget that allows you to monitor the update feed directly on the Nokia N8 desktop. But everything works slowly and the same Twitter client can’t do a lot of things that everyone is already used to. For example, expand lists, show discussions, retweet. The application has three operating options and allows you to read Twitter and Facebook updates separately or simultaneously in the “all operations” mode. The social center can support the simultaneous operation of several Twitter and Facebook accounts. The search function allows you to select one friend's feed to read.

In Twitter mode, you can see your entire friends feed or read messages addressed to you separately. It is possible to view favorite (pre-marked) messages.

The fourth button in the top menu is responsible for personal messages. To update the feed, simply select Refresh from the Options menu. The interface is extremely simple, all the main functions are always at hand. Which is convenient for the mobile scenario of using the service. You can literally read the feed on the go by refreshing, reading and scrolling the feed with one finger.

The application can use a proprietary feature of Twitter - the use of a shortening service for long links. The service used is bit.ly. To shorten a link, enter its full address and click the “Shorten links” button.

The social center allows you to publish up to 6 photos at once by selecting them from the gallery. Or you can send a photo to Twitter, taking it right there with the built-in camera. Publishing photos takes seconds. But at the same time, you cannot add any text - only short links to photographs are sent to Twitter, which is no longer so convenient.

The Facebook client is adapted to work with this social network and provides extensive capabilities. You can read a general feed, select feeds of specific friends, and select only photos or links posted by friends. Although it’s better to forget about all this, install Gravity for Twitter (although it’s paid) and the official Facebook client for Symbian.

You can view and exchange internal messages and respond to friend requests and event invitations sent by your friends.

A nice feature is that if you accept an invitation to an event, the application prompts you to immediately add it to your phone calendar. A trifle, but nice.

Facebook updates allow you to add videos in addition to photos, and include your current location in your message using the built-in GPS.

Just like in “real” Facebook, you can like messages and comments.

And, of course, in the OVI store you can always download other clients for working with social services. For example, Gravity, which has been the best Twitter client for the Symbian operating system for several years.

Pre-installed 3D games in Nokia N8

What the Nokia N8 definitely does right is install two 3D games: the 3D space arcade game with elements of the economic strategy Galaxy on Fire and the racing simulator Need for Speed ​​Shift. Thanks to the touch screen and accelerometer, you can get a completely new gaming experience with unusual controls. And the built-in 3D accelerator provides vivid impressions of modern 3D games. Especially if the user has not had similar experiences on other platforms.

It is worth saying that in addition to pre-installed games, the Nokia N8 has the ability to download games, applications and themes through the OVI store. This is a service, access to which is provided by a special program. In Symbian^3 it has a new design, and the structure has been changed to be more convenient and correspond to the increased number of applications in the store. As you remember, in January of this year paid applications in OVI became available to Ukrainian users.

The store operates a recommendation system that offers the user exactly those applications that, in the system’s opinion, may interest him. The more programs you download, the more accurate the recommendations will be. All materials are divided into 4 categories: applications, games, audio and video, personal settings. In your personal settings, you can see a list of applications already downloaded and installed through the OVI store and account settings.

When you go to a category, you can select popular (most often downloaded) applications or new ones recently added by developers. Above the top menu there is a special category application that is recommended by the service at the current time.

For example, one of these recommended games is the popular game Angry Birds, which became a real hit this year. It is already available on Symbian^3. By going to the application page, you can see screenshots from it (they allow you to evaluate the graphics and usefulness of the program), as well as get acquainted with the comments of users who have already used this program.

Another useful innovation - now in the account settings you can choose where to install applications: in the system memory of the device or on the built-in storage.

Galaxy on Fire

Frankly, this game is truly beyond praise. It has excellent game balance - it doesn't get boring thanks to a large number of different tasks and economic elements. It also does not require long missions. In a word, everything is done so that you can get maximum gaming pleasure in your spare time. Galaxy on Fire has two game types - the so-called survival mode, in which, like in Tetris, the number of enemies and their speed gradually increase. And a full-fledged campaign with its own storyline. There are few game actions in real time - you need to fly to a specific goal (don't forget that we are talking about three-dimensional space - this is not a two-dimensional arcade game). Along the way, shoot opponents, dodge large asteroids and destroy small ones. In appearance, everything is simple, there are two types of weapons and an acceleration mode in order to quickly cover distances or flee from superior enemy forces.

Like a good simulator, Galaxy on Fire has an economic model. For completing missions, the player receives credits that can be spent on planets to purchase more modern weapons. You can also engage in trade, thus earning money, if the player has a talent for negotiability.

The player is assisted by in-game dialogues, which provide logic for the plot development and give advice, especially useful at the initial level of the game.

Of course, as the game progresses, the user moves to new levels, collects trophies left over from destroyed opponents and receives credits for successfully completing missions. After each of them, the game is automatically saved. To which you can immediately return if your ship is destroyed.

Need for Speed ​​Shift

To say that the racing simulator Need for Speed ​​is the de facto standard in the gaming industry is to say nothing. This game is available to all Nokia N8 buyers. Before starting the game, the user can adjust the volume of sound, music and sound effects (the engine roars so loudly that no one will notice) and select the type of race.

As in the “big” version of the game, as the player develops gaming skills and wins races, new cars and new tracks and cities become available to the player. At the start there is only one car - the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

The game's controls are extremely simple and natural - you just need to tilt the phone right and left, imitating the movements of the steering column. First-person view and a large screen perfectly convey the atmosphere of the race! And graphics and sound provide complete immersion in the game. While driving, the game records the masterful entry into the turn and shows the ideal trajectory with arrows. If the player follows it, the blue text "Ideal Trajectory" appears on the display. By sticking to it, the player will ensure victory.

Each race ends with a variety of statistics, which take into account overtaking, driving style, speed and accuracy of movements.

It must be said that screenshots poorly convey the level of graphics, so it’s worth seeing how it looks live on video.

Watching videos on Nokia N8

One of the key features of the Nokia N8 is the ability to work with external drives (USB On the Go function) and connect to a TV via an HDMI connection. In this case, you can play files on the TV directly from a connected USB drive. It is worth noting that no other smartphone on the market has such a combination today. As you know, it is better to see with your own eyes once than to read a hundred times. Therefore, let's move on to a visual demonstration of these interesting possibilities.

When you connect a USB storage device to your phone via a special adapter included in the package, a new item “Remove USB device” appears in the system menu. It is necessary to safely remove the flash drive. In the USB settings menu, a system message “accessing the phone’s memory card through another device” pops up, and the file manager recognizes the new drive (in this case G) and allows you to work with it like any other memory, including video playback.

The built-in media player supports DivX and can handle large files (I easily played 1.5 GB video files in HD). Declared support for H.263 and H.264, MPEG4 and WM9.

Bottom line

Without a doubt, Nokia has managed to create an outstanding product with a whole range of unique characteristics. Its weakest point is the Symbian operating system, which initially had no concept of touch screens. All these subsequent add-ons (for example, UIQ in earlier versions) were always half-measures. Therefore, today Symbian obviously loses in convenience and flexibility of operation to operating systems originally created for use with touch screens (iOS, Android and bada with Windows Phone 7). But for the huge army of fans of the brand (of which there are still many, despite the fact that their number may sharply decrease in the very near future), the capabilities of the Nokia N8 are a real discovery. The main irritating factor is the damned inconvenient switching of layouts (in 4 clicks, while a mechanism for doing it in 1 has long been invented) is partially solved by the release of Swype for Symbian with Russian language support, released on New Year's Eve. Although there is no Ukrainian language yet (for example, Swype for Android already has it). The strengths of the Nokia N8 are certainly its camera, and those for whom this is a key factor will not be able to ignore it. All this time that Nokia N8 was in my hands, I could not decide whether the device was worthy of an editorial award gg. On the one hand, the phone has a rather high price, for which the user has the right to count on maximum capabilities. On the other hand, Symbian in this case is simply the root of evil, despite the cosmetic improvements. In the end, a solution was found - we give the Nokia N8 a “we recommend” award, but with a caveat - for Nokia fans. Anyone who is looking towards other more advanced operating systems (provided that they do not need the ability to shoot indoors - as you can see, there are continuous reservations) is unlikely to like this phone. Nokia managed to create an outstanding device. But it is outstanding only within the framework of a parallel universe, where there is nothing but Symbian. This is your own Lunapark.

6 reasons to buy Nokia N8

1. DivX and HDMI support out of the box
2. Camera with xenon flash and HD video recording
3. Good screen with multi-touch support and Gorilla Glass protection
4. Possibility of connecting USB drives
5. Familiar familiar Symbian
6. Pleasant aluminum body in every way

4 reasons not to buy Nokia N8

1. Outdated Symbian
2. Low screen resolution
3. Conditionally non-disassembled housing
4. Tiringly annoying keyboard layout switching

If you hold it in your hands, you will not be able to part with it for a long time. It seems to bewitch with its elegance and beauty of design and the clarity of the display (16,777,216 colors), which does not fade even in the sun. The high-level performance of the smartphone with an ARM 11 processor with a frequency of 680Mhz is quite enough to ensure fast work with applications. Concerning Nokia N8-00 cameras then he has one of the best among all phone models. 12 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and powerful xenon flash allow the smartphone to take quite professional pictures, both day and night. Video shooting of Nokia N8-00 in high quality HD format with a resolution of 1200 by 720 pixels can be easily watched on a TV screen. The smartphone is powered by a 1200 mAh BL-4D battery, which will allow the phone to operate for 12 hours of talk time and 390 hours of standby time. The smartphone is available in five colors: red, black, green, silver and blue. The smartphone's large memory of 16GB and microSD 32GB will allow you to transfer full-length movies for viewing without additional transcoding. Nokia N8-00 is equipped with a receiver GPS and free maps from Nokia. For mobile lovers games It will be a pleasure to play on the large and bright 3.5-inch display. Here, it is probably impossible to describe how pleasant it is to use the N8-00 phone; you have to hold it in your hands to appreciate its magnificence!

Full specifications of Nokia N8-00.

• Operating system: Symbian^3
• Processor: ARM type 11/ CPU frequency 680 MHz
• Battery capacity:1200mAh/ BL-4D 3.7
• Standby time 390 hours (2G)/400 (3G)
• Talk time 12 hours (2G) / 5.8 hours (3G)
• Main camera: 12 MP./ 3000 x 4000 pixels/ Zoom 2x/ Xenon flash/ Face recognition/ Picture editor/ Autofocus/ Geotagging
• Main video recording: MPEG-4 / 1280 x 720 / 30 frames per second / zoom 4 X
• Camera two: VGA for video communication / 15 frames per second.
• Memory RAM 256 MB / Built-in memory 16 GB / Possible to expand microSD max. up to 32 GB.
• Browser: XML/ HTML/ CSS/ AJAX/ JavaScrip/ XHTML MP
• Instant messaging services: Yahoo! Messenger/ Nokia Chat/ MySpace/ Google Talk/ AIM/ Windows Live Messenger
• Local Connections: Micro-USB/ HDMI/ 3.5 mm Audio Jack/ 2.0 mm Charger Jack
• Data transmission: 2G EGPRS/ 2G GPRS/ 3G HSUPA/ 3G HSDPA
• Wireless: WLAN IEEE 802.11/Stereo Bluetooth 3.0
• Operating range: Four 2G bands / Five 3G bands / Possibility of automatic switching between WCDMA and GSM
• Audio capabilities: Yes player / Stereo FM radio with RDS function / FM transmitter
• Display: Diagonal 3.5 inches / Resolution 640 x 360 / 16,777,216 colors / Touch capacitive
• Navigation: GPS receiver (A-GPS) built-in / Nokia maps with free navigation
• Dimensions: H.113.5 mm/W.59.0 mm/T.12.9 mm
• Weight 135 g.
• More features of Nokia N8-00: Touch control/ Music playback max. 50 hours/ Video playback max. 7 hours/ Video recording max. 3.3 hours/ FOTI, FOTA software updates/ Voice recorder/ Calculator/ Calendar/ Notes/ Task list/ Voice dialing/ Voice commands/ Conference calling/ Video calling/ HTTP 1.1, WAP 2.0 protocols/ Video editing/ Energy saving mode/ Video streaming/ Playing high definition video on TV

Quick transition to other Microsoft / Nokia models.

Those who are passionate about the mobile hi-tech sphere saw or assumed to see in the upcoming flagship a confident and significant step forward on the part of the Finnish company. Many did not have to wait until the end of 2010 to see the manufacturer's shaky prospects, particularly in the segment of high-end devices.

By the way, the N8 was prepared slowly: the official announcement of the model took place back in April. At that time, both the exterior of the smartphone and its detailed technical characteristics had already become known. But it took the communicator five months to hit the shelves - a delay, admittedly, significant.

It would be logical to assume that the flip side, the positive side of this pause, will be a refined, polished and truly innovative hardware with intriguing functionality. The N8's specs are truly impressive, especially the multimedia mix of a 12MP camera and HDMI port. But what is the device actually? Finally, we have the opportunity to answer this question independently and impartially.

Contents of delivery

We include a description of what's included in the package, which is unusual for our reviews, because in the case of the N8 it's definitely expanded. Usually in the box we find a more meager set of accessories.

First of all, two adapters attract attention: mini HDMI - HDMI and microUSB - USB. Two special characteristics of the smartphone are directly related to these wires: broadcasting HD video to an external monitor (TV) and the USB On-The-Go option, which provides for “hot” connection of peripherals with the appropriate interface. These adapters are inflexible and cannot be easily deformed.

Another interesting find among the included accessories is the case. This is a translucent elastic rubber “skeleton” that covers almost the entire surface of the case with the exception of the display area and connectors. It allows you to protect your smartphone from mechanical damage, but slightly increases its size (it does not fit tightly to the body and can be easily removed) and blurs the effect of the design.

A more common companion is a wired headset. I liked it because of its functional control unit (it also contains a microphone for conversations): on the front side there are media player control keys, and on the end there is a volume rocker and a call accept/reject button. The headphones have a closed plug-in design (“plugs”), and their quality will satisfy only the unpretentious listener.

The extended package, which allows you to use the functional potential of the device without additional worries and purchases, is definitely an advantage of the smartphone.

Appearance: design and assembly

Nokia managed to design the N8 in such a way that it looks individual and is memorable. It can be assumed with a high degree of probability that if a person sees a similar form later, he will form an association with this model.

The design is dominated by straight, clearly defined edges. The slight thickness (the protruding camera area reminds of this) emphasizes the severity of the lines. The case looks almost like a perfect rectangle, the ends at the top and bottom are beveled and not rounded, as is often the case. This shape enhances the perception of the model as a solid, single block. The feeling of monolithicity, by the way, is not deceptive.

The manufacturer did not foresee that during standard use of the smartphone the consumer would disassemble it into parts. There are no detachable parts, with the exception of slot covers. To open the battery compartment, you will need to remove the cover from two screws.

This design certainly affected the build quality. It would be unjustified to find fault with Nokia because of this nuance: no play or creaking was noticed.

The material also played a role in the strength of the case - the N8 is made of anodized aluminum. This metal is pleasant to the touch and visually, and is also beneficial from a practical point of view.

Strict lines, refusal of plastic in favor of metal - these moments create the overall industrial spirit of the smartphone, corresponding to its hi-end positioning.

Connectors and controls

The “technicality” of the device is also expressed in the active use of connectors and controls: in fact, each side has additions.

At the top of the left side there are two slots - for a microSD memory card (above) and SIM. The design of the plugs for these slots is such that you can open the SIM compartment only after unfastening the latch of the microSD slot. This prevents the SIM slot from opening accidentally. A little lower, also on the left side, there is a microUSB connector not covered with a plug. A small LED is placed next to it, indicating the charging status.

The right side features a volume rocker, a screen lock lever, and a dedicated camera button. At the top end there is a power button, an HDMI connector (covered with a cap) and a 3.5 mm audio jack (without a cap). The bottom end is not so densely equipped; there is a thin charger plug, known from other Nokia models.

There is only one key on the front panel - “Menu”. Its location - at the very bottom left - fits organically into the design of the smartphone; the button does not stand out in any way. But from an ergonomic point of view, this is a controversial decision: it is somewhat difficult to hit this key with your finger while operating the N8 with one hand. If you hold the device in both hands, there is no inconvenience. By the way, this button has a built-in LED that is activated when a new event occurs - a call, a message, a reminder.

If you keep the phone in the case, all keys and connectors (except for the SIM and microSD slots) remain accessible. However, due to the additional rubber layer, the tactile connection with the buttons deteriorates. For example, it is more difficult to distinguish them blindly.

The main speaker is located in the camera area, on a ledge. Despite its only one slot, it sounds piercing, very loud and does not wheeze - in a word, of high quality. The microphone is placed on the front panel and placed closer to the right side.

An additional microphone cuts off external noise and can be found at the lower edge of the protrusion in the same area of ​​the camera. The interlocutor really hears you well, extraneous noise does not interfere with the conversation and is leveled out. This takes some getting used to: when the environment is noisy, the caller tends to raise his voice, as a result of which, due to active noise cancellation, the other party in the conversation will receive a signal that is too loud.

Display

From previous touchphones running Symbian, the N8 smartphone received a display size and resolution: 3.5″ diagonally and 360x640 (nHD), respectively. Fortunately, the “General” column ends with these characteristics. The type of matrix that is new in the device is now AMOLED. Compared to traditional Nokia TFT screens, the qualitative difference is noticeable to the naked eye: shades are more saturated, the image is brighter, and viewing angles are maximum.

The display also leaves a very good impression when compared with models from other manufacturers. Subjectively, this matrix is ​​superior in quality even to AMOLED screens in NTS communicators. Thus, a significant advantage of the Nokia display was its good resistance to the sun: the picture predictably “fades”, but remains distinguishable down to the details.

I was also pleased with the capacitive sensor used with the screen. Its sensitivity, according to subjective feelings, is on the same level as the Nokia X6 sensor and is slightly inferior to capacitive matrices from other manufacturers. The sensor supports multi-touch technology, which is used in the browser and when viewing photos.

In general, the display leaves a positive impression: the matrix used is very decent and can compete with other offers in the hi-end segment on equal terms.

Symbian^3: interface

We warn you right away: you should not expect a revolution. In the Symbian^3 edition you will recognize the vast majority of the details of the previous interface: this applies to both their appearance and functionality. Below we will focus on those elements that are specific to the new modification.

The first thing that literally catches your eye is the constantly illuminated analog clock. The backlight intensity is set to the minimum level; The size of the virtual dial is large enough to tell the time at a glance. In this standby mode, only the clock is available to the user to view. After pressing any key once, the number of elements on the screen saver increases: a display unlock button appears and information about missed calls, messages or upcoming events (if any), as well as system data about signal reception level and remaining battery life.

Of course, you can place widgets on the home screen. Each sheet can accommodate up to 6 widgets. Custom, individual widget window sizes are not about Symbian, unfortunately. Each widget is allocated a narrow, elongated strip of a fixed size. Such a strict framework is an unfortunate solution compared to the more flexible widget settings on other platforms (Android, TouchWiz on Samsung). They do not allow the full potential of widgets to be realized; some of them could be much more informative if they were larger.

The desktop is displayed in both portrait and landscape orientation. The position of the widgets, accordingly, can be as follows: six in one row or three in two rows.

The running application manager looks different in the new edition of Symbian. Now the pop-up window displays not only icons of active programs, but also “mini-windows” that visualize the last state of the application window before it was minimized. The positive aspect is clarity, easier navigation between applications. The disadvantages include a smaller number of icons simultaneously displayed on the display.

The design of the main menu, its organization and a wide range of standard interface elements have remained unchanged compared to the previous version of Symbian. This applies to the virtual keyboard (telephone or QWERTY - in landscape mode), contacts menu, calendar, journal and other PIM functions.

On the other hand, minor additions have been added to the shell that make it more functional. For example, more often than not, a long press on an element brings up a context menu with additional options. Small pop-up boxes have also become more common: for example, when connected (via GSM, Bluetooth, WLAN channel), this message appears for a short time.

There are not many software add-ons (with the exception of media utilities). Perhaps the only significant application is Social Networks, which allows you to manage accounts on the most popular social resources: Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The client's interface and functionality are satisfactory and easy to use. Updates (mentions, messages) can be displayed in the corresponding widget directly on the main screen. The client's weakness is the loss of status when it is impossible to update it (due to network loss, for example). It is also not entirely clear why the developers installed such a thin and therefore not very aesthetically pleasing font.

A less significant addition is a small web-based Here and Now utility. It contains basic information related to the current location: weather forecast, nearby places marked on the map (cafes and restaurants, entertainment centers).

The N8 retains the Ovi service system and links to them: contacts, application store, music store, maps.

Applications written for Symbian 9.4 are compatible with the smartphone (more precisely, with its updated platform). This indicates that there are no fundamental changes in Symbian^3 compared to the previous edition.

Performance and responsiveness

The device in question has an ARM11 processor with a clock frequency of 680 MHz. The amount of RAM was 256 MB (about 100 MB is occupied by system tasks).

One of the details that Nokia focused on during the release of the smartphone is the hardware graphics accelerator. With its help, according to officials, the N8 was capable of processing up to 32 million polygons per second.

But the delay in the release of the device led to an unpleasant situation. While Finnish developers were finalizing the new flagship, devices with much more productive hardware appeared on the market. For example, the iPhone 4 is capable of processing up to 88 million polygons per second, and the current record holder is the Samsung Galaxy S with 90 million polygons per second.

It turns out that the N8 model was one step lower than its current competitors. On an equal footing, Nokia's top-end smartphone can compete with older models: for example, the iPhone 3GS (28 million operations per second) or Google Nexus One (22 million operations per second).

If we consider the capabilities of the device relative to previous Nokia models, the increase in performance is noticeable. According to the results of a test run simultaneously on N8 and N97, the former is approximately 2.5 times faster.

When used directly, this manifests itself in faster operation of the standard interface, navigation through menus, and launching applications. But here it is important to understand that faster relative to other Nokia smartphones does not mean fast in principle.

Against the backdrop of the declared powerful characteristics, the bugs and brakes that appear out of the blue look especially strange and disappointing. A typical example is browser behavior. Not only has it not undergone any significant changes compared to the previous edition of Symbian, but it also periodically produces depressing errors.

Let's try to understand this using an example from a domestic situation. Attempts to access the “desktop” version of the VKontakte resource were unsuccessful in 100% of cases: after loading the page, the browser closed spontaneously. First we tried to justify the system with a large number of open background applications. But the browser behaves exactly the same, even if only it is running.

An attempt to correct this situation by launching Opera Mobile gave mixed results. It was possible to travel around the VKontakte website, but only before the first attempt to change the display orientation from portrait to landscape.

The launch of the popular game Angry Birds was also not without incident. During active gameplay, the animation played without delay. But as soon as I minimized the application and started searching for WLAN networks, the system forcibly closed the game with an unsaved result.

What is also surprising is the periodic occurrence of errors in “Internet TV” (more on this section below) and the subsequent forced exit of applications.

Multimedia, HDMI, USB On-The-Go

As contradictory as the opinion about the device's performance was due to the situations described above, the multimedia part of the smartphone left such a positive impression.

First of all, the N8's music player has been updated. If in portrait mode its structure has undergone virtually no changes, then by turning the device over, you can see a redesigned and “glossy” designed alternative interface.

Music options also include FM radio. The quality of radio signal reception is very high; in automatic mode, the smartphone detected 17 radio stations the first time (in Minsk).

The device itself can broadcast an audio signal to a given FM frequency using an FM transmitter. To avoid interference, it is necessary that the distance between the phone and the sound source does not exceed 2-3 m.

Video capabilities have been expanded due to the above-mentioned Internet TV set. These are several applications that allow you to watch partner clips via video streaming. From the list of available videos, you select the story you are interested in and download it. Partners include: CNN, Vesti (news), National Geographic (special stories), Paramount (film trailers). Additionally, you can download similar applications from other partners (for example, from Arabic or Indian TV channels) from the Ovi Store.

At the same time, the smartphone has become famous thanks to its support for video in HD quality (1280x720 pixels). The device allows you to both view such clips and record them using the built-in photo module.

Again, the N8 can show videos on more than just its own screen. To broadcast them to an external large monitor, the device has an HDMI interface version 1.3a.

Connecting a smartphone to a TV occurs without additional settings: as soon as both parts of the wire are connected, a “copy” of the phone’s screen appears on the external display.

When the TV is not playing a video file, you can directly watch the N8 interface on it in its native resolution of 640x360 pixels. In this resolution, the picture does not look very clear, which is why your eyes get tired.

Watching videos in the browser is interestingly implemented (when all actions are duplicated on the big screen). When the flash player is activated, only the video image is displayed on the external monitor, and a web page is displayed on the phone screen, which you can continue to navigate.

But the video played from a smartphone is of very high quality, and artifacts in the image are not noticeable. Sometimes (once every minute or two) the picture slows down for a short period of time and in the next second “catches up” with the broadcast - the limited performance capabilities of the device affect it.

Can I recommend the N8 as a portable media player? Quite: the smartphone copes with 720p with minimal distortion, and videos in a lower resolution can be played back without any delays at all.

Another intriguing technology that is implemented in the device under review is USB On-The-Go. This is what the included microUSB to USB adapter is designed for. Subjectively, the potential of this technology is not fully realized: the USB port recognizes external media (USB flash stick as the most likely option), but, for example, does not recognize the keyboard. It’s a pity: if you display the image on a TV via HDMI, connect to the Internet via WLAN or 3G, and connect the mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth and USB, respectively... Well, that’s basically the implementation of an “office in the palm of your hand.” Fortunately, Quickoffice, which is typical for Symbian smartphones, has not been canceled.

The main complaint about the images is the decrease in frame sharpness when the flash is turned off (if the lighting conditions are insufficient). However, this is a typical problem for photomodules with built-in optics.

The video is recorded in a resolution of 1280x720, the video clarity is high even in the dark. I liked that the zoom is smooth and would be appropriate even during active recording.

Battery

The capacity of the battery used in the N8 is not a record to date - 1200 mAh. The full battery life is enough for:

Half a day of the most intensive work: the smartphone is used to organize a mobile access point (energy is spent on active data transmission in HSDPA networks, as well as on maintaining a WLAN connection);
a full day of active use, including an hour of data transfer and about an hour of video viewing;
approximately two days with moderate use: 15 minutes of calls, three SMS, 40-50 minutes of listening to music and no more than 20-30 minutes of data transfer daily.

I liked the fact that even under significant loads, the back of the device does not begin to resemble the surface of a frying pan on a working stove. And this despite the aluminum body.

The energy saving mode may be useful - it is very simply (dis)activated, just click on the corresponding icon in the system context menu. This mode involves forcibly reducing the screen brightness to a minimum and working only in second generation networks.

Conclusion

We didn't lie when we wrote that after using the Nokia N8 we were left with a mixed impression. The device can be given a plus for its external features - the smartphone is ergonomic, durable and has an individual style. The display pleased us compared to previous models of the Finnish company, but did not impress us when compared with competitors from other manufacturers in the same price range (at the moment).

The software platform does not match the level of the top segment model. The Symbian^3 edition was a correction to the previously presented v9.4. Subjectively, this is the kind of OS I would like to see, or at least N97. Although some weak points still remain. These are widgets with limited settings, a meager online application store (and, in principle, a poorer software base compared to iOS or Android), mysterious slowdowns when working even with pre-installed applications.