Nokia N81/Nokia N81 8Gb

For Nokia the release of the Nokia N81 is a hallmark event in that it is one of the first handset to support its re-launched N-Gage platform. On top of that, within the Nokia’s range this model is about to claim the position of the most affordable multimedia convergent device marrying music, games and imaging under its hood. So as not to pose a threat to the Nokia N95 and the Nokia N95 8 Gb, this device comes with no GPS receiver onboard, but the N81 still ships with local maps, sort of reminding its users that a Nokia-branded external receiver is always up for grabs.

The Nseries line-up is now seeing a very an amusing differentiation of its members. Nokia tries to take some devices to the mass-market using quaint designs and pushy advertising campaigns, like those of the Nokia N76. Another part of its offerings, on the contrary, is jam-packed with features, so as to meet the requirements of the users who put some thought into choosing their new phones and normally have functionality on the top of their priority lists. However even the latter camp has own sub-classes: basic editions and pumped-up versions. The example of the Nokia N95 and Nokia N95 8 Gb shows that the memory volume is not the only thing setting them apart – the 8 Gb’s RAM volume has been modified as well. So it is more of a polished variant of the model with most letdowns of the original handset done away with. Nevertheless, the Nokia N81 stands just outside the latter camp – both version of this phone share the same hardware and are pretty much identical in terms of the materials used, and moreover, they hit the market on the same day.

This product’s target audience is the youth, with 22-30 year old male being its primary focus, while girls and older consumers have been given short shrift. What the company is banking on with the N81 is its gaming department, while other fronts and smarts are not as important. In a certain sense this model is the first go at this field, that starts shipping long before its major constituent, the N-Gage service and N-Gage Arena come along.

Since the N81 was designed with the youth in mind, it’s no wonder why it sports such curves and materials. They tried to make it both no-nonsense and flashy at the same time, and in some ways they succeeded.

Even before the Nokia N81’s official release date, it turned up in the middle of a scandal. First, Orange proclaimed it was not adding this device to its portfolio, since Nokia’s latest and greatest offspring shipped with bundled access to Nokia Music Store. Essentially, this service was a direct rival for this carrier’s own music shop. “3”, a British operator, followed in the footsteps of Orange shortly. However, Vodafone didn’t announce it was going to dump the N81, yet noted that it would never give it an aggressive advertising campaign for the very same reason. If you skim through all write-ups on this issue, it feels like this matter is extremely crucial for Nokia, and threatens its value-added services altogether. However it couldn’t be further from the truth in this case.

Mind the fact that carriers have been retailing the Nokia N95 armed with Nokia Music Store access as well and what a wild success it is. It appears this “forgetfulness” of carriers applies only to a number of select products. We won’t make guesses about why it is so, since the only thing that matter is that the N81 will be widely available on all markets, even though not in the guise of a carrier-branded device.

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Design, size, controls

The handset measures up at 102x50x17.9 mm and tips our scales at 140 grams. It doesn’t seem chubby or huge, yet is clearly fatter than most “slim” models from other manufacturers in this sense. However, as far as smartphones are concerned, it actually does qualify as a diminutive offering. The N81 isn’t much different from the Nokia N95 size-wise (99x50x20mm) – it is a tad taller, yet comes in with a more slender profile. That’s why you will never find this phone inconvenient to carry around.

The phone comes only in one color scheme these days – black casing with side-mounted light-brown accents (Warm Silver/Brown). While the maker’s official page calls its ‘Cocoa Brown’, the handset’s package comes with the name we mentioned above. There is a good chance that more trims will come along soon, like with dark-blue front plate, and, probably, red and white editions of the N81. Nokia opts to roll out new color swatches for carriers or Limited editions, which in the case of the N81 will follow roughly in spring 2008 along with the launch of N-Gage.

The front fascia’s plastic is quite fingerprint-prone, but there’s nothing you can do about it. If you can’t live without having your phone in pristine condition every time you look at it, then you should better get a cleaning cloth.

Video, size (22,1 Mb, mpg) >>>

The handset enjoys a standard controls layout and a somewhat queer keypad, but we’ll talk about it later in the review. For now, let’s us only say there is a microUSB-socket at the bottom alongside a slim charger slot, a microphone and a lanyard eyelet (on the left).

Two grill-covered loudspeakers are located on either side of the phone. A volume rocker sits on the right, accompanied by a dedicated camera button.

Flipping over to the top end, you will find a power key, which also doubles as a profile toggle while you are at the standby screen. The 3,5 mm audio jack is housed on the upper edge – having this onboard you can plug in your own pair of headphones. This side also rooms a hold switch for locking the keypad, however it proves to be of no real use with a headset connected to the phone – your finger eventually will bump into the headset’s plug. Frankly, it is not the best place to mount this switch on – it would be better off on one of the spines, thankfully, there is much leftover space available over there.

The rear of the N81 rooms a camera and a flash. Your brand-new device will also have a sticker with a guide on how to open the casing. Basically, there is nothing special to it, so this sticker is just another measure to prevent slow-witted users from cracking the phone.

Nokia N78

The Nokia N78 comes in to replace the Nokia N73, but it is not a simple and clear-cut substitution as it may seem at a glance. It wouldn’t be right to think that the maker strives to withdraw the Nokia N73 from the market, where it is one of the most popular S60-based devices. This model will keep its place on the shelves for a while longer; however the Nokia N78 already has the positioning the Nokia N73 had when it only debuted. What is more, some details about this phone that are not all that striking and eye-catching at first have a paramount importance in the context of Nokia’s S60 line-up.

The first and foremost thing we need to put down here is the updated S60 3rd edition platform – the N78 sports the Feature Pack 2 onboard. There is a ton of changes as far as functionality is concerned, but what if we compare what it has gained with what its predecessor had? That’s where the twist is: the N78’s camera is not up to the top-of-the-line solutions and hasn’t gone too far from the level the Nokia N73 was it. Packing in an FM-transmitter, a hardware GPS receiver, the N78 is still equal to the N73 in the imaging department. So what does this mean, if we ask our common sense? That’s right, the megapixel race, if not over, is at a halt. The centre stage in 2008 is taken up by GPS and online services, while camera no longer plays such a vital role, that’s why the mid-range will be totally dominated by the Nokia N82 as the benchmark in imaging. This device was brought about to raise the bar for photo-savvy solutions, and it will not be moving anywhere from this position up until mid 2009. So another question pops up – if the Nokia N82 is designed to have such a long live span, then what of the Nokia N78, as in effect it copies the former, barring its less potent camera, yet benefits from the FP2 and new abilities under its hood? That’s where it gets even more twisted.

Banking on the Nokia N82 as the bestseller in its segment, Nokia has produced more units of the N82 than the market can take. The recommended price of 450 Euro is observed even for the Russian market, where the premium normally amounts to 25-30 percent. This is all another proof that there are more N82s collecting dust in warehouses than N82 units going off the shelves. Some may get an impression that the device enjoys very poor sales, but that’s not the case. It is a wild success both in its price bracket and compared to the competition. But still, Nokia was more optimistic about the N82’s sales, which is why they are overstocked now.

The Nokia N78’s price tag upon the launch should be in the neighborhood of 350 Euro, turns out that by that time the gap between it and the Nokia N82 will come down to a mere 50 Euro. That’s when Nokia’s line-up will experience sort of sales cannibalism between these two. Is there a way-out? Good news, there are two. Either they roll out new color swatches for the Nokia N82 to keep the market excited about it, or, probably, launch a music-minded edition of this handset. The other way sort of complements these measures – they can try to withhold the Nokia N78's sales at the abovementioned price point, yet be ready for price cuts. All up, the pricing policy for these two models should aim at maintaining a 70-80 Euro difference between them, which would be next to perfect. Should it dip below this level – the sales of either phone will start going down; and if it jumps above it – neither solution will benefit.

Another factor that hasn’t been accounted for (which neither we nor Nokia’s marketers can predict) is whether the FP2 will be the drive behind purchases. Over at Nokia they believe that this update will attract many with its advanced feats, especially the current owners of the Nokia N73. And it doesn’t really matter whether they will go for the N78 or the N82. In the former case they will deliberately go for software, whereas in the latter – for the camera. But as I see it, a consumer consciously picking the FP2 with their new phones is more of wishful thinking. The reality is less complex than they imagine – very few users are actually aware of what they are really buying, of what’s inside. The share of well thought out purchasing decisions is relatively slim in this segment.

That’s why the problem of price cuts for the Nokia N78 will arise very soon; otherwise it will halt and won’t generate considerable sales anymore. Based on the N78’s being so new and the way supply chains operate, Nokia will have around 2.5-3 months in reserve to adjust the N78’s price (they will need to cut off more than they usually do on quarterly basis, otherwise all this would make no sense).

Another consequence is that they won’t be able to roll out an update to the Nokia N82 with new colors and running the FP2. Such a product will become a reality only in mid fall 2008, but if only the stars are right. Nokia is now entering the stage when it churns out skin-deep updates to its products, arming them with like FP2-specific features, whereas their core functionality remains similar to original offerings. A good example of this approach is the Nokia 5710 XpressMusic.

Do you follow? Already today the Nokia N78 has almost every right to claim the title of one of the most widely adopted S60-powered smartphones. The impending price drop will boost its ratings, while the necessity to knock the price down will come along only when more new solutions start hopping on the FP2 bandwagon (Nokia 5710, Nokia N88 etc). Another question that still remains unresolved is whether Nokia will present an N6x handset, which is uncalled-for these days, in my opinion. Today its duties are being perfectly handled by models that are about to die off and therefore go for nothing (250-300 Euro). This whole twist about the Nokia N78 makes you think that this phone is doomed to get its price cut in a year’s time and thus generate some serious sales. If this won’t be the case, then the N78 will simply make a quiet exit from the market, which is a very unlikely scenario, and if you come to think of Nokia’s tactics, I would say that’s not how the N78 will end up.

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Design, size, controls

In many respects the handset’s design is reminiscent of the Nokia N82, although its keypad is different and the front fascia is all glossy, but in general their similarities will strike you at a glance. The N78 in fact is a mix composed of other Nseries-branded phones – the N81-esque black finish and a patterned back cover, just like on the N82. It may look like a mixed bag, but at the end of the day it sports a very recognizable style and shape. I won’t judge it on its looks, but to me it seems a tad cheaper than the Nokia N82.

The N78 comes in a choice of three colors, although it they are not all that different – all differences come down to the rear plate, while the front fascia’s glossy black finish and silvery spines remain intact. The underside, depending on the color scheme you go for, may be brown, blue or white.

The phone measures up at 113x49x15.1 mm and weighs in at 101.9 grams. It is several millimeters skinnier than the Nokia N82, but that becomes apparent only when you put them head to head, as you won’t notice this difference in without a ruler in your hands.

The microUSB socket is probably going to be par-of-the-course element of every Nokia’s phone – the N78 is no exception, look for it on the left-hand spine. . It is used for wired data transfers, while headphones can be plugged in the 3.5 mm audio jack sitting on the top edge alongside the power button. The left side also features the 2 mm charger slot. Unlike the Nokia N82’s design, the N78’s speakers are placed on opposite sides of the casing.

As for other things of note, Nokia has ditched the dedicated Gallery button, so now the right-hand spine houses only the camera shortcut and volume rocker.

The build quality of the N78 was never an issue in our tests – no creaks, no loose-fitting details. However, its front plate is the epitome of “fingerprint-magnet”, in that grease and stains are visible even indoors, so a cleaning cloth is must have. Other than that, we were happy with the Nokia N78 on this front.

Nokia N76

Eventually, Nokia just could not resist it and joined the race where the top prize is “slimmest phone ever” – at a glance its new model utilizes many curves and shapes of the this market’s icon - Motorola RAZR, but as you might have already guessed, its pluses are lying in a slightly different field, since the N76 is in fact a smartphone running Symbian OS augmented with S60 3rd edition FP1. Speaking about why we suppose the RAZR was on the head designer’s table at the time when he was sketching out Nokia N76 – a metal keypad is here, along with dents at the bottom and other bits and pieces giving away its origin.

As a matter of fact, the company has managed to squeeze the hardware of the N76 into a casing only 13.7 mm deep, not due to cutting-edge alterations to the chassis; basically they have made it taller. Generally speaking Nokia 6290 is an exact replica of Nokia N76 – there aren’t many differences to dwell upon. While the 6290 measures 94x50x20.8 mm, the N76 presents us with 106.5x52x13.7 mm, meaning that it is a tad wider, almost 1 cm taller and all this for being reasonably thin.

Video, looks and comparison of dimensions (wmv, 12.93 Mb)>>>

The handset is easy to hold in hands with the clam closed and it does leave a very strong impression – after all, it is a feature-packed smartphone with a whole lot of attractiveness inside. But otherwise eye-candy phone lacks ease of use – trying to flip it open reveals that not everything is about sunshine and rainbows there. The flip action is somewhat clunky due to the hinge lack auto-spring mechanism, so that the clam freezes half way up, and that is not all – the casing’s width and design don’t allow for opening the handset single-handedly, so you always end up using both hands

Trims available with the N76 are apparently aimed at the fashion conscious audience – these are the classic black and so popular among women red

Another newsworthy drawback is glossy finishing of the casing, along with the mirror-like surface of the front plate. The phone collects much gunk within the very first minutes of playing around with it, so rubbing down is something you should get ready to do regularly. Because of the mirror-finished framing the external display seems to be a tad dimmer than that found on Nokia 6290.

Nokia N73

The segment of “multimedia computers”, as Nokia calls its Nseries-branded handsets, has always brought in income owing to less feature-packed models, namely phones bearing N7x index. The explanation lies in price and certain conservatism of smartphones-lovers, who usually prefer balanced and well-tuned solutions to gadgets sporting “flagship”, “market’s best proposal” or other titles. The share of so called techi doesn’t change much from market to market or with time – only these enthusiastic users can willingly pay really much for better implementation of certain features, whereas the mass market behaves in a different way. As a result flagships are mostly high profile devices, for example Nokia N93 focuses on video, and the N91 is an outstanding music phone (however in reality the company tries to sell the hard drive in the N91 rather than its music capabilities). Coming down a step, we see how N8x-solutions are aiming at meeting requirements not only of techi, but also those keen on all-in-one devices, which can show off almost each and every available feature, even though most of them won’t be of much use. If you come and think of the Nseries line-up as of a pyramid, the base will consist of N7x handsets, the middle – of N8x and N9x will crown the product line. The company even made a special statement, in which it emphasized that the N70 had managed to claim the title of the market’s most successful UMTS-device and become the company’s income generator. Answering the “Why?” question is really simple – Nokia has forged the today’s market of smartphones and shaped it in the way wee see it, so by redistribution of efforts in this field, it’s able to profit from any solution in its portfolio. For the time being handsets outside the Nseries line-up are non-existent in terms of commercial success (the exceptions are Nokia 3250, Nokia 5500, both devices generate good sale rates in their niches). And so happens that the most widely-spread handset is Nokia N72, while Nokia N73 is destined to make big noise and forge into the lead in Nseries (spec sheet, price/quality ratio and the company’s margins). As a matter of fact this device is more likely to get in one row with long-lasting handsets – the features found in the N73 will actually materialize in the devices which will be released in the yet distant year of 2007.

What’s I’m going to do now I call “Lyrical digression or observation on handsets positioning”. When Nokia announced the Nseries in the first place, it limited itself to a finite volume of this product line by assigning two-digit indexes and, on top of that, starting with the higher ones. Today we might witness announcement of N6x devices, which in fact will be the most simplified smartphones targeted at the mess market and promoted with all due pomp. At the same time advent of N5x series is not as impossible as it would seem, since it puts special emphasis on the very concept of feature-packed smartphones (all-in-one devices). Should Nokia go on at its current pace of announcements, the existing index potential will run out in 3 years, and that will mean either the need of changing the course or reconsidering the current state of affairs with positioning. The latter option is less probable, since it will provoke heated debates (for example extending the base index to three digits), thus at present changing the concept and introduction of a new device series might be Nokia’s next step.

Over at Nokia they tried to boost the N73 using various technologies so that it could not only impress end-users on imaging front but also offer fair basic functionality. The aim at the mass market has eventually resulted in three different trims - Silver Grey/Deep Plum, Frost White/Metallic Red, Frost White/Mocha Brown, however all they have only the rear and sides painted, while the light front plate remains almost untouched There is not much of a difference between two color schemes (Deep Plum, Mocha Brown) – it’s more about color tones. On the other hand the Metallic Red stands out against the background of its companions and will sure appeal to women. Hereafter the market will see launch of a black edition – whether it will be only an addition to already released trims, or a limited offering materialized owing to another promo-action, we do not know.

The smartphones by Nokia are getting smaller with every release, and this case isn’t an exception – in fact, it’s the apex of miniaturization of smartphones incorporating QVGA screen. Today only Nokia 5500 can overcome the N73 dimensions-wise, but it still yields to the latest N7x’s offspring when it comes to display. The Nokia N73 measures 110х49х19 mm in size and weights 116 grams. In future the dimensions in this series will vary within the limits of these sizes, further reduction won’t take place.

If we are to draw a parallel between ordinary handsets retaining comparable functionality, Sony Ericsson K800i, for example, measures up at 106х47х21 mm in its thickest camera part (the rest of casing is 18 mm thin), weight 113 grams. Although there is a difference in the dimensions between these two devices, don’t think of it as a huge gap – all in all, the handsets feel pretty much the same size-wise.

Video, comparison of dimensions with other handsets (wmv, 10.5 Mb)>>>

The model’s display boasts a diagonal of 2.4 inches (37x50 mm) and capable of showing up to 262 colors (TFT) at a resolution of 240x320 pixels. Exactly the same screen is adopted by Nokia N71 and there is no wonder in that: it looks and feels great, has the right proportions. It’s interesting to know that VGA screens will use comparable diagonals – the platform is being turned nowadays, so that by the time these displays hit the market it will have been ready to operate with them. The picture on the N73 looks fine and allows for no criticism. Besides, the display is armed with a translucent metallic substrate, ensuring that information on the screen will remain readable even in the sun – it’s a signature of the models retaining to the latest generation.

The building quality appears very good just until the moment to put your fingers on the back cover with an integrated lens shutter. At the left of the latch there is a cavity, which makes the entire casing groan and crack even at slightest touches. That’s the worst thing about the N73’s assembling quality and it’s almost impossible to deal with without special tools - foam-rubber or other soft material laid under the cover doesn’t save the day.

The area atop the display features a forward-facing VGA-camera for video calls in 3G networks; however it may deliver photos of self as well. Right next to the that camera you will find a light sensor, automatically adjusting keypad backlighting brightness and turns it off in case the illumination level is sufficient, this sensor also houses a Bluetooth indicator lamp.

Nokia N71

The company of Nokia was the first to introduce a clamshell Symbian smartphone. As a result Nokia 6260 greatly distinguished from the majority in its firm-factor due to irrationally big size and weight, which even crossed the very presence of Symbian and flexible capabilities of the operating system. Also you couldn't use the clamshell in a customary manner as it lacked external screen. And as a result the phone was not as popular in a technically advanced medium, as it was among glamour girls (at the beginning of sales), and after that among students and mid-level managers (after the start price reduced). That was not mass spread which added charm, no, the phone as either loved, or not. And then the Symbian line of clamshells represents developing two different product lines. On the one hand, they are fashion solutions with this or that functionality introduced for the first time, also they are endowed with unusual design and bring innovations. Nokia N90 is a good example, this phone grew of targeting at fashion audience, which likes showing off with their phones, and technically it also attracted with functional component. On the other hand, Nokia plans to keep on and release phones with classical design and typical functionality (a few innovations, which are actually unnecessary here). These clamshells can be considered some kind of replicas of usual candy bars of corresponding classes. And here I'd note that a replica doesn't mean direct move of the platform in another body, that is more positioning of the phone and some changes that happened since the release of a corresponding candy bar model. Changes may mean the renewal of the operating system, integration of other screens, some insignificant variations in selected peripheral devices, preset programs.

The appearance of such clamshells is practically well-taken, as it widens the products line and provides choice to users, who love this form-factor. When speaking about Nokia N71, we can surely call the Nokia N70 its prototype. And a clamshell is a slightly improved version of this phone (and again, you should overlook technical details, consider the question from positioning point of view).

The size of Nokia N71 is 98.6x51.2x23 mm, which is a typical size of a Symbian device, but not the size of an average clamshell. Considering its work in UMTS, we can say the size is quite well-taken. For you to compare, the feelings of this phone and Sony Ericsson W900i in hands and clothes pockets are quite similar.

Considering the size, we can only say that women the target group and probably will form about 5-10 percents of customers. They estimate the appearance quite interestingly - "so light, but at that such bulky!" To be faithful, women in focus groups called Motorola V3x bulky as well (they probably, considered the width of the phone).

Nokia N71 weighs 139 grams, which is not little for a phone; however a visual impression tells it should be even heavier. Its brown body, few details panted in silvery, which make an impression of massiveness, is perhaps the reason. And it is even stronger due to a metallic insertion around the external screen and a projecting silvery hinge on the top.

A camera module and a light diode flash are on the face panel. The camera is CMOS 2MP, which is very close to the one integrated into the N70, no autofocus. No external buttons are provided, so you can activate the camera only from the menu.

In fact, there are only three external buttons - the top on/off button (it is also responsible for changing profiles), one button under the screen, which allows viewing system messages, call log without opening the phone and finally a left-sided Push To Talk button (volume control by side buttons is not foreseen).

A faded external screen is STN 65K, it is quite large, and however the picture looks very carelessly due to enlarged grain size. Still you can read texts in the sun due to big font-size.

We cannot call the screen good, which is quite a middling solution (on the other hand, only several manufacturers integrate qualitative external screens). The resolution is 96x68 pixels (diagonal forms 1.36").

A standard interface Pop Port connector is on the top, not the bottom end. An Audio Adapter is included into the kit, which is an adapter with a standard slot for 3.5 mm, which allows using any type of headsets you like. And previously, all serious complaints concerned incompatibility to use usual earphones instead of the company's ones.

A small folding latch is near the interface connector, and a miniSD memory slot hides under it (the phone size allows using this card type but not microSD). And a 128 MB card is included into the kit; it contains trial versions of some programs. The company of Nokia may release the N71 equipped with less capacious cards for some markets.

You can open the phone with one hand, however not everybody will like the task (it all depends on the palm size). The fold spring is not very tough, however not loosened, which adds some solidity to the opening process.

Your feeling of this device both tactile and during use ones rouse parallels with cars (actually I dislike such comparison, but here it is well-taken). The phone is massive and solid, which will attract people who adore Mercedes-Benz (driving these cars resembles using Nokia N71).

The internal screen is rounded with a metallic insertion as well, and functional keys are designed the same way on the bottom side. A VGA camera is placed under the screen, it serves for video conferencing, however you can takes photos with it (though they will mainly be useful for contacts). A light indicator, which activates backlighting in the dark, is under the camera.

A QVGA screen means 240x320 pixels resolution (2.4"). The matrix is TFT and shows up to 262 K colours. You can't estimate the screen capabilities only due to an interface (as blue prevails and icons are monotonous). The images are more colourful than in Sony Ericsson W900i, however still are on the average level (you can see comparison of this screen with other QVGA models in the review of this model).

The maker could have integrated a screen with higher resolution on Nokia N71, but refused from this idea in order not to lead the device on the higher level both in price and functionality. In general it is not bad, and will rouse no complaints among usual users. The picture is readable in the sun and seen in various angles. The display is capable of showing up to 9 text lines and a couple of service lines (it depends on the application, however the total number of lines will not exceed 12).

Silicone insertions are placed on the bottom end of the body (rectangles in two sides), they prevent the screen from touching the keypad. A Multimedia Key is centered above the main key block; this button calls an mp3 player, radio or other functions.

Pressing the button, you see a menu with 4 directions, and deviations of the navi button call a corresponding item. You can adjust the functions that are assigned to each direction.