After scoring the step in the niche of smartphones, Nokia places its hopes in the Nokia N8, the first available under its new operating system Symbian 3. Muscular side images, including a 12 megapixel sensor with its HDMI output, it promises a more effective tactile interface (and pleasant). IRAP finally? Response in this test of the Nokia N8 price and specifications.
From a hardware point of view, Nokia knows make phones. The Nokia N8 Reviews is a further example. Its design is not as refined that that of an iPhone. But the various parts of its housing, mainly metal, adjust impeccably. The Nokia N8 is packaged. Apart from the caches in plastic, no element is removable. Which means, among other things, that its battery is not available…
As on the iPhone. But unlike the latter (which we will continue to compare, since it is he who has awakened the market for smartphones), housing the SIM card on the left lateral slice, is easy to access: it is sufficient to easily withdraw its cache in plastic. And, another plastic trap above, is a micro SD card reader with memory (32 GB maximum) will be able to add up to 16 GB internal storage. Prior to be held in hand, the Nokia N8 gives the impression of a stencil fin and elongated. Its thickness is 13 mm (without the 2 mm of the Protuberance of the optical block). With lengths and comparable widths (less than 2 mm differences), the N8 is a diagonal 3.5 “screen, but it is less wide than the iPhone (approximately 0.6 cm).
Multiprise
The connectors of the Nokia N8 symbian apps, include making the Nokia charger and of micro-USB. Which, in addition to the transfer of data, also serves battery recharge. This dual power capability is an advantage. The upper edge of the N8 receives the 3.5 mm jacks and mini HDMI. An adapter provided by Nokia in effect allows to read directly and easily the content of the phone on a HD screen.
In short, the Nokia N8 quickly distinguished by a rich wired connections. Consider making USB. It is that it is a USB host, capable of receiving a (sufficiently self-powered) storage device. Of course, the N8 is not the first to benefit from the USB host. But it is a more to other competitors (to start with the iPhone). During the test, the use of this USB host decision-making globally proved very practical. From a USB key connected to the phone via the small cable supplied by Nokia, we thus have read videos: this is useful when the file is heavy or there need to be viewed only once. We have also made the test with an SD card containing photographs of an AFN. And passing through a small SD card reader.
The exploration of the content is easy. And the Nokia N8 touchscreen phone l allows, after selection of a photo, send it by MMS, mail or Bluetooth, easily. It is possible also to create a new folder and place, for example, a selection of files.
Audio, photo and video quality for the Nokia N8
The headset plugged into the jack making, the audio player launched, we see a very good sound quality: restitution is clear and dynamic. Bravo therefore for sound. The device, when it is in a horizontal position, leaves now explore the library via Cover Flow, interface popularized by Apple with its portable music players and phones. In addition to the Walkman, we enjoyed the FM radio, whose presence is not systematic on the smartphones top range.
The Nokia N8 enjoys a very good reception. We found the quality of general reception of the signal, static or mobile. It is quite rare with other radios embedded on telephone to emphasize. However, we would have preferred a better interface, but again, we will discuss this point more far.
No doubt, the possessor of a Nokia N8 should not hesitate to employ him as AFN. Because it is cleanly beautiful. And not because that the sensor has 12 megapixels! Everyone knows (almost) now that the exuberant number of pixels is not the photo quality. It is valid for a compact, more reason for a smartphone. But we enjoyed the (rather hot) rendering and details of the photos issued by the N8. We liked the ability to zoom in with the same volume control button: it is really more convenient (that drag the finger on a cursor that is displayed on the screen).
A posteriori treatment options are also interesting, as for example the manual entry on the photos. However, the visualization on the screen does not match the iPhone. And it, not only because the definition of the multipoint touch screen is lower (640 x 360 against 960 x 640). But also because that photos are time (at least one or two seconds) to be net when it zooms up with fingers: on the Apple device the point is almost immediate.
Side shot video (HD 720), the device is also remarkable: the images have a good definition and are fluid.
GPS N8: Research of rigid places
The Nokia N8 is fast running GPS. Overall, it was very convincing. We are back from the disappointment caused by the N97 in this GPS mode. Our trips in the car we found the reactive N8: he expects more of leaving a roundabout to ask out. And quickly recalculate the route in the event of driver error.
However, we emit reservations about its research function. For example, a motion in writing as “Rue alesia, paris” and made in the Paris suburbs gave “16.3 km, Kyriad, street plants, Paris, 32 Rue plants, France”: the found place is on a street perpendicular to that sought. We did not have more success by adding a focus, “rue alésia, paris. It is only by writing specifically “rue d Alesia, paris” that the device returned us “16.6 km, rue d ‘ Alésia, Paris Street of Alésia, 75014, France”. This lack of flexibility and suggestion (for addresses which spelling is close) can divert, the true meaning of the term, in many cases for example in unknown cities. Google Maps, on an another smartphone, directly found Street, starting from the same spelling!
Ovi Services winners?
Nokia is catching up with Ovi maps, which not only offers services related to such GPS for example Michelin and Lonely Planet guidebooks, but especially its free maps (for life according to Nokia, and for some models of phones). Downloadable, for example before going abroad, these cards can be exploited without requiring connection to the telephone network, thus putting from additional expenditures. We have GPS guidance test by flatly removing the SIM card. There, service Ovi maps mark a point in the Google Maps for Android and Apple phones.
Nokia has perhaps interest to increase the types of services (free if possible) the kind of Ovi maps. In a press release dated September 2010 it is mentioned that his store, Ovi store, contains more than 13,000 applications. It is far from the tens of thousands that have, each, the App Store and Android Market shops. There is work for developers of applications on Symbian ^ 3, open version of the operating system Symbiam S60 of Nokia. In any case, for the moment, we appreciated the ergonomics of Ovi store: this is exemplary clarity.
Interface Nokia N8 : progress and legacy
With regard to the tactile interface of the Nokia N8, which is therefore the first smartphone running Symbian 3, we can say that there is really in the best. On the whole. The Web navigation, which accepts the Flash animation technology, is more pleasant. But, and this is not the first time we affirm it here, it is less than on the iPhone. It is less fluid. Zoom with the fingers reacts less well. According to its competitors, the interface of the system offers the possibility to customize the different screens. Three more.
One moves from one screen to another by dragging the finger on the screen horizontally. It easily adds widgets. As bricks which are superimposed. They are ordered in the desired order slipped slightly and vertically. Apparently, it is not possible to pass a widget by dragging one screen to another. Widgets to add or to remove screen by screen. And we could not place more than six widgets screen. It is little.
Otherwise, even if this Symbian 3 reacts better, its touch interface is still strong in the menus, larger or smaller sizes. It is text, text, and even text. In General, one has the impression of an interface, certainly more graphic, but still well marked by number of menus and columns. The Nokia spirit still seems “colonized”. A kind of verticality presents to all floors.
We have found the system Symbian 3 sufficiently swift overall: multitasking management is satisfactory. However, we are critical in the management of e-mail. First, the introduction of a second account showed a blocking whenever we open the corresponding Inbox. It took deleting the two accounts and install them again. Safely later. However the opening of the mailboxes still slow, and the display of e-mails. We also find that, in responding to an e-mail, the delimitation between the body of the e-mail to send and e-mail of origin is not clear. In short, there is progress in this area.
Finally, after about two weeks of use, we found, with joy, Nokia N8 enjoys autonomy greater than the average of the smartphones top current range: easily fits more than one day. A few times even almost two days. In short, with all the qualities of the N8, Nokia may found a second wind.
More : Very good quality photos and HD videos. Editing functions. Audio quality of the player. Presence and quality of reception of the FM radio. Overall performance GPS. Free download of maps for GPS. Management of Flash animation technology. Autonomy. Double food intake. Support USB host. Finesse and quality manufacturing. Making mini HDMI. FM transmitter. Simplicity Ovi store.
Less : Managing emails. Non-removable battery. Research of GPS locations ineffective. (Relatively small) amount of Ovi store applications.
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