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Monday, November 12, 2007

Reviews of Nokia N81 8gb vs N95


The N81 8gb is one of the latest offerings from Nokia and also amongst the costlier series 60 phones. So before you invest your hard earned money in it read this:-

The device behaved like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum. Unless this is an especially buggy device, N81 has to be one of the worst Nokia phones I have ever used and would be loathe to recommend it to anyone.

It is underpowered and the Symbian S60 OS behaves like Windows ME. Remember that piece of junk? Well this is worse. It takes more than 10 seconds to open a text message. Switching between applications is akin to me running — out of breath. One has to constantly reboot the phone to even make phone calls.
Thats what Mr. Om Malik says in his review of N81 8gb

That was so discouraging for the latest multimedia device from Nokia which costs about 550$ (Rs 26000 in India) and runs on 369 MHZ ARM 11 proc. I doubt that it was a faulty piece or certain firmware issue with the device Mr. Om received.

A much more comprehensive review of the device is carried out at Gsmarena here.

And here is the verdict:-
Reviewing the Nokia N81 was fun, except for the short periods when it got on our nerves with its awkward D-pad. Having in mind that some of its disadvantages will be fixed, we think a strong and able Symbian device is joining up the ranks. A screen of this size is not so often seen, while its gaming powers add up to a really exciting gadget. There's no doubt however that the N81 is quite a niche product, even if it's not as outspokenly eccentric as its N-gage siblings. It's worth considering how many people will be tempted by the rich smartphone functionality and turned down by the excessively youthful image of the gaming-happy N81. The hefty price tag is no surprise but it may cause many to think twice before choosing a Nokia N81 over N95 for example. If you ask us, we'll definitely go for the N95, never mind its inadequate battery. Plus, the N81 is the game-centered device in the N-series, but many of its teammates are compatible with the N-gage games anyway.
Although not as harsh as Mr. Malik's review, even this one is not much encouraging. So then which phone should you go for ? N95 / N95 8gb?

The problem with N95 is poor battery life, poor slider, many firmware issues which were fixed in later releases. And lot of other problems which left the N95 user feel like guinea pigs. You can read the article here on my friend Avinash's blog.
The device currently costs around Rs 25000 in India.
So that now leaves you with Rs 35000 N95 8Gb. Should you go for it ?? wait till Mr. Om Malik reviews it ;-)

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Monday, November 5, 2007

N81 8GB Preview

Key features:

  • Massive storage space (8GB version)
  • Symbian OS 9.2 S60 3.1 UI
  • Wi-Fi support
  • Unique gaming experience with the new N-Gage platform and dedicated gaming keys above the display
  • Brilliant 2.4" 16M-color QVGA display
  • 2 megapixel camera
  • 3.5 mm audio jack
  • Touch sensitive Navi wheel
  • Dedicated music keys and hardware keypad lock switch
  • 3G with video calls
  • Nice multimedia menu

Main disadvantages:

  • No HSDPA
  • Mediocre camera
  • Awkward D-pad
  • Hefty weight
  • Uncomfortable keypad
Detailed Features / Specifications:-

Operating Frequency

  • WCDMA 2100 + EGSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
  • Automatic switching between bands and modes
Dimensions
  • Volume: 86 cc
  • Weight: ~140 g
  • Length: 102 mm
  • Width: 50 mm
  • Thickness (max): 17.9 mm
Memory Functions
  • Up to 8 GB internal flash memory for music, games, video, images and applications
Power Management
  • Battery: Nokia Battery (BP-6MT) 1050 mAH
  • Talk time*: up to 3 - 4 hrs GSM / 3 hrs WCDMA
  • Stand-by time*: up to 17 days (in GSM)
  • Video playback time*: up to 4.5 hrs (QVGA)
  • Browsing time* (packet data): up to 5 hrs
  • Music playback time*: up to 11.5 hrs
  • Video recording time*: up to 3.5 hrs with QVGA
  • Gaming time*: up to 6 hrs
Display
  • Active matrix 2.4” QVGA main color display (320 x 240 pixels), up to 16 million colors
User Interface
  • Operating system: Symbian OS ver. 9.2
  • User interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack (S60 3.1)
  • Dedicated media keys for quick and easy access to music and video:
    play/pause, forward, rewind, stop
  • Dedicated game & volume keys
  • Device hold key
  • Multimedia key & Navi™ wheel
Call Management
  • Contacts: advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and e-mail details per entry, also supports thumbnail pictures and groups
  • Speed dialing
  • Logs: keeps lists of your dialed, received, and missed calls
  • Automatic redial
  • Automatic answer (works with compatible headset or car kit only)
  • Supports fixed dialing number, which allows calls only to predefined numbers
  • Conference call
  • Nokia push to talk (PoC)
Voice Features
  • Speaker independent name dialing (SIND)
  • Voice commands
  • Voice recorder
  • Talking ringtone
  • Integrated hands-free speaker
  • Internet calls(VoIP)
Messaging
  • Text messaging: supports concatenated SMS, picture messaging, SMS distribution list
  • Multimedia messaging: combine image, video, text, and audio clip and send as MMS to a compatible phone or PC; use MMS to tell your story with a multi-slide presentation
  • Automatic resizing of your megapixel images to fit MMS (max 300 KB size depending on the network)
  • Predictive text input: support for all major languages in Europe and Asia-Pacific
Connectivity
  • WLAN IEEE802.11 b/g with UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) support
  • Bluetooth Specification 2.0 (profiles supported: DUN, OPP, FTP, HFP, GOEP, GAP, SPP, HSP, BIP, A2DP)
  • Micro USB 2.0 Full Speed (mass storage class)
  • Nokia AV Connector 3.5 mm
Additional Technical Specifications
  • Protocols: MTP, UPnP, TCP/IP
  • Java™ MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1
  • Flash Lite 2.0

Imaging and video

  • Up to 2 megapixel (1600 x 1200 pixels) camera, MPEG-4 QVGA video capture of up to 15fps
  • Zoom: digital up to 20x
  • Front camera (CIF)
  • Video call and video sharing support (WCDMA network services)
  • Integrated flash (modes: on, off, automatic, redeye reduction)
  • Rotating gallery
  • Online album/blog: photo/video uploading from gallery
  • Nokia Lifeblog support
  • Video and still images editors
  • Nokia XpressPrint solution – direct printing via USB (PictBridge) or Bluetooth connectivity (BPP)

Music Features

  • Nokia Nseries digital music player
    supports MP3 (VBR), AAC, eAAC+, AAC+, WMA/M4A, WAV
  • OMA DRM 1.x, 2.0, Windows Media DRM (OTI/OTA with Nokia Music Store*)
  • 8 GB Internal flash memory (for up to 6000 songs**)
  • Playlist management
  • Synchronize music with Windows Media Player 11 installed on your compatible PC
  • Media keys (play/pause, stop, forward, rewind)
  • Integrated stereo speakers
  • Dedicated volume keys (20 volume steps)
  • 5-band equalizer
  • Nokia AV Connector 3.5 mm (can also be used with standard 3.5 mm headphones)
  • Nokia Stereo Music Headset (HS-45 + AD-54) as inbox accessory
  • Navi™ wheel support
  • UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) music streaming
  • Bluetooth wireless technology A2DP profile (Bluetooth stereo audio)
Nokia Podcasting
  • Find, subscribe to and download podcasts over the air direct to your device
  • Listen to or watch the podcast
  • Browse and search the feed directory to find the podcasts you want
  • Subscribe and get new podcast episodes downloaded automatically
  • Choose whether the Podcasting application uses wireless LAN (requires WLAN network access) or GPRS/WCDMA packet data (requires a packet data plan) to download podcasts to your Nokia Nseries device.
FM Radio with Visual Radio support
  • Stereo FM radio (87.5-108 MHz /76-90 MHz)***
  • Get instant access to your favorite stations.
  • Connect to the FM radio and find the music, sports and news broadcasts in the station list for your region
  • Choose your favorites from a regularly updated directory and save them as a preset
  • Listen to music and interact with your favorite radio stations
  • Find out what song is playing, who sings it, and other artist information
  • Enter contests and answer surveys, vote for your favorite songs
  • Find out more about Visual Radio
Nokia Music Store
  • Purchase music online in Nokia Music Store*
  • Connect to your account from your compatible PC and mobile device
  • Search by artist name or title
  • Explore more music with genre searches and recommendations
  • Buy, download and listen to tracks on your PC
  • Connect to Nokia Music Store on your mobile device through WiFi or 3G networks
  • Use the wishlist to tag tracks on your mobile device to download later on your PC
  • Listen to 30 second clips before choosing to download
  • Buy and use pre-paid and bonus credit
  • Use Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 11 installed on your compatible PC to synchronize music and playlists between your PC and mobile device
RealPlayer Media Player
  • Full-screen video playback on the device to view downloaded, streamed or recorded video clips
  • Stream media files from compatible media portals
  • Supported video formats: MPEG-4, H.264, H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10

Multimedia Menu

    Quick and easy access to your
  • music & podcasts
  • games
  • images & videos
  • most important contacts
  • internet bookmarks
  • points of interests
Navigation
  • Nokia Maps application
  • Navigation with Nokia Wireless GPS module LD-3W (sold separately)
Search and Find
  • Nokia Mobile Search (local & internet search)
E-mail
  • Easy-to-use e-mail client with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
  • Compatible with Nokia Wireless Keyboard (sold separately)
Browsing
  • Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map
Digital home
  • Play music,videos and photos on home media network
    - compatible TV, stereo and PC over wireless LAN/UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)
Java Applications
  • Java MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 (Connected Limited Device Configuration (J2ME))
  • Over-the-air download of Java-based applications and games
Other Applications
  • Personal Information Management (PIM)
  • Advanced S60 PIM features including calendar, contacts, to-do list, and PIM printing
  • Settings Wizard for easy configuration of e-mail, push to talk and video sharing
  • Data transfer application for transfer of PIM information from other compatible Nokia devices.
  • WLAN wizard
  • High quality text to speech
Connectivity
  • Integrated wireless LAN (802.11 b/g) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play)
  • Bluetooth wireless technology with A2DP profile(Bluetooth stereo audio
  • USB 2.0 via Micro USB interface and mass storage class support to support drag and drop functionality
  • 3.5 mm stereo headphone plug(Nokia AV Connector)
  • Nokia PC Suite connectivity with USB and Bluetooth wireless technology
  • Local synchronization of contacts and calendar to a compatible PC using Nokia Nseries PC Suite
  • Remote over-the-air synchronization
  • Send and receive images, video clips, graphics, and business cards via Bluetooth wireless technology
Gaming
  • Dedicated game keys
  • Play games in landscape or portrait view
  • Discover N-Gage application including:
    - Space Impact Light
    - Asphalt game demo
    - Fifa soccer 2007 demo (Electronic Arts)
    - Possibility to download N-Gage application (when available)

Standard Sales Package Contents*

  • Nokia N81 8 GB
  • Nokia Music Headset HS-45 with remote control AD-54
  • Nokia Connectivity Cable CA-101
  • Nokia Battery BP-6MT
  • Nokia Compact Travel Charger AC-5
Inbox colors available
  • Cocoa brown

N81 8gb now launched in India and price of N81 8gb in India RS 26249

Check out the N95 8gb here
Check the new N82 here

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