If you like, these can be switched off or replaced by a more familiar S60 shortcuts bar.
Another set of shortcuts arrives via the Media touch key, glowing just above the display. A tap of this drops down a multimedia toolbar with five icons, providing quick-tapping hotkey access to the music player, web browser bookmarks, Video Centre function, media gallery, and the Share online option – offering online uploading for video and images, plus networking via sites like Nokia's Ovi service and Flickr.
Haptic feedback
The main menu touch action is clearly evolution rather than revolution. A grid of main menu icons onscreen is tappable to get into more sub menus in a way that's consistent with S60 conventions. Responsive onscreen softkeys help tap-to-select options, while generally it's easy to scroll through and select, with haptic feedback giving you vibrating confirmation that keys have been touched.
Text input can be done via a very usable virtual alphanumeric pad – just like normal texting - or via Qwerty keyboard input, using a large and very well proportioned sideways view one, or a mini any-way stylus-tappable one. A very good handwriting recognition option is also to hand. The phone has an accelerometer built in for automatic screen rotation, so it switches views to how you're holding it.
Sensors are also utilised to mute or dismiss incoming calls or switch or snooze alarms, simply by turning the phone face down when you get an alert.
User-friendly music player
Touchscreen apart, music is naturally centre-stage. The S60 music player interface hasn't been re-invented; there's none of the whizzy visual touches or cover-flow style browsing as the iPhone. The conventional-looking set-up is straight ahead and fine to use.
Nokia's Music Store is supported for those who don't sign up for the Comes With Music service, and an FM radio is built in. The 8GB of in-box MicroSD storage supplements the small 81MB onboard storage, giving plenty of headroom for stacking tracks.
Thanks to the 3.5mm headphone socket – usefully, on top of the phone – you can plug in a decent set of your own ear-wear to maximise sound quality. It's worth doing as this device is capable of producing a superb audio performance, with lovely clarity and depth., plus surprisingly hefty bass. The supplied earphones are OK, but could be better, so we'd advise a try with some higher quality ear-gear to appreciate the full effect.
Stereo speakers on the bodywork do a reasonable job for mobile phone loudspeakers, but are still limited. The radio, however, does a fine low-key job at bumping up the free entertainment quota.
Basic camera quality
Camera action takes a bit of a back set on this particular model, though it still does a competent cameraphone job. It has a 3.2-megapixel snapper built in, equipped with an autofocus system, LED flash, and a new touch-based user interface.
Image quality can be reasonably good within the camera's limitations. Normally lit shots can look acceptably detailed, and close up shots come out well. Colours generally come across accurately, but occasionally can look a bit over-saturated in some lighting conditions. Still, they're not bad for a mid-grade shooter. Low-light shots aren't so good, however, with grainy picture noise appearing and the flash having a very limited effect in illuminating over more than short distances.
Shooting, the camera automatically switches into widescreen landscape mode, giving plenty of screen space for the viewfinder and camera touch controls. The camera interface presents an easy to follow set up for auto–metering adjustments, effects and standard camera tools. Adding effects post-shooting is a breeze, too.
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