Nokia's reputation as a leader in the smartphone market has been under increasing pressure in recent years, as a string of 'high end' handsets have failed to capture the minds and wallets of the phone-buying public.
So to fix that, Nokia's gone back to the drawing board to bring out the Nokia N8, featuring a new OS and a huge amount of high end tech packed under the hood.
If you're in the market for a new smartphone, you can check out our quick video guide to what to look out for:
Having announced the phone back in April, Nokia has been holding off on release to make sure the user experience is as good as possible.
But it needs to be very good indeed seeing as most other brands announce a phone then release it within weeks – we've been waiting nearly half a year for this one.
The underlying software has been improved and Symbian^3 builds on the previous iterations of the OS seen on the likes of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic and Nokia X6, but adds in multiple home screens, widgets and an improved UI.
Hardware-wise, Nokia has pushed the boat out too with the new N8, offering a full metal chassis with anodised scratch-proof paint to give the phone a really high end feel.
It really is scratch-proof - rubbing keys on it produced no ill-effects, although the slider switch on the side can get its paint rubbed off over time.
However, with a 12MP camera with Xenon flash bolted on the back, it's not a super-slim device - it fits in the hand well enough but the dimensions 113.5 x 59 x 12.9 mm aren't going to rival the likes of the iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S, especially when being forced into more tightly fitting trousers.
The Nokia N8 also doesn't have a removable battery either - the full metal chassis is completely enclosed so unless you've got a very particular screwdriver, you're not getting in to replace any innards.
To that end, Nokia has put two hinged gates on the side of the N8, giving access to the microSD card slot and the SIM card port - both are quite hard to pull open (which isn't a bad thing as you're probably not going to be opening them very often) and clicking cards in can be tricky too without long fingernails.
The rest of the Nokia N8 continues the higher-end feel: the 3.5-inch capacitive OLED screen really pops with colour (although doesn't quite match the impressive sharpness of Samsung's Super AMOLED) and the minimalistic design sees only one rather functional-looking button on the front, eschewing the extra soft keys Nokia has implemented for so many years.
The right-hand side of the phone houses the camera key, which has staggered press levels to allow you to only push it down partway for autofocus. There's also a volume key with raised buttons, although these are fairly far away from each other, so can be hard to hit when you're not looking and trying to work out which one you're pressing.
There's also the slider switch on this side of the Nokia N8 - if you're a fan of physical unlocking, then this is a good example of that, although we prefer the on-screen offering, where a short tap unlocks the phone and works far more easily and effectively in our opinion.
The left-hand side of the Nokia N8 is a little more sleek, with only the aforementioned gates for microSD and SIM, as well as the uncovered microUSB slot, which may perturb some who are used to their Nokia phones having a gate on top to prevent dust creeping in. But has anyone really ever had a dust-destroyed port in the past?
The top of the N8 is where it mostly happens though - there's a mini HD port, the 3.5mm headphone jack and the power switch, which is also used to quickly change profiles when buzzing through the N8's interface.
The bottom houses the charger port - and it's a standard 2mm 'new Nokia charger' port, which initially seems like an odd choice when you can also charge through the microUSB port too, like all other phones, even when connected to a PC.
We can only assume that Nokia has done this so that when you're streaming over USB on the go (more on that later) you can keep charging the phone too.
But as we said before, the Nokia N8 sits in the hand well enough and allows you to access all the functions pretty easily and you don't need to jiggle it around in your palm too much.
In the box
Nokia has thrown a large range of toys in the box with the N8 - an adaptor to convert HDMI to mini HDMI, decent earbuds with an inline remote, a slim line Nokia pin charger and a USB lead with adaptor too to attach hard drives on the go..
This is all packaged in an eco-friendly slim box, and certainly looks premium and worth the money you'll need to be forking out.
Your comments (80) Click to add a new comment
ntebengr
January 18th
80. I bought the N8 on contract in Feb 2011 and I love most of the applications especially the camera. Three months ago the phone stopped sending text messages. I can use everything else,receive messages,calls and go on the internet. My Service provider has reset the Message centre number 4 times eventually i took it in to Nokia and to my horror,I was told the phone has water damage and it is uneconomical to repair,which voids the warrantee and I am liable to the assessment cost. Is this a common fault with the N8 or what is the problem.
Alert a moderator
bwmcconnell
January 16th
79. I have been using the N8 for over a year now and must admit that is has some quirks but overall is one of the best smart phones out there. The OS changes with Anna helped a great dal and the Belle update should really eliminate most, if not all, the OS system's problems. The camera and video are outstanding, call quality amazing (in spite of weak ATT signal), the web interface while outdated at first has been greatly improves in Anna with more expected in Belle. Have used OS and in general like Apple products but the iPhone is just too expensive for what you get. Tried a friends Android but found it lacking in some ways but very interesting. It did not have the build quality (Galaxy S2) that this phone has but would buy one if it was priced anywhere near the N8 unlocked value. Meantime staying with N8 until the ship sinks or Nokia proves Windows Phone is the way to go.
Alert a moderator
kiransamy
June 7th 2011
78. My family member have N8 for 6 months. She got it as a present. She had annoying problems like freezing s and screen not enlarging using pinch and zoom. Returning back to Nokia have not rectified it completely. The problems still happens unpredictably. I helped her to reset it so many times to no avail. Recently it keeps bugging to connect to the phone own internet 3g for it's gps navigation. This has cost my sister too much and she has stopped using it because of it.
Alert a moderator
smellymelly
June 6th 2011
77. It seems that a lot of jargon and misleading information is a foot, I have recently purchased a new N8, I have been singing the praises of the iphone 3gs for some time, I have owned the nokia express music, many many more phones including the N900, I can honestly say that accepting that all phones have their little qwerks that become annoying, this N8 has to be one of the best phones i have the pleasure of owning, It not only rivals the iphone it in my view leaps ahead in its technical abilities and is a fantastic modem using the three network, almost as quick as virgin media down load speed, if you are looking for a phone that ticks all the boxes take it from someone who is quite picky get this one you will love it, the smileys are the bollox as well, a lot of the remarks you have read are from people who are trying to compare a phone with a laptop or a power book, I own a mac book pro, my teenagers own iphones and different samsung phones and they are hard to please but concur that this N8 is the nuts and it will be interesting to see if the iphone 5 comes close, iphones cannot be used as modems yet, one little added bonus, the radio reception is second to none.
If i was going to be picky i would ask nokia to make the ariel built in so the radio can be used through speakers without having to plug in head phones, although if you use head phones that come in to parts you can separate the two parts and the radio will be heard through its own speakers :) Love It
Alert a moderator
p.ming
May 23rd 2011
76. This is my first Nokia device again after a decade of Sony-Ericsson handsets. The built quality of the hardware is top notch, there is no denying that. If the OS used are everything else but Symbian, this handset will definitely be on the top list of everything. Unfortunately, the cons now outshine the pros (at least for me):
1. connectivity is lacking, it constantly chooses to disconnect from wifi whenever it feels like it, prompting me to reconnect unnecessarily.
2. typing is hell, with the ancient keyboard UI (the promised Symbian Anna update should rectify some of the problems, though when will it hit the air is something else altogether). Using Swipe doesn't help much, I was forced to type SMS or email at a snail's pace. Thumb typing is simply out of the questions. The portrait multitap keyboard surprisingly fares better, probably since we have to tap continuously anyway to find the correct alphabet.
3. Touch sensitivity is a chore. This could be addressed to the ancient Symbian, there is simply no way the device this good at everything else should suffer so much from the OS. There is no way to tweak the sensitivity.
4. The processor is so last decade. True, BB Torch is running on almost identical speed, but it is more responsive. This Nokia stutters on almost everything.
It is a pity that handset as beautiful and robust as this Nokia N8 comes out more troublesome than helpful. I still love its imaging capacity, taking pictures and videos is a joy. But there is no way for me to justify using this high end COMMUNICATION device for everything else but communicate.
Good bye Nokia.
Alert a moderator
mixtrak
April 15th 2011
75. Had one for a few months.
Pros:
1. Seems bulletproof, have thrown down (accidentally but with good force) onto concrete etc. with only a few dents to show.
2. Camera great
3. Connectivity great
4. When it's fast, it's fast. Multi-tasking easy and doesn't slow it down noticeably.
5. Ovi maps is great (check out ViewRanger GPS too)
6. Battery life is as good as they say, if not better.
Cons:
1. UI is laggy sometimes. Seems to come and go - when it feels like it, it blisters.
2. UI is also not super user-friendly (re file heirarchy etc).
3. Sound quality through FM broadcaster ain't great (to be expected I guess) but neither is it through USB or jack to jack. Same with my 5800, a supposed music phone... any ideas why?
Good on you Gareth for writing one of the most in-depth and balanced reviews of this phone I've seen (and I've read a few). Most seem to bag out the OS and pretty much ignore everything else.
Changes since review:
Ovi maps now rocks, pinch zoom
Pinch zoom in webpages
Alert a moderator
arshumarshu
April 4th 2011
74. Jamzack, with regards to your problem, you can switch off the touch screen by using the slide button on the right side.The touchscreen won't be activated, you can still talk and it will save energy
Alert a moderator
jamzack
April 2nd 2011
73. I upgraded (if that's the right word) from a blackberry to the N8 on its release, found it to be a great phone so far, the camera is of unbelievable quality, not used my usual digital one since owning the phone, recently downloaded a free app so you can have panoramic pics too (not that keen on it tho to be fair, but it was free!). As for the phone itself, the only trouble I have had is whne multi-tasking and putting the phone to my ear using my neck to hold the phone, it can sometimes put the caller on hold! Not sure if that's a bad design on the easy touch screen or just me trying to do too much! (I don't work for Nokia, Neilc1 and can't think of anything witty to your reply either!)
Alert a moderator
neilc1
April 1st 2011
72. Agree with last comment. Who can you trust in these reviews so clearly the conclusion is to trust no-one. Cheers for ruining what could be a 2 year decision. I'll go with Techradars review and ignore all you children. If you are a paid pusher or basher then seriously do you not lie in bed at night wondering how your life came to this. I'd have shot myself. 10 marks to any pusher/basher or other who can think of anything witty to reply to this. Minus 20 though if you actually do. Muppets!
Alert a moderator
arshumarshu
April 1st 2011
71. Difficult to beleive here who is genuine and who is not!!!!!
Alert a moderator
bmwdriver
March 31st 2011
70. Beware of nokia sales people acting like satisfied customer in here telling how great Nokia N8 is.
I suggest calling Consumer Dept Bureau for the number of complaints.
Alert a moderator
gizmo
March 14th 2011
69. dont buy one !!! I have had mine sinces Nov had loads of problem s with it not answering calls and when connected to Bury car kit carries on ringing , it cant be answered, engine has to be turned off to stop it ringing and then turn off phone to re boot. sent it back to Vodaphone who repaired it - Not just the same . Complained so the they replaced it it with another one which wouldnt even turn on, that was replaced with another one , this one wont make calls, it says its calling but its lying , its not . try and ring the phone and it says this phone is switched off. lost me a lot of work. Tied into a contract for another 19 months with Vodaphone and I am having to use a 10 year old scratched basic phone to make calls. been with Vodaphone 35 years and they are not interested that I am paying for another 19 months with no half decent phone- needless to say I will be leaving them in 19 months and not signing with anyone- pay as you go- buy my own phone - works out cheaper in the long run. Always had Nokia's but this is the last one I will ever own. Every one I know who has one has freezing problems with it! Its got all the toys but will not perform its primary function - to be a phone . My marks out of 10 are 0. Avoid like the plague
Alert a moderator
theleif
March 12th 2011
68. Nokia N8.
Nightmare. Sent it back after 24 Hours. Battery lasted about 3 or 4 hours at best. Kept connecting me without my permission. No camera lense cover as with the N86 ( wich I have reverted to.) Slow wi fi. Stupid multiple home screens and the final nail in the coffin not being able to play video/photo direct onto my TV as with the N86.
DO NOT WAST YOUR TIME OR MONEY.
Alert a moderator
luke3419
February 19th 2011
67. Sadly I purchased a nokia N8 just before Christmas as a potential to replace my iPhone (which has very poor radio performance compared to my old Nokias)
When the phone was working the radio performance was only very slightly better and I have to say if the user interface is the best Nokia can do, I fear for their continued future in telephone manufacturing business.
I was advised to contact Nokia directly for a replaecment by the helpful people in the Vodafone shop who sold me the rubbish in the first place, and continue to charge me £25 a month for its use!....and seem to expect me to carry on paying!
My emails to Nokia are rejected as their mailbox is full..perhaps they have sold quite a few of these. I will now return to the Vodafone shop, I can see this is going to get messy... perhaps I should try an HTC product
Alert a moderator
hlt
January 22nd 2011
66. Wow wow.....I updated maps,I have all the HD games available, and I don't have any probs at all. I know that's quite a few of you encounter but it is supposed to take action rather than bashing it cos it only happens to a few and go to here that you will see it,dat it is beloved by many many people :P
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n8-3252.php(5k likes,94% daily intrest today 22/01/11)
http://www.facebook.com/NokiaN8 (112k+ fans)
LOL...what more else do u want guys? more proofs?
Alert a moderator
kleevul
January 11th 2011
65. I purchased my N8.00 in December 2010. Been back to Nokia for fixing the freezes. Does not happen every single time but it does happen. Then I received notification that new updates were available for N8.00 ovi map. I followed instructions. On the road using the new map, the phone screen goes blank. I had to press and touch the screen to wake it too many times. Then the phone stop responding for a while. I resetted by pressing the on/off switch for 8 secs. Since then, it started responding normally again but the maps still goes blank after a while. I given up using it wishing I never updated to the new ovi map. I tried to uninstall but could not like most other applications normally can. I still get some non responses when I try to swipe or try to see any open applications. Is there a way to solve my problem?
Alert a moderator
basitj
January 4th 2011
64. This is what I got after a long wait. A superb hardware with a clunky software on N8. I think we need to wait for updates now. Just to give you an example, here's a case of Faulty email client on N8. It's broken by default :p
http://www.nokian8.mobi/nokia-n8-email-problem-how-to-solve-it/
Alert a moderator
vkakkanatt
January 3rd 2011
63. My mobile-nokia N8 get switched off frequently when i touch the screen twice or thrice ....I'm worried it is a software problem or any problem with the set..
The camera is very good...especially in day light
Alert a moderator
vkakkanatt
January 3rd 2011
62. I
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments