Nokia N8

NOKIA N8 REVIEW

The N8 was, it's fair to say, quite a while in development. Announced to the world in April 2010, the hardware was ready much earlier and then everything had to wait for Symbian^3 to be 'finished'. As is usual with Nokia, 'finished' is a relative term(!) and we've seen a number of major firmwares (listed below), bringing bug fixes, new application features and even a user interface revamp (in Anna), over the 12 months, with Nokia claiming that it's not finished yet - there's an intention to update the N8 to Symbian Belle in a month or so's time - another major UI improvement. Luckily, the hardware can match up to all this software tinkering - because it's that good. The only ways in which the N8 is dated in terms of hardware are in the AMOLED display, which is good but doesn't have the ClearBlack Display technology that (say) the E7 has. And in its display resolution, arguably, though nHD is perfectly fine at 3.5" to my eyes, as I argued yesterday. The Nokia N8 can be likened to the second coming, not because it’s necessarily salvation in a phone, but more so because it’s taken a really, really long time to get here. Since it was officially announced back in April 2010, with leaks out in September 2009, we’ve all been waiting for Symbian Foundation’s follow up to S60 V5, and Nokia’s follow up to the Nokia N97. Finally, here it is, in all its anodised aluminium glory, with a 12MP camera with Xenon flash and an OLED screen, the new Nokia flagship phone for 2010/2011 - the Nokia N8. The first time Nokia's N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and -- most importantly -- ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It's been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia's touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break. Overall, a very nice design. The exposed Torx screws, chrome accents, and aluminum body just speak towards a classy feel. Side by side with other Nokia devices, the N8 is clearly a step up. And outside of the iPhone 4, there's probably not a mobile with as much attention paid to the hardware design.

SPECIFICATION & FEATURES

NOKIA N8 PRICE

Price in USA $467

Price in UK £270

Price in EURO €318

Price in PAK Rs.36,800

Price in INDIA Rs.17,990