Last week I wrote 13 Reasons Why I Love The N8, but hey, it’s not perfect. As I wrote in that post, there is a lot to love about the N8, but if you’re considering of getting one, you should be aware of the less than ideal sides of the N8. These are my personal findings

1.Exposed Camera Lens: This has got to be my biggest issue with the N8. Worth noting is  that the piece of clear plastic you see on the back is not the actual lens, but an added protective clear cover to protect the vulnerable lens behind it. Fact is that light has to reach the lens to capture images and this very same light has to pass through to this clear piece of plastic in front of it. Good image quality is dependent on getting lots of light and therefore a clear and clean cover and lens are key. Problem is that this cover is always exposed. Fingers touch it almost all the time just by holding the N8 and than there’s the dust that constantly collects in this area.

The N8 is a very robust piece of technology with its gorilla glass and metal body, but the exposed clear cover is on the other hand a weak point, requiring me to sometimes baby the N8, always thinking were I put or how I hold it.

The plus side to all  of this is the  that the  camera is available to you, without the need open any lens cover and the fact that the device can be made a lot thinner. The camera is one of the N8’s biggest features, but perhaps also the chink in such a robust armor. Getting it scratched could ruin that top feature of the N8.

2.Screen Auto-lock CAN’T be disabled: Previous Symbian^3 devices allowed you to disable the auto-lock feature, but on Symbian^3/N8 there is simply now way to turn this off. No matter what you do, the N8 is always going to auto-lock it’s screen requiring me to use the lock switch or pressing the menu button and than the “Unlock” button. Imagine having to this several time a day and you’ll quickly see how this gets annoying. There are several  temporary solution to this, like PocketLock.

When I’m sitting at my desk I usually have my N8 near me and every few minutes I like to check my emails or twitter, requiring me to unlock the device each time. This can wear the lock switch out and it can become annoying. The best solution would have been the ability to not lock the screen, until I lock it with the switch. 

3.Nokia Social  is network/SIM card dependent: I bought an unlock N8, meaning I should be able to use it anywhere. Problem is that Nokia Social doesn’t recognize certain smaller local carriers, as a result you simply can’t use it. If I use a Truphone SIM it suddenly works. I’ve written about this issue right here.

4.No Kick-stand: Nokia devices were one of the very first to introduce the kick-stand. Everything from the N96, N900 to the N810 had a kick-stand that allowed me to  hold the device upright to watch a video or simply as clock and twitter. A kickstand shouldn’t add much bulk to thin device, it just requires a piece of thin metal to hold the N8 upright. As a result I have to lay it flat on the desk or hold it in my hands. This could have been also quite handy when connecting it to a TV using HDMI out. I really miss a kick-stand on the N8.

5.Speaker position: The N8 has a loud single speaker, but when you put the N8 on a soft surface like a bed, the speaker is covered and you can barely here something.

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One features that many modern desktops and laptops have, is the ability to do a bit-for-bit factory restore. Basically restoring the machine to the very exact same state it was when it came out of the box with all it’s pre-loaded applications, settings and other customizations through either an included DVD or separate partition on the hard drive. So how does this apply to the mobile space? Let me tell you.

As it currently stands, I’m not aware of any consumer friendly way to restore Nokia’s current Symbian^3 devices to the exact out-of-the box state, without causing any negative effects. The N900 is one exception to this rule, with a procedure that restores it to the exact factory defaults, but this method is exclusively for the N900, which you can find here, but it’s far from the ideal one-click option that I would consider “consumer friendly.” Any mobile enthusiast would agree that a complete factory default is critical feature for these devices: I know many mobile users that like to restore their devices from time to time, clearing out “junk” and bringing back that smooth operation you had when you first got your device. Or maybe you’re selling your device or giving it to family member or friend, having the ability to do restore your device will not only give them that fresh out-of-the box software, but it will remove all private data and those other customizations that isn’t really relevant for them.

Isn’t there anything I can do?

Presently there doesn’t seem to be any way of resetting your device to this factory state, without deleting some very critical files or programs. These are the current options:

1.Three finger salute or “Volume Down” + “Camera Key” + “Menu Key”

Let me start by saying that if you love and enjoy your Symbian^3 device, don’t ever do this as it will restore the N8, but deleting many critical files causing problems with things like OVI store or even Nokia Social. I’ve written about this here. A restore that deletes critical files for normal operation doesn’t isn’t of any use for us, so let’s explore the next option.

2.FOTA

Firmware-Over-The-Air (FOTA) is a handy feature that will upgrade your software to the latest version, but leaves the device untouched when it comes to your applications or personal data.

3.OVI Suite/PC Suite/Nokia Software Updater.

Nokia’s trio of desktop software will update your device to the latest software, but again leaving all software customizations, personal data and applications intact. A few years back I remember that Nokia Software Updater was able to reinstall your software and it even did restore it to the factory defaults, without deleting critical programs or files. Right now you don’t even get the option to reinstall the the software.

4.Phoenix

Some people have been trying their luck with other alternative, such as Phoenix, but reports seem to indicate that this too will reset the device, leaving out many important pre-installed files, again totally missing the mark.

What should be done?

Nokia should leave FOTA as is, a convenient way to update your device while still being able to restore all your files and settings.

As for the desktop front, I think they should reconsider adding the option that allows you to reset your device, to the very EXACT state it was when it came out of the box with all the extras, applications and settings. The user should be able to choose to just install an update, keeping all their files, but there should be an option that restores EVERYTHING. In the case of the N8 owners that have had trouble with their device due to the three finger salute, should be able to use one of these desktop software options to restore all of the missing software. This especially counts for mobile enthusiast that want to experiment with their device, but should have the peace of mind that they will be able to restore their devices when something does go wrong. In the process this should lower the amount of work for Nokia’s own Care Centers. As it stand, there is no way to really reset your device without causing damage and that is one major flaw.

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As a Nokia N8  owner, I can definitely say that one of the added bonuses is the ability to charge via either the microUSB or the Nokia 2mm Charging connector. When comparing the N8 to the newer E7 I noted that the latter lacked this feature, perhaps indicating that Nokia was now  committed to using microUSB exclusively on their newer devices. After using the N8 as my main device, I’m convinced that they should keep both charging standards, especially in their high-end smartphones and these are here’s the reason why.

One charger for both device and accessories

One major difference between Nokia and other manufacturers is that they take accessories very seriously. Just look at the original Nokia accessories being offered for the N8 or E7 and compare this to the original accessories being offered for other devices by their manufacturers  and you’ll quickly  see one major difference: Nokia offers a lot when it comes to accessorizing your device.  Another difference, but one that’s not so obvious, is that most of these Nokia accessories don’t use microUSB, but instead Nokia’s own tried and true 2mm Charging connector. My Nokia BH-905, the BH-214 and even the BH-505 use the 2.0mm charger and not microUSB, probably due to size and space constraints. But the result of all of this is that you’ll probably end up with a microUSB charger for your device and a Nokia 2mm charger for your accessories. Why not have just one charger? With the N8 I can just keep this one charger for both my accessories and my device. Nokia E7 users, sadly, can’t say the same.

2 connectors, more chances of finding the right charger

Despite writing for The Nokia Guide and being a tech enthusiast, I don’t always have some fancy external battery or charger with me. Many times it comes down to ending up with an empty battery and having to borrow a charger from a friend or colleague. Some have USB chargers, while other have Nokia devices with the 2mm charger connector. Point is that having both connectors, increases my chances of being able to find something that will charge my device, enough to make or receive that very important call.

Also consider this, Nokia sold billions of devices and as a result there are millions or billions of these 2mm chargers around. You’ll be surprised at how many places people just happen to have these charger laying around, perfect if you need a quick charge.

I scratched my device with the microUSB!

If you look at the microUSB connector, you’ll notice that it’s quite sharp. I once scratched my N97’s screen when trying to insert the USB connector, my hand slipped and as a result I ended up with one deep giant scratch. I’ve hear similar stories where people with deep scratches on their device, all because microUSB connector. Even now when I’m connecting the USB cable to the N8 I’m very careful not to accidentally scratch the metal body of my trust N8. The same cannot be said about the 2mm connector, which has a rounded edge, making scratching your device almost impossible. It’s also a lot simple simpler: insert and your done. With microUSB I have to look at the connector to see which is the flat side all while being careful not to scratch the N8.

I’m sure many prefer microUSB, but as always having choices is ideal. I’m just happy that the 2mm charger is still around on my N8 and hope that Nokia continues this dual charging method.

Images courtesy: NokiaN8

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You know the drill: getting a new phone usually means getting a matching case and perhaps even a screen protector. The reasons vary, but many times it’s to protect your device, you just want it to look good or perhaps even for resale value when you do decide to sell it. Problem is that I always felt that I had to, but I didn’t want to.

Sure, a screen protector helped in preventing scratches, but makes using the touch screen an  uncomfortable task. It’s simply not as smooth, especially true for multi-touch devices, like the N8. Responsiveness aside,the screen simply doesn’t look as good as without the screen protector on, no matter how much they tell you that there using some amazing “clear screen” technology. For these reasons I always felt like my beautiful screen was stuck behind this piece of plastic that I must use, otherwise I would have to live with scratches or anything daily use throws at my screen.

The same can be said about using a case. It adds bulk and you constantly have to get your device in and out of some of these cases. By the time you’ve managed to get the device out, you’ve probably missed the shot or the phone call. While there are some models that allow you to use the phone with the case on, you still have the added bulk that takes away from the design. Or even worse,  you’re stuck with some hanging flap, like with the N900 and it’s CP-408 case.

So, when I finally decided to get a Blue N8 I realized that didn’t have to get a case or even a screen protector! A device such as the N8, with it’s amazing camera is one of those devices that just begs you to use it without a case, allowing you to instantly capture a spontaneous moment. I was free to use it without needing all of those accessories, finally! With such a beautiful design , who would want to use a case anyway?  But wait, no case?

There are actually two reasons for this added freedom. First of all, it has an Anodized Aluminum body that’s pretty tough and should help against daily use and light scratches as you can see from the video below. The matte finish even helps hiding those finger print. (Nobody has to know that you ‘haven’t wiped your device clean for over a week )

Secondly, the gorilla glass on the screen means no need for screen protectors, which can be difficult to apply and expensive. Even taking a key and trying to scratch it won’t cause any damage, it’s that good!

Many mobile bloggers seem to agree. Take for example Rita El Khoury from Mobile R ’n’ R who says “no case so far”  when it comes to the N8. Mike Macias from Mobile Fanatics hasn’t been using any protection for his N8, but the device still looks good, even after quite a few falls.

I plan on using Nokia’s vary own Blue CC-1005 silicone cover from time to time to add some grip in situation where I know the device has a higher chance of accidentally falling (like hiking in the mountains), but it’s nice to know that I can take the silicon cover of any time (and I will) with the peace of mind that the N8 can withstand A LOT.

Now these added features won’t protect the device from a serious fall or abuse, but it does mean that the N8 is one of those rare devices designed for use in the real world, not just some chrome device that only looks good all polished behind some showcase.

What has been your experience with the N8? Is it really tough for your daily use? Let us know.

Mobile phones

The mobile space has changed a lot. It’s very different from just a few years ago and there is a lot of competition. Strong competition. All good reasons why Nokia fans might be considering other brands  as their main device or as a second phone. Think again. Here are a few reasons why you should reconsider getting another device.

Nokia and it’s devices are very green: Nokia takes the environment very seriously and is considered one of the greenest companies on the planet, even getting Greenpeace’s nod of approval. Talking to many Nokia product managers shows that  environmental considerations play a huge role in every aspect from design, production and even disposal of the devices. A simple look at Nokia products reveals product packaging that seem to be getting smaller, using recycled material, high efficiency chargers and even something as simple as a message on Nokia devices telling you to disconnect your charger from the wall socket to conserve energy. Choosing other brands, many times means choosing products that are perhaps good, but certainly not as serious about the environment.

Who needs an MP3 Player? I’ve been saying it a lot and I’ll say it again: many high-end Nokia, especially from the N- and Xseries, show exemplary audio performance when it comes to the 3.5audio jack. Enough to be on par with or beating the best in dedicated MP3 players. If you have good headphones and high resolution music files, you’ll notice that Nokia devices have a cleaner, neutral output and plenty of juice to power everything but the most high-end earphones, which will require a portable amp. If you are serious about music and audio quality, you aren’t going to get the same kind of performance from those other devices. A good example of this is the N8, a device capable of audiophile performance.

Still the best cameras: Nokia really knows how to make phones and smartphones with good cameras. They even have the smartphone with the best camera in the form of the N8. When it comes to cameras, we’re talking about tons of options, great onboard editing and fast performance. The devices even excel in low-light conditions, that one area where all other brands just flat to the ground. Nokia consistently makes great cameras, not only in the most high-end devices. One of the biggest offender here are BlackBerry devices. Even popular Android devices can’t come close.  While Apple’s can compete, we’re still talking about a devices focused on the upper end of the price class.

Mobile broadband

Built-like a tank: Nokia are built like a tank. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of Nokias surviving some pretty harsh conditions or severe damage. They even have some skinny tanks like the N8. Many Eseries devices, especially the E71 and E71 are other great examples of devices that look great but are also really durable.

Long Battery life: 1Ghz phones are all the rage these day, but they barely last a day. Many Eseries and Nseries smartphones strike a balance between performance and good battery, it’s all about efficiency. There have been a few exceptions, but generally Nokia devices have a good battery life that should last you an entire day with heavy use. Especially the Eseries are known for their extremely long battery life.

Cutting Edge, useful features: I’ve been considering phones from other brands, among them those based on Android. But it always comes down to some feature I’ve come to rely being missing. Examples of these are FM transmitter, USB On-the-go, TV-out and even something as simple as an FM Player. Nokia has some pretty killer and exclusive features that simply can’t be found on other devices.

Awesome reception and call quality: Reception depends on many factors, but the device itself  plays an important role. Nokia device are famous for their amazing ability to maintain a strong reception, while other smartphones have just a few bars or even no bars. Owning a Nokia sometimes literally means being able to make a call or not. I’ve experienced sitting in a group where only the Nokia devices had reception while others had little or no bars. Just ask the guy with the iPhone.

Have you considered these points when considering a non-Nokia device?

Mobile phone plans

Cheap Calls to Australia

Nokia is known for it’s excellent camera smartphone’s but what many are not aware of is that under the hood, some of these are amazing music devices. We’re not just talking about devices marketed as “Music phones”: edgy look, bundled improved quality headphones (or speakers) and media keys. While some of the Nokia devices do have many of these traits, they’re actually capable of pumping out some seriously good tunes using audiophile grade head/earphones. Perfect examples of these are the N91, N91 8GB, N81, N81 8GB and even the N900.

With the N8 now readily available, we wanted to check out how it truly faired on the music front. Testing the N8 would also give you an idea of what to expect from the C6, C7 and E7 as they all share essentially the same hardware.

When we’re talking about audio quality, we’re not talking about the built-in speaker or the Dolby surround feature using HDMI out. In fact surround sound does not necessarily equal good audio quality, as many would think. In this case it’s purely the stereo output through the built-in 3.5mm headphone jack and doing some serious listening, using some audiophile grade in-ear monitors (IEM) from Shure and 320kbps MP3 and Wav files.

I started the test with Lakmé’s The Flower Duet, testing the N8’s capability to cope with a very dynamic classic. The N8 passed the test with flying colors, faithfully producing The Flower Duet with all it’s dynamic complexity while still being able to drive the Shure earphone without a portable AMP at glass breaking volumes. I was also impressed with the amount of detailed produced during the low-volume parts of this piece. Older Nokia’s were plagued with lack of ample audio headroom, but the N8 is another those devices can go loud, and I do mean loud.

I played a bit with the equalizer, but felt that using the default setting, the N8’s output was good enough to get the most out quality headphones without the need for further adjustments.

I continued the test with Cirque du Soleil’s Ibis at max volume to see how it would perform with a more dramatic and energetic piece. The deep tones at the beginning of the sound were nicely produced with the N8 and Shure combo and all the string instruments at ending stood as the combo revealed some impressive details. The N8 was definitely capable of driving earphones without the need of an external AMP, impressive!

The music player benefits great from the N8’s speed and graphics processing power to quickly and naturally zip through the tracks with the added visuals of the album art displayed at 60 frames-per-second, but definitely missing is a search feature to quickly get to a specific feature. The N8 a powerful graphics system, so where are the visualization effects?

Alphavile’s Forever Young played with authority and the dramatic echo was now clearly heard adding a dramatic effect, something that  would barely be audible using a lesser combo. Adam Lambert’s Whataya want from me sounded a bit harsh at higher volumes, bit faired excellent at up to 95% of the volume, the N8 reached it’s limit driving the Shures, indicating that some songs would actually benefit from an external AMP. The N8 was still impressive, on par with the best out there, but a notch below the golden standard: The Nokia N91.

Lastly we tested the N8’s ability to drive the Shures using base-only THX’s World’s Deepest Bass! The Shure went deeep without any problems or serious flaws, again showing the N8’s audio prowess, even when it comes to low-pitched audio frequencies.

Conclusions

The N8 joins other impressive Nseries devices capable of some serious audio performance. This also gives us an idea of what to expect from other devices like the C6, C7 and E7 as they all share the same hardware. The N8 is capable of driving even high-end earphones at high volumes levels, while still producing the most detailed and complex parts. In some cases ( and those cases were rare) I would still recommend an external portable AMP, but I admit that were talking about $500+ earphones in those specific cases. The UI is simple yet beautiful and greatly benefits from the added speed and graphic hardware-acceleration. A big negative is the lack of search feature, although the speed at which you move through tracks is remarkable. Also where are the visualization effects? The N8 could easily be used as a dedicated music player and even audiophiles should be happy. It is however a step below the N91.

Find out more about the Nokia N8 phone online with Dial A Phone where they have a great blog which reports all of the latest news in the mobile phone world.

In a previous post I talked about how the N900 combined speed, eye candy and impressive multi-tasking with “just” a 600Mhz CPU, impressive considering current trends marching beyond the 1Ghz CPU mark.

The same can be said about Nokia’s latest wave of (Symbian) devices. Symbian, known for running acceptably on very low-clocked hardware, still continues this  tradition but with the addition of a new element: Speed! While 512Mb of RAM combined with a 1Ghz CPU are fairly typical Android specs, the N8 for example, is fast with “just” 256MB of RAM and a 680Mhz CPU. Using the final hardware (and software) of the Nokia N8, I was amazed at how fast it worked: applications opened in the blink of an eye yet it could maintain this speed with several application open. Even animation remained smooth and I could zoom into those 12 Megapixels images without it even breaking a sweat. I was impressed. All of this with just 256 MB of RAM on a 680MHZ CPU?

The lower clocked CPU even as an added plus. The Nokia N8 is one of few modern smartphones that can last an entire day with heavy (or even a bit more if you’re careful). All of this applies to other devices from the current “wave” like C7 and E7 as they all essentially have the same internals. Finally we can forget about that device with the N, the 9 and the 7.

Are you happy with the performance of the current wave of Nokia’s Symbian devices?

Are you on the look-out for a new handset? Check out the best mobiles phones on offer at www.phones4u.co.uk.

A quick search on various online stores reveals something interesting about the Nokia N8’s availability: both Blue and Orange are either not in stock, backordered or not even shown. Everything from Amazon, to JR, Plemix, MobileCityOnline don’t seem to have the Blue or Orange N8. Only regional sites of Nokia.com like NokiaUSA.com are showing these color, although we’re not sure that they actually have these colors in stock.

Is Nokia making these colors an exclusive for Nokia.com? Are these two colors more popular? We doubt it. A poll on Nokia Conversations, indicated that Dark Grey and Silver White are the most popular color, so we’re not sure what’s going on.

Where did you buy your Orange or Blue N8?

The N900 has a single ARM Cortex A8 CPU running at 600Mhz, a stark contrast to today’s modern Android devices running at a whopping 1Ghz. Most Android users will probably take a look at the N900 ‘s spec and dismiss it as running at “just” 600 MHz, but is this really the case?

It’s no secret that the N900 can multi-tasks like no other, capable of showing a live view of all open applications in the Dashboard, Nokia’s multitasking interface for the Maemo OS: that YouTube video playing in the browser will continue playing, showing a live view, even when accessing this so called Dashboard. Something that those newer 1GHZ Android devices simply can’t accomplish.

From the PR1.2 and earlier, the N900 could be considered  moderately fast when it comes to speed, slowing down after some heavy multitasking. With the release of the PR1.3 Update, the N900 received several improvements and features, among them also quite a performance boost. Now it’s not only capable of handling several application at a time, including plenty of eye candy, but it’s now really fast, too. When I thought about it, I realized that it was also running at that same 600MHz clock speed. Even some user that had overclocked their N900 in the range of 800 to 900MHz all the sudden realized that it was speedy at the stock 600MHz!

All of this brings us to the following question: Is a 1 GHz CPU in a mobile device a good idea? Perhaps, mobile handset makers like HTC clearly seems to think so. Is it necessary to run a modern mobile device? Definitely not, with the N900 being the best example of this, running at “just” 600 Mhz. This also clearly shows that it was never about the clock speed, but efficiency. Symbian is famously known for running running quite smooth on lower clocked hardware, now it seems that Maemo and hopefully MeeGo will soon join this group.

Ah yes, the Nokia Accessories. “Expensive” and often “difficult to find” are some of the words I would use to describe Nokia’s own accessories. In some cases they are also hard to forget. That’s especially the case of two extraordinary accessories: The Nokia Tripod DT-22 and the Wireless Keyboard SU-8W. Ask any Nokia fan and they’ll tell you about these accessories and how useful they really are, so useful in fact, that they’ll tell you how they kept these accessories for years, while changing phones several times a year. Both of them have been discontinued for a couple years now, but you could probably still find them online if you’re lucky. Should Nokia bring these accessories back?

Nokia Wireless Keyboard SU-8W

With so many phones being introduced lacking a physical keyboard, you’d expect Nokia to have an updated version of the SU-8W, but that’s sadly not the case. It’s this cool QWERTY keyboard, about 90% full-size that neatly folds into a compact body. It has all the phone controls and even a built-in, retractable phone holder and not to mention a retro beige color. The color, the “S60” symbols and the fact that it used double AAA batteries, means that it’s not quite ready for 2010.

We can see many people wanting this if Nokia gave it a matte black color and made it rechargeable via microUSB/Nokia 2mm pin.

Nokia Tripod DT-22

The DT-22 was introduced with the N93 and proved to be very useful if you loved taking pictures and recording videos. Due to its adjustable adapter it could not only hold any Nokia you could think of, but also any mobile phone. The adapter used the standard tripod, which meant that you could connect any tripod to it. The included tripod could also connect to any digital camera. It was that useful! There isn’t a thing we would change about the the DT-22, other than a lower price.

Would you like to see updated versions of the DT-22 and SU-8W?