Thoughts On The Nokia N85So, I received the Nokia N85 several days ago, and promptly set it up so I could use it as my primary device. Iâve previously held the N95-3 as the end-all-be-all when I want something I can rely on to get things done, so replacing my tried and true workhorse with something brand new was a bit of a courageous effort, specifically after experiencing the N96âs initial firmware and terrible followup firmware. So how does the N85 fare with its initial firmware and build?
Phenomenal. This thing is better than my N95-3 in every single aspect. Itâs smaller, lighter, faster, prettier, more stable, and better built. The battery life dwarfs the N95-3, even with the same battery, both using AT&Tâs 3G network in Dallas/Fort Worth (yes, thatâs correct - the Euro version works fine on AT&T in both Dallas/Fort Worth and the Atlanta airport in the U.S. with full 3.5G data).
Just to give you an idea, on Saturday, I pulled the N85 off the charger (which, by the way, is also my computer) at 6am. I had Jaikuâs mobile client running in the background, alongside Nokia Email Beta with push IMAP running. I listened to ~30 minutes of music, tethered for ~1 hour, roughly 30 SMS and 1 hour of phone calls. It was completely powered off for the 12 hours I was in filght, and when I arrived at the hotel at 1015a on Sunday, I still had 4 out of 7 bars of battery showing. Thatâs pretty phenomenal, if you ask me.
Despite rampant reports of build quality issues, this unit seems to be rock solid. There are no squeaks or other sounds emanating from the phone while in use, and the slider is solid and smooth as butter, with no more wobble than any other S60 slider Iâve used, including the E65, E66, N81 8GB, N95 (-1, -2, and -3), and N96. The sound quality is on par with the N81 8GB, easily, and it had no issues with the 8GB microSD that it came with (as expected).
However, itâs not *quite* the perfect device. While the numeric part of the keypad is phenomenal - again, better than the N96 and N81, but not quite up to snuff with the ridged N95-3âs keys - itâs the top portion that has a bit of trouble. It often misses keypresses, forcing me to repeat them. This is frustrating with the d-pad, but also the other S60 buttons around, and is likely due to the fact that the whole panel is a single piece, much like the AT&T Fuze that I just reviewed for MobileBurn.
Another thing that I really like about the N85 is this front keypad. Despite sharing the design of the N96 and N81, the N85 does not have music playback keys surrounding the d-pad - the only set is on the dual-slide part, and the d-pad is used as well, just like the N95-3. This greatly reduces the frustration of accidental keypresses, and is a major plus in my book.
All in all, Iâm completely infatuated with the N85. The only real issue that Iâve seen thus far is easily fixed with a firmware update, which Iâve heard might be coming soon anyways. Aside from that, if youâre bored with your N95, I have to say that the N85 updates quite nicely, while offering a similar experience.
While that seems to say that itâs not worth the money if youâre coming from the N95, itâs not at all. Iâve had my N95-3 for a year, and itâs definitely aged (in my book, anyways). With the N85 currently priced at below $500 on Ebay, itâs not really overpriced, considering that youâre getting quite a bit of small fixes. The screen is amazing, itâs far faster, and also uses S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2, which has several things that offer a much better overall experience. MicroUSB charging is incredibly convenient, as is the side-mounted slide-lock switch.
Iâll be putting together a full review soon, and adding more thoughts as to how the N85 handles a high-demand situation such as covering an event, where Iâll need photos, email, Jaiku, and videos to be constantly at the ready.
Izvor
Autor
Tema: Nokia N85 (ProÄitano 5961 puta)
