gadgets

There is nothing worse than going out and wondering if you have everything. Camera, check. MP3 player, check. Watch, check. Cellphone, check. Well, with the Nokia N8, you can pretty much mark them all as checked in one go. Throw in GPS, instant mail access, updating all your social networks, watching the latest YouTube clips, surfing on the web, and you have only scratched the surface of what this amazing piece of technology can do. It even can SMS, make phone calls, and send MMSes - who'd have thought?

Having the phone for over a month, it pretty much became a part my being, allowing for access to every piece of business (and socialising) I would have accessed via my laptop or desktop - all with a phone that's just about the same size as the iPhone 4.

The first thing I noticed about the N8, is its build quality. It’s a solid phone, which looks and feels like it can take a knock or two, so you don't have to fear dropping it from a few feet. (If you are, there are a range of silicon accessories to protect it from any knocks and scratches). The built-in camera is easily accessible with a click of the photo switch, and there's an instant lock mechanism on the side of the phone (so you no longer have to punch in a collection of keys just to access it).

The N8 comes with a six-month unlimited download code for Nokia's Ovi Music Store, which has the latest in music, as well as a few classics, for you to download to your PC and phone. The software is slick (think iTunes, but for a less techie nation) and getting any album onto my phone literally took a few minutes.

Connecting it to my portable Wowee One speaker turned my N8 into a portable sound system, getting a few parties going when there weren't any tunes available - just another awesome social use for the phone. The standard speakers in the phone are also crystal clear, while the supplied headphones fit pretty snug in your ears to remove any external noise, and feature a long enough cable sp you won't feel tied down. The cable also has a built in controller, allowing you to answer any calls, skip tracks, or adjust the volume - all pretty handy, while feeling as solidly built as the phone itself.

Having gone to a few concerts recently, the 12-megapixel camera and 720p HD camera certainly showed their worth (and personally my favourite aspect of the phone) capturing the likes of 30 Seconds to Mars and Feeder in full HD glory. Using the HDMI output, the phone is easily plugged straight into an HD TV (and even your surround sound system should you have an aux connection), and the video played back at crystal clear quality - turning your N8 into a media centre.

The built-in Ovi Maps application got me around Johannesburg without any problems for a day, and using the cigarette lighter charger, ensured that battery power wasn't an issue. Goodbye Garmin, goodbye one less grotesque gadget stuck to my windscreen.

Equally impressive, the Maps app updates automatically from the Ovi Store - which itself also features a large amount of Nokia-specific apps. These feature nicely on the N8 with its vibrant screen and quality sound system. Downloads and installations are quick and easy, and accessing the apps is simple. With developers adding new applications on a daily basis, the options of what you put on your phone to customise it are pretty endless.

Now to the not so good parts. The battery was only lasting for most of a full day when running in full capacity - wireless on, with relevant default applications running in the background - which wasn't ideal. But there is a power-saving mode which, when activated, has the phone running for a good few days, prompting you to deactivate the mode should you wish to use any additional features.

As I used the phone more, I found that the OS slowed down slightly - not too much to cause me any discomfort, but with more applications, mail, and files, the change was noticeable (which is pretty standard on any OS really if you're realistic about it).

There are a few usability issues too. A few steps to gain access to certain other areas of the phone are unnecessary. And by keeping your finger pressed down on most areas, you get a list of options to perform with said item - for example keeping your finger on a number you haven't saved, will give you the option to save it or send a message to it - but the phone never shows you that there is a proposed hot spot.

But as you use the phone more and more, these usability nuances become second nature, and the handy help guide - which answers most questions within a few finger-taps - becomes less and less of a go-to guide.

For users who are looking for the ultimate multimedia smart phone (with regards to a social, photo and video experience) this one is for you.

[Link Inactive] Click here to view a run down of the N8's capabilities.

Nokia N8 Highlights:

HD quality imaging and cinematic sound:
• Shoot and edit photos and video with supreme clarity of a 12 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics
• Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound and HDMI connection to a home entertainment system

Personalization capabilities for a truly individual experience:
• Personal touches come to life on three fully customizable home screens
• Instant access to Ovi Store’s apps, games and other cool content
• Web TV delivers local and global TV favourites right to the home screen

A seamless and fully integrated social network experience:
• Get live updates from Facebook, Twitter, and RenRen pushed right to your home screen, with feeds visible at a single glance
• Connect from anywhere on your phone—your home screen, contacts, or map
• Enrich your social network experience with content from your phone including pictures, location and more

Free navigation, forever:
• Free worldwide satellite car and walk navigation from Ovi Maps in over 70 countries
• Built in premium guides from Lonely Planet and Via Michelin for tips on travel, restaurants, weather, and hotels

Operating times:
• Talk time (GSM/WCDMA) –12/5 h 50min
• Standby (GSM/WCDMA) –390/400 h
• Video record –3 h 20 min
• Music playback –50 h
• Video playback –7 h
• Video playback with HDMI –6 h
• Web TV –3 h 20 min

Nokia Original Accessories:
• Nokia Stereo Headset WH-701 (in box)
• Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905
• Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-608
• Nokia Extra Battery DC-11
• Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-214
• Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-505
• Nokia Mini Speaker MD-9

Technical Profile:

System: WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 and GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
OS: Symbian^3
Form Factor: Touch screen monoblock
Dimensions: 113.5 x 59.12 x 12.9 mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 135g
Display: 3.5 inch widescreen (640 x 360 pixels) capacitive touch
Battery: 1200mAh BL-4D
Media Storage/Memory: 16GB mass memory + micro SD card slot, 135MB internal memory, support up to 32GB memory cards. RAM256 ROM512
Video Playback: Video recording, Performance: encoding 25fps, decoding 30fps, File Formats: H.264, MPEG-4, VC-1, H.263, Real Video 10, ON2 VP6, Flash video
Music Playback: FM radio, FM transmitter, MP3 player,
Supported codecs: MP3,AAC,eAAC, eAAC+,WMA,AMR-WB, DRM support, DRM: OMA DRM 2.0

Main Camera:
• Lens: Carl Zeiss optics
• Image capture: 12 megapixels
• Video capture: HD 720p
• Aperture: F2.8
• Focal length: 5.4
• Flash: Xenon flash

Connectivity:
• Nokia Adapter Cable for HDMI CA-156
• WLAN IEEE802.11 b/g/n
• BT3.0 with support for stereo headsets
• Positioning with GPS, A-GPS, WLAN and Cell-ID
• Micro-USB 2.0 high speed for file transfers and charging
• USB On-the-Go
• Nokia AV connector 3.5 mm for audio input/output and TV out
• HSDPA Cat9, maximum speed up to 10.2 Mbps, HSUPA Cat5 2.0 Mbps

Available colours:
• Dark Grey
• Silver White
• Green
• Blue
• Orange