Nokia N82

The N82 has been making waves ever since it poked its head out from under the developmental stage drawing board. As I said before, I was quite eager to test it. Now I have it – and I’m glad I got the chance. Here’s what I can tell you.

Form Factor
The N82 is a bit bulky for some strange reason, but thankfully it weighs just 114g. On one side you’ll find the Micro USB port, a slot for your MicroSD memory card, and the charging port lower down. The other side has the volume / zoom keys, a dedicated key to take you to the gallery and just below that is the camera’s shutter release key. On the top you’ll find the 3.5mm (thank you, Nokia!) earphone / TV-out socket and the power key.

I’m not entirely impressed with the overall design of the device. But I’ll say this, it’s simplistic and the key placement is perfect. Since it’s 3G-capable it has a secondary VGA camera in the front next to the light sensor and above the brilliant 2.4 inch display. The 5 way nav-pad could have had the N81’s touch sensitivity but doesn’t – not that that’s a problem AT ALL! The 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with the Xenon flash are located at the rear and can be activated by simply sliding down the lens cover.

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Features and Performance
The main feature in the N82 is the auto rotation of the display. It’s not as smooth as in the iPhone but it’s a good feature to have, especially while surfing the net and you quickly need to adjust the screen to type something in.

Audio and Video
The music player is great. I have no complaints, except that it’s a pain creating playlists from the PC Suite software. But the presets and the manually adjustable EQ are definitely a plus point. Since the N82 can be used with any set of earphones or headphones and also supports Bluetooth with A2DP profile, you can use a Stereo Bluetooth headset like the I-Tech Bluepro for a great music experience. Radio lovers rejoice, for the N82 also has an integrated stereo FM radio.

The video player is commendable too. Since you have the choice of so many video converters, I’d recommend converting files to 3GP so you save a little space. There’s also the Video Center option that you can use to download videos from Nokia. You might want to try using EmTube for YouTube videos.
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Tech and Connectivity
The new Symbian S60 OS v9.2 is fast, but the speed could also come from the N82’s ARM-11 332 MHz processor. You get 100MB of internal memory and can expand that with MicroSD cards.The phone supports EDGE and 3G with HSDPA, and also has Wi-Fi. For PC connectivity you can use the microUSB V2.0 port or Bluetooth. The Home Media option allows you to use the N82 like a remote via Wi-Fi for your media at home. You can also use the phone for VOIP calls.

Other Features
Nokia Maps is a great GPS software to use, especially with screen rotation. Just download the maps and you’re good to go. Search allows you to easily find data in the phone from one convenient application that also works like a browser. The Switch option, found in the newer Nokias, lets you connect to other compatible Nokia devices and transfer data (such as contacts) via Bluetooth.

Business features include QuickOffice, but you will have to download and pay for the update that will allow you to edit files. There’s also a PDF viewer and Zip Manager. The Barcode reader is not something you may need to use often (if at all). An inbuilt business card reader would have definitely made more sense. Other applications include Calendar, Notes, Alarm clock, Converter, Calculator, but sadly there’s no World Clock. Nokia Catalogs provides a choice of wallpapers, themes and other apps that you can purchase or download for free. Text-to-speech support is included, and this can read out messages and emails.

The device will also, at some point, hopefully support the N-Gage Platform for games. For now you can play Snakes 3D and demos of Asphalt Street Rules and FIFA 2007. Unfortunately Asphalt Street Rules and Snakes 3D can’t be played in landscape mode, which is a major disappointment. For a fun experience you can hook it up to your TV – it may not be crystal-clear but it is an experience!

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The N82 is equipped with a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera and a Xenon flash to boot. There are plenty of options and modes to choose from to get the best out of the camera. But even point-and-shoot images work well. Outdoor images look great, though on scrutiny they may reveal a slight paintbrush effect if you don’t use the right settings.

Macro images are superb and very detailed, with the colors remaining intact. Night shots and pictures taken in lowlight areas also come out really well, considering it has just the Xenon flash. To sum up, the camera is great; no worries on that count.

Battery
The N82, being the great phone it is and having the features it does, has full support from its power plant: the BP-6MT battery. Now, this is some battery! I got over two full days of usage. This included a little music, pictures, calls, and messages. If you use the GPS system you will run short on battery life a little sooner, but that’s natural. This is the kind of battery life all Nokia phones deserve.