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Nokia N81 8GB Review – Part VII – Wrapup

By TheGuru on November 3, 2007

Nokia_n81_8gb_07
Ok, so the N81 8GB, in the version that I have currently (v10.0.053) is a decent handset. Let’s be honest here. The build quality is average, the camera is worthless, and the firmware is a bit wonky. However, the music experience is top-notch, the gaming is decent, and it’s just plain sexy.

Thus far I’ve answered some of your questions, covered the camera, gaming, music, podcasting, and build quality. Hopefully I’ve given you a good feeling for the handset overall. Before giving my final verdict, I want to cover the pricing and the current firmware…

Pricing – Seriously? $600? Come on. The N95 is only $700 (from Nokia, it’s cheaper elsewhere). So for $240 I can get a 5MP cam with autofocus and usable video recording, built-in GPS, and HSDPA? ($100 difference, plus $140 for the 8GB microSD). Look around the market, as well. The iPhone has the EXACT same feature set as the N81 and is only $400. Granted, the iPhone isn’t entirely unsubisidized, but it’s sure close. Given the marketplace, the N81 8GB should be ~$425 max, with the N81 microSD version coming in at $350 or so. This lower price would also make it MUCH more attractive to carriers, both in the US and abroad.

Firmware – I’ve managed to cause the N81 8GB to lockup and reboot several times in the week I’ve had it thus far. Random reboots, freezing, it’s all there. I can tell it doesn’t like to be connected to an EDGE connection for very long, after a few hours it’ll lock up. Other problems include the near-useless naviwheel (why oh why isn’t it usable in all the menus, and why is it turned off by default?) and the lack of use of the gaming keys.

However, is the Nokia N81 8GB a complete pass? Currently, yes, it is. It’s overpriced and under-delivering. I would suggest the N81 microSD version over the 8GB. With 8GB microSD cards hitting the market at $140, I’d much prefer to be able to use a USB card reader for lightning-quick data transfers. If Nokia improved the build quality a bit (honestly, just replacing the back cover would probably improve at least 75% of the creaks and cheap feel of the phone) and dropped the price a few hundred, this would be a ROCKING handset.

I know I’d said before that I wanted the Nokia N81 8GB more than the N95 8GB, and I think, honestly, that still stands true. There’s something inherently sexy about the looks of the N81, frankly. Now, offer me an N95-3 and I’m all over it. US 3G is too much to pass up.

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Nokia N81 8GB Review – Part VI – Physical Aspects

By TheGuru on November 3, 2007

Dsc02122
I know this is the part that you’ve all been waiting for. This is part 6 of my Nokia N81 8GB review, looking at the build quality of this device. I’m sure you’ve seen Stefan’s videos, both here and here, ranting on the build quality of the Nokia N81 8GB. I also want to say up front that the quality of the units that we played with in London are *not* the same quality of the units that we have in our hands now.

First off, the overall build is poor. That’s a fact. But how poor is it compared to other phones, and to previous Nseries?

It feels very cheap and plasticky. The back cover reminds me of the Nokia Xpress-On covers that you could buy at the mall for $10 and the color wore off of after a week. That’s the brutal honesty. The color is magnificent. I hope that Nokia makes more phones in this color, though minus the high-gloss fingerprint magnet coating. The cover is flimsy (it covers the entire back of the phone, instead of just half, like normal. It creaks like a haunted house. Everywhere.

The front of the device is nicer, with the screen flush and the keys nicely inlaid under the clear plastic. Looks sexy. However, the S60 button cluster is much too soft to press the buttons, while the D-pad was extremely tight and difficult to press at first. It’s difficult to tell without looking whether you’re pressing the end/send keys or one of the other keys. With 11 keys crammed in the space (not counting the d-pad), you definitely need to be able to feel which one you’re pressing.

There are 3 sets of "specialty keys" on the N81 8GB: the gaming keys, the music keys, and the naviwheel. The gaming keys are utilized so little throughout the UI, they might as well not be there, to be honest. There’s so many other options that these keys could have been used for throughout the UI, I felt like they were wasted. The music keys, at first, are way to easy to accidentally press, sending out a stream of music when it might not be appropriate. However, after a bit of time, I quickly got used to them, and didn’t press them accidentally nearly as often.

Then we come to the naviwheel. The *only* good thing I can say about it is that they increased the sensitivity between London and this unit. In London, it would lose track of my finger/thumb frequently, while this one was able to keep up. In fact, if anything, the naviwheel was a bit *too* sensitive. Also, the naviwheel is disabled by default. I still can’t believe or understand that. It’s one of the innovative parts of the whole device, and it ships so that no one knows it’s there? WHY? Even if it was enabled, though, it ONLY works in some menus, so there’s not much use. Hopefully a future firmware will allow the naviwheel to be used throughout the menus for easy navigation. If an iPod can use the click-wheel for all navigation, through every menu, then surely the N81 8GB can use the navi-wheel for navigation, as well.

The slide is solid, almost liquid-feeling. Very smooth, with a nice thud at either end. I was able to toss it on the couch without it sliding open, something I cannot do with the N95. The entire device is a fingerprint magnet, which may or may not bother you. Personally, I got over that quickly. It’s easily wiped off.

Overall, I’d say that the N81 8GB’s build quality is under-par, but no more than the N73 before it. Yes, that’s right, the legendary N73. I went back and played with it some and was reminded of how creaky it was, and the poor joystick. I don’t think that the N81 8GB is complete garbage, but it most certainly could use some improvements.

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TheGuru

TheGuru, aka Ricky Cadden, started Symbian-Guru.com in November 2006, out of his excitement for the S60 3rd Edition version of Symella. TheGuru has used Symbian devices since the Nokia 6620, and is known for his perspective as a power user. You can follow TheGuru on Twitter at @Rcadden

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  • How would rate the N81's build quality when compared to the N95? I got a chance to play with the N95-3 and the 8GB N95 yesterday and I thought the phones felt quite solid. I'm looking to buy a new phone in next couple of months and both the N81 and the N95-3 are on my shortlist.

    Also, does the phone surface scratch easily?
  • I think Ricky will agree with me here, buy the N95-3.
  • Vlad
    I just found out today that the N95-3 (yes, the NAM, I'm not mistaking) is available at TigerDirect.com for $600. This doesn't affect me, as I don't live in the US, but I thought you would be interested. I mean, at THE SAME price, would you buy an N81?
  • Does the paint or color of any part on the phone come out like the Nokia N76 ??
  • Viipottaja
    Ricky,

    1) what is this sentence based on: "Granted, the iPhone isn't entirely unsubisidized, but it's sure close." Where did you get the information that iPhone is close to being unsubsidized? And unsubsidized by whom? It is not only the manufacturer who can subsidize.

    2) And, in any case, the more relevant price comparison, is with other unlocked, unsubsidized 8GB phones. There are not that many around, I guess, but the N91 8GB, N95 8GB and the SE 960 (not sure of the model number come to mind). What are the prices of those? Obviously N 91 8GB has been in the massssrket for quite a while now, so its not terribly relevant. N95 8GB is $745 with Datavision, so clearly higher.

    3) Where is the N81 8GB sold in the US? Maybe some online retailers do. But, just converting the Euro price at the current exchange rate is not necessarily accurate.
  • Apple gets 40% of the monthly revenue for each iPhone activated on AT&T. Thus, it's not entirely unsubsidized. You can't try to say that's not factored into the $400 price point.
  • Richrd
    "I'd said before that I wanted the Nokia N81 8GB more than the N95 8GB, and I think, honestly, that still stands true." I feel just the same, I could easily afford an N95 8GB but for some odd reason I rather want the N81. Even though the N81 has no TV-Out, GPS, 5mp cam, big screen or HSDPA... Darn, I hate the way the N95 8GB is tempting me... But the N81 is way more sexy.
  • Viipottaja
    Ricky, of course it is factored into it. But, that is not a proof that the price is still not subsidized.
  • lee
    anyone had problems with the phone droping calls ??? i mean bad reception at all ????

    what about when you make a call is the chat and ear peace good quality can you hear them at high quality and do thay think your voice is high quality on there end using this phone???

    thanks all as i am thinking of getting this phone over the E65 as the E65 has bad reception as it drops calls here and there

    Do you N81 owners encounter signal/RF problems due to this issue of antenna placement? like it says here

    http://news.mobile9.com/s60apps/2007/09/18/is-nokia-experiencing-build-issues-with-another-upcoming-device/

    thanks for any input
  • Desabrg
    Hi! I am experiencing problem with my 2-day old N81...it has weak antenna! Whenever I hold the phone to text, the signal becomes weak. I just found out that the antenna is placed at the bottom part at the back, it is really a bad place for the antenna, Nokia should know it. Is there any remedy for this??? Could anyone enlighten me???
  • Vlad
    I just found out today that the N95-3 (yes, the NAM, I'm not mistaking) is available at TigerDirect.com for $600. This doesn't affect me, as I don't live in the US, but I thought you would be interested. I mean, at THE SAME price, would you buy an N81?
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