Got An N81? Part 6 - Wait For A Firmware Update
Perhaps the most problematical issues I have found so far with the N81 8GB are related to software, and not hardware. The 2MP camera wasn’t much of a letdown, since I knew what to expect and was even surprised to find the quality higher than several 2MP cameraphones I have used so far (Nokia 3250, N76, 6120). I didn’t mind the lack of GPS or HSDPA, since these are either useless either unavailable here. But the most excruciating part was to feel that this beauty can be and do a lot more, yet was held back software-wise.
The N81 8GB I have here currently runs V 11.0.045 . Correct me if I’m wrong, this is the newest firmware for the N81 8GB, yet it doesn’t feel like it. A decent firmware update is a must for this device, especially to fix 5 major persisting issues.
The number one problem on theN81 8GB is that the Music Player doesn’t exit, there isn’t even an Options>Exit menu, the only thing is Hide. I understand that this is here because the multimedia keys should respond quickly, for example if you press Play, the music should start playing. Although the N81 didn’t give me memory full messages, the music player constantly running in the background isn’t something I want. The only way to exit it, is to kill it using a task manager application, like Handy Taskman or Tracker. A good solution would be to be able to exit the player, and then if you press Play, it will launch the Music Player from zero AND start playing.
The other major issue is related to Bluetooth. I don’t know if anyone has had this before, but sometimes Bluetooth wouldn’t turn on. Only solution so far: reboot the device, because most of the times I need the bluetooth immediately and I can’t wait to see if it resolves by itself. Over the course of these 2 weeks so far, I can count 5-6 issues like this, but I actually do turn on/off bluetooth very very frequently.
One other letdown was to see that there is no QuickOffice nor Zip Manager on the N81 8GB. I found the Zip Manager on Download! but not QuickOffice. This leaves me perplex because there is no reason QuickOffice should have been left out. Every new Nseries device, and every new S60 3rd Edition device for that matter, has it so why oh why?
The fourth issue is the slow Gallery loading time and ever since the N95-1 and N95-3 firmware updates, we know this issue can be solved by an update. It’s painful to load the Gallery on the N81, even though the pictures aren’t big (2MP) nor the videos, so I don’t think it’s a matter of RAM.
The last improvement that I think can propel this baby is not a problem, but a new implementation. Make the scroll wheel usable in the S60 browser and N-Gage. I think this will be a huge plus and since it’s here, why not use it? We already know the scroll wheel settings are right (well at least I think so) so the problems so far have been that it hasn’t been used fully and rightly. Getting the scroll wheel to be used in the browser and N-Gage (especially games) will make both of these experiences much more enjoyable.
One last word: what are waiting for, Nokia? Get on it, and the sooner the better!
i had quick office, zip manager and speech in Download-N81 Extras folder
Hm well i only had speech and zip manager :s
Gotta try to understand that Download! application some time soon…
There are 3 different types of N81 devices out there as far as I know. I can’t get a more recent firmware then 10.0.0.58, but I don’t have the problems you experience with bluetooth.
I think the omni presence of the music player is a non issue, I’m using the n81 for a month now and I haven’t had any memory issues of any sort.
I agree that the scroll wheel could be used in more places and that the gallery is slow, but I wouldn’t call them MAJOR problems.
Autofocus on the camera would be nice, can that be done in software?
THE NO 1. PROBLEM WITH N81 IS:
The sound dealy many of us are experiencing.
The sound dealy is upp to a second.
if you press a button and there is a sound that should play. the sound is delay up to a second and then played, in ALL Games and program on my N81 and many others.
for example in games
You shoot with a press of a button, the pistol shoots, but you cannot here the shooting sound, it’s delayed about 1 second.
you crash your car in a wall, you see the car crash, but the sound of crashing is lagging 1 second after.
It’ irritaring as HELL and many of us has it.
If you phone has it, then email or phone Nokia Care and tell them you got the problem.
The menu sound in Space Impact light demo is easy to hear in, so check for that.
I love this phone. One issue i have experienced that no one has mentioned is when wired headset is connected and you push the telephone button the phone resets.
I just use Handy Taskman to turn off the music application..works great….
Yeah, the music player thing is a pain. Word is that the phone’s just been updated to v20 software with Flash Lite 3, Web Runtime and the dudey menu transitions from Feature Pack 2. The thing that bothers me about that is that the phone memory is ridiculously small anyway. Not enough to install much more than Gizmo and Conversation and one of Maps or N-gage. Surely this new update will take it down further?
I’ve got an N82 loaner coming to me soon so I’ll be updating all my phones then and find out. If you get it done before me can you run a feature on the update and how it affects phone memory and RAM please?
Unfortunately Furie, the N81 that I reviewed in this post was a loaner from WOMWorld. I don’t have it any more so I can’t try it.
Feb 10th, 2008 at 10:00 am
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