Nokia N85 Dual-Slides Into My Heart
I bought my Nokia N95-3 almost a year ago, in December 2007. Despite once saying I was passing on the N95, I simply couldn’t withstand the lure of HSDPA on an S60 device here in the U.S., and I was hooked since I got it. However, at 9 months old, it’s aging, and I’m itching for something with a few more improvements.
Welcome my next new phone, the Nokia N85. Just announced today, this baby looks to be the perfect replacement for my other love, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. The Nokia N85 is a dual-slider, like the N95 and N96. It is also the first S60-powered smartphone to feature tri-band WCDMA (850/1900/2100MHz), microUSB charging, and an AM OLED display. The tri-band WCDMA means you’ll be able to take advantage of 3G service with AT&T in the United States, and any number of 3G providers throughout Europe and Asia with the same handset. MicroUSB charging is something that we’ve wanted/needed for a LONG time, and means that you’ll be able to charge your phone through any standard microUSB cord, including while synchronizing with your computer. The 2.6″ AM OLED display uses organic compounds which do not require a backlight, which means that it draws far less power, and at the same time, offers brighter, more crisp colors.
The rest of the features on the N85 are standard for a high-end S60, such as a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash. The return of a physical lens cover is welcome, and I rather like the design, as well. WiFi and GPS are on board, in addition to Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo headsets. The dual-slide design means that sliding the top of the handset up reveals the standard numeric keypad, while sliding down shows the dedicated music playback keys, which also double as N-Gage gaming keys.
The Nokia N85 is powered by S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2, which offers several enhancements, and also features a microSD card slot, and Nokia is wise enough to include an 8GB microSD card in the box. There’s a built-in accelerometer, and from the press shots, it seems to support 2 different landscape orientations, though I’ve not confirmed that quite yet. The FM radio, which I usually find to be quite useless, has been paired up with an FM transmitter that should prove rather useful when riding in a friend’s car, or a rental car. The 3.5mm audio port doubles as a TV-Out port, which is something I actually use rather often.
The gang at MobileBurn.com had a chance to play with the Nokia N85 recently, and put together this video:
| Nokia N85 Technical Specs | |
| Operating System | Symbian 9.3 S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 |
| Band | GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 900/1900/2100MHz or 850/1900/2100MHz |
| Data | GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/WiFi |
| Size | 103mm x 50mm x 16mm (4″ x 1.9″ x .6″) |
| Weight | 128g (4.5oz) |
| Battery Life | Estimated 12.5 days standby time |
| Estimated 4 hours talk time | |
| Display | 2.6″ 16 million color QVGA AM OLED, 240×320 pixel resolution |
| Camera | 5 megapixel autofocus with Carl Zeiss optics and dual-LED flash |
| Video | VGA resolution 640×480 record at up to 30 frames per second |
| Bluetooth | 2.0 with A2DP |
| Memory | 70MB internal, microSD memory card slot with 8GB card included |
| Other | Built-in GPS receiver, TV-Out, FM transmitter, 3.5mm audio port, Accelerometer |
| Availability | Planned Q3 2008 |
| Pricing | EUR450 (US$665) before taxes and subsidies |
| Download the Nokia N85’s Data Sheet | |
Love the interface. According to the Nokia Virtual Event today, they mentioned the N85 as the N95’s replacement, or something along those lines anyway. I certainly love it, and Im an owner of the N95-1, and N95-2.
Now that is a phone that could replace my N95! Hope it prooves to be as good as the specs look.
Yes ricky, i guess, this is the perfect replacement for the king.
hey, DONT touch my FM radio..! ;p i actually use it regularly.. if you have listened through all your mp3s several times, an FM radio comes in actually quite handy. i also like the almost double battery life, compared to the N96. i will certainly have a closer look at it as soon it comes out here!
And the race is on again.
Guess I’ll have to check this cutie up.
2.6 screen is not that bad.
(After going down to 2.4 from N95 to N82)
As the dual LED seems to be the standard now I guess I’ll really have to bear with it..
The microusb charging and the AM OLED screen, battery and size is what really drives me towards this device and a bit from the N96.
Oh, it will be some great compromises when going for one of them.
(The N85 definitely wins here from a practical standpoint)
I agree that its not a bad offering, but somehow I am a bit underwhelmed by it. Though, the fact that its 3G everywhere is pretty nice, and AM OLED is kinda slick. I’d like to see some battery numbers on this device in use, as I am not to sure that the numbers quoted really take into account use.
[...] on the heels of today’s earlier announcements, the Nokia N85 and the Nokia N79, Nokia USA has come forth to introduce the US 3G Nokia N96. The N96 NAM has the [...]
Am certainly intrigued by this phone…i always had a love for bright big LCD’s (one of the main reason why i use my N95 8GB as an entertainment center/ebook reader :-))
But come on two LED’s!!! who cares??? after the arrival of Xenon flash why go back to prehistoric times again Nokia? and i hope unlike the N96’s underpowered processor and lack of 3D Hardware Acceleration(compared to N95 family)…this one is better if it’s meant to be for gaming…and what about VOIP? is it still present in this new phone? N96 does not have VOIP facilities…
Cool information! The phone looks like a great N95 replacement, but I’m wondering whether it will support VOIP apps (Gizmo, etc.). I’d been reading that some of the most recent models (N78 and N96) don’t support the same VOIP apps that older N-Series models have.
Does the n85 have 3D acceleration?
Pretty cool. Too similar to my N95. I will wait for next one.
I am very impressed by the N85 and its features, especially the screen and battery, not to mention all the frequencies. A lot of firsts for Nokia with this device. I got my N82 in June and love it dearly, but I may consider trading it in to get the N85 come Novermberish.
[...] have unvealed both the Nokia N85 and the Nokia N79 . I won’t go into too much detail here about the N79 – it’s unlikely [...]
will there be a very noticeable difference on the display, it being oled? or is it very similar to the n95 display only better on the battery consumption and size as stated on wiki?
Ed: There are comparison pics around (I saw one at the mobile-review forums), and there is a very noticeable difference in quality.
micro-USB charging will be a nice plus and the overall package seems to be a solid bump up (though not dramatic by any means) from my N95-4. It will be interesting to see if AT&T has the smarts to pick this promising Handset up sooner rather than later. At the same time however I will wait for reviews before I even think about selling my N95-4. Great coverage Ricky!
Could someone confirm if it has the 3D acceleration Omap graphics chip or not ? Gut feeling says it doesnt.
ive got to play with it last night. i’d have to say.. its very impressive and I like it more than the N96 itself. Thanks screen is superb!
Sounds very promising. This could be my next device as well, although I like the N96 as well. Too bad my current contract goes on for several more months.
Upon looking more into the specs it was a little disappointing to see that it only has 70 Mb internal memory.
I had hoped for about 100 Mb (Like on the N82, N95)
But besides that it really is an all-in-one device.
[...] lokten meteen heel wat reacties uit. – Welcome my next new phone, the Nokia N85, kraait Symbian Guru. – Ook op The Nokiablog (ondanks de naam, geen familie van ons) klinkt het zo: and I am determined [...]
[...] news bits. Don’t miss next week as I have a REALLY cool new surprise coming your way! The Nokia N85 and N79 were announced this week, as well as a new N-Gage game, and some new application/service [...]
[...] Welcome my next new phone, the Nokia N85, s’est écrié Symbian Guru. – Sur The Nokiablog – à part le nom, rien à voir avec nous -, on pouvait lire le message [...]
[...] more. This is the handset that is making a lot of bloggers and Symbian fans drool around the world, even our very own Guru. I will also admit that even though I might probably not get an N85 myself, for financial reasons, [...]
[...] Nokia N85, which was announced only a few months ago, has begun shipping, with several reputable online retailers listing the phone in stock. Prices are [...]
[...] good buddy P@sco over at Jaspp.net has gotten his hands all over my future phone, the Nokia N85. Packing an OLED display, 1200mAh battery, 5 megapixel camera, and microUSB [...]
[...] Nokia N85 NAM packs tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100MHz) support for global 3G, in addition to quad-band GSM [...]
[...] is listed at US$588.90, and also shows to be tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100MHz) though we know from the official announcement that the N85 will indeed be tri-band UMTS. There is no date listed for the N85’s expected [...]
I just bought my N85 and within four days had problems with my screen. what’s the point of an oled display if its not durable. i put it in my pocket and found a broken screen when i got it out. This phone lasted four days. Next time I’ll remember to ask if i can put the phone in my pocket before I buy a phone.
DUDES! I don’t konw what to get!! HELPP!!! I need to decide between this or the Samsung i8510! PLZ HELP!! I really like this phone cuase’ it’s nokia and all but the i8510 has 8.1 mpx camera..
What should I do??
PLS HELP..
Thanks my mail is(if you would like to help me thx):
mojojtr@hotamil