Continuing our N86 8MP review, today we take a detailed look at the software on board. The N86 is an S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 handset, which brings the regular set of features that we’ve come to expect out of it.
Menu Layout
As I mentioned in the 7 things I hate about the N86, the menu is way beyond messed up, with a cluster of unnecessary icons and a less organized layout than the newer S60 5th Edition handsets. I think it’s important to mention this, as it makes S60 look awfully complicated for new users and is one of the reasons S60′s UI is being criticized so much lately.
Phone features
The regular Messaging / Contacts / Log setup is present, but the N86 is behind the S60 3rd XpressMusic line (5630 and 5730) in that it lacks a Favorite Contacts bar on the homescreen.
Email
After the E75, the N86 is the second handset to come pre-installed with Nokia Messaging which works like we’ve come to expect from it. There’s a homescreen plugin that makes it easier to setup a new mailbox as well as display the newest emails from one chosen mailbox. There’s still the issue that you can’t access your other mailboxes after you open Nokia Messaging through the standby plugin, as well as the difficult setup for the main inbox and the access point, that is carried on from the E75.
Camera
Definitely the best selling point of the N86, the 8MP camera with its wide-angle lens is for sure a big winner in my book. I’ve been using the N86 as my main camera for the most part of this vacation in Lebanon and that included a lot of parties, night events, a wedding, and some road trips. The pictures are clear at night, especially with the flash off outside and the flash on inside. It isn’t exactly the same as the N82′s Xenon flash, but the N86′s aperture and Dual-Led result in more than great low-light images.
The inclusion of a Panorama mode is a nice plus, but it’s definitely the video recording capability that has been amazing me lately. As I explained in the 7 things I love about the N86, the device is capable of true video zooming which results in much less pixelation and blurriness when you zoom in. I have been an avid user of this zooming feature, as it somehow makes up for the lack of an optical zoom and allows me to capture more details from a distance.
Music
With a 3.5 mm headset plug, stereo speakers, dedicated multimedia keys, 8GB of on-board memory, and the usual Nokia Music Player and Podcast in terms of software, the N86 is a good music player. The inclusion of a decent pair of in-ear headphones provides a nice listening experience but it’s the FM Transmitter that I have been enjoying more and more everyday, as it only takes a couple of keypresses to have music blasting through my car’s speakers as I drive, without any wires or complicated setup. This feature is genius, has impressed a lot of family members and friends and I expect to have it on all N and E and XpressMusic series in the future.
Video
Video Playback on the N86 is carried through Real Player, which is very ordinary for S60. But the presence of an OLED screen as well as the kickstand improve the experience.
Gaming
With N-Gage on board and 17 games available for installation, as well as dedicated gaming keys and one free game code in the box, the N86 comes packed and ready for anyone ready to jump on the N-gage bandwagon. For me? I just installed Epocware’s Can’t Stop Solitaires and I’m having more fun than through the 17 N-Gage games ;)
Mapping
The N86 8MP is, if I’m not mistaken, the first device to come preinstalled with Ovi Maps 3.0, which allows you to sync your favorite locations and routes with Ovi Maps on the web. A-GPS is included improving the fix time a lot, and a digital compass is on board, rotating the maps according to your direction. It should also allow you to run any augmented reality apps, in case they are made available in the future for S60 3rd.
Browsing
Web 7.1 comes preinstalled on the N86 8MP, bringing speed improvements as well as customizable keypad and toolbar shortcuts. You can read more about it in our dedicated walkthrough. With WiFi and HSDPA on board, you won’t face a lot of problems finding a way to get connected.
As you see, the N86 8MP comes with a pretty standard software, but it’s the little pluses here and there that make using this handset a pleasure. Make sure to stop by tomorrow for a review of the N86′s hardware.
