Compare Nokia N86 8MP Contract Mobile Phone Deals
A Smartphone Packed with Camera Features
Nokia fans and camera enthusiasts alike will be incredibly plead with the Nokia N86 8MP. This is a smartphone that is packed with a variety of thoughtful little features, from its 8 megapixel camera to the screen brightness control in its enormous screen. However, its reputation for being packed with bugs means you should likely approach with caution.
Appearance:
Its 2.6 16.7 million colour QVGA screen is certainly a plus. Not only is it vibrant and clear, but it also comes with brightness control and an orientation sensor and light detector as well.
However, when it comes to appearance and design, this phone ranks fairly low. At an enormous 149g, it is big and bulky. It’s not Nokia’s prettiest creation ever, and both the keypad buttons and the buttons throughout the phone are hard to press. We were surprised to find that even the camera button was awkward, which clashed oddly with the camera’s sophistication and wide assortment of features.
This isn’t a phone you’ll want to purchase if you’re not experienced with Nokia phones. While the UI isn’t impossible to figure out, there is a learning curve for those who are completely new. Again, its reputation for locking up sometimes makes trying to use the phone a frustrating experience.
Sound:
While its sound system has lots of convenient features, experienced Nokia buyers won’t find anything they haven’t seen before. However, given the Nokia N86 8MP is compatible with MP3s, AAC, WMA, eAAC+, and eAAC, you can rest easy in that you can carry around a diverse assortment of tunes. Its playlist also includes skins, an equaliser, dedicated music and volume keys, and a nifty album art display.
Combine this with audio and music streaming capabilities, an FM radio with RDS, and the presence of a 3.5 mm headphone plug, and you have a satisfying array of music goodies.
As for sound quality, we’ve heard no complaints regarding it for either speaking or listening. Its voice dialing and voice command options are fairly responsive and easy to use as well. Adding a six way conference call, hands free speakerphone, and call timer were all nice touches.
Camera:
The camera is without a doubt its biggest strength. With 8 megapixels, a Carl Zeiss Optics Tessar lens, 20 x digital zoom, auto focus, a dual LED flash, and lens protection, this is a camera that performs. We were disappointed not to see a Xenon flash, but the camera is still powerful enough to take photos in nearly any condition.
Other nifty features include a handy photo editor, a flash mode, and several photography settings to play with, including White Balance for taking pictures in different lights, Capture Mode, Colour Tone options, (turn your pictures sepia!) and light sensitivity. We were also pretty impressed with the Scene Mode, which allows you to take pictures in a variety of different formats, including auto, portrait, landscape, and others.
You can even display your pictures on a rotating photo gallery or as a slideshow with Ken Burn Effects and sound effects.
The phone’s video recording capabilities are pretty snazzy too, with two different cameras at your disposal. The video comes with RealPlayer as well as its own stabilizer, streaming capabilities, and editor.
Internet Connectivity:
With quad-band technology and a wealth of different web browsers under its belt, the Nokia N86 8MP is a phone that packs a lot of promise when it comes to internet connectivity. Connection options include 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth, EDGE, GPRS, and WLAN Wi-Fi. While you can also use SMS, MMS, and instant messaging, its crappy keyboard makes it difficult to manage, even with predictive text. Its wireless email support with filtering and attachments compensate for this somewhat. Be sure to check out the phone’s downloadable games as well.
Memory and Talk Time
With only eight gigabytes of memory, you won’t find a lot of space for your tunes and photos, which was a disappointment. However, you can include up to 16 gigabytes of additional memory via a microSD memory.
You get 6.3 hours of talk time and 315 hours of WCDMA standby, which isn’t much in comparison to other phones. When you consider its enormous screen, camera, and music features, it’s no surprise that the Nokia N86 8MP is something of a battery hog.
Verdict:
The Nokia N86 8MP certainly has some impressive features. Its powerful camera, reliable internet, and musical goodies all make it promising. However, its reputation for bugs, its difficult keypad and array of buttons, and its overall ugliness may turn some users off.
You might also be interested in: Nokia N95 free gift and contract mobile phone deals or just compare free Nokia mobile phone contract deals
