The start of mobile gaming in 2008 (Nokia N81 8GB)

Member Name: jacksurvey

Product:	Nokia N81 8GB
Date:	25/04/08 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A wide range of features

Disadvantages: Heavy

I have owned a nokia n81 since christmas. I think its a great phone with a very wide array of features. It has also been a very hyped phone, many gadget and phone websites have stated that they think it could well be the start of proper mobile phone gaming in 2008. But can it live up to the expectations that have been given to it?

The reason for the gaming qoute is that the n81 includes nokia's new n-gage platform. The n-gage platform is available on the 6 most powerful n-series phones. It is a mobile gaming program capable of playing games with graphics that could prove a tough match for the psp and ds. There are two gaming buttons on the top of this phone, allowing for easy gameplay. I think that the n-gage application is brilliant.

Let's move on to the music capabilities of the phone now. The music player on this phone is far beyond average. The menu is aranged into artists, albums and songs, and the individual song menu is great, including a section for album artwork. The music functions are helped along by the addition of a 3.5mm headphone jack, so any normal headphones will work in here, and the navigation pad doubles as a scroll wheel.

The phone itself in my opinion looks great. The phone is a bit heavy though, weighing in at a porky 140g. The back of the phone is a bit of a smudge magnet but surprisingly does not scratch.

The camera is 2 megapixels big. This does seem pretty measly but the quality is surprisingly good and there is a xenon flash packed in for much more pleasing night time shots. If your looking for a camera phone then don't go for this one, but it's still great considering this phone was built for music and games.

There is also wifi and bluetooth on this phone. The wifi is great and easy to use, not many phones have it yet so it's a great addition to this phone. There is no infrared here as that now seems to be old technology.

Overall I think that the n81 is a fantastic phone. It has one of the widest ranges of features you can find on a smartphone. It's perfect for anyone in the entertainment factor, with the 8GB version containing enough room to store all your music library and games.

Summary: You can't go wrong for a music and gaming phone here

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