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NOKIA 8800 REVIEW
The 8800 is the third phone to be released by Nokia in the 8 series range, which originated in 2001. Its two predecessors (8850 and 8910) performed extremely well in the market, as they incorporated the renowned ease of use associated with Nokia and beautiful cutting edge designs. This handset is no different, and is perhaps the most attractive of all. Incorporating stainless steel for the finish, it’s a guaranteed head turner and wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalk. This review aims too see if this phone’s beauty really is skin deep.
DESIGN
On initial viewing it’s evident that this phone possesses the wow factor. The bodywork of the 8800 is predominantly silver with black and grey shades, which all complement each other well. The flat surfaces of the phone have a brushed steel effect applied to them and the rounded edges a shinier one. This gives the phone an elegant finish, but the downside is that fingerprints and smudges are easily collected and cleaned in the same instance.
The dimensions of the phone are 45 x 107 x 15 mm, which makes the handset reasonably well sized. When the slide panel of the phone is fully extended the phone has a slim appearance to it making it very sleek. The weight of the phone can be looked at both negatively and positively. Weighing in at 134g some may deem it to be too heavy to be carried in a shirt pocket, but I believe that it gives the phone an air of substance and always lets you know its there. The main reason for the weight is the luxury materials used to construct it and is something which could not have been avoided.
The screen is measured at 1.7 inches diagonally, displays 262, 000 colours and has a resolution of 208 x 208. This all adds up to a fantastic screen, which is vibrant and well seen in daylight. Images, icons and text appear smooth and fine and protection of the screen is achieved via hardened glass which has scratch resistant properties.
The slide motion of the handset is smooth and snaps into place with a tight click. Some in the team felt that the mechanism could have done with some form of dampening device to get rid of the click, but it wasn’t an issue for me.
The keypad has attractive styling, but the keys are far too small and cramped. This leads to the wrong keys being pressed, an example of which is when trying to press the down key on the cursor whereby the 2 key was being pressed instead. The bottom row of keys was also very close to the sliding panel of the handset, making it difficult to access them. This is not the fist time this has occurred either, as this was a problem with the N91 handset as well. The handset’s soft keys are located away from the main section of keys, which means you have to move your thumb to another level to access them, which I found slightly irritating.
When the sliding panel is closed most of the phones features cannot be used. Options which are available to you are answer and end a call and change of profile via the on and off button. The lack of a dedicated volume key normally located on the left spine was disappointing as I had to move the phone away from my ear and use the cursor to adjust it. The camera is located at the top rear of the phone and is only visible and operational when the phone is opened. It should also be mentioned that there isn’t a mirror for self portrait or a flash. The 8800 comes equipped with a desktop charging unit, a travel charger, a wired headset, an additional battery and suede pouch. All are designed in the same style as the handset even down to the box they are presented in.
Overall mark 8 out of 10
