Nokia N5800 Review

[rhk111]

Finally got my hands on a Nokia N5800 recently. The unit came in a relatively small box, and came with the following items:
- Extra stylus
- 8GB Micro SD Card
- TV-Out Cable
- USB Cable
- Wire-Remote Contol Cable
- Charger
- Headphones
- Lanyard loop
- Nokia Software CD

'Appearance and Controls'
Body mostly made out of shiny plastic, but doesn't feel too light. In fact, it feels just about right to the hand in terms of weight. Unit is thicker than an iPhone or an N82, but slimmer than an iPhone.

A spring loaded slide lock on the right side of the screen allows you to "lock" the touchscreen unit. Sliding it down locks and unlocks the touchscreen. The same lock also functions to turn on or off the screen.

There are three slim buttons at the button of the screen. The leftmost button is for calling; The middle one activates the menu; And the rightmost one hangs up the phone.

There are also an "Media Bar" button on the upper right hand corner of the screen, which when activated shows the Media Bar that allows access to functions like the Audio Player, Images, Internet, Video, etc.

The screen is absolutely gorgeous. It is of course quite large, the icons appear sharp, and the colors are really quite vibrant in their appearance.

'Touchscreen Controls'
Touchscreen came with a lousy thin plastic cover than has some printing on it, obstructing a clear view of the touchscreen, so that one has to go early. Text input allows for four types of input: Fullscreen QWERTY keyboard of using your fingers; A mini-QWERTY keyboard for using the stylus; Handwriting recognition software; And an onscreen alphanumeric keypad.

The buttons on the fullscreen QWERTY keypad is a bit small for my fingers. Using a bit more of my nails would've resulted in a more exact pressing of the touchscreen buttons, but will likely also scratch the screen without a screen protector. But to Nokia's credit, the software is good enough to predict which buttons you want to press even if you press two buttons at the same time, probably by detecting which key were covered by more area of the finger.

The touchscreen is pretty responsive, and the tactile feedback (i.e., short vibration of the unit) everytime a touchpad is activated is a great help.

'Initial Feedback'
Looks like a pretty good unit to me initially. The functions and controls reminds me a lot of my old N80. Imagine a typical Nokia S60 series phone if you've ever owned one, and put a larger, touchpad screen on it, and you have the Nokia 5800.

The price is pretty good, only about 60% of an equivalent 3G iPhone with 8GB memory, but you get the same capacity, the same functions (i.e., GPS, Wifi, etc.) in the user-friendly Nokia User Interface (yes, it has message forwarding).

(To be continued)

[chase]

threaded sms? meron ba?

how much did u get it for?

[rhk111]

Originally Posted by chase

threaded sms? meron ba?

Nope, but I think you can download a third party app somewhere.

Nokia N5800 Review Part 2

'Contacts Bar'
The most useful piece of software I found with this unit so far is what Nokia calls as the "Contacts Bar". It basically is similar to the applications bar found on the main screen of most Nokia Series 60 phones, but it contains contact information from your address book.

Images are allowed to put on the Contacts Bar, and it allows you to quickly call or text those people whom you communicate with regularly on the celphone. There's also the added bonust that you will be able to see images of these same people on the main screen.

The only drawback to this feature, is that you can only put a maximum of four contacts on it. So you better choose carefully which four people you want to get in contact with at the most.

Selecting each contact also shows the call and text activities for that particular contact (i.e., incoming or outgoing calls, summaries of the messages, etc.).

'Scrolling'
Scrolling up and down on this phone is not easy initially, as there is a learning curve that you have to go over as it does not have the iPhone's finger scrolling capability. However, once you go past the learning curve, scrolling will be a lot easier.

It took me only about a day to master the art of using your index finger or thumb to "grab" the scroll bar (vibra tactile feedback and change in color of the scroll bar indicates it has been "grabbed"), then sliding down your finger up and down the phone's screen as necessary.

'Multimedia'
The unit came with 14 songs in MP3 format. They're not bad, but they're not great either, so they are going out.

The videos are more interesting, there are about three MTVs, a couple of tutorials or demos, and a cool trailer of "Batman: The Dark Knight". The three MTVs were colorful, effectively showing off the unit's vibrant screen.

'Slideshow Wallpaper'
Another feature I particularly like, is the slidshow option for the wallpapers. The unit allows you to choose images from your phone, then change the wallpaper to these images, with the frequency determined by you, from a minimum of every one minute, to a maximum of every one day. This enables the user, and other people also to appreciate that large screen even more as different images are being shown whenever the screen is activated.

(To be continued)

[bobokid]

nasubukan mo na bang lagyan ng high bitrate na mp3, maganda ba ang tunog?
kumusta naman ang web browing capability niya?

[rhk111]

^^^
I don't think it will have any problems with a high bit rate MP3s. As for sound, it does have stereo speakers. But take note that these are very small speakers, and no matter how good they are supposed to be, I don't think they can approach anywhere near the quality of the bigger speakers.

At maximum volume, it sounds like 'tunog-lata' to me. Then again, the same can be said of any small computer speakers out there.

As for DivX, haven't tried it. I did try putting a downloaded, 700MB movie on it using AVI format, but it won't read the file. You'll need a third party app to view it, or to convert the files to something the unit can read.

My Nokia N5800 Review Part Three

'Text Input - Detailed Look'
As far as inputting text using my fingers, I found that the best method to use is the Alphanumeric Keys. Texting is very fast, and you can use only one hand to do it.

I initially started with using the Full QWERTY Keyboard using my fingers, but I found it slow, and also you need to use both hands to enter text.

Using a stylus, I found the QWERTY keyboards to be slow, but serviceable. The touch keys on the Mini QWERTY Keyboard is small and therefore needs more precise alignment. The Full QWERTY Keyboard had good sized touch keys, but the travel between keys is longer, hence that slows you down also.

The most fun and impressive way of inputting text on the unit, though, definitely is thru the Handwriting software. The thing I like about this feature, is that you are not limited to entering one letter at a time. You can literally scribble thru it as you would on a piece of paper. Accuracy is only around 80-90%, which initally looks good, but in reality at 80% it means one out of every five letters is wrong.

Part of the reason for the low accuracy is because it does take time to get used to writing on glass. It is totally different in terms of feel as compared to writing on paper. The surface is harder, and much more slippery, hence you need a long learning curve to master it. I think if I keep trying it out, I will eventually end up with a pretty good accuracy later.

Despite the low accuracy, I still try to use it as much as possible, as it is fun, and fast. You make a mistake, just erase it quickly, and write again. All can be done in a very fast way, hence negating the loss of time due to errors.

The system does allow you to input the way you write each letter in upper and lower case. This serves as training, and also allows the system to know how each individual to write a letter. This boosts the accuracy to I estimate at greater than 80%, up to 90%.

'Crappy Camera'
My biggest complaint about the unit, is how crappy the camera is. Celphone cameras are generally crappy, especially compared to digicams, but this is crappier than most. The colors are ugly, and pictures grainy, especially with indoor shots.

With its non-Xenon flash and poor picture quality, it's camera is way poorer than the old SE K800i I'm using right now as my second phone. Which is surprising, since the 5800 is supposed to have a "Carl Zeiss" lens, and Nokia had a pretty good reviews for its camera on the N82.

I don't mind really that much, because I prefer to take pictures using a separate digicam anyway, but for people who will be relying on the unit as their primary camera, it will be a disappointment. Besides, it also means I can't rely on it to take good pics during "emergencies" when I don't have my digicam around.

'Battery Life'
Battery life after the first charge was only about two days. It didn't help that I did a lot of fooling around with the phone at that time. On the second charge, though, with less use and a better conditioned battery, the unit is on its last bar on the fourth day. So I would say that battery life for the unit during normal use would be about three to four days, and about two to three days during heavy use.

(To be concluded)

[Hsien]

ok ba movie playback via third party app (like divx mobile if available na for 5800 )? also how does it fare when viewing pdf files?? para di na need convert to other format if pdf yung e-book pangit pala pag convert mo pdf to mobireader format ..hassle kasi view pdf files sa phones with smaller screens like the n95, P1i etc. cool review btw

[rhk111]

^^^
PDF and AVI files, you need to convert into something the unit can read.

As for third party apps to open PDF and AVI files, i haven't tried out yet. One problem with this unit, is that it is so new, many softwares have not been updated yet to allow them to be played on the unit. Maybe in a month or so, when more and more people get to acquire the unit.

[Hsien]

Originally Posted by rhk111

^^^
PDF and AVI files, you need to convert into something the unit can read.

As for third party apps to open PDF and AVI files, i haven't tried out yet. One problem with this unit, is that it is so new, many softwares have not been updated yet to allow them to be played on the unit. Maybe in a month or so, when more and more people get to acquire the unit.

awch wala pala siya adobe reader so need pa talaga convert hopefully bumaba din price niya para sa mga katulad ko na can't afford (or rather doesn't like to dish out money ) ng 20K-ish na phones

[lycantrope]

coming soon pa yung DiVx for 5800 (avi files)

[rhk111]

The Nokia 5800 is now available at Ebuystore for P21k:
http://www.ebuystore.com.ph/products...=31&pro_id=779

Softwares for the 5800 is slowly but surely starting to come out.

Opera Mini is now available for the 5800. The "generic" version used to crash on the unit, but now it works beautifully:
http://www.opera.com/mini/

Google Maps is also now available for the unit:
http://www.google.com/mobile/nokia_smart/maps.html#

[rhk111]

My Nokia 5800 Review Part Four

'Voice Recognition Software'
Like all of Nokia's Series 60 phones starting approximately from the N80, the unit's voice recognition software is outstanding. No need to input individually the commands for each function, just reset the voice adaptations (Menu -> Settings -> Phone -> Voice Commands -> Options -> Settings -> Reset Voice Adaptations), then talk away after pressing the "Call" button for two seconds.

Functions like turning the "Bluetooth" on or off, creating a "New message", or switching to different phone profiles (i.e., "General","Silent", etc.) can be done quickly without navigating thru menus just by saying the name of the function as it is written on the phone.

There is also a "Name caller playback" function, allowing the caller's name to be said when a call from them is received (Menu -> Settings -> Personal -> Profiles -> [Choose any profile] -> Options -> Personalize -> Say caller's name -> On). This allows audio notification of who's calling even without looking at the screen yet.

Turned quite a couple of heads a couple of times when the phone started saying a caller's name during incoming calls. Again, no individual input is required of the names, the software just reads the names as they are written on the Contacts.

'Customiability'
As for customization, it is relatively rare as of now, but three to four months down the road, you'll probably have an explosion of wallpapers, themes, and softwares available for it.

As early as now, though, a theme maker named "Valepunto" has been coming up with great-looking themes. I can't wait for the softwares like "Shake SMS" to be available for this phone. That will then take the phone's functionality to a higher level.

A tip for the themes: Activate the theme effects to get various effects incorporated on the themes (Menu -> Settings -> Personal -> Profiles -> Themes -> General -> Options -> Theme effects -> On). On the Valepunto themes, for example, the effects are different effects when changing from one menu to the other (i.e., fade out, fade in, similar to slideshow effects available on MS Powerpoint files).

'Final Thoughts'
So, will this be the "iPhone Killer" everybody has been talking about ever since the iPhone came out? Nah, I don't think so, despite its many great features. It's not as sleek, or good-looking as the iPhone, and scrolling using your fingers is a bit difficult, especially after getting used to the Samsung SGH-F480's finger-scrolling ability.

I do think that Nokia will sell a lot of these phones not only locally, but internationally as well. It will likely sell as well as some of Nokia's classic bestsellers, or even surpass them. It has a great screen (large, bright, vivid), great UI (the usual user-friendly Nokia S60 UI), great features (i.e., Contacts Bar, Slideshow, Handwriting, Voice Control and Playback).

Feature for feature, it easily matches the iPhone, and even surpasses it in some areas. The price is more reasonable, and I think people will tend to overlook its flaws (crappy camera), at least until the next Nokia barphone with touchscreen UI comes along.

[rhk111]

* The best source of Nokia 5800 wallpapers I have found so far:
http://dailymobile.se/2008/12/15/nok...ers-gallery-7/

* Holy cra_. Installing "Handy Shell" and "Handy Weather" will turn your 5800's large screen into an awesome sight to see:



* Additional bonus: "Handy Shell" allows you to put not only four, not five, but TWELVE Contact pics on a separate "Contact Screen". You'll have sixteen pics of your friends / families / associates all on one screen for quick access.

* Tip: Pressing on the hangup button (the rightmost one among the three buttons) will cycle you between the "Handy Shell" home screen and the default Nokia home screen.

* The softwares are sharewares, though, so you only get a 14-day trial. However, I think these softwares are absolutely well worth it, making your 5800's functionality easily two-fold.

* Here are the links to the softwares:
- Epocware Handy Shell
- Epocware Handy Weather

[rhk111]

'Facebook Application Shortcut'
I found an uninstalled Facebook application shortcut on my Nokia 5800. I installed it, and am now able to access my Facebook account quickly just by clicking on it. I think it comes with the phone, but you have to manually install it to activate it.

Just go to "Internet", and you should see an icon with the Facebook logo on it. Double click to install, and you are on your way.

[rhk111]

My fourteen-day trial period for the Handy Shell and Handy Weather softwares expired recently, but I wanted to keep using the softwares because they are so damn useful. The problem, though, is that these softwares are just damn too expensive. $45 (P2,160 for both Handy Shell AND Handy Weather), just for a celphone software? That's a bit too much, I think. If it were only $10-20, I would not have had any hesitation in paying for these softwares.

In the end, I was able to get the Handy Shell software from "alternate" (cough, cough) sources. But with Handy Weather, no such luck, I had to shell out $25 for a free one year subscription. So now I can take one look at my phone's screen, and know the weather (i.e., temp., sunny or cloudy, rains or snow, etc.) for the next five days.

Pretty comprehensive, too, in terms of cities covered by the reports. For the Philippines, for example, you can get weather reports for a lot of cities, from Aparri to Zamboanga.

[i3marvin7]

i saw that it has a gps function. did you try it out? does it have preloaded maps?

[rhk111]

^^^
Oh yeah. I forgot about the unit's GPS function, mainly because without using internet assist and using only GPS is crappy. The built in GPS software is also crapius incrediblius.

Using GOOGLE MAPS, however, is another story. So to all 5800 owners out there, I think Google Maps (GM) is a MUST software for you.

I forgot to blog about GM because a couple of other people had already blogged about it ahead of me (can be found thru Google), and some even uploaded videos on Youtube. And it is amazing, especially those living in cities supported with Google Maps' "Streetview" function (unfortunately, Manila is not one of those cities).

But even without "Streetview", GM as it is, is quite amazing, especially when using Satellite Photoview. It does take a couple of minutes to load the satelitte pics as you move from grid to grid, but once saved, it is very entertaining to look at.

I'll post links to other blogs and videos for GM on the 5800 later, when I start to feel hardworking. LOL.

[rhk111]

Here is one of the first, if not the first videos of Google Maps on the 5800, courtesy of Tnkgrl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnvYh...ressmusic.html

I think videos like these that showed the 5800's versatility is one of the main reasons Nokia has sold over a million of these units so far.