Nokia N81

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Since my last mobile phone are now almost two years passed and slowly began to subside, the battery strong. Just in time for my mobile phone contract upgrade time I stomped on the website of my provider. Since I “did” a very reasonable agreement with minimum revenue was € 10, the desire for the quad band cell phone was to meet not just cheap.

When I saw the mess in the 3-digit price range, I slightly desperate, but then chose several models and compared them. I chose the unit with the longest battery life. I have paid for € 119.99 – for new Treaties, the thing is already free …. The unsigned price is 300-350, not the most expensive representatives. After almost two weeks waiting vulgar threw me the postman on a Saturday morning rock hard out of bed – and there was the new toy!
Nokia N81

The phone is available in cobalt blue and graphite gray, my provider offered only the gray model – * *. schnüffz This is the 2GB version.

(Even if the null interested me before I say yet again the same Mecker comment on a cell phone report of war: SAR 1.15 W / kg – the maximum limit is 2 W / kg radiation)

The most important :

~ Quadband Mobile Phone
~ 2 megapixel camera
~ OS S60 3rd Edition
~ UMTS, WLAN, Bluetooth, USB
~ Up to 17 days of standby time

And all sorts of things more that you learn in the course of the report, or compact under the link above you can read.

Delivery :
~ Handy
~ Music Headset HS45 with cable remote control
~ Compact Charger AC-5E
~ 2 GB Micro SD Card
~ USB Cable
~ Software CD and Manual
~ BT-6MT 1050mAh battery
Optics and construction

My last phone had an S40 interface, the S60 before that, but still one of the first versions. The S60 3rd Edition of the N81 is a completely revised and much improved version. Then do not work for me Themes files for N95, which seems highly trafficked and popular N95 to have only 2nd Edition. I had to lie, although here, but me no closer in question. (Should only take pictures of it reasonable sale ….) – but here I must have gotten the latest software-the latest, which makes me very happy.

The Nokia N Series is a very unique class and totally different than my previous Nokia phones. This was seen already on the packaging, the box was the same time twice, after unfolding the phone is effectively presented.

Even at first glance, it makes a lot of visual impression. The high-gloss black finish turns out immediately as a paradise for the collection of fingerprints.

With 140g it is slightly heavier than my last model, but only half as thick: length: 102 mm, width: 50 mm, height (max.): 17.9 mm. The N81 is a slider, that is a slider phone. The top half is very flat with about 4mm, the sliding mechanism is easy, but not by itself My old model had weight problems here, the upper part was so hard that it like to direct again zuschnippste times when not enough is postponed. That does not happen here.

The display is large and fits in a flat and smooth the surface of the device. Even the keys are flat and integrated into the surface. Which there is plenty to see on the device, which you can see, not all at once. The number keys are hidden in the bottom half, and only come to light when opened. Unfortunately, adjacent to the deferred upper half very nearly 1,2,3 above the keys, so you have problems with fat fingers, would have to meet them.

At the top we find some keys. The Nokia experienced user can directly make known: a four-way Navitaste (silver, above) with confirmation button in the center, right and left top two menu buttons. Also shown: the left and bottom right menu and one for C delete. Quite the outside, we assume the left and right red green – call and reject (or menu) close.

But there is more: the right of the Naviknopf we find yet another key (also gray and above) and all around the Naviknöpfchen we find the control keys for the music player. These are dimly lit and, therefore, for telephone use only dimly discern.But that’s not all.

Left and right of the ear, we find two more buttons – but only if they are available. Otherwise they remain black and invisible. They are used to play and to zoom into the gallery view. Right outside we find the up / down buttons – among others. responsible for volume control and zooming while shooting, further down on the side of the camera key. Above, there is the Power button and a lock button – for the key lock.

Furthermore, there is between the top two buttons of the port for the headset – a 3.5 mm jack – thank you Nokia! Thus, we can finally connect any stereo headset to listen to music. The plug must be headphones plugged far and engages in the end a clear and heavy, as wags matter because nothing slips out.

On the left side we find the slot for the memory card. The fact that she hides in the inside at delivery, a flip of the fence post – see is a trick. What we do not find anymore: a push to talk key – thank God, because this was on my old phone …. just to thumb height

At the bottom there is the tiny power supply and the miniUSB port, and at a corner holes made for a Handybändel. Even the USB connector keeps lies, but not quite as firmly as the headset cable in the device.

The back of the camera gives us expected, unfortunately, not again face down. For this, a very powerful photo light is included. Forward on the right we have top of the corner or a VGA camera for video telephony. The back glistens in the right light angle a little and is not as black as the raven-front, but just scratches.

I am Nokiafan. No question. But after the first study I looked for my taste but with too many buttons face illuminated by the way ….. They are white.

Assembly

Of course you have to cobble together a new unit only. The memory card I tried in vain – I found it in the slot in the phone. Also in vain I sought the SIM space – a look at the manual revealed that is hidden in the bottom of a drawer for it. If the SIM stowed one puts in the small but powerful battery. Remove and close the back cover is a bit fiddly. A very tiny push-button opens the lock and the lid can be lifted off. When wearing but it’s quite easy to see that he is not stuck properly closes and wrong. Since sensitivity is required.

The aforementioned card slot is also quite ne fumbling. First, you have to pry off the door with a fingernail, this is still at a corner. The map resolves itself by pressing them, something which also is only possible with your fingernail. And then? Good question! The card snaps not far enough out, you really need to fiddle until they rausbekommt. Rein it is also something hakelig, the card is just too tiny. Who invented microSD should be punished.
Now a phone to the current – et voila, the new technological marvel is ready for use.

Functions, menu options

The first start amazed and surprised – no PIN request? Hmmmm – the solution: The device is basically first in offline mode and ignores the SIM consistently.

If you have this fixed now – is logging the device automatically times without being asked in the UMTS mode, rather than in the GSM mode. Very rude. So moved quickly to the menu for phone connections and all.

As is common in smart phones, is plastered at the beginning of the phone screen with a loud annoying stuff. Tasks, appointments, menu shortcuts. I do not know about you, but I want a clean screen. Under System – Preferences – General – Personalisation – Standby mode, you can leave your: Active Standby off. Here you’ll find all sorts of other useful things directly to set: Theme – choose only change the look of the phone. Included are all five similarly-sighted NSeries Themes – I opted for what their own. Under http://gallery.mobile9.com/c/nokia-n81-themes/ or http://www.zedge.net/themes/1488/nokia-n81-themes/ are also a number of downloadable and completely free and there are some really nice here.

The menu can display in several variants. I choose the simple habit list. Is fast and you just stand, what’s what, at the grid has only one picture, the name appears only when the icon is selected. For this you can even change the order of menu items as desired and so the most used to get forward.

Very nice : you can yourself select the display brightness with a darker screen and save electricity. Also how long can the backlight stays on after the last key press to select (5-60s in steps of 5). The maximum duration of 90sec regards to the power saver is already It defaults. The greeting can be up from here, although standard text or photo switch, which is two hands with melody but unfortunately we still can not get rid of my old phone I could not turn off ….. at least the melody, but very pleasing when the light proceeds shall be retained a residual light and you can still see what the display without having to again turn on the light. Very pleasant.

Of course you can also choose tones, Nokia also supplies various standard things, but also mp3s and dcf – presumably so that they can continue to use as mp3 not, it is in fact a Moby track. The other songs and artists are completely unknown to me. So fast draufgespielt my own sounds again and rest is in a box)

Do not we stay a little longer in recruitment. As usual, I can set that will be adopted when pushing a call is terminated when the slide is the conversation. We can also carry the Navitaste to a Navi-wheel, you can then navigate through certain menus and programs such as the iPod click wheel. Smart idea, a nice gimmick. One can also continue to make settings for equipment and programs and determine how to behave on the phone.
Of course, one can also show the menu buttons at the start screen of their own. So I’ve brought out the things that I need more often. Messages, contacts, and on the four key ways including the calculator and converter.

Which brings us already landed in the programs. The converter is now directly searchable, with me it was hidden in the submenu. Disadvantage: The courses required for all currencies must themselves be entered. After setting a base currency, however, he expects this price then good back and forth between them. All other conversion types, such as temperature, length, weight … are naturally present.

3 games are included, even the full version of FIFA 2008 – but I have this really zero interest and have them deleted all unseen. The phone handles Java games and games of the N-Gage platform.

The phone is also Nokia Maps. A few tickets are also on it – for example Berlin, Unter den Linden. But costs me too much, I do not need (for the trip I have the laptop mitm Street Atlas aufm knee) and is aufm Handy display eh stupid anyway.

The phone also has an installed Acrobat Reader – you can therefore read PDF files. Of course there is also a calendar where you can enter appointments, with alarm, an alarm clock in the Clock, a world clock with all kinds of cities to choose from and a notepad.

The phone book is well-known with many possibilities. To a name you can address, email, multiple phone numbers, pager number, etc. Save, associate photo and ring tone. About the PC Suite you can synchronize with the MS Outlook or Lotus Suite. I did not both, so I’ll give a hand. What is something annoying, but I’m only 15 or 20 contacts, because then goes quite fast. Using Bluetooth, you can also synchronize with each other and two cell phones saves retyping. But it will be dead in the phone book file never going;)

Can communicate with the phone a lot. SMS, MMS, email or audio messages. I will limit myself to occasional SMS ….

Music player …. runs in the background and can be turned off not go away. If anyone still knows how, he may deliver me. If you call the Player menu will appear, not as close to the other but only hide, which the player remains active. You can also listen to radio, a list of radio stations in the area you can download, since you do not have to search by hand. Very practical. Ollie: The list is unsorted and breadth, some channels multiple times and then some of them without significant reception. The phone can also podcasting – that podcasts from the web download and play on the phone, just as one knows it from the iPod. A link to the music store can be found here – of course. For videos, there is the Real Player, there is a Voice and a Flash Player is also installed. It was thought of all eventualities. Also nice: it must be seen not say where the music is. He finds it by itself, in which he durchscannt phone and memory, and everything added to the library, which he finds Sun Good boy. Gets you to the player, then the player buttons illuminated.
What bothers me that so simple things like the protocols are stored in deep sub-menus and I do not for example the missed / received calls, as before, may call for a key press.

Connections

In addition to four GSM networks, the phone still dominates up some more. First, UMTS, but I do not use. Then the clever little fellow has a Wi-Fi Finder. So I can go with the phone via my wireless router into the network, at no extra cost. Clever Case das. My site is even considerable, albeit much too large for display. Here you can rotate the display in landscape mode on demand and use what is recommended primarily for websites.
Data transfer to PC is possible via Bluetooth or USB cable. After some heel I have the laptop also coupled with the mobile phone and was able to my recent images and sounds ruckzuck hunt the telephone. Unfortunately, it stores the music and pictures while in the desired folder or in the music library, but leaves the original in your inbox – and hey presto, the 25MB phone memory was close! Must be a yes but also once said that he virtually copied …..

About the USB cable, you can choose between various types of connections: data transfer – then the cell phone (or its memory card) to a removable disk, simple thing with Windows. Or you have a photo printer, then you can select it and print the photos from the mobile phone camera.

For the PC there is the PC Suite for NSeries included. Select the mode, then PC Suite. This can be applications such as themes, install programs, etc. directly into the phone without the file to send to the telephone need only circumstantial. Also synchronization with Outlook & Co is here – for lack of use not tried. An Adobe Photo program was included, I use or might not. This enables you to manage their images from the camera and sort. Unfortunately, I have a simple file explorer that I can move files via drag & drop files between phone and PC, this is music management and media management to be specifically set to a given case and therefore no use to me.

Sound

For a small telephone the little shit things by the noise. Thanks to support 2GB card (up to 4GB cards) you can also download music at high quality and is thus in the enjoyment of a really surprisingly good sound. The two speakers are left and the right not to be overlooked on the device, the phone even offers 3D sound effects for the call signal, such as turning in circles or zigzags back and forth. Funny, but only to antesten times, in the long run it would be just annoying.
The headset allows the connection to the receiving radio, the antenna is installed in the cable. The sound through the headset is really good because I was really surprised. Thanks to an optional remote control that is included, you can control the player and still take calls. There is also a clip is attached with spring, not a cheap plastic clip. The cables are indeed thin, but still stable. The left is shorter than the right, it is always the remote sideways and not distracting in the middle and can be festgeklipst to the clothes.

During a telephone conversation, the sound in the first moment is significantly different from my previous phones. It is darker, but still loud and clear – if one considers that the unit is factory set to rather low and you turn the volume accordingly. No jamming, no noise, no popping – which is of course to the excellent reception.

Imaging
This term sums up Nokia together everything that has to do with pictures, videos and camera. So do I sometimes.

The camera can be activated with the designated button, the display now works in landscape mode. Positive: the old mobile phone gave a little pressure and the camera jumped on, even when they are tapped by accident – here you have to hold down the button for a moment so that the camera is concerned. At the highest resolution I get on it to rest 1.8 GB over 7500 images. Unfortunately, the camera is really not the screamer. For black or dark areas and shadows is generally green. This is not, as initially adopted an appearance in the viewfinder display, which illuminates so happy, so you can target the motive, but the picture was in the dark areas then also greenish, though not quite as extreme themselves. While there are settings such as night, landscape, portrait, but these have either no effect or cause other extreme color casts. Pity, at best camera for accident evidence fit. Videos I’ve not yet turned. The front camera can be activated camera exchange these over the menu, the image is not color cast, but you have the phone already loose blocking out 30-40cm, to see the whole head – so that the other party one can detect also, you’re gonna get heavy arms .
For normal photography but there are also variants such as sepia, black and white negative display or for fun, friends, direct dial before the shooting. The flash is actually not bad in performance, the range can be up to 3m even see.

The gallery can be on the normal menu, or accessed via the Media button. This is the single key to the right of Navifeld. With the two keys next to the ears I can zoom into the images or change the view in a slideshow-like presentation and browse the Navi wheel. Very practical and comfortable. About the Media button shows in the menus of the preinstalled Maps-cards, music players, games, contacts, and Internet. Except for the gallery function, I find the media key somehow superfluous.

The display can be absolutely convincing with 16.7 million colors. The presentation is clean and clear, the colors of pictures that I uploaded, are true to life, everything is rendered sharp, with large pictures you can of course zoom in decency, to see even more. 240×320 pixels is of course the PC comparison tiny, but for a very neat phone. Also the display is located directly behind the glass, not as in my old, where there was still a little space and therefore always a dark edge was created by shadows, because the display is too deep seated.
Other

The phone is high-quality, the holes for the ribbons are incorporated in the housing, not with a cheap plastic cover glued like my old phone that had been adopted directly. The charger plug is classic crooked and bent, there was an animal stoned during assembly. The charger is very tiny, only 2.5 x2, 5×1, 5cm, it brings about with it – very convenient for the luggage. The battery was fully charged, after less than an hour.

The summit has a great stamina. Even after two days of testing, and call on the phone do not even play around extremely one line was gone. The phone is a “when actually I have the last loaded” candidate, because people there usually can not remember it. His life’s work is so astonishingly high – here it gets all the plus points from me.

The guide can be booked against kloppen joke and in the ton. Not a picture / graphic is to find it and basically it is just a list of functions “do you want that, you go there, find you there, oh and by the way, the network can download and give us money ….” – In principle one could have omitted it. The 5seitige GettingStarted leaflet is useful because it explains the basis of graphics, which is where the unit just pocketed card and battery and even when the charging plug hinmuß.
The power saving mode is ne smart thing, after all, the battery promises a lot (which he also holds). However, the phone goes down so far that it looks as if it was switched off. But not quite. In the 10sec intervals, the ring flashes to Navitaste on – as a short message: I’m still alive. Who does not know that it can be totally confused when it shows up in the corner of my eye. I thought at first, I got a kink in the optics.

The key for the keypad – saugeniale invention. Although the familiar *- OK now stop away is …. The point: I activate the lock with the key that makes rüberziehen and again zurückschnippst and tight enough to do without it even in the case of delay, acts as lock and unlock a buck. Pressing the lock button again stands out this function again. Alternatively, the passing game even with proof: more keypad lock in, lock ask whether or nothing.
With the delete button, you can clear away not only wrong characters in the file manager can also be removed as things simple or uninstall programs, even if I have to get used only for that deleting the wrong character is no longer the second menu button there. The back button is now on the right menu button on the left we will find other options in the menu or select / OK, depending on use.

The phone offers general addition to the usual profiles, Loud, Quiet and Silent also an offline mode where any SIM activity is switched off – practical flight mode. About the off-key, there are also here to remove the item “Memory” where you can remove the card during operation.

Summary
A visual treat that looks very noble, due to its shining surface, however, quickly toll. The surface is extremely scratch, from the fingernail, the menu button shown after one day mark. The service is for Nokia users usual self, the differences are clear to S40 phones, but no hurdle and you get used to a fast. The phone offers several options, even if one does not determine all needed. I need it mainly because of its quad band support for a trip where you would just simply end with Triband.

A few menus are deeply involved, there must durchwuseln you are. What annoys me is the constant current music player that consumes on standby in the background of course resources.
The number pad is relatively small, you tend to quickly to tap with a fingernail, which immediately caused scratches. The top row is also a little too close to the edge of the upper slider, and the bottom is directly below the last button closing time, which is not just beneficial if you use the phone with one hand times must be really, then tip it just constantly high. The power button can also be difficult with all the fingers to operate a fingernail is also recommended. But has the advantage that the phone can not lead a life of its own.

To customize colors and themes, in addition to a lot of practical settings for keys, codes, and menu screens, so everyone can make their own individual phone from the N81. Quite good I think the permanent weak backlight, which continues to allow a view on the display until the screen saver comes. The camera could have been much better

CONCLUSION

Visually elegant, unfortunately, sensitive, technically extensive and versatile, menu user-nokiatypisch, very well made and equipped with very strong battery, can the N81 in the sum perfectly convincing, one loses but because of the points listed under the line a point is replaced but still a recommendation. For better contracts or new contract the phone is already to have nothing. Although I’ve never paid a high price for a cell phone and did pretty well swallowed, but I personally think the investment was worth it because for me the important points are true and complete satisfaction. The points that I have criticized depend on my personal feelings and are important to me in a phone mainly less, so I can live with it. Finally I got to photograph an expensive equipment, listening to an iPod and for route planning or emails on the road a reasonable laptop. In this sense, is communicative!

Pro : Features, operation, facilities, sound
Cons : extremely scratch, various – see report

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