Nokia is getting into the touchscreen market with their latest S60 5th Edition software and the 5800 is the first device with touch. I have one to check out for a few weeks and posted this first look at a decent device.
Nov 202009
Nokia aren’t known for making touchscreen mobile phones, despite making them in the past. That’s about to change with the release of their first mainstream touchscreen phone: the frighteningly brilliant Nokia 5800 Xpress. A Touching History – Nokia touchscreen mobile phones through the ages Nokia’s history of touchscreen mobile phones hasn’t exactly been brilliant. The first, the Nokia 7700 was only slightly advanced, and was vile. Its follow-up, the Nokia 7710, wasn’t a great deal better. Nokia have never released a touchscreen mobile phone that’s really hit the big time; they’ve always been, at best, niche mobile phones, or in most cases, not mobile phones at all (as in, they were Nokia internet tablets). With the release of the iPhone, though, it was clear there was a market for touchscreen mobile phones, so Nokia said, ‘We’re having some of that!’ The result is the mobile phone I’m talking about today, and thankfully, the new Nokia 5800 Xpress is far nicer than its predecessors! Nokia 5800 Xpress – why it rocks The key thing that’s different about the Nokia 5800 Xpress is its operating system, which, rather than recycling one from old mobile phones, is the brand, spanking new, never-seen-on-any-other-mobile-phones Symbian S60 Touch interface. And just like its top-end rivals in the world of touchscreen mobile phones, the Nokia 5800 Xpress is designed and optimised to use finger control rather than a stylus. In that respect, the Nokia 5800 Xpress is aiming very clearly at beating the iPhone. Features-wise, it easily does that, with a 3 megapixel camera, full-fat HSDPA internet speeds, and built in GPS. Oh, and video recording, something the iPhone lacks. It’s also got access to its own music store, and there’s not getting away from the fact that the Nokia 5800 Xpress is one of the most anticipated mobile phones to be released this year. But is it going to rule the world? Nokia 5800 Xpress – ruling the world in two easy steps? Well, it certainly has the chops to go far, but will the Nokia 5800 Xpress rule the world of mobile phones? Sure, it’s got the novelty value of having that unique touch interface (that’d be step 1), and it’s got the massive brand-power of Nokia behind it (step 2). But. . . and it’s a big but. . . what will stop the Nokia 5800 Xpress from ruling the world is what’s missing from the mobile phone; specifically, a big ‘N’ on it to show it’s an Nseries phone. I know it may sound silly, but I honestly think that launching the Nokia 5800 Xpress in any range other than the Nseries may well hurt its sales. But not that badly. Make no mistake, the Nokia 5800 Xpress WILL be one of the biggest mobile phones of 2008!
Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
The world of touchscreen mobile phones is starting to get exciting, as the biggest name in the business has waded in with not one, but TWO mobile phones: the Nokia 5800 and the utterly mind-blowing Nokia N97. An undistinguished history – Nokia touchscreen mobile phones in the past Many people are under the false assumption that the Nokia 5800 is the first ever touchscreen mobile phone to come from the Finnish manufacturer. It’s not. Quite the opposite, in fact, there have been a few touchy-feely phones to wear the Nokia badge. Starting with the 7700, there have been a couple of Nokia mobile phones that work by you prodding and poking the screen. They had a relatively big (for the time) touchscreen in common, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were irredeemably awful. Only one of these mobile phones, the 6708, showed any promise, but that was destined only for the Chinese market, and so, never saw the light of day in the UK. The mobile phones we got were, and I use this phrase with much feeling, utter, utter garbage. However (and yes, it’s a big however), these bad, bad memories have all been exorcised by the launch of two new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touchscreens, and both of which are much, MUCH nicer. . . Nokia 5800 – touching music First up is a new entrant into Nokia’s Xpress family of music mobile phones, the gorgeous Nokia 5800. This one’s very definitely designed for music and media, as it has a dedicated XpressMedia button that brings up a list of shortcuts to music, videos, the web, and so on. Oh, and a 3. 2 inch touchscreen, to actually watch/play with/use those different media. Basically, the Nokia 5800 is designed as a little handheld entertainment centre, and as music mobile phones go, this is easily one of the sexiest. The Nokia 5800 also comes with a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet access and GPS, making it a brilliant all-round mobile phone, as well as a brilliant media player. Oh, and it has a lanyard to attach to imitation guitar plectrum. That rocks!However, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range mobile phone, it isn’t, nor was it ever meant to be, an absolute top-ender. That position falls to another. . . Nokia N97 – the single best phone EVER made? With the Nokia 5800 all set to bring touchscreen mobile phones to the mid-range market, that leaves a very big gap at the very top-end, and yes, there IS a touchscreen mobile phone on its way to fill that gap: the frankly awesome Nokia N97. This takes the same Symbian S60 Touch interface and crams it into the body of a proper, full on smartphone. So it has a bigger, 3. 5 inch screen, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, and the camera’s been upgraded to 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, in a very definite way, the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it really is as high-spec as the rumours had us believe, with HSDPA, GPS, digital compass, and built-in Flash, meaning you get an internet experience like no other mobile phones! Put simply the Nokia N97 is awesome. It gleefully relieves itself over other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 aims firmly for the mid-range, I am predicting that the Nokia N97 will DOMINATE the world next year!
Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
Nov 192009
Anyone who likes touchscreen phones should be excited; the most recognised name in the game has waded in with not one, but TWO mobile phones: the sexy Nokia 5800 and the totally awesome Nokia N97. The history of touchscreen phones – best left in the past. . . Many people are under the incorrect assumption that the Nokia 5800 is the first touchscreen mobile phone Nokia have ever made. It’s not. The opposite’s true, because there’s been several touch-based phones to wear the Nokia badge. Starting at the 7700, the world has seen a few Nokia mobile phones which work by you prodding and poking the screen. They had a relatively big (for the time) touchscreen in common, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were utterly hideous. Just one of those handsets, the 6708, displayed a modicum promise, but it was destined exclusively to be sold in China, and thus, it never saw the light of day in Britain. Unfortunately, that meant that the phones we got were utter, and complete bobbins. However, these bad mental images have all been removed due to the announcement of a pair of new Nokia mobile phones, both of which come with touch-sensitive displays, and both of which are much, much sexier. . . Nokia 5800 – music, rhythm, who oculd ask for anything more. . . The first phone up is a completely new entrant into Nokia’s Xpress line of music mobile phones, the mouth-watering Nokia 5800. This one’s pretty obviously built for music and video; you can tell by the separate XpressMedia touch-key that pops up a list of shortcuts to music, videos, the web, and more. Then, of course, the Nokia 5800 has a 3. 2 inch touchscreen, to actually muck about with those different media files. Basically, the Nokia 5800 was designed to be a teeny handheld entertainment centre, and as music devices go, this is just about the sexiest. The Nokia 5800 also comes with a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet access and sat-nav, so that it’s a wonderful all-round mobile phone, in addition to being a brilliant media box. Oh, and it’s got a strap to clip on an imitation guitar plectrum. Pointless, but brilliant. Despite all those features, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range device; it isn’t, nor will it ever be, a full-fat top-end monster. That role falls to a different mobile. . . Nokia N97 – the Superman of mobile phones? With the Nokia 5800 all set to bring touch-based mobile phones to the mid-range market, that leaves a great big gap at the absolute top-endof the product range; well, there IS a touch-based mobile phone on its way to take its place as the top-end powerhouse: the utterly mind-blowing Nokia N97. This takes the same Symbian S60 Touch interface and crams it within the body of a proper, full-on smartphone. So it has a massive, 3. 5 inch screen, a kick out QWERTY keypad, and the camera’s been upgraded to 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, in a very definite way, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it’s genuinely as powerful as the rumours had us believe, with HSDPA, sat-nav, digital compass, and built-in Flash, so that you have an internet experience that tops any other mobile phones! Put simply the Nokia N97 is awesome. It gleefully relieves itself over other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 angles firmly for the mid-range, I’m predicting that the Nokia N97 will utterly DOMINATE the world next year!
Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
Anyone who likes touchscreen phones should be excited; the most well known brand in the industry has brought out not one, but TWO mobile phones: the sexy Nokia 5800 and the terrifyingly jaw-dropping Nokia N97. Phase 1 – Nokia’s not-so-brilliant early attempts at a touchscreen phone Many people seem to be under the incorrect assumption that the Nokia 5800 is the first touchscreen mobile phone Nokia have ever made. It isn’t. The opposite’s true, because there have been several touchy-feely phones released under the Nokia name. Starting with the 7700, we’ve seen a few Nokia mobile phones that are controlled by you pressing directly on the screen. They had a relatively big (for the time) touchscreen in common, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were irredeemably hideous. Just one of those devices, the 6708, displayed a modicum promise, but it was made only for the Chinese market, and so, we never got to play with them in Britain. Unfortunately, that meant that the phones we got were utter, utter garbage. However, those bad mental images have now been removed by the launch of two new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touch-sensitive displays, and both of which are much, much sexier. . . Nokia 5800 – the magic touch The first phone on the roster is a completely new member of Nokia’s Xpress range of music mobile phones, the gorgeous Nokia 5800. This phone is very obviously built for music and video; you can tell by the separate XpressMedia touch-key that brings up a list of links to music, videos, the internet, and more. Oh, and the Nokia 5800 has a 3. 2 inch touch-sensitive display, to let you use those different media files. Essentially, the Nokia 5800 was created to be a teeny handheld entertainment centre, and as music handsets go, this is just about the sweetest. The Nokia 5800 has also got a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet connection and sat-nav, so that it’s a superb all-round mobile phone, in addition to being a superb media box. Oh, and it’s got a strap to clip on a fake guitar pick. Pointless, but brilliant. Despite all those features, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range device; it isn’t, nor will it ever be, a full-on powerhouse. That role falls to another device. . . Nokia N97 – touched by an angel With the Nokia 5800 all set to deliver touchscreen mobile phones to the mid-range market, that opens up a very big gap at the absolute top-end of the product range; well, there IS a touch-based mobile phone on its way to take its place as the top-end powerhouse: the utterly jaw-dropping Nokia N97. This uses the same Symbian S60 Touch operating system and packages it into the frame of a proper, full-on smartphone. So it has an even more huge, 3. 5 inch screen, a slide out QWERTY keypad, and the camera now weighs in at a meaty 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, as should be glaringly obvious, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it really is as hyper-powered as the rumours had us believe, with HSDPA, sat-nav, digital compass, and integrated Flash, so that you have an internet experience that tops any other mobile phones! Put it like this: the Nokia N97 is awesome. It gleefully relieves itself over other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 angles firmly for the mid-range, I reckon that the Nokia N97 will completely DESTROY the competition next year!
Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
Nov 192009
If you like touchscreen phones, you should be wetting yourself with excitement about now; the biggest name in the business has announced not one, but TWO mobile phones: the sexy Nokia 5800 and the totally awesome Nokia N97. Lessons from history – Nokia early learns how NOT to make a touchscreen phone A lot of people are under the false assumption that the Nokia 5800 is the first ever touchscreen mobile phone to come from the Finnish manufacturer. It isn’t. Actually, there have been several touch-based phones to wear the Nokia brand. Starting at the 7700, there have been a few Nokia mobile phones that work by you pressing directly on the screen. They all shared pretty big touchscreens, but the other feature they had in common, unfortunately, was that they were unbearably hideous. Just one of these mobile phones, the 6708, showed any potential, but it was destined only for China, and so, we never got to play with them in the UK. The mobile phones WE got were, and I use this phrase with much feeling, utter, utter toss. However, those unpleasant recollections have now been removed because of the announcement of two new Nokia mobile phones, both of which have touch-sensitive displays, and both of which are much, much more alluring. . . Nokia 5800 – finger-tapping, toe-taping musical geniusFirst on the roster is a brand new member of Nokia’s Xpress family of music mobile phones, the gorgeous Nokia 5800. This phone is quite obviously designed for music and video; you can tell by the dedicated XpressMedia touch-key that opens a list of shortcuts to music, videos, the internet, and so on. Oh, and the Nokia 5800 has a 3. 2 inch touch-sensitive display, to let you play with all your media content. Basically, the Nokia 5800 was created to be a little portable jukebox and movie player, and as music devices go, this is just about the sweetest. The Nokia 5800 has also got a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA internet connection and sat-nav, making it a brilliant all-rounder, as well as a superb media player. Oh, and it has a strap to clip on an imitation guitar plectrum. Pointless, but brilliant. Despite all those features, the Nokia 5800 is very definitely a mid-range device; it isn’t, nor will it ever be, an absolute top-ender. That position goes to a different mobile. . . Nokia N97 – phenomenal cosmic power With the Nokia 5800 on track to deliver touch-based mobile phones to the mid-range market, that opens up a great big gap at the absolute top-end of the product range; well, there IS a touch-based mobile phone waiting to be unleashed to fill that gap: the utterly jaw-dropping Nokia N97. This takes the same Symbian S60 Touch interface and crams it within the body of a proper, full-tilt smartphone. So it’s got an even more huge, 3. 5 inch screen, a flip out QWERTY keypad, and the camera now weighs in at a meaty 5 megapixels. The Nokia N97 is, in a very definite way, destined to be the new flagship Nseries mobile phone, and it really is as powerful as we’d heard from rumours, with HSDPA, GPS, digital compass, and built-in Flash, meaning you have an internet experience like no other mobile phones! Put simply the Nokia N97 is unbelievable. It easily outdoes other mobile phones and while the Nokia 5800 aims firmly for the mid-range, I reckon that the Nokia N97 will totally DESTROY the competition in 2009!
Expert on mobile phones, having worked in the industry for over 7 years.
Nov 162009
Most recently, the first mainstream touchscreen device from Finnish manufacturer Nokia. They have touch screen phones before, but it is. . . nothing like the awesomeness of the new Nokia 5800! Nokia and touchscreens – lessons from history Believe it or not, is the Nokia 5800 is not the first of their phones on a touch screen. The praise goes all the way back to the Nokia 7700, a cell phone that has, well, actually never released. Still it was the first, anyway. It's just a shame, really, that Nokia's first attempt at a touchscreen mobile phone was, frankly, rubbish, because it had a bit of a tricky interface, appearance. . . well his eyes were erroneously described as everything from "a bit, to" look like a taco, that "bad prop from Star Trek. The follow-up, the Nokia 7710 was not much better, is a bit buggy still great, and it lacked features that other phones have quickly begin, (cameras, has 3G, etc.). Thereafter, the only Nokia phone was the touch screen really did not have cell phones, since the concept was postponed their bids in Internet tablets. But touchscreen phones are now all set to make a triumphant return to Nokia, or with their newest and bestest ever touchscreen phone, Nokia 5800th Appears to be the Nokia 5800 – touch-screen phone for the masses soon is the Nokia 5800 ensures that they have a huge impact on its portfolio of mobile phones. And the inspiration has returned to the release of the iPhone, so you can be sure that they have the Nokia 5800 to be as smooth and as user friendly as possible. The new S60 Touch interface for the Nokia 5800 is very elegant, and actually quite strong. Simply put, it is a joy to navigate around, and so much better than many other phones on the market. Combine a list premium features such as 3-megapixel camera, HSDPA, and so on, and you get a really cool smartphone. But it's music with the Nokia 5800 really shines, because it is music that lives on this beautiful phone with a music player that is truly unsurpassed. Finally, I can honestly say that the Nokia 5800 mobile phone is one of the most impressive I've seen in a long time. But is this surprising. . . Nokia 5800 is a mid-range mobile phone, not a top-ender. So what will happen if the Nokia 5800 magically morph in the first Nseries touchscreen phone. Captain N – The future is Nseries There is no doubt that the Nokia 5800 is a really cool phone. It is smooth, beautiful and wise. But what will the new S60 Touch interface looks like, if it is placed in the Nseries phones? Do we want something like the Nokia N96, you will see a review of insisting on the screen? Well, the answer is, not surprisingly, yes, as confirmed by Nokia themselves. Nokia 5800 is just the first toe in the water, as it were, and will be released Nseries multimedia phones with the new touch interface. It is when we go to the big, over-top-end, ultra-powerful mobile phones to see, probably in the tens megapixel camera with large storage space and frighteningly fast internet access. Although they are not the Nokia N96 with a touchscreen, but for the simple reason that they will blow away everything, including the Nokia N96!
Experts on the phone once worked in the industry for over 7 years.
- This unlocked cell phone is compatible with GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Not all carrier features may be supported. It will not work with CDMA carriers like Verizon Wireless, Alltel and Sprint.
- Unlocked quad-band GSM cell phone compatible with 850/900/1800/1900 frequencies and US/International 3G compatibility via 850/1900/2100 UMTS/HSDPA plus GPRS/EDGE capabilities
- Flip-out full QWERTY keyboard; A-GPS and Nokia Maps; Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth stereo music; 32 GB internal memory; expandable via MicroSD
- Up to 9.5 hours of GSM talk time (6 hours on 3G, up to 430 hours (17.9 days) of standby time
- What’s in the Box: Nokia N97, Nokia Battery (BP-4L), travel charger (AC-10U), connectivity cable (CA-101), wired headset (AD-54, HS-45), charger adapter (CA-146), cleaning cloth
Product DescriptionThe Nokia N97 mobile phone provides excellent user experience for internet and entertainment by combining QWERTY keyboard with resistive touch screen. Integrated A-GPS. 5 mega pixel camera. Video. A-GPS is a network dependant feature that requires a data plan. Additional charges may apply Personalize your homescreen arrow Have all of your content and connections at your fingertips on the beautiful personalizable home screen. Manage and access your internet directly f. . . More >>
- This unlocked cell phone is compatible with GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Not all carrier features may be supported. It will not work with CDMA carriers like Verizon Wireless, Alltel and Sprint.
- Optimized for WCDMA 900/1700/2100, Quad-band EGSM 850/900/1800/1900, Optimized for 3G networks on WCDMA 900/1700/2100 Quad-band EGSM, 850/900/1800/1900
- Mobile computer with full cellular voice and messaging capabilities, 3.5-inch touchscreen display, slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, and powerful Maemo 5 operating system
- 5-megapixel camera/camcorder; GPS for navigation and location services; Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth stereo music; digital media player; personal and corporate email
- What’s in the Box: handset, battery, travel charger, stereo headset (WH-205), video out cable (CA-75U), cleaning cloth, operating instructions
Product DescriptionEnjoy fast application processing and multitasking on a live Dashboard. ARM Cortex-A8 600MHz and total available application memory up to 1GB (256MB RAM + 768 MB virtual memory) Experience the full web with Maemo browser. Browser powered by Mozilla technology, full flash 9. 4 and AJAX support. Personalise your own panorama desktop on the 3. 5 Inch 800×480 pixel touch screen. Fast wireless broadband. WiFi and HSPA data 10/2. 0 Mbps. Chat with voice calls, internet calls. . . More >>