First of all there are many reviewers on the internet glorifying a product like Nokia N8. I agree with them as I am a proud owner of N8. But, in mouthshut, I am here to give my perspective purely from a NEEDS IMPROVEMENT view. Because, when I pay more than a NetTop and almost the price of LAPTOP, I believe I am right in demanding SOME features which are very basic.
What SUCKS are the following features IMO.
FEATURES COMPROMISED
FORM FACTOR: Sturdy form but the camera at the back is protruding which has the speaker for sound output. This really is not a great design.
SOUND: Sound output is through a small hole at the back of the mobile. If I keep my mobile on the table on a soft leather case, I cannot hear the ringing sound even if I am near the mobile one foot away (If my AC or fan is running). The sound becomes muffled due to the single hole output. The Chinese mobile I bought for my grandma has dual speakers which can be heard (30 feet away) through our hall. I wish to gift NOKIA CEO one CHINESE MOBILE so that he gets idea on SIMPLE features and even reverse-engineers that and labels it Nokia. I would gladly buy NOKIA if he/she markets it that way.
LACK OF LED TORCH: It might sound stupid, but I expected a powerful LED lamp at the back that Nokia provided in some E series.
LACK OF HANDSFREE RADIO: Such a sophisticated mobile but it asks me to connect the enhancement to listen to radio. NOKIA guys, please grow up. Even 1K mobile has handsfree dual speaker Mp3 and radio built in.
PROCESSOR: Currently running fast. But the 1GHz Snapdragon processor would have been better for the price. Have to wait and watch how the processor functions once many applications are loaded. IMO, the processor will be slow once the symbian OS is loaded with many applications and becomes heavy with browsing.
BATTERY: Totally sucks. Such heavy duty mobile needs more battery. Battery is fixed inside the mobile through screws. So we cannot even buy a spare battery and carry it with us. BTW, it does not last 1 and half day for me. I use it moderately...to talk upto max 2 hours and browse for max 2 hours ( I dont use camera or music). I also have power saving on always. Whats the use then having a 12 MP camera with flash if battery life sucks ??? I havent tested the number of minutes it can record continuously with full battery charge.
OVI SUITE SOFTWARE: Has lot of glitches and problems. NO PROVISION to connect to internet through PROXY server. Really sucks. AS YOU CANNOT USE THIS SOFTWARE ON YOUR LAPTOP in your OFFICE, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT or EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS where they connect to Internet through proxy only.
WARNING : SPECIFIC ABSORBTION RATING. HIGH. The highest SAR value under the ICNIRP guidelines for use of N8 device at the ear is 1.02 W/kg. With this rating I would NOT even give this mobile to my KID even for 1 minute or to any old person who has pacemaker in his heart.
FEATURES I LIKED:
Inserting and removing SIM card and MicroSD card through slots on the side (No need to open mobile).
USB connectivity through cable.
HDMI output fantastic
USB port battery charger - We can charge the battery connecting to our laptop/desktop.
Camera output pics and video - very good quality
Camera capturing sound is good (even though output sucks)
Ovi maps - with GPS - fantastic. I used google maps for india - works like a charm.
Symbian 3 OS. so far so good though it does not support many applications.
Used java based SBI mobile banking - works fantastic.
BOTTOM LINE
A clever strategy to keep up with the competition by manufacturing a smart phone focusing on CAMERA AND HDMI targeting the YOUNG MARKET SEGMENT. The highlights are great CAMERA, GOOD SCREEN and GOOD CONNECTIVITY. Nothing more.
USE YOUR DISCRETION IN BUYING THIS PRODUCT. YOU CANT BE A PROUD OWNER FOR LONG. I am waiting for the day when Mobile companies bring out a product that has great AUDIO, VIDEO, SCREEN, BATTERY, CONNECTIVITY with great PROCESSOR - all best features in one. Now, IMO they only have little more of one, little less of other like Bhelpuri....but totally presented well....and the funny thing is ...IT TASTES GOOD.
PS: This picture shown is not Nokia N8. Kindly put in the correct picture.