Nokia N80 / N80i: Review
The Nokia N80/N80i is packed with everything a smartphone lover can dream of, but it is also an elegant and easy-to-use device for anyone who wants a powerful phone for Internet access and digital photography. This mobile device can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi or WCMDA 3G network for e-mail, web pages, and best of all, free or low-cost Internet telephony (VoIP) calls.
Key features:
- Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900 GSM and EDGE phone. 3G network access on WCDMA/UMTS 1900 or 2100 MHz band with simultaneous voice and packet data communication.
- High-speed wireless LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11b/802.11g, connectivity.
- Wireless home networking via Wi-Fi with PCs and media servers that allow UPnP connections.
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for free and low-cost phone calls over the Internet.
- 3 megapixel digital camera in 2048 x 1536 pixel resolution. Integrated flash. Close-up/Scenery mode switch at the back panel.
- Video recording can be selected between good quality MP4 format, or lower quality 3GP format. Video image resolution is 352 x 288 or 176 x 144 pixels.
- Bright color screen with resolution of 352x416 pixels. The screen is capable of displaying up to 262,144 colors.
- Media player (RealPlayer) can play 3GPP, MPEG4/AVC, and RealVideo videos.
- The music player recognizes MP3, AAC, m4a, eAAC+ and WMA digital music formats.
- Stereo FM radio with stereo headset included.
- MMS, e-mail, and Web browser for messaging and viewing information on the Web. Calendar, Notes, document viewers for Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files.
- USB 2.0 port with a cable for connecting the unit to a PC. PC Suite sync software included.
- Bluetooth and Infrared for close-range wireless connectivity.
- 40MB of internal memory.
- MiniSD memory card slot.
- The device is powered by the Symbian OS and the S60 3rd Edition software. Java MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 software allows downloading and running Java applications on the phone.
- Weight: 134 g, length: 95.4 mm, width: 50 mm, and thickness: 26 mm
- The differences between the N80 and the N80i are fairly small. The N80i comes with more software products, such as the Yahoo! Go, Mobile Search with maps, viewer for Amazon.com store, MobiPocket Reader book reader application, and photo upload application for Flickr.
The "i" in the Nokia N80i stands for the Internet. In this case, it means extra software applications included with the product, such as Yahoo Go, Mobile Search, MobiPocket Reader, and Flickr photo uploads. Many of these applications are available for free also for smartphone owners who don't have the N80i.
There is one significant new feature that is available in the Nokia N80i – VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP, or Internet Telephony, means free or low-cost phone calls over the Internet, instead of paying the phone company for the time spent in the mobile network's voice channel. We tried several VoIP products that were supposed to run on the Nokia N80i. Truphone and Tivi worked well, but for example, Gizmo Project didn't run on the phone at all. You can find more details on the tested VoIP products in this review.
There's more to the mobile Internet than cheap phone calls. The Web browser that comes with the new Nokia smartphones is one of the best mobile browsers available. It displays the pages quickly and lays them out correctly. The browser lets you zoom around large Web pages through a Mini-map window. This feature helps you quickly locate the area of a page you want to view. Make sure you launch the item titled “Web” in the Nokia N80 (and in all S60 phones) menu, instead of “Services”, which is the old WAP browser software. The included e-mail software lets you access all e-mail systems that provide a POP3 or IMAP4 interface. For example, you can access Gmail by using the POP3 protocol.
We don't know anyone who would have used the over-the-air sync feature on smartphones before Zyb came around. Sign up for the Zyb service on your computer to sync the contacts and calendar on your phone with your Zyb account. Then, regardless of where you happen to roam, you simply launch the Sync application from the N80i menu and let modern technology take care of the rest.
Multimedia applications in the N80 include RealPlayer for videos, MP3 player for music, Radio for listening to FM radio, the Movie (Muvee) application for creating video mash-ups, Flash player for animations (it can't display videos), Lifeblog for photo blogging, and Recorder for taking voice notes or recording new ringtones.
For those who need to access their office documents on the go, the Nokia N80 offers Adobe PDF reader, Quickoffice Word, Excel, and PowerPoint viewers. Calendar and Notes applications are included as well.
Pictures taken with the 3 megapixel camera turned out fine, especially when snapped in daylight. The quality of any photos captured in low light was considerably lower than those taken in daylight, as is the case with most camera phones. Use of a flash improves pictures taken within 3-10 feet/1-3 meters away from the lens. As is the case with many other Nokia camera phones, the videos (when captured in the highest quality) are a pleasure to watch - even on a PC.
Things to Examine in the N80 for Yourself
The sliding keypad that makes the device compact is extremely handy – that's our opinion. Not every test person agreed with us about the usefulness of the sliding keypad. Anyway, the mechanism was very sensitive in the tested unit. The keypad opened with the lightest nudge, even when it was in a pocket. We don't believe this behavior was exactly what the designers had in mind when they put it together. Another thing we didn't like was the camera button on the side panel. It has a poor feel. It is very difficult not to shake the camera when you push the button to take a picture.
The device feels slower than phones with similar capabilities and within the same price range. The slowness is evident when you switch from another smartphone to the N80i. After using the device for a while, we weren't troubled by the slow processing power anymore. Still, a product in this price range should run faster and have a quicker response to navigation clicks and keystrokes.
The new VoIP feature wasn't easy to set up. We had to use quite a bit of time to find a VoIP product that worked on the device. Whether it was a problem with the N80i's built-in SIP software (a network-level software that some VoIP products use) or with the actual VoIP product remains to be seen. In any case, setting up VoIP on a S60 device is still a far cry from the pure joy of setting up Skype on a Windows Mobile smartphone.
If you are looking for a product like the N80i, other models you might consider are the Nokia N73, a very good candy-bar-style phone (without Wi-Fi), the powerful camcorder-style Nokia N93, and the beautiful Motorola Motokrzr K1 flip phone.
Who likes this product:
The Nokia N80/N80i suits anyone who wants a high-end smartphone. You don't have to be an expert to use all of its features (except for the VoIP settings that may require some tinkering) because the S60 menu has developed into a very consistent system for using a smartphone. The product is small and tastefully designed to fit into a purse or pocket. Advanced smartphone users will find endless possibilities to explore when they download additional software and multimedia material to the device.
Style:
The design of the phone is so elegant and discreet that it should fit into anyone’s lifestyle instantly. We like the black model better than the steel (can be seen in the attached pictures). The unit is small, but somewhat thick. It is 26 mm thick, 95.4 mm tall, and 50 mm wide.
There is one thing in the design of the phone, however, that stirred emotions among our test users. The Nokia N80 is a slider phone, which means that the keypad slides out from beneath the screen when you push the screen with your thumb. We loved it, but many of our test users didn't. Some preferred flip phones (the screen is protected and you don't accidentally push any keys), while others won't give up their solid candy-bar phones. Therefore, we recommend that you see for yourself how you like the slider mechanism (in general) before committing yourself to life with a slider.
Value for the money: 4 out of 5
The Nokia N80/N80i is an excellent smartphone with features that are hard to match. Its Wi-Fi, EDGE, 3G, and Bluetooth connectivity keep you connected the way you want. The three-megapixel camera captures fine photos and videos. The device is elegant and small. If it had a little more processing power and an easier to use VoIP, the N80i would be a nearly perfect smartphone for slider phone lovers like us.
Pirkka Rannikko contributed to this review.
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Reader rating
Sebhelyesfarku 30.01.2007 04:57
You forgot a couple of things. The video is crap in every situations but bright sunshine. The weak battery is dead in one day on 3G, the slider and the battery cover is loose crap.
Jose Rizal 11.04.2007 17:12
Sebhelyesfarku... in your opinion, because i'm looking for a Nokia Smartphone what is the best that you can recommend then?
Aadesh Vaity 04.02.2008 09:21
please provide with some information..about how to configure wifi mobile to wireless router or wi fi connectivity. Its urgent please ... Im using N80 wifi
Ari 04.02.2008 23:46
Hi Aadesh Vaity, check out this guide for setting up a Wifi access point for your smartphone: http://www.avecmobile.com/index.php?id=910 You may want to add some security to your wireless connection as well: http://www.avecmobile.com/index.php?id=918
HITESH BHANDARI 10.02.2008 13:40
Hi Aadesh Vaity, CHECK THIS !!! For Setting Up A Wireless Connection Between Your N80 And Your Router The following should get you connected and at the very least will get you well on you way. 1)))))) 1) Ensure your N80 is charged and switched on. Check your router is also switched on. 2) Go to the ‘Main Menu’ of your N80. 3) Then go to ‘Tools’. 4) Select ‘Settings’. 5) Then go to ‘Connection’, (3rd one down on the menu). 6) Then ‘Access Points’. 7) Select ‘Options’ (using the soft key, bottom left) and choose ‘New Access Point’. 8) Select, ‘Use Default Settings’. 2)))))))))) The next set of steps will configure your settings. 1) In ‘Connection Name’, write a nice name for your phone, anything will do. 2) Scroll down to ‘Data Bearer’ and select ‘Wireless LAN’. Click the centre of the joy pad to confirm. 3) Scroll down to the third connection setting on the list, ‘WLAN netw'. name’. Here you need to select ‘Search for netw.’ At this point your N80 should begin to search for WiFI access points. All being well, your N80 will find your computer’s router. When the name of your router connection is displayed….. 4) ….. Select your router. 5) Now move down to ‘Network Status’. Select ‘Public’. 6) Scroll to ‘Wlan netw. mode’ and select, ‘Infrastructure’. 7) Scroll to ‘Wlan security mode’and select WPA/WPA2. If you are using something like a BT Home Hub then WPA/WPA2 security is not used. You will need to select the WEP option, which is configured in the next step. 8) Click on to the ‘WLAN Security Sett’ and moved down to ‘WEP’ key settings. Click on this and change the format to ‘hexadecimal’ and then entered the WEP key. This is to be found on a label on the back of your router. 9) The final prompt is for you to select your ‘Homepage’. Here you can put your favourite search page. 3))))))))))))))))) Now all you need to do is you need to do is to define the access point under the browser 'settings'. To do this: 1) Select Main Menu. 2) Select ‘My Own’. 3) Click on ‘Options’. 4) Scroll to ‘Settings’. 5) Then select ‘Access Points’. 6) Click on ‘User Defined’ and up should pop and option to connect. This option will be easy to spot because it will have the name you gave it in Part Two, Step 1. 4))))))))))))))))))))))) Let’s see if it has worked! 1) Go to ‘Main Menu’. 2) Then go to ‘My Own’. 3) Then click on ‘Web’. 4) Then type or select web address & the N80 should search access points & one of them should be your WiFi Router. if your connection is unsecured it will access the Internet from your router. However, if you have a secure connection it may ask for a Pre-shared key which is the password that you set up on your router for Wi-Fi connections. I don’t get this prompt, having entered my WEP key earlier. Note, just for information, that WEP secured connections are not as secure as WPA/WPA2 connections.
NAFE 13.02.2008 10:48
THANKS, I WAS QUITE STUCK IN SETTING MY N80 AFTER READING THESE INSTRUCTIONS , I CAN NOW USE WLAN IN MY N80 EXCELENT ARTICLE!
rrrr 19.02.2008 15:26
Hi Hitesh and everyone, I am unable to switch to "wireless lan" in the "Data bearer" menu (2/2 of your instructions). I can move the higlight from "data packet" to "wireless lan" but the radio button is always on "data packet" and I either hit ok or the center of the cursor it always goes back to "data packet". Is there any other srttingI should change? anyone knows ofthis problem? thanks
Amit 01.05.2008 13:12
Wow Exellant, In just four steps i got success thank you , hitesh
Rajiv 05.05.2008 13:38
Easy To Follow Steps!
adrian 17.06.2008 15:48
hey i have my n80i for the last year and its been great to use.. the only thing is that while i am on the internet a message keeps coming up (memory full close some applications) but my phone and has memory space... can some one help
nick 18.06.2008 01:06
I have the same problem as you adrian. I get the error message on some web pages only that are heavy with flash and other graphics. The browser can't show flash. Maybe it is the reason?
sheilah 19.06.2008 19:36
Looking at purchasing a "gently" used Nokia N801 with a 1g external memory card and cryatal case for 180USD .. is this a fair price .. MOST INTERESTED in utilizing it with the USB port on my MACBOOK PRO to pick up the wireless internet provider ISP here in BALI INDONESIA .. Can anyone comment on the suitability of this phone for utilizing the internet with a laptop and WITHOUT an external router .. Many thanks !!! .. sheilah
Ari 20.06.2008 09:07
Sheilah, I'm using the N80i as a modem for my Windows Vista laptop, and it works fine. For Mac, you'll need a piece of software for Nokia from here: http://europe.nokia.com/A4516030 If you have 3G mobile network access, you don't need any external routers.
ARCon 26.08.2008 09:48
Sebhelyesfarku ur an A HOLE!!!
nadz 23.10.2008 06:44
Hi rrrr i'm having a similar problem as you my phone won't find a wireless network i am using a netgear router, and in WLAN network.name menu it keeps on giving me the message saying (no wireless network found) although i have 2 computers running on the same router please can any body help, i would much appreciate it. thankyou
quoton 24.10.2008 03:59
hi nadz. my N80 software version is 4.0632.38 and it works fine with WLAN access points. type *#0000# at the home screen to check yours version.
Rebelo 07.01.2010 07:39
Well, I use my N80 for 3 years and had no problems with it, it does everything I need, Symbian is pretty much the perfect OS and the camera is just perfect for it's MP on a camerphone, the slider is a winner. The only thing I dislike a little bit is the "pop port", a 3,5 audio jack you'd be better (cords tend to break easily on daily, normal, use)...
nathan 24.06.2010 00:32 www.avecmobile.com
http://www.avecmobile.com/index.php?id=903
nathan 24.06.2010 00:38 www.avecmobile.com
hi , i used my nokia N80 phone but i cant access the wi-fi wireless internet. what is the WEP key for WLAN? can anyone help me with this problem. heres my number 09067536098
rennie 24.06.2010 03:54
nathan, if your n80 can find a wireless network but the network asks for a key, you have to ask the dude who set up the network what the key is.