Nokia N810

In the first half of 2007, Nokia released the N800 Internet Tablet, a distinct hardware step up from the original Nokia Internet Tablet, the Nokia 770. It sported a new OS, though original tablet owners could upgrade if they wished. At the end of 2007, Nokia announced the N810, which is quite similar to the N800 in terms of specs-- but there are two important additions: a slide out QWERTY keyboard and GPS. Also, while both share the same TI OMAP processor, the N810 is clocked 80 MHz faster at 400MHz.

Surprisingly, Nokia added these two features while making the device smaller. That's impressive given the amount of space a hardware keyboard requires. Weighing in a nearly 8 ounces, the N810 is better in a bag than a baggy pants pocket, though at 0.55" thin, it won't take up much room in that bag. The handheld looks absolutely stunning with modern lines and an attractive metal casing. It looks like an expensive gadget and at $479, it is more expensive than the two budget priced models that precdeded it.

For those considering upgrading from the Nokia 770 or N800, it's an easy decision if you're coming from the 770-- the N810 is faster, more polished and adds the keyboard (which most everyone finds useful) and the GPS (for those of you who get lost-- you know who you are). If you're an N810 owner, the decision is harder since the N810 can be upgraded to OS2008 (we've done that with ours) and not everyone wants a GPS. If the one thing you wish the N800 had was a keyboard, then the N810 is a tempting upgrade.

Like the N800, the N810 has a built-in swing-out stand, a large 4.1" display and a VGA web cam. But the web cam no longer pops out like a party favor-- it's integrated into the display bezel. The single MiniSD card slot lives under a cover on the bottom edge (that's right, the N810 doesn't have dual slots like the N800), and the battery lives under the back cover. It's the same battery as the N800's-- the Nokia BP-5L rated at 1500 mAh. The d-pad has moved to the slide-out keyboard and there are ports on the side for the 3.5mm stereo headset, USB and charging.

The email client is similar to that found on Nokia S60 smartphones like the N95 and it handles POP3 and IMAP email and renders HTML email nicely. Flash playback on YouTube is OK over WiFi, but the frames do drop and stutter intermittently. Should you wish to use a Bluetooth phone as a wireless modem with the N810, expect more stuttering. The Nokia N810 has Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR which is a good match for high speed 3G connections using AT&T HSDPA phones. This is handy when you're not near a WiFi access point or HotSpot and is more than adequate for email downloads and web browsing.

The N810 runs OS2008, Nokia's port of Debian Linux with the Gnome deskop manager and Nokia's UI on top. It's friendly and easy to use-- no need to be a Linux guru, though Linux heads do have a great deal of fun tinkering with the N810's underpinnings and writing applications for it. The Nokia Internet family is supported by the Maemo development platform, and there's quite a wide selection of free apps available. They haven't all been ported to the 2008 OS yet, but no doubt most will be.

GPS
The N810 has an internal GPS, but unforuntately this isn't the powerful SiRF III. It's similar to the integrated GPS used in Nokia phones like the N95-4 and the E90 and that means you'll need to be outdoors or very close to a window to get a 3D fix. Fix times aren't the quickest and it took 2 minutes to get a cold fix and 30 seconds for a warm fix. But once it did get a fix, the N810 maintained a steady connection with GPS satellites and was accurate for location. The device ships with "Map" for maps, POIs, and location info. If you want turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance, you'll have to fork out an additional $122/year or $15/month for the full version from Wayfinder with N. American maps (other countries are also available at an additional cost). The N810 comes with a car mount so you can use it more easily for driving directions, though the display does wash out a bit in direct sunlight.

And Beyond
The Nokia N810 is good for a little fun too. The N810 has a music player that supports most popular formats including MP3, AAC, WAV, Real Audio (RA) and WMA. It can play content from internal memory, storage cards, streaming sites and from UPnP devices. The media player also handles video playback with support for 3GP, AVI, H.233, WMV, MPEG1, MPEG4 and Real Video. It has playlists and can handle M3U and PLS lists, and it also acts as an image viewer for BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, TIFF and SVG-tiny files. Keep the video files under 500kbps and the N810 is a handy way to take ripped videos on the plane or train. The Rhapsody client is there for you Rhapsody users and it's been updated for the 2008 OS.

There's Skype support for VoIP calls (no Skype Video though) and it works quite well with the built-in speaker and mic as well as the included headset.

Conclusion
If you're looking for the perfect couch or bedside companion that boots instantly and won't attract virii like Windows, but has a desktop-like web browser, email, PDF viewer, music player and more, then the N810 is attractive. It sells for significantly less than list price (often under $400) and for that price it has a lot to offer then Internet-addicted set. The keyboard is a wonderful addition, though the GPS excites us less thanks to the subscription fee for navigation and slow fix times.

source : http://www.mobiletechreview.com/