Nokia's N8 handset has finally landed, boasting the all-new Symbian^3 platform. Unveiled in June, the N8 boasts a dazzling array of multimedia features in a bid to tempt mobile buyers away from Android, BlackBerry and iPhone handsets.
Nokia hasn't skimped on the specifications, and the 3.5in 640 x 360 Amoled touch screen offers a visual experience close to other high-end devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S.
With dimensions of 113.5mm x 59mm x 12.9mm, the N8 fits nicely into the palm of the hand, and it's not too heavy at 135g. The scratch-proof anodised aluminum casing gives the device an elegant appearance and protection from everyday use.
Symbian^3 is an improvement over previous versions, but it is still not at the level it should be. There are three home screens packed with widgets and applications that can be viewed in landscape and portrait modes, a nice touch that many other smartphones lack.
Ovi Maps with voice guided navigation as standard is a bonus, and Nokia's Ovi Store also houses thousands of apps.Much anticipated smartphone is a multimedia powerhouse, but let down by poor user interface. The device is used in landscape mode a full QWERTY appears. Unfortunately, the keys such as the space bar, enter, delete and shift are simply too small and make inputting text quite awkward.