Hands on: Nokia N8 review
If you've been a Nokia fan for years, then you'll have noticed that the Finnish firm hasn't been competing at the sharp end of the game for a while now.
The likes of the N97 and X6 have both been trumpeted by Nokia over the last year or so, but neither has particularly won critical acclaim, mostly due to a sub-par OS when compared to the whizz-bang-iness of the iPhone and Android set, as well as taking a veritable age to start using the latest technology, like capacitive screens and slimmer lines.
Now the N8 is here, bringing all manner of high end features to a Nokia phone: 12MP camera, HD video recording, reams of internal storage and a high end media player, as well as the new Symbian^3 OS.
But is it a case of all spec and no trousers? Or is this a phone that truly sees Nokia combining the best of the tech with a great UI to properly challenge the smartphone frontrunners?
The Nokia N8 is a fairly large device - but that's not to say that it's chunky. It's merely large due to having a large 3.5-inch OLED screen, and it comes in at just 12.9mm thick.
Admittedly it's not the thinnest on the market, but when it's down to a matter of a few millimetres, it doesn't really matter in the pocket right?
The Nokia N8 is ridiculously packed with all manner of technology, and for once you can see it when picking up the phone for the first time.
Although, before we get into all the great things the Nokia N8 does, it does rankle that the phone doesn't have a removable battery, with the case being screwed down tightly.
As you can see this means the only way to get the SIM card and microSD memory is through some side doors - fiddly to use but do add to the overall slick feel of the phone.
Not letting you remove the battery is a pretty big statement from Nokia, as it's saying that it won't be plagued by the freezing bugs of before - battery pulls used to be a necessity in those situations.
However, the phone sites nicely in the hand despite the larger size, and you can't help but feel that the overall impression is increased by the sleeker look from no removable battery cover.
The frame is covered in anodised aluminium, which Nokia was keen to show us was resistant to scratches. However, as you can see by the side unlock switch, this isn't always the case - some colour has been lost.
