In view of my ‘recent active days’ with blog posts, its been a ‘pretty long’ gap of more than a week. Thought to write many a times in this while, but always….
“ Finally bought a Touch Screen all of a sudden, when there was no prior plan for buying the same. Yeah did a through study of the same before buying and as exciting it was that I made the last purchase at 9:30 PM from nearest Hotspot. “
Nokia 5800 is not the first ever attempt of Nokia entering into touch screen market (Nokia 7710 since 2004, Nokia 6208 since early 2009 for example), but considering phenomenal buzz around Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Arnoid, it was expected to be a serious one and it is a sweetheart indeed. Lots of good reviews with finer details are already around, so I am not going into details and keeping this post as a personal comment only.
First of all, why I am comparing it to iPhone?
Both are touch screen devices, both has perfect connectivity options (Bluetooth, Wi Fi, 3G), both comes with lots of storage (8 Gb+), both has built in A-GPS, both have YouTube Support … in all both are the very capable devices.
For a detailed point-to-point comparison between Nokia 5800 and Apple iPhone 3G, you can check out the GSMArena Link.
What special about iPhone?
Many times in Technology History, it had been proven that more than the capabilities themselves, what matters is that how we use them. Ajax was a literally less known technology till Gmail made use of it. Similar case with iPhone, iPhone making biggest buzz around world, not due to what it is capable of, but due to how developers are making use of it and how its being marketed.
In technical specifications, iPhone only has advantage in Multi Touch technology otherwise Nokia 5800 offering much better specifications in less than half the price (Rs. 13, 200/- in Delhi as on 9th Feb 2010), but the way, its apps store bursting with new apps daily, has made it most happening thing around the globe. One should credit the way Apple market things.
How I find Nokia 5800 still better and potent device?
Price: I don’t think that even 2G model of iPhone is standing anywhere lesser than Rs 22,000/- in India, leave 3G and 3GS model apart (no where lesser than Rs. 25, 000/-) and Nokia 5800 is offering you everything is less than half the price Rs. 13, 200/-. Can you believe it? Just an included 8GB card, 3G/ Wi-Fi Support worth it, leave Touch Screen a side.
Size: Something I don’t like about most of Black Berries and iPhone is their size. They are trying to redefine the size constraints of normal cell phone, but the basic limit will always be that it should come to your hands easily. iPhone is slimmer than Nokia 5800 for sure, but almost 1 cm wide as well.
Screen Resolution/ Camera: iPhone 3GS has 320x480, while Nokia 5800 has 320x640 with same 16M colors. Yes! better with iPhone is its PowerVR MBX-Lite graphics, but still it doesn’t offer ground breaking eye candy in front of more than enough decent Nokia 5800. iPhone matched the resolution with Nokia 5800 only with the latest model 3GS otherwise it was lesser in 2G and 3G models.
Storage: Both offer 8G+ storage, but iPhone has it as internal storage with no support for more card slots. Nokia 5800 kept the price down by keeping internal memory low as 81 MB and providing 8GB as external card slot (could be extended to 16GB). Obviously, one could keep as many card as required and could keep on swapping if much storage is required. Sure, the later one is more flexible about storage.
Processor & RAM: If I should keep the comparison between Nokia 5800 and iPhone 3G then Nokia has better processor (ARM 11 434 MHz in comparison to ARM 11 412 MHz) and same amount of RAM (128 MB). Yes! Latest version 3GS has doubled the RAM and proved better processor (ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz), but price is skyrocketing to be more than Rs. 35, 000/- in India. Why one should afford such a price for a phone?
Music: Disappointing that iPhone didnt thought to keep multimedia side in primary concern and pleasant that Nokia didn’t missed that. In contrast to iPhone, Nokia 5800 offering Stereo Speakers and they perform exceptionally well even when you hear without headphones.
Usability: Have you heard of a smart phone, you cant copy text, cant forward SMS/ MMS, cant send data via Bluetooth, cant put a new battery in it or cant add a memory card in it? Yes! you are guessing it right. Its iPhone and all these troubles exists even in 3GS.Can we really change our phone habits this much.. that too after paying more than double the price?
My experience with Nokia 5800 in last three days: My first Smart Phone was Nokia N70 and I am still carrying Nokia N82 and Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, obviously, the camera quality of Nokia 5800 cant match excellent picture and video recording quality offered by Nokia N82, but for my disappointment, I felt it even lesser than Nokia N73 (but sure better than 2 MP cameras). May be settings issue or I was too much used to of excellent pictures. For me, its the only major drawback with this set. In next, if I find something like complaining then its the internal memory, which is 81 MB, decent enough, but could have been increased.
Rest everything was so amazing to me, may be its the excitement of a perfect touch screen device, but it serves me everything, which a hard core user like me could wish for. Exciting was playing YouTube directly from Internet (Idea Edge Connection) like the video is inside the phone itself. Waiting for Flash 10 to be unfolded for Symbion.
Either it be typing experience, browsing experience or connecting to PC, its been a perfect ride and I am looking more and more into it to explore its potential.
The minimal set of apps, one should have in it:
1. Fring: I was looking for an IM to cater Gtalk and I got the almighty. It caters MSN, Gtalk, Yahoo, Skype, Facebook, Twitter and other leading IMs. For me, exciting was to make calls from my cell to Gtalk Friends or Friends on Skype sitting somewhere abroad and also to receive them on my cell like normal GSM calls. Not tested yet, but having video calls via Gtalk or Skype or Yahoo without 3G Network would be rather more exciting than anything ever I would have done with Smart Phones. Now, its not even needed to install something else (earlier I am using snaptu in Nokia N82, that’s also good enough) that this so cool app. Just waiting for 3G to be affordable and I will be having an amazing range of connectivity with friends online and offline.
2. Gmail: Obviously, I cant be without it. Even if I wish for more evolvement of this kind of basic Email Client, its still my favorite out of any question. I guess not much to say about it.
3. Google Maps: Although Nokia 5800 is already bundled with Ovi Maps, but still services like Latitude and Buzz now are something I cant think of doing without. Its kind of default app for any of my A- GPS enabled cell.
4. Opera 10 Beta: I already marked it my favorite in my earlier post and I was already waiting to experience it on Touch Screen. My Feelings are still the same. One should make it as their default browser like most of the people do like changing to Firefox or Chrome just after installing Windows. I am thinking that if ever, Firefox or Chrome get released for Symbion, then how will they perform?
5. Mail for Exchange: That’s an interesting application launched by Nokia for its business users to fill the gap Blackberry has created. Its push mail from Nokia and configuration instructions with Gmail could be found here. Why I am talking about Gmail not Business Mails? I face troubles with my office account and this apps, so I chosen a a work around. I placed a forwarder in Office Email ID to forward all mails to a new Gmail account and configured Mail for Exchange from that Gmail account. Now, not only my mails are safe in an practically unlimited storage account and they are in sync with me on the go (I will receive the mail and its notification on my cell within minute).
Some might complain about security of passing Office Data to Gmail, but has anyone doubt over Gmail Security yet?
6. JoikuSpot: As I am talking about minimal set of apps, so I was trying to avoid it, but thought to add it as last minimal app. Its a very promising and interesting app, which converts your device to a Wi Fi Access point means yours laptop and Laptop of your friend could make use of Edge/ 3G connection over your Nokia 5800 on the same time to use the internet as a Wi Fi connection. Although I still have not looked more into it that how it could be secured for use, but even then its a great piece of software.
Its not end of story and many more things might come about my experience with it. Other users should try to explore the options more with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic.
Nitish Kumar
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