Nokia 11 May 2009 08:43 am
Roundup of Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Reviews
As nokia released its first true touch-screen Smart Phone in a bid to counter Apple’s iPhone,
Samsung’s Omnia and LG’s Cookie, and ran a massive ad campaign for it in EMEA, what’s really this phone worth ? Is it a hit or a miss ?
Let’s checkout the main input from the reviewers :
Brighthand.com noted that
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is slated as the first in a series of touchscreen devices from Nokia. As a first effort it’s both encouraging and a disappointment. Encouraging because the hardware and some of the software just fit very well. The Contacts Bar homescreen, excellent battery life, and multimedia facilities put just about every other smartphone on its heels.
Nevertheless, inconsistencies in the interface, too many input options, and not enough optimized software set the 5800XM back where it really should be ahead. It needs just a little more polish all around.
That all being said, it goes into and out of my pocket a lot. I really like it, despite the issues noted. And at less than $400 for an unlocked version (Cincinnati Bell is the only U.S. carrier offering it; at $150 with a 2 year contract), it’s really hard to find a better value that’s not Apple’s iPhone.
For those looking for a device that has a bit more punch than pretty much any other mid-range touchscreen offering, and aren’t opposed to purchasing unlocked devices, the 5800XM is hard to beat.
Pros:
- Good battery life
- Loud speakers
- Reading text from the screen
Cons:
- Inconsistent UI
- Default software not completely optimized
- So-so video performance
CNET.com said:
The good: The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers a sharp touch screen and compact design, it also features a 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G support.
The bad: The user interface needs some work including the input and navigation methods. The Nokia Music Store is not yet available in the United States.
The bottom line: The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offers an attractive design and feature set, but the touch-screen phone has some shortcomings compared with the competition
SymbianBlog.com said:
My device came pre loaded with the version 11 firmware and I have got to say that it makes the 5800 one of the most stable devices at launch, ever. The UI is quick and snappy and even with transitions enabled the phone is fairly fast. This along with its web browsing capabilities, good battery, loudspeakers and large screen makes the 5800 a very likeable phone indeed. The one thing that is weak on the 5800 is email, there is Mail for Exchange support but apart from that you will need to rely on the inbuilt S60 email application. I personally am happy with that because I’ve never loved push email much. Having set the phone to ping my mailbox every 30 minutes, it retrieves the headers for me, infact that’s the exact setup I use on my other devices too.
There are still a few gaps that need to be filled in, but I personally love the device and that quotient increases almost everyday, it is the only device that has let me move away from my trusty E71 without heartburn.
The 5800 Xpress Music is a recommended BUY.
What’s your take on it ?
Comment below