Review: Nokia N81 Part 4 - rounding up the N81 experience

Score:
82%

The Final Few Stanzas of the N81

So my N81 8GB review comes to an end. I have to say, it's a fun little device, but before I get to my concluding thoughts, there are two more media applications to have a look at that really do stretch the capabilities of the device and give the music focus an extra push.

Podcast Client

The version of Nokia’s Podcasting application (previously reviewed here) found in the Nokia N81 has received some nice changes compared to the downloadable version available from Nokia.com. The main difference, and one that is of great benefit, is the tighter integration of Podcasting into the music player. Now, when you first open up the music application, you’ll get the choice of jumping to Music or Podcasts. Going to the podcasts brings up a new and very much easier to use menu screen.

It's very similar in layout to the Music Player, so as well as category-based listings (all episodes, by title, by publish date), there are also 'smart lists' (automatic playlists) that show recently downloaded podcasts, or podcasts you’ve not listened to. Another notable addition to the application's functionality is support for pausing and later resumption of a particular podcast (rather than losing your position each time).

Let's be clear, these basic additions of auto-playlists, along with placing podcasting into the music suite, lifts  podcasting up from 'curiosity' to something that will appeal to and be used by mainstream users. As a podcaster myself (so no bias in favour of podcasting whatsoever here! - Rafe), this integration is something that I am very happy to see. It is also great to see that Nokia are, in a similar fashion to in their Music Store, making it easier for people to discover new media from the device itself. With a searchable directory built into the Podcasting application it is possible to browse, find, subscribe, download and listen to shows all from within the Podcasting application. That is something that very few other podcast players can do.

 

Of course other portable podcast players, including the iPod, do have desktop companions that can do the searching, subscribing and downloading. I would suggest to Nokia that this is the next thing the podcasting team should look at; perhaps in conjunction with the forthcoming Nokia Music Store Windows client. Some sort of synchronisation between mobile and desktop for podcasts would mean that the N81 is suited for everyone to use for listening to podcasts. At the moment, while it’s still easy to use, it has the air of needing a little bit too much hand holding for the regular user (and there's also the question of data tariffs).

Visualising the FM Radio

While it might seem rather anachronistic to have an FM Radio in the N81, it’s insanely practical while out and about. Those in large cities in the UK with strong local radio are going to be able to get traffic, travel and local news with ease and at very little cost (just battery power). It is also worth remembering that the N81 is a global product and in some markets, such as India, FM radios are considered a must have feature.

Of course it is labelled Visual Radio, so you have the option to go online over your wireless connection to receive extra data and visuals produced by the radio station is available, but it’s not an option that has had widespread support. To be honest, where it is available it adds some value, but it is sporadic and rarely applies to the stations that I listen to.

There’s been no addition or changes to the Radio application from previous devices, which is a shame, given the polish that the podcasting application has received. One feature which I do like is the automatic downloading of local radio stations presets for your area from the Internet. It may be a small thing, but it saves time and hassle. However there is room for improvement, for example it would be nice to see Nokia's Internet Radio software integrated into this application. As it is, Visual Radio is a welcome application, and it does have a place in the overall multimedia experience, but after the glamour of an on-board Music Store and Podcasting application, it really feels like the friend no-one talks about.

 

Games

With its dedicated gaming keys on the top of the device the N81 is an important device for the upcoming N-Gage gaming platform. If the plans, as announced, had stayed on track, there would be the top line N-Gage game titles to review alongside the N81. However we’re now looking at early December for the N-Gage gaming platform to come alive. While this might be a disappointment to N-Gage fans, it does show a hidden strength in going for a software and over-the-air solution rather than dedicated hardware. A four week delay here isn’t as insurmountable as shutting down a physical production line.

UPDATE 20/5/2008: The N-Gage platform eventually had a public beta test in February 2008 and went fully live in April 2008. We've had time to assess the N81 as a gaming device using all the new N-Gage titles, and you can read a brief summary of it as a gaming phone over on All About N-Gage's N81 review page.

 

Summing Up the N81

While not at the top end of the Nseries range, the N81 (8GB), just as the N91 before it, is aimed not at the power users, but just below them, with boxier styling, the meagre 2 megapixel camera and the absence of a GPS chipset. The N81 is designed for those looking for both a good smartphone and top of the line music device, while remaining stylish and appealing. While I could argue that this is a fully converged device, the regular user (and the marketing) is going to focus heavily on the music playing abilities of the device.

And that’s a good thing, because the N81 is a cracking music device, even ignoring the fact it’s a phone. When I first reviewed the N91, I said I was confident to use the N91 as my day to day music device. Since then of course other players have come out, but even in the face of competition from the likes of the new 8GB iPod Nanos or the bulky Sony PSP, the N81 8GB is most assuredly my choice for a day to day music device.

For all the quirks of the naviwheel, getting to the music you want to listen to is fast and simple. When the smartphone is in my pocket, it’s a simple matter to jump between tracks, fiddle with the volume, and generally do everything a music device needs to do just by touch and feel. This is a very important consideration in my book, and one that is passed with flying colours.

What I do find amusing is that beyond all the gee whiz improvements in the firmware, all the nifty styling, the thing that I enjoy the most about the N81 is the slider – and a specific part of the slider. The reassuringly solid clunk that it makes when you push it open, and the equally satisfying snap as it returns closed. It might be a little thing, but it makes me smile every time and makes me want to use the N81. That sort of feeling of excitement around a device is something that Nokia needs to keep on doing.

It’s not all perfect with the slider, a number of games (including the N-Gage titles) that use the vertical orientation can see you push the screen open in the heat of the action; and if you assume the slide will become looser over time then this might mean a light touch is going to be required on games to stop it sliding around after months of use.

With 8GB of flash memory acting as the external storage, there has been some concern around the AAS team that this might cause the device to slow down. On long disk-intensive operations, such as doing a full scan of your library when you’ve added new music, it is true that the N81 takes a fair amount of time to do its stuff. But in day to day operation I'm not conscious of the N81 feeling slow.

 

Well designed for its purpose is what probably best sums up the N81 all round. With the primary function of music, and a secondary role for gaming looking likely to be a success from a hardware point of view, the N81 is a winner for general purpose use.  Don’t get me wrong, there are faults in the device. The screen is highly reflective and close to useless under a good sun; the naviwheel can, on occasion, be temperamental even after a few weeks of use; the slider mechanism isn't quite perfect (but then they never are); and the relatively low resolution on the camera does keep me looking over, wistfully, at the Carl Zeiss-equipped N95.

The N81 is not a super-converged swiss army knife like the N95. Instead it is more a hunting knife, designed for a single purpose - to keep you entertained while on the move. And it does this well, and if that's what you are looking for, then I have no hesitation in recommending it.

-- Ewan Spence, November 2007 

See also 

Nokia N81 Review Part 1 - Hardware, Naviwheel and Carousel

Nokia N81 Review Part 2 - Listening to Music

Nokia N82 Review Part 3 - Microsoft Music Window

 

Reviewed by Ewan Spence at 23:07 UTC, November 21st 2007