Nokia N5800 XpressMusic Review

Nokia did all sorts of marketing for the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, aka Tube. It was on Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears

’s music videos and the more prominent one, in The Dark Knight movie, where the Tube can do all sorts of stuff to aid the cape crusader.

The unit I have here won’t be able to do the things you see on The Dark Knight but it is a hell of a phone. Being Nokia’s first S60 touch screen phone everyone had high hopes for the phone, and that is including me.

This unit is blue in color and there are only three buttons below the huge 3.2 inch screen. The SIM card can be inserted by just opening a flap at the side of the phone but taking the SIM card out requires you to take the battery off.

The phone’s screen quality is one of the better ones I have used. Build in a 16:9 screen ratio with 640 x 360 resolutions, the 5800 XpressMusic’s screen is also very responsive. The overall operation of the phone is really fast and it is nothing like the other Symbian S60 phones I have tested before.

Being a music phone, the 5800 XpressMusic plays superb audio with its stereo speakers. The sound is loud and still maintains its

music quality. There weren’t any crackling sounds with our unit. Nokia is also bundling 1,000 DRM free songs download with the phone, but the songs selection on the website is very l

imited.

The 5800 XpressMusic is also equipped with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 3.2 megapixel camera with dual LED flash but picture quality is below average. The pictures turned out grainy and color is often off when taking photos in a dark environment.

Oh yeah, did I mention that the XpressMusic comes with A-GPS as well. The A-GPS complimented with the huge touch screen makes the

phone look just like a dedicated GPS device. I enjoyed using the GPS when navigating my way through town as the screen is big, giving me more details on the screen.

At US$430, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a steal. The 1000 DRM free songs cost as much as the phone already. With its superb touch screen, music capabilities and a GPS feature, there is nothing more you can ask from Nokia with this pric

e. The camera could be improved further though.

Pros: Affordable, Brilliant display, Good audio quality

Cons: Camera is not up to par

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Specifications:

Frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, GSM, EDGE, GPRS

Screen: 3.2” widescreen touch display (640 x 360 pixel)

Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB2.0, Wi-Fi

Others: 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Tessar optics, A-GPS

Dimensions: 111 x 51.7 x 15.5mm

Weight: 109g