Nokia N85

Introduction:
If you’re a Symbian fan most likely the Nokia N96 represents the best you can get. It is not without it’s flaws however, like the weak battery and the DVB-H tuner which is usable only in a few countries. The phone is very good but not perfect, and if you find yourself wanting just a bit more then the N85 may be the phone for you. It is the first of Nokia’s N-series equipped with a power-saving OLED display. In addition to helping the battery, it doesn’t fade away in direct sunlight and offers a brighter picture. It’s hard to figure out whose successor is the N85 by just looking at the company’s product line. It is supposed to be a lighter version of N96, but at the same time offers upgrades such as a better display and battery performance; it is almost as if the N85 is an updated version of the N95...




Design:
The N85 reminds us of the N95/N96 – it’s a dual slider featuring four multimedia buttons which are revealed when the phone is open. The device carries the new ideas for the design of the N-series.
The back panel is in a cream-colored tone, while the front one is entirely black. N85 fits well in a hand no matter the mode you are using it in (portrait/landscape) and is perfectly balanced. In a pocket, the N85 feels slightly thick, but not large or heavy.




Performance:
It may be an all-in-one multimedia device, but is the N85 still a good phone? Fortunately, Nokia has not overlooked this all-important aspect. The sound quality during a call is really high-level and we got the feeling that we were communicating face to face. We were fascinated by the deepness of the sound, and the side noises were almost unnoticeable. They could also hear us loud and clear at the other end of the line, but without the same “Wow!” effect.




Conclusion:
On the whole we are quite disappointed by the N85 due the total lack of new features. It’s not a bad phone, but there are no innovations compared to previous models. The OLED display is indeed good, unless it’s exposed to direct sunlight. The poor video support means you won’t be able to watch high-quality clips or even movies. In all other aspects the N85 isn’t innovative, but it’s just fine – a smartphone with a nice browser, satisfying audio performance and camera.