mobile reviews
September 26, 2009Nokia 5800 XpressMusic review: Young as you feel
Tags: Nokia, Symbian S60, Touch UI
It's touchscreen o'clock for Nokia and the stage is set for the 5800 XpressMusic. Go ahead and touch it. We did and we've got a story to tell.
Now, it's technically not the first time Nokia get their hands dirty with touch screens, but it sure feels they really mean business this time. For Nokia 5800 is not the only story here. The smart platform with the most influential touch receives its first trial by touch. Being the first device running Series 60 5th alone is enough for the 5800 to be remembered by.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic official photos
It's a first try and proceeding with caution is only fair. Nokia 5800 is unthreateningly and unobtrusively positioned in the mid-range and the XpressMusic branding helps share some of that first-S60-touchscreen weight. Still, it's way more than an affordable music-centered handset. The 5800 has a strong and unmistakable Nokia identity and delivers multimedia prowess. So, let's touch, shall we?
Key features:
- 3.2" 16M-color TFT LCD 16:9 touchscreen display (360 x 640 pixels)
- Symbian S60 5th edition
- ARM 11 369 MHz CPU, 128 MB of SDRAM memory
- 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash
- VGA video recording at 30fps
- Dual-band 3G with HSDPA support
- Quad-band GSM support
- Wi-Fi
- Capable GPS receiver and Nokia Maps 2.0 Touch
- microSD card memory expansion, ships with an 8GB card
- TV out
- FM radio with RDS
- Bluetooth and USB v2.0
- 3.5mm standard audio jack
- Excellent audio quality
- Landscape on-screen virtual QWERTY keyboard
- Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
- Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation and motion-based gaming
- Rich retail package
- Affordable price
- Office document viewer
- OVI and MySpace integration (direct image and video uploads)
Main disadvantages:
- Limited 3rd party software availability
- UI is still immature with somewhat dodgy user experience
- Touchscreen sensitivity not the best in the class
- No smart dialing
- Poor image quality and no GPS geotagging (geotagging is now added via firmware update)
- Touch web browser not quite polished
- No voice-guided navigation license
- No office document editing out-of-the-box
- Doesn't charge off microUSB
Now, you're not the only one waiting for Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. A legion of touchscreen phones have been busy delivering more and better, and owning that market. They sure won't be giving Nokia and S60 5th the warmest of welcomes.
At this point, Nokia 5800 may as well be more of a trespasser than a worthy rival. We mean, stealing even the tiniest bit of market off such formidable competition should be a win to savor for every newcomer. And still, we shouldn't be looking at the actual handset alone. Maybe the 5800 isn't make or break for Nokia, but S60 5th should darn well be.
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic at ours
We're looking at the first S60 touchscreen. A lot less hoping for the best than preparing for the worst may sound like the right kind of attitude. Because a first try will be measured by just anything that lives and breathes, and has a touchscreen. So, let's see what Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is up against. Just mind you that it's more than just the names of a few handsets - it's generations of touchscreen development.
Apple may be looking down with amused detachment at yet another iPhone-killer wannabe. We guess Nokia 5800 XpressMusic doesn't want that label but it won't escape it. We are talking the market leader against the touch interface pacesetter. Maybe not this time, but this one is worth keeping an eye on in the long run. At this point though, for the price of an unlocked contract-free iPhone 3G you can easily obtain two Nokia 5800 XpressMusic handsets - sounds a bargain, doesn't it?
The Nokia 5800 vs Apple iPhone 3G
Windows Mobile is well into the picture too. Recent HTC models (Diamond, Touch HD) and Samsung i900 Omnia have shown that powerful multimedia is no orphan in the WinMo world. Loads of 3rd party software and cool and nifty UI plug-ins (TouchFLO 3D, TouchWiz) are great assets but the heftier price tag sets them back a bit. The Diamond comes closest to the Nokia, but it's still about 30 euro (40 US dollars) more.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic next to HTC Touch Diamond and Samsung i900 Omnia
LG and Samsung are also quite versed in the ways of touchscreen. Both makers have sizeable touch portfolios, ranging from affordable, non-smart touchscreens to 8 megapixel multimedia monsters. Samsung do boast a bunch of WinMo touch devices too. What's more, the company is keen enough on Symbian too, so that's potentially another "touching" chapter in the rivalry between the top two market-share leaders.
So, obviously the touchscreen game is no joke - it's getting tougher by the minute out there. Let's now check if the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic has what it takes to play along. We just took a peek in the retail package and - boy, are we impressed. Join us on the next page, where cheers roar as the box breaks open.
Voting results
- Design
-
7.6
- Features
-
7.5
- Performance
-
7.7
- Votes:
- 104
- Hits:
- 48959
| General | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2009, August | |
| Status | Available. Released 2009, September |
| Size | Dimensions | 105 x 53 x 12 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 92 g |
| Display | Type | TFT resistive touchscreen, 256K colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches | |
| - Accelerometer sensor - Handwriting recognition - Smart unlock |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, WAV ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes | |
| - DNSe (Digital Natural Sound Engine) |
| Memory | Phonebook | 1000 entries, Photocall |
|---|---|---|
| Call records | Yes | |
| Internal | 50 MB | |
| Card slot | microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, 1GB included, buy memory |
| Data | GPRS | Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| HSCSD | No | |
| EDGE | Class 12 | |
| 3G | No | |
| WLAN | No | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v2.1 with A2DP | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 |
| Camera | Primary | 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Smile detection | |
| Video | Yes, QVGA@15fps | |
| Secondary | No |
| Features | Messaging | SMS, MMS, Email |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML | |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS | |
| Games | Yes + downloadable | |
| Colors | Black, Red | |
| GPS | No | |
| Java | Yes, MIDP 2.0 | |
| - T-DMB TV receiver - MP3/WMA/eAAC+ player - MP4/H.263/H.264 player - Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - Organizer - Voice memo - T9 |
| Battery | Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 300 h | |
| Talk time | Up to 5 h |
Check Price
Voting results
- Design
-
8.5
- Features
-
8.5
- Performance
-
8.5
- Votes:
- 21212
- Hits:
- 1770941
- W995 HSDPA/850/900/1800/1900/2100 MHz
- W995a HSDPA/850/900/1800/1900 MHz for America
| General | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| 3G Network | HSDPA 900 / 2100 | |
| HSDPA 850 / 1900 - W995a | ||
| Announced | 2009, February | |
| Status | Available. Released 2009, May |
| Size | Dimensions | 97 x 49 x 15 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 113 g |
| Display | Type | TFT, 256K colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches | |
| - Accelerometer sensor |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes, with stereo speakers | |
| - 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Memory | Phonebook | 1000 x 20 fields, Photo call |
|---|---|---|
| Call records | 30 received, dialed and missed calls | |
| Internal | 118 MB | |
| Card slot | Memory Stick Micro (M2), up to 8GB, 8GB card included |
| Data | GPRS | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| HSCSD | Yes | |
| EDGE | Class 10, 236.8 kbps | |
| 3G | HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v2.0 with A2DP | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 |
| Camera | Primary | 8.1 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilizer | |
| Video | Yes, WQVGA@30fps | |
| Secondary | Videocall camera |
| Features | Messaging | SMS, MMS, Email, IM |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader | |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS | |
| Games | Yes, incl. motion-based + downloadable | |
| Colors | Progressive Black, Cosmic Silver, Energetic Red | |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS support; Wayfinder navigator | |
| Java | Yes, MIDP 2.0 | |
| - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - TrackID music recognition - Picture editor/blogging - YouTube application - Organizer - Voice memo/dial - Walkman 4.0 player - Shake control - SensMe - Kickstand |
| Battery | Standard battery, Li-Po 930 mAh (BST-38) | |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-by | Up to 370 h (2G) / Up to 360 h (3G) | |
| Talk time | Up to 9 h (2G) / Up to 4 h (3G) | |
| Music play | Up to 20 h |
Check Price
Voting results
- Design
-
8.3
- Features
-
8.3
- Performance
-
8.3
- Votes:
- 7844
- Hits:
- 1478652
- Sony Ericsson W705u with UMA (for Orange)
| General | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| 3G Network | HSDPA 900 / 2100 | |
| Announced | 2008, October | |
| Status | Available. Released 2009, March |
| Size | Dimensions | 95 x 47.5 x 14.3 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 98 g |
| Display | Type | TFT, 256K colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches | |
| - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate - Wallpapers, screensavers |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes |
| Memory | Phonebook | Yes, up to 1000 entries, Photocall |
|---|---|---|
| Call records | 30 received, dialed and missed calls | |
| Internal | 120 MB | |
| Card slot | Memory Stick Micro (M2), up to 8GB, 4GB card included |
| Data | GPRS | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| HSCSD | Yes | |
| EDGE | Class 10, 236.8 kbps | |
| 3G | HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, DLNA | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v2.0 with A2DP | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 |
| Camera | Primary | 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, LED flash |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Geo-tagging (cell-ID) | |
| Video | Yes | |
| Secondary | Videocall camera |
| Features | Messaging | SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | WAP 2.0/HTML, RSS | |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS | |
| Games | Yes + downloadable | |
| Colors | Luxury Silver, Passionate Red | |
| GPS | No | |
| Java | Yes, MIDP 2.0 | |
| - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - Walkman 3.0 player - Shake control - SensMe - TrackID music recognition - YouTube service in Media Center - Picture editor/blogging - Organizer - Voice memo |
Check Price
Voting results
- Design
-
7.0
- Features
-
6.7
- Performance
-
6.8
- Votes:
- 708
- Hits:
- 274492
| General | 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| 3G Network | HSDPA 2100 | |
| Announced | 2008, July | |
| Status | Available. Released 2008, September |
| Size | Dimensions | 100 x 47 x 14 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 105 g |
| Display | Type | TFT, 256K colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches | |
| - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, AAC ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Memory | Phonebook | 1000 x 20 fields, Photo call |
|---|---|---|
| Call records | 30 received, dialed and missed calls | |
| Internal | 40 MB | |
| Card slot | Memory Stick Micro (M2), up to 8GB, 2GB card included |
| Data | GPRS | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| HSCSD | Yes | |
| EDGE | Class 10, 236.8 kbps | |
| 3G | HSDPA 3.6 Mbps | |
| WLAN | No | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v2.0 with A2DP | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes, v2.0 |
| Camera | Primary | 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Features | Videocalling | |
| Video | Yes, QVGA@15fps | |
| Secondary | No |
| Features | Messaging | SMS, EMS, MMS, Email |
|---|---|---|
| Browser | WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (NetFront ) | |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS | |
| Games | Yes + downloadable | |
| Colors | Dusty Blue | |
| GPS | No | |
| Java | Yes, MIDP 2.0 | |
| - Walkman player - TrackID music recognition - SensMe - Shake control - T9 - Picture editor - Organizer - Voice memo |
Check Price
Voting results
- Design
-
8.5
- Features
-
8.4
- Performance
-
8.3
- Votes:
- 12934
- Hits:
- 3137829
HTC Diamond 100 platform. Full HTC platforms guide
| General | 2G Network | GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
|---|---|---|
| GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 - American version | ||
| 3G Network | HSDPA 900 / 2100 | |
| HSDPA 850 / 1900 - American version | ||
| Announced | 2008, May | |
| Status | Available. Released 2008, May |
| Size | Dimensions | 102 x 51 x 11.5 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 110 g |
| Display | Type | TFT resistive touchscreen, 65K colors |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 480 x 640 pixels, 2.8 inches | |
| - TouchFLO 3D finger swipe navigation - Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate - Proximity sensor for auto turn-off - Touch-sensitive navigation controls - Handwriting recognition |
| Sound | Alert types | Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, WAV, WMA ringtones |
|---|---|---|
| Speakerphone | Yes |
| Memory | Phonebook | Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall |
|---|---|---|
| Call records | Practically unlimited | |
| Internal | 4 GB storage, 192 MB RAM, 256 MB ROM | |
| Card slot | No |
| Data | GPRS | Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps |
|---|---|---|
| HSCSD | No | |
| EDGE | Class 10, 236.8 kbps | |
| 3G | HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g | |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v2.0 with A2DP | |
| Infrared port | No | |
| USB | Yes, miniUSB |
| Camera | Primary | 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Yes, CIF@30fps | |
| Secondary | VGA videocall camera |








