TechnicaMag.com

The future of mobile phones is touchscreen technology, and Nokia launched its own version in 2008 with the 5800 XpressMusic model. This mobile phone has some solid inbuilt features including a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, Wi-Fi connection, MP3 player, 8GB memory and GPS.

Functionality

The 5800 is neat and compact, smaller than its main competitors the iPhone and Blackberry, but with a nice solid feel. The stylus function may not be to everyone’s tastes, but it is necessary as the smaller screen on the 5800 means the touch buttons are tiny, and too fiddly to use with your fingers. The stylus tool is cleverly fitted into the casing though, and you have the option of using this tool in the handwriting mode, which you can use for jotting down quick notes or text messages. One small drawback is that Nokia have not included auto-correct on the writing modes, but this is more than made up for with the ability to cut and paste, a handy feature that is missing from the iPhone.

The hang up and dial buttons are situated clearly beneath the central 3.2 inch touchscreen display, with the volume, camera and toggle hold buttons on the sides. There is also a neat little menu button just above the touchscreen, which allows you to access the menu regardless of which application you are currently using, allowing you to switch easily between music, camera, web browsing and phone calls.

Technology

Nokia have included some good technical specifications on the 5800, with HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and front facing camera essential for video calling. Some reviewers have criticized the 3.2 megapixel camera, mainly because most of Nokia’s other phones now have the 5 megapixel camera as standard, but unless you are buying the phone specifically for the digital camera function 3.2MP should be sufficient for most needs.

Checkout this Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic video demo

Interface

The interface on the 5800 is user friendly, with a straightforward navigation experience that should suit most customers. The homepage gives you the additional option of assigning 4 icons directly to four people in your contact book, meaning you can phone or message then quickly without having to go into the contacts book each time. The web browser is a standard Nokia set up, and with fast, reliable access and is suitable for tasks such as watching video clips (with a full screen option) and browsing social media websites.

Music player

The 5800 has 8GB of memory so if you mainly use your phone as an MP3 player you will have plenty of room to store all of your favorite tracks and music videos. The sound quality isn’t brilliant, but still good for a device that combines so many applications and you can improve this a lot by buying some decent headphones to fit into the provided 3.5mm jack plug.

Conclusion

This is a good, all round touchscreen phone and fans of Nokia styling and technology will feel very at home with this model. The stylus interface will put some people off, as it has doesn’t have that smooth, gliding feel associated with some of the larger touchscreens like the iPhone. However there are some good features on this phone which make it competitive, and it comes with that feeling of solid reliability that Nokia mobile phones are so famous for.