31 August 2008

Nokia N78 Review
Less Power, More Style, Unjustified Price!

No cellphone design has stood the test of time like the monoblock, or candybar, form factor. Nearly all OEM's have a candybar design.

Most generic computing icons to signify a cellphone are caricatures of a candybar model. Its represents the idea of the cellphone as we know it today.

In 2005, Nokia's Nseries line represented the pinnacle in mobile data devices. The original Nseries candybar form-factor device, the Nokia N70, was an iconic device. It presented powerful computing power at a price that made it accessible to the masses.

It was later followed by the legendary former high-end imaging benchmark, the Nokia N73, packing a Carl Zeiss 3.2 megapixel camera with high quality video capture.

The current imaging king, the Nokia N82, is also a candybar device featuring the same Carl Zeiss optics at five mega pixels and a xenon flash, making it arguably the most powerful Smartphones available today. Without question, Nokia definitely has a rich heritage of legendary candybar form-factor Smartphones.

Nokia looks to continue that heritage with a new candybar design, the Nokia N78. Nokia has not been very definitive lately in its Smartphone line-up, with features scattered amongst various models. This time around, Nokia makes a presumed attempt to bring some iPhone-like design cues and minimalist sleekness to the Nseries line-up.

STYLE AND DESIGN

Make no mistake; the N78 is definitely a different look for Nokia. The first word I thought of when I opened the box was "sexy". Equal parts flashy, glossy, sleek, lightweight, clean, minimal, and stealth, the N78 is probably one of the most beautiful Nseries phones to date.

Nokia's design artists should be proud of accomplishing its intentions, because with the numeric keypad covered and only the buttons and D-pad showing, it certainly has an iPhonesque look about it. While walking around my local Wal-Mart, I was actually able to convince five people, including one actually using an iPhone 3G, into thinking I was holding a Nokia-made iPhone3 prototype with a keypad, a better camera, no file format restrictions or DRM, and video capture.

They were surprised at the "improvements", and one even said the added features negated the lack of the large touch screen! I could not stifle my laughter, and unintentionally ended my rouse.

After I revealed the truth, they were shocked it was not an iPhone prototype, and called it the "Nokia iPhone" a few times before I got them used to calling it an N78. As repulsed as many Symbian Freaks may be to hear that, being visually mistaken for an Apple product is a major compliment, in my opinion. Apple usually makes up for lack of features with impeccable looks and style.

The N78 is shockingly small, thin, and extremely lightweight. When you consider that the N78 almost completely out-classes the much heavier N90, and has a thinner profile and yet similar weight to my S40-powered 2610, this is even doubly amazing!

I found it somewhat too light, and I constantly had to pat my pocket to make sure it was still there. That has a lot to do with my preference for larger more hefty phones, as my daily device is an N95 8 GB. The N78, roughly a half inch longer and a quarter inch narrower than the N95, has only half its thickness, giving it a certain sleekness and grace. The device's glossy looks also means slippery feel in sweaty hands, something to think about in hot climates. It was a challenge to keep a hold of in the 100+ degree Texas sun.

CONTROLS

A five-way D-pad with touch sensitive Navi wheel, seven buttons, plus the assumed 12-button numeric keypad covers the N78's front surface. In Power Saver Mode, the entire device's button lights are turned off, and only the D-pad and a single button are apparent. One cool feature called Breathing makes the D-pad light fade on and off as if the device were breathing while in Power Saver mode so you can tell it is actually powered on. This feature can be turned off if the user prefers.

Despite finally creating the perfect 8-button layout split by a central D-pad above the numeric keypad with the N95, Nokia decided to reinvent the wheel, going instead with a seven-button layout split asymmetrically by the D-pad, somewhat wrapping around the numeric keypad. Of the seven buttons, only one, which activates the Multimedia Menu, is an actual physical button. It sits right below the left soft key, and has a solid tactile feedback.

The other six buttons are invisible with the keypad backlight off when in Power Saver Mode. However, once the backlight is on, the buttons become evident, with lighted marks showing pressure sensitive flat stealth buttons that are flush with the phone surface. These buttons are evenly distributed around the controls area, with the two soft keys on top, right below the screen, the Green/Send/Call and Menu/Task Switcher keys along the lower left edge of the device, and the Red/End and <C>/Clear/Delete key along the lower right edge.

The layout is spread out evenly, but very inefficiently. It illogically assigns the only real physical button to the Multimedia Menu, instead of a more useful key, like the Menu/Task Switcher, which is placed in a remote location in relation to the entire layout, and too far from the D-pad for efficiency in heavy multitasking. The Menu/Task Switcher could have been better placed as an identical button to the one assigned to the seldom-used Multimedia Menu on the opposite and strangely vacant location that just begs for another button to balance out the layout and give it symmetry.

*Click to enlarge (by mobil.cz)

In addition, maybe the current Menu/Task Switcher location could have been assigned to, oh, I don't know, maybe...a PENCIL KEY?? which is the discovered eighth orphaned key in this new seven-button layout. Not many long time Nseries users have liked devices without the Pencil/Edit key. It was probably the second most used button on past devices, and why Nokia chose to remove it is a complete mystery.

The D-pad is absolutely incredible! It feels like it almost cradles the thumb, and it its tactile response is flawless! Just slightly raised above the otherwise flat, flush surface, it gives good feedback when pressed in all directions. The centre Select/OK button is firm enough to avoid being accidentally pressed when rocking the D-pad in opposing directions, and yet easy to press when needed.

The tough sensitive Navi wheel is actually the rim of the D-pad. By rubbing the thumb around the rim in a circular motion, it activates a smooth scrolling in Menu, most system application menus, Messaging, Gallery, the Music Menu, and probably the best feature; it even allows the user to use it as a jog wheel to fast forward and rewind video in RealPlayer. Scrolling direction is controlled by rubbing either clockwise or counter clockwise manner. The sensitivity is not adjustable, but the setting is decent and works well. It can become intrusive from time to time, causing accidental scrolling when quickly tapping the D-pad in opposing directions, but the Navi wheel can also be turned off if the user prefers.

The biggest surprise by far is the unconventional numeric keypad. Better described as slivers than buttons, the entire keypad layout is comprised of four horizontally stacked thin uniform rails, each controlling three buttons by pressing the extreme left, right, or middle regions of the rail. In addition, the keypad footprint itself is tremendously miniscule. If you thought the keypad of the N95 was on the small side, then this will surely startle you. The N78's keypad is approximately 30% narrower and 25% shorter than the N95's!

The keypad's tactile feedback is good, but the keys are so small and unbelievably short, users with large hands will find it difficult to avoid unintentional or incorrect button presses. It forces pressing buttons with the very tip of the thumb or finger, instead of the flat pad of the thumb. Needless to say, it can become physically painful and mentally irritating after long text entry sessions. I fear acquiring Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if using this as a primary device. Entering text proved quite laborious, and more a chore than a task. This device basically chose style over function.

When random passersby were asked for an opinion on this new keypad, the verdict was mixed. It was deemed "cute" by one female observer, and handed abruptly back to me with a firm "heck no" from another. Reaction was typically mixed, so it looks like it will be a big polarizing feature, with a division between those that prefer style and those that want comfortable ergonomics and function. Be warned, what may look appealing and fashionable may not look so appealing after trying to use it. I was fundamentally disappointed and somewhat disgusted at the ergonomics.

One big improving feature over past Nseries models is the quality of the buttons on the right side of the device. On its upper right side, the N78 has is equipped with a toggle rocker used for volume control and image zooming. Directly below on the lower right side is a two-stage camera button to activate the camera, auto focus, and capture images. Nokia intentionally recessed these buttons to prevent accidental presses when gripping the phone.

These buttons have excellent feel, and the camera button is very functional to have such short travel. The toggle button responds with a solid click, and is the best volume button on an Nseries phone. Definitely nothing to complain about here. The power button is on the top of the phone, slightly to the right. Though on the small side, it, too, is recessed, and has a positive and responsive tactile feel.

DISPLAY

The display is on the small side, at 2.4", but it fits this application well, offering a decent size for a device of the N78's diminutive proportions. It displays a QVGA resolution with a 24-bit colour depth for 16 million possible colours. The resolution is pretty archaic for Smartphones today, yet Nokia brazenly continues to include this decidedly sad, minimum standard, low-end resolution in all of its high-end Smartphones.

Colours are vivid and bright, nonetheless, and text and visual media are presented in high quality. As is expected of Nokia Smartphones, the backlight is very bright, and provides excellent views in most normal lighting. Direct sunlight caused many reflections on the outer plastic screen protector and really caused fingerprints and smudges to hamper visibility at times.

OPTICS

The N78 features two cameras. There is a main rear camera and a secondary front-facing camera. The main rear camera is a powerful full featured camera intended as the main unit for image and video capture. The secondary front-facing camera is a basic unit supporting a VGA resolution. It can be used for both imaging and video, but is intended mostly for video calling.

The N78's main camera is probably the outstanding feature of the device. Featuring a high-grade Carl Zeiss F2.8/4.6 lens, 3.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, geotagging, and auto focus, its spec sheet is attractive for a normal digital camera, but an absolute joy on a cellphone. Though a few 5-megapixel phones are available, and with 8 megapixel units arriving soon, I still believe nothing on the market today at any resolution can compete with the Carl Zeiss optic equipped Nokia cameras. Image quality is exactly what the Carl Zeiss label implies: top quality.

Video was also vivid and clear, captured in VGA resolution at 15fps. It really is puzzling why something positioned with a premium brand with such high quality optics lacks absolutely no lens protection scheme. The optics are left dangerously exposed to salt from sweaty palms, grime, dust, dirt, abrasives, and fingerprints, not to mention impact to the delicate glass parts. It’s nearly always necessary to wipe the lens free of fingerprint grease and dirt before capturing images.

The competition may have higher image sensor pixel counts, but have yet to reach the image quality of this 3.2 megapixel camera. Amazing to imagine when considering this camera resolution to be on the low end of the Nseries Carl Zeiss line-up. Nokia clearly has an advantage in the imaging department.

Images are expectedly sharp and vivid. Surprisingly, images files at maximum resolution are nearly as large as their 5 megapixel counterparts. Evidently, Nokia has softened its JPEG compression algorithms, and images do appear less noisy. Its LED flash is adequate at close distances even in complete darkness, but a premium branded device certainly deserves a better performing xenon flash other premium devices have.