Nokia N8
The basics
The Nokia N8 is Nokia's flagship smartphone, boasting the most impressive camera available on any mobile phone, and a host of other innovative features. It's also a lot cheaper than rivals such as the Apple iPhone 4.
The good
Like or loath the Nokia N8's styling, there's no debating the quality on offer here. It's constructed almost entirely from anodised aluminium, and is incredibly tough. A glass screen adds to the quality, and it's a smartphone that can easily withstand daily knocks and drops.
It's the 12-Megapixel camera that really stands out on the Nokia N8, however. It's quite simply the best camera we've seen on any smartphone, and it's perfectly capable of mixing it with proper compact cameras. Photos are vivid, pin sharp and perfect for prints.
Connectivity is also top-notch, with an HDMI port in place so you can hook up a HDTV. You can also record high definition movies on the Nokia N8, watching them later on your TV. Other ports include a clever micro USB port, which lets you plug in USB memory sticks so you can transfer files.
The bad
The Nokia N8 may have an all new operating system, but like older touchscreen Nokias it's still clunky compared to offerings from Apple and Android. That said, it's a lot faster than older handsets, and there are lots of new apps on offer from the Ovi Store.
The bottom line
If software is important to you, the Nokia N8 may fall behind the Apple iPhone 4, but otherwise it's worth adding to your list. It offers an outstanding specification, is particularly well made and offers excellent value for money.
User comments (26)
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Anonymous25 October 2010
great phone, big step up from nokia
Report as inappropriatemelony brown28 October 2010
always had nokia phoner so was delighted when the n8 came out . Fab phone and i have the ipod touch but still love the n8 easy to use and has built in user manual so if any problem instructions at hand. Built in ovi maps too so no need for a sat nav separate thanx nokia
Report as inappropriateAnonymous29 October 2010
had the n8....not any more. it crashed and switched itself off and got on my t*ts. was really looking forward to it as i am a devoted nokia user for over 12 years but now have a samsung galaxy s (still have my n65 tho). this is without a doubt a gadget that has been released before nokia had perfected it. a nightmare pity
Report as inappropriatecarl11 November 2010
i've had this phone now about 3 weeks and have to agree with the gadgets show review but i have to add i am not convinced the flash on the n8 is as good as my previous phont the satio but i still love the phone as a whiole but i also have to add the gadget show seem to have missed the best sim free price for this phone because tesco direct are offering it at £319.97
Report as inappropriateLollie Pop :) 02 December 2010
I'm not sure if I should get this phone I was planning to get the samsung galaxy S but unfortunately it's only fault is no flash which is rather annoying. This phone has one :). All the reviews are not that bad but there is the odd review that makes me want to reconsider the decision of having this phone anyone got advise??
Report as inappropriateFinchinator06 December 2010
I am going to get the n8, but can someone tell me if the wifi is free?
Report as inappropriateTim Brennan12 December 2010
I've had this phone since it was released. :-( The battery live is great until you attempt to download some apps like spotify or anything really. Even if the apps aren't running something in the software is trying it's hardest to drain the life out of the battery. I'm talking sub 4 hours when it's sat on my desk on standby with no bluetooth, wireless or anything else switched on. Terrible. When you remove all the apps, then the battery lasts 3 days. So if you want a smartphone with loads of great apps that lasts more than 2 mins go elsewhere. As I bought mine from Nokia direct, they want to collect it and test it. I asked them how long, she said 17 days, Can I have a replacement I said, No she said, thats not our policy. I will never never never buy anything from Nokia again!
Report as inappropriateAdam15 December 2010
Try turning off the apps when you aren't using them, its easy enough, battery lasts ages on mine and i have allsorts of RSS widget updates running.Plenty of good free apps in the OVI store, Opera turbo browser, Snaptu social networking and Fring free calls for Wifi, and if you sign up to BT Fon or access wifi, its all fast and free, transfer all your stored MP3's easily from phone to PC or sync to your OVI storage, its everything Apple is not, all open and configurable to how you want to use it. Camera is unbelievably good, 12MP and nice editing software, and you can plug into HDMI port on TV for an epic photo/video viewing experience or play Angry Birds large scale with 6 channel dolby audio output! Proper grown up kit,still want phones based on fruit?
Report as inappropriateJames120 December 2010
Good phone dont have one but want one Does anyone know a better price than £400
Report as inappropriateRichard Myers20 December 2010
hi everyone i own a nokia N8 and yes its very easy to set up on the ovi aps i came across an application called joikuspot what it does is turn phone into a wifi hotspot i am using it now and yes the phone is very fast on downloads and on the net as i said very easy to operate and setup
Report as inappropriatedave a26 December 2010
i have the n8 good phone and camera nicely constructed, but i find apps download very slowly and find i give up befor downloaded! camera is brilliant, not tested the video camera yet! not sure about ovi not the best but still getting used to it! overall not a bad bit of kit...
Report as inappropriateryanDUNGEY12 January 2011
this phone brilliant ive used the iphone i find that the iphone isnt half as responsive as the n8 and the iphone landscape keypad is alot harder to use. also i like feedback u get from the n8 pressing buttons and the it feels strurdy and robust !!! and the camera is an animal and the symbian all though it aint perfect they are going to updateing the firmware for althrough it this year.
Report as inappropriatepaul holt 26 January 2011
i have had my N8 for about 3 months now , but i wish i had my iphone back . I find respone is slow for internet ,the apps are nowhere near as good ,or as many [ cant d/load sky mobile or espn plus lots of others i used to use whilst sat in my truck at night time watching my sports progs ] on the plus side music sounds very good ,sat nav , camera ,excellent plus you can use your N8 as a modem [ not on iphone ] Keyboard is fine style and design fine ..it is a good phone depending on what you want it for ...
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suzie haw3kins14 March 2011
i have just got the n8 and so far it's the best phone i have ever owned. the FM transmitter is just the best i use it daily in my car to listen to my favourate music. It takes really great photo's good maps and the ovi maps work just like a sat nav with voices to tell you where you are going. Easily the best smart phone so far just like a copy iphone. i love it.
Report as inappropriateGary Scott16 March 2011
Hi my first N8 would not hold a charge 24hr and the battery was dead! i still had my satio and was going to return it for full refund, however i got a replacement N8 and its great lasts a whole week if not used much before recharging! the camera and video are fantastic! phone build is great too, its far quicker to respond than the sony satio, internet and wifi work fab, wifi is free, although on my first phone i made the mistake of setting up an email account which connected me to the internet every time i got a single email! costing every time and i could,nt work out how to switch it off! its easyer and cheaper to internet hotmail etc when in a wifi spot, all in all if your thinking of one of these for the camera/video don't think just buy you won't be dissapointed!!
Report as inappropriatejohn29 April 2011
cracker of a phone easy to setup and use.
Report as inappropriateTheJackel115 June 2011
had one have to say not the best phone ive ever had, good battry life, nice screen, good camera but it freezes up all the time so u have to kep reseting it, total pain, have switched to a sony ericson xperia much better phone just a bit short on its battery life, oh well
Report as inappropriatePapawales08 July 2011
A great phone replaced my old Nokia 5800 with, the operating system is easy to use and the quality of apps available from OVI Store is amazing. The camera is secong to none, picture quality is pin point accurate and the HD Video is amazing also, with great sound and perfect colours. The internal 16gb memory is a bonus and added to a micro SD card of similar size is a must for serious downloaders. In all it's the best phone out there, and not some flash gadgety looking I Phone that is a pain to use.
Report as inappropriateAudrey32095613 July 2011
Great Phone Just make sure you don't drop it cos i dropped mine a few weeks ago and the touchscreen died, i had to send it off to get it fixed. Besides that great Phone :)
Report as inappropriatePaul Whelan15 August 2011
What a disaster!! I'm on my THIRD Nokia N8 in three months. My first N8 put people on hold, then rang other people, (normally people I didn't want to speak to). It muted people. It dropped calls all the time. It deleted contacts, went on the internet, opened settings etc, and all this while I was talking on the phone. The phone crashed constantly, sometimes the phone would ring but the "answer" button wouldn't work. So Nokia gave me a brand new phone. The exact same problems. I received my third new N8 last Friday and it's actually WORSE than the first two!. So Nokia have recommended that I get a different brand phone, because "The N8 phone and my ear don't appear to be compatible". Can you believe it? One senior Nokia engineer suggested the problem was caused because I was left handed, but this was quickly disputed by Nokia UK head office. So, I cannot even remotely recommend the Nokia N8, despite its amazing camera. Shame on you Nokia!!
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andy13 December 2011
ive had the n8 for nearly six months now.overall its a good piece of kit but not without faults,, it wont work with vodafone ota settings and i had to manually set the phone up, it wont access ovi store on any network and is incredibly slow when not in 3G mode. This said its still a million times better than experia x10 i had before it
Report as inappropriategeorge richardson19 December 2011
i own one and advise no one to get one, yes it has a great camera but for every day use it can be a nuisance, as it will freeze lock up and then finally reboot its self, also the down side that its not android which can be annoying.
Report as inappropriateneil edwards24 December 2011
Nokia n8 is a brilliant phone which ive owned since january 2011 . Recently ive bought and downloaded spb shell from the nokia store and its amazing its turned my nokia n8 into a super smart phone . More screens than htc desire changeable sizes of icons and so easy to use . Check it out on youtube ! Check out the carousel which adds even more screens with weather, agenda, spb menu plus contacts with photos that has 3 sizes and you can define what happens when you touch the photo. A superb peice of software !
Report as inappropriateChristopher pickup25 April 2012
Updated my Nokia n8 the other day 25 th April 12 , the update is fantastic , if the Nokia n8 had this update from day one the reviews would be more favourable, the update is 99% identical to the brand new nokias which is a big step up from the original format, you want a no nocence phone which a 12 meg hd camera and hd video shooting then this camera is for you.
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