Nokia 5800 Cell Phone Review - Intro
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is the first touchscreen phone made by Nokia and it was an exciting moment indeed when we first heard about it. As a quad-band GSM device with 3G connectivity on AT&T's network in the U.S., as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, and aGPS on board, along with the powerful S60 operating system, we expected great things from the 5800. Alas, the 5th Edition version of the S60 operating system isn't as finger-friendly as it could be and the music player functionality, while good, won't blow you away. At $399, the 5800 does come unlocked without a 2-year contract to tie you down, but it's still pricey relative to other devices that match or exceed the 5800's features and capabilities.
| Section |
The Good |
The Bad |
| Tour & Design |
Good width in the hand and light weight |
Plasticky feel and not even a little stylish |
| Audio Quality |
Audio sent stays within prescribed limits |
Side tone is very low |
| Imaging |
The live preview for still images and video capture is nice |
Resolution is worse than expected |
| Making/Receiving Calls |
Dialing goes very quickly |
Ringtones sound nice out of the stereo speakers |
| Messaging |
Excellent messaging functionality |
Nothing to complain about here |
| Organizer |
The 5800 can keep track of everything you need |
No way to have multiple calendars |
| Multimedia |
Can replace your dedicated digital music player |
Music software isn't spectacular for a music-oriented phone |
| Software |
S60 is powerful and highly customizable |
5th Edition is still not completely finger-friendly |
| Battery Life |
Excellent music playback battery life |
Call time battery life is just average |
| Connectivity |
3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth cover you completely |
3G only compatible with AT&T in the U.S. |
| Hardware |
Vibrant and rich screen |
Most of the buttons are terrible |
| Other Features |
Both USB and Bluetooth tethering |
GPS navigation isn't free after 1 month |
| Value & Comparisons |
Unlocked and comes with a lot in the box |
Still expensive relative to comparable devices |
