Nokia N73 Review - Hardware
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Alfredo Padilla Published on May 04, 2007 Comment on this |
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Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (6.98)
To test how easy it is to enter text on the Nokia N73 we timed how long it took to enter a sample piece of text using predictive text and two hands. We repeated this test five times and took the average for our score. The Nokia N73 took an average of 27.5 seconds to enter our sample text. This works out to 34.9 words per minute (WPM). This is a good score for a phone with a regular keypad, slightly slower than the Sprint Upstage's 37.5 WPM and the Sanyo M1's 36.4 WPM, but significantly faster than the Razr V3m's 29.4 WPM and the LG Chocolate's 25 WPM. The Nokia N73's keypad is very small, and the keys are somewhat squishy when pressed, however we found it fairly easy to type on, especially considering its size. T9 and Auto Complete (5.0)
The Nokia N73 supports T9 predictive text entry, but not word completion. You can turn T9 on and off, as well as access clip board functions using the pencil key found to the bottom left of the keypad. The T9 predictive text entry is not always available, for example you cannot access it when entering website addresses.
One Hand Usability (6.57)
For the sake of completeness we also run our words per minute test using a single hand. The Nokia N73 was only slightly slower using a single hand when compared to two handed text entry, completing our sample text in an average of 29.22 seconds. This works out to 32.85 words per minute, which is about the same as the Sanyo M1 and Sprint Upstage. We did find the phone got a little hard to hold after awhile because of the low position of the keypad, which makes it top heavy.
Keypad Backlighting (6.0)
The keypad backlight on the Nokia N73 is controlled by a light sensor, which turns it on in low light situations. The duration of the backlight is controlled by the same setting that controls screen backlighting. We found the blue backlighting to be only average, with light bleeding out along the edges of the keys and the symbols on the keys not very clear or bright.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (5.0)
The Nokia N73 uses a joystick rather than the more common directional pad found on phones. The joystick sits in the middle of the control keys above the keypad. It is silver plastic and a little slick, but we found it easy to use in general. Still, we would have preferred a larger and more comfortable directional pad as found on the T-Mobile Dash.
Touch Screen (0.0)
The Nokia N73 does not have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (0.0)
The Nokia N73 does not have a jog dial.
Soft Buttons (4.0)
The soft buttons on the Nokia N73 flank the joystick above the send and end keys. The keys are long and like the send and end keys are slick silver plastic. They are not well differentiated from the send and end keys below them, which can lead to some mistaken presses. When pressed there is not much play or tactile feedback.
Volume Control (4.0)
The volume controls on the Nokia N73 are located on the right side of the phone near the top. The key is a rocker with the top and bottom slightly raised to provide tactile feedback for up/down. The volume keys double as the zoom in/out keys for the camera. When pressed there is very little play and almost no tactile feedback. We were dissapointed that the volume keys only control volume while in a call or in an application that is playing back sound. This means you cannot turn your ringer volume all the way down from the home screen for instance, instead you need to use profiles to control sounds.
Power and Standby (7.0)
The power key on the Nokia N73 is located on the top of the phone in the middle of one of the speakers. It is a round black key that is recessed to keep mistaken presses from happening. When pressed once it allows you to access the profile list, as well as options like shutting the phone off or ejecting the memory card. When you press and hold the key it will turn the phone off. Another press and hold will turn the phone back on. We found the power key on the N73 to be very functional and like that it is well placed to avoid mistaken presses.
Other Buttons (6.0)
In addition to the buttons we discussed above the Nokia N73 has several other buttons. Around the keypad are four buttons that control operating system features. On the left is a menu key, which allows you to quickly access the application menu from anywhere on the phone. A long press on this key will open a list of running programs. Below this key is a pencil key that allows you to turn predictive text on/off and access the symbols menu. You can also press this key and use the joystick to highlight text and then press it again to access clip board features like cut, copy and paste. This is a very nice feature that is not found on most phones.
To the right of the keypad is a multimedia key that launches a menu where you can access four different user customizable shortcuts. This key in combination with the shortcuts on the home screen mean that you most used programs are always within easy reach. Below the multimedia key is a "C" key that acts as a backspace when entering text. It will also shut down a program when in the running programs list. On the right side of the phone near the bottom you will also find the shutter key for the camera and a dedicated key for accessing the gallery next to it. We found these additional keys to be very helpful and were glad to have them.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The Nokia N73 has a QVGA 240 x 320 pixel resolution display. QVGA has become a standard for mid to high end phones in the market today, although it is lower than the 352 x 288 resolution screen found on some other Series 60 phones like the N80. Still, the display provides good detail when viewing pictures, videos, browsing the web or being used as a viewfinder. Our score for screen resolution is standardized based on the total number of pixels.
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (8.42)
Pixels per inch (PPI) is a measure of how dense pixels are packed into a screen. Higher pixel density leads to richer colors and sharper details on the screen, while lower pixel density can leave a screen looking washed out. The Nokia N73 has a pixel density of 168.4 pixels per inch. This is an average pixel density, similar to the T-Mobile Dash and Treo 700p. It is not as good as the Sanyo M1 or LG Chocolate which both have pixel densities around 200 PPI.
Screen Physical Size (6.0)
The Nokia N73 sports a display 2.4 inches diagonal. This is larger than the standard for mobile phones which is usually around 2 inches diagonal. We appreciated the additional screen real estate as it is helpful for watching videos, looking at photos and surfing the web. You do give up something in terms of pixel density however, as you saw above.
Screen Brightness (6.0)
To test screen brightness we point a phone's browser at a blank white web page and turn the screen brightness up to maximum. We then use a lux meter to measure how bright the screen is from two inches away. The Nokia N73 had an impressive brightness of 95 lux. This is significantly brighter than any other screen we have tested to date. The Nokia N73's screen does not adjust automatically to lighting conditions, however you do have 5 brightness options to choose from in the settings.
Screen Bright Light Performance (7.0)
To test a screen's bright light performance we shine 3000 lux of light onto the screen and judge how legible it is. 3000 lux is comparable to a bright sunny day. We found the Nokia N73's screen to be very legible in bright light. We were able to see icons and move about the interface easily, although the text was a little hard to read because it is so small.
Color Depth (8.0)
Color depth is a measure of how many colors a screen can display. The more colors it can display the more true images on the screen will be. The Nokia N73 is able to display 262,144 colors. This is similar to the Sanyo M1, and is significantly more than Windows Mobile devices, which are limited to 65,000 colors. Our score for color depth is standardized based on how many colors can be displayed.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (2.0)
The Nokia N73 uses proprietary ports for both charging and data. The charging port is a new slim version of the traditional Nokia charging port. There is an adaptor for use with older chargers included with the device. The data port is Nokia's Pop-Port connector. Although the Pop-Port has become somewhat standardized due to the popularity of Nokia phones, we would have much preferred to see a Mini USB port. Headphone & Jack Compatibility (0.0)
The Nokia N73 uses the proprietary Pop-Port for headphones. We were happy that the phone shipped with a pair of stereo headphones because you won't be able to use your standard 2.5mm or 3.5mm headphones unless you get an adaptor. We were dissapointed that the N73 does not support bluetooth profiles for wireless stereo headphones. We do not award any points to phones that use proprietary ports for headphones.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Nokia N73 has 42MB of internal storage. This is sufficient for PIM information like contacts and calendars, but won't store many photos, music or video. The N73 also ships with a 128MB Mini SD card, which helps a little, but we recommend you invest in a higher capacity card if you want to use all of the phone's multimedia features.
Expansion Slot & Format (6.0)
The Nokia N73 support Mini SD cards, which are currently available up to a maximum of 4GB. Nokia states however that the N73 is only capable of handling cards up to 2GB. The Mini SD card slot is located on the bottom of the phone and is protected by a hard plastic cover that is attached to the phone. It is spring assisted, however we found that the cover when open sits right over the slot, making it a little awkward to get cards in or out.
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