Nokia N75 Review
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Alfredo Padilla Published on June 14, 2007 Comment on this |
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The Nokia N75 is the first N-Series smart phone from Nokia to be sold by a U.S. carrier; it is available on AT&T (Cingular) for $199.99 (including a $50 mail-in rebate) with a 2 year contract, or $399 without contract. It arrives with high expectations, but fails to meet them in many areas. While the audio quality of the N75 is good, the quality of the built-in camera is very poor. Nokia has been known as one of the better phone camera manufacturers, but our tests showed that the N75's camera falls short in just about every key area; the images are low in resolution, have inaccurate color and had lots of noise in low light. The second major drawback of the N75 is the battery life. The N75's talk time of 2 hours and 23 minutes is one of the worst we have seen, and it's music playback and browsing times (at 5 hours 36 minutes and 2 hours 42 minutes) are not much better. These combined with limited RAM (which means that many applications are slow to respond) make the N75 a disappointment..Under the hood the N75 runs Symbian Series 60, which includes excellent applications and opportunities for expansion through third party software. We like the Series 60 music player application, and the external controls and user interface provided on the N75 make this a decent mobile music playback device. In addition to being Nokia's first N-Series device to be carried by a U.S. carrier, the N75 is also Nokia's first phone to support AT&T's high speed 3G network, although it is limited to UMTS speeds rather than the even faster HSDPA. These are all solid features of the N75, but they don't make up for the poor camera quality and terrible battery life.
[page title="Tour & Design"]
Front Closed
Front Open
Left
Top
Bottom
Right
Back
Battery Out
In the Box (3.0)
Handling (6.0)
When closed the Nokia N75 fits comfortably in your hand, with the external controls easily accessible. It's fairly light weight for a phone its size due to the plastic construction. When you open the N75 up its true size is revealed as it stretches 7 1/8 inches from top to bottom. This means that it looks very large against your head, although the plastic construction means that it isn't too difficult to hold for extended periods. The controls are spacious but may be uncomfortable for those with small hands. We found the N75 fairly comfortable to handle, but its huge size when opened detracts from its good points.
Portability (7.0)
When closed the Nokia N75 measures 3.74" x 2.05" x 0.8" and weighs in at 4.36 ounces. It will fit easily into pants pockets or any bag. It's relatively light weight also makes it easy to carry around. The Nokia N75 is very portable, although it is bulkier than regular flip phones like the Krzr K1m.
Aesthetics (5.0)
The Nokia N75 is not a sexy handset by any means. It is roughly brick like, with slightly rounded edges. It does have a professional look and certainly isn't as ugly as the Sanyo M1.
Durability (3.0)
The Nokia N75's construction is almost all plastic, and we could hear the case creaking when in use. This in addition to the moving parts that always concern us (such as the hinge) lead to worries that the N75 won't hold up well in the long term. We are also concerned about the fact that the large camera lens is completely unprotected; it could easily be scratched inside a pocket. We are very concerned about the N75's durability.
[page title="Audio Quality"]
The N75 is a phone that has plenty of features, but it's still a device whose primary job is to make phones calls. So how good do the calls that it makes sound? To test the quality of the calls, we use professional testing equipment; a HATS (Head and Torso Simulator) that simulates the human head and ear, and a sound analysis program called SoundCheck. This combination allows us to analyze the quality of the sound that the phone both sends and receives. For more information on how we test cell phones, see here.
Sound Receive Frequency Response (8.73)
The N75 scored highly in our test of the sound it receives, such as someone talking to you over the phone. We test the frequency response of the phone (shown by the blue line) and measure this against the limits that are defined by a standard set by a group of international audio experts (the red lines). The N75 did well in this test; the frequency response was well within the limits, so voices should sound clear and understandable on calls coming into the N75
Sound Send Frequency Response (7.57)
Handset Side Tone (6.85)
[page title="Imaging"]
Resolution (1.14)
To test resolution we use the phone's camera to take photos of an industry standard resolution chart and run the resulting photos through the Imatest software. Imatest produces a scored called line widths per picture height (lw/ph) that measures how many alternating black and white lines the camera can discern before they begin blurring together.
The Nokia N75 did poorly in our resolution test, it was only able to discern 505.9 lw/ph horizontally and 698.8 lw/ph vertically. This is far below what the Nokia N73's 3.2 megapixel camera managed: 946.4 lw/ph horizontal and 1126 lw/ph vertical. It is also worse than the Sanyo M1, a phone with a 2 megapixel camera that scored 859.9 lw/ph horizontal and 773.4 lw/ph vertical. In fact the Nokia N75 did worse than the Motorola Q, a phone with a 1.3 megapixel camera that didn't do particularly well in our test. We can only call the N75's performance on this test disappointing. And that's being polite.
Color (3.47)
To test how well the N75's camera reproduces color we take photos of the industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart, which displays 24 different colors. We run these photos through the Imatest software, which compares the camera's produced colors to the chart's true colors.
Imatest produces the chart above that shows the original colors in the small vertical rectangle, adjusted colors in the middle rectangle and the original capture colors in the outer square. Imatest also produces the color analysis chart below where the squares represent the ideal color and circles represent the captured color. The longer the line between the two the more inaccurate the camera's color capture.
As you can see the Nokia N75 did a terrible job of color reproduction, with drift evident in nearly every color, especially those closer to the edge of the color gamut. The N75 seems to have particular trouble with white balance, which may contribute to its trouble with color. Regardless of the reason the N75 performed significantly worse in our color test than either the N75 or N95, and also did worse than the Sanyo M1. We were again disappointed at the N75's performance.
Noise (0.41)
To test the noise produced by the N75's camera we take photos of the GretagMacbeth color chart at four different lighting levels, ranging from as bright as a sunny day to ta darkened room with a single light bulb. We run the resulting photos through the Imatest software, which examines the noise in the images. The Nokia N75 did as badly in our noise test as it did in our other tests. In fact in this case it did worse, posting the worse noise score of any phone we have tested to date. The N75 performed below average at all lighting levels, but its score at the lowest lighting level was exceptionally bad; the image was much granier and noisier than that produced by other cell phone cameras at the same light level . Once again we are disappointed at the N75's performance.
Live Preview (4.0)
Unlocked Standby to First Shot (4.26)
We time how long it takes to go from phone closed until we have taken a photo to see how quickly you can whip the N75 out and take a quick photo. We repeat this process until we get the lowest repeatable time. The N75 took 4.7 seconds to go from standby to shot using the exterior screen to take a photo. This is not a good time for a phone that has a fixed focus lens. It is better than phones with auto focus lenses like the Nokia N73 and Sanyo M1, which took 5.3 and 4.9 seconds respectively. However the Razr V3m, which has a fixed focus lens, took only 3.5 seconds. Compared to regular digital cameras the Nokia N75 also scored poorly, with a good digital camera being able to complete this test in around 2 seconds. Shot to Shot Time (1.29)
Shot to shot time is a measure of how quickly you can take photos in succession. When possible we attempt to use burst mode for this test. The N75 does have a burst mode that takes 6 shots in quick succession. It took 13.8 seconds to take all six shots, which works out to .43 frames per second. This is a poor score, about on par with the N95's .42 frames per seconds and significantly worse than the Sanyo M1's 2 frames per second or the T-Mobile Wing's 2.3 frames per second. This is even worse when you consider that the N75 doesn't have an auto-focus lens, which is the N95's excuse in this test.
Shutter to Shot Time (2.74)
Shutter to shot time is a measure of how long it takes the camera on the phone to take a photo after you hit the shutter key. The Nokia N75 took .73 seconds to take a photo after we depressed the shutter button. This is better than either the N95's 1 second time or the N73's 3.1 second time. It is also slightly better than the Sanyo M1's time of .8 seconds. All of these phones have auto-focus lenses however, which significantly impacts their score on this test. Compared to other fixed focus cameras the N75 doesn't look as good. The T-Mobile Wing took only .43 seconds while the T-Mobile Dash took .3 seconds. Stand alone digital cameras typically don't take more than .5 seconds to complete this test.
Interface (7.5)
Photo Album Software Internal (7.0)
Manual Control (2.0)
The N75 has scene modes that allow you to adjust your settings for particular situations. You can also create your own user defined scene mode if none of the presets are appropriate. More advanced manual controls like manual white balance, aperture priority and shutter priority mode are not available.
Zoom (1.0)
The Nokia N75 sports a 10x digital zoom. Digital zoom is of limited utility because all it does is enlarge the center of the image rather than zooming the lens.
Focus (0.0)
The Nokia N75 uses a fixed focus lens. This is a step back from other models like the N95 or N73 that have auto-focus lenses. Phones like the Sanyo M1 are also available with auto-focus lenses at a significantly lower price point and we're disappointed that the N75 is stuck with a simple fixed focus lens.
Flash (3.0)
The N75 has a simple LED flash that is only useful out to a range of a couple of feet. It actually flashes instead of just being an always on flood light; a definite plus that should lead to fewer pictures of people squinting because you're shining a bright light in their eyes.
Metering (2.0)
As with the Nokia N73 and N95 the N75 has exposure compensation controls that allow you to control the overall exposure of the photo. More advanced metering controls like spot metering or evaluative metering are not available. Given that we saw some of these controls on the T-Mobile Wing we hope that other manufacturers catch up and include them soon. Metering controls allow you to control from which point or points light is judged in your scene.
White Balance (2.0)
The Nokia N75 has preset white balance modes just like the N73 and N95. These include sunny, incandescent, florescent and automatic. These are fewer presets than the N73 or N95. Unfortunately there is still no evaluative white balance mode.
Image Handling (8.0)
As with other N-Series devices the N75 has excellent image handling options, including things that are not often seen on phones like cropping, contrast, red eye reduction and sharpness. We are extremely happy to see such an extensive photo editing solution on the N75.
Video
Overall Video Score (7.5)
The Nokia N75 captures video at 352 x 288 resolution and 15 frames per second. The quality of the video is about the same as what we saw from the Nokia N73, which means its good for video capture on a mobile device. Colors were reproduced accurately and we saw very little tearing or artifacts. It isn't up to the standard that Nokia's set with their VGA capture devices, but it's good enough to throw up on Youtube or to view on a small monitor. If you watch it on a TV however you'll start to see some serious pixellation. We were generally pleased with the quality however.
Video Resolution (10.97)
To test video resolution we take a video of our standard resolution chart and run frames from the video through our Imatest software. As with still resolution this produces a score called line widths per picture height (lw/ph), a measure of how many alternating black and white lines the camera can discern. The Nokia N75 posted a solid score in our video resolution score at 315 lw/ph horizontal and 348.1 lw/ph vertical. This is actually significantly better than the Nokia N73, which scored 272.5 lw/ph horizontal and 224.8 lw/ph vertical. It's also better than any other phone we've reviewed to date except for the Nokia N95, which captures VGA (640 x 480 pixel) video. We were very pleased with the N75's video score; it seems that the imaging chip is much better suited to capturing video than it is to capturing still images.
Video Compression (2.0)
The Nokia N75 only captures video in Mpeg-4 with the .mp4 extension. There are no options to create video in any other format like 3GP or AVI. We would have liked to see preset options for sending via Email and more compression options generally.
Interface (7.5)
Manual Control (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not provide any manual control features for video capture.
Zoom (1s.0)
As with still photos there is a 10x digital zoom available for video capture on the N75. As we've stated before digital zoom is of limited utility as it just resizes what you are capturing rather than truly zooming in.
Editing (6.0)
As with other N-Series phones the N75 provides you with a decent range of video editing options. You can cut sections of the video out, change the soundtrack and add some special affects. This is significantly better than what is offered on Windows Mobile devices like the T-Mobile Wing or regular phones like the Sanyo M1.
Modes (4.0)
The Nokia N75 allows you to take video specifically for MMS and has a single scene mode for videos taken at night.
[page title="Making/Receiving Calls"]
Dialing Speed (5.99)
Talk and End Buttons (4.0)
Call Management (6.0)
Startup to Call (2.47)
To test how quickly the phone can start up and make a call we time this process five times and take the average for our score. The Nokia N75 took an average of 40.56 seconds to complete this process. This is slower than two other Series 60 smart phones the Nokia N73, which took 36.7 seconds and the N95, which took 36.4 seconds. It is significantly slower than the Sanyo M1, a regular cell phone that took only 24.36 seconds to complete this process. We were not pleased with the startup to call time of the N75.
Ring Volume (8.53)
To test ring volume we find the loudest ringtone on the handset and set the volume to maximum. We then measure how loud the ring gets from about 4 inches away using a sound pressure meter. The Nokia N75 measured a respectable 85.6 decibels in our test. This is about as loud as the Nokia N73, which measured 85.3 decibels. It was much less loud than the Nokia N95 however, which measured an very loud 105.3 decibels. Still, 85 decibels is more than loud enough for most to hear a ring, even in a relatively loud area.
Ringtone Customizibility (2.0)
We were disappointed with the limited ability of the N75 to use music files as ringtones. This seems to be an area where the functionality was crippled (perhaps by AT&T?) to protect sales of regular ringtones. Unlike the N95, you don't have access to all the music files on the phone to use as ringtones. We even ran into problems when dropping music files into the audio/tones folder. The N75 recognized short music files under 1 minute, but longer music files were not available to use as ringtones.
Non Audio Alerts (10.0)
The Nokia N75 has a vibrate alert that we found about average. You will be able to feel it in a pants pocket, but will have some trouble feeling it in a jacket pocket or a bag. The N75's screen also lights up when a call comes in, which is useful to see what number is calling. If you have all other alerts turned off this is the only way to tell that a call is incoming.
[page title="Messaging"]
Supported Email Services (6.0)
In addition to the standard email application included on all Series 60 devices the N75 also comes installed with Cingular's web only email program. This allows you to easily access popular services like Hotmail, AOL and Yahoo, however the inability to store messages locally means that we do not award any points for this additional app.
Push Email (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support any push email services like Exchange Server, Blackberry or Good email out of the box. You may be able to add this functionality back by installing some of the push email clients that Nokia provides for its E-Series lineup, however we did not test this.
Multiple Email Accounts (10.0)
The Nokia N75 was easily able to handle up to five email accounts, and can probably handle more. Each account has its own box on the front page of the messaging application. This is a boon for users that need to access multiple email accounts.
HTML and Attachments (5.0)
As with other Series 60 devices like the N73 and N95 the Nokia N75 does not support HTML email, leaving it behind newer Windows Mobile 6 devices that now support HTML email. The N73 does a good job of handling email attachments with the view only version of Quick Office allowing you to view Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. The N75 also includes Adobe's PDF viewer and a program to handle zip files so all common attachment types are covered.
Email Customizations (2.0)
As with other Series 60 devices the N75 offers few email customization options. You cannot change the view of messages in your inbox, nor can you change font size, color or type. You can create signatures to be added to outgoing messages, however this is about it for the N75. We were not impressed with the N75's email customization options.
Time to a New Message (2.85)
Email Usability (6.0)
Supported IM Services (0.0)
MMS Support (7.0)
SMS Smiley Face Interpretation (0.0)
To test if the messaging application interprets smileys as graphical representations or leaves them in text format we send a sample text message to the phone with four common smileys. We were disappointed to see that the N75 did not graphically interpret smileys, instead leaving them in text format just like every other Series 60 phone we have reviewed.
SMS/MMS Ease of Use (6.0)
SMS and MMS messages come into a single inbox in the messaging application. The interface is very similar to that of email except of course when creating new messages you have fewer fields. As we've discussed you will need to decide before hand if you want to create an SMS or MMS message. The only real difference in the interface is the ability to drop in media with MMS messages, which is previewed in the window. You can send messages to multiple numbers at once or to a group. We found the interface simple and easy to use, but still wish for better integration between MMS and SMS messages.
Time to a New SMS Message (5.43)
[page title="Organizer"]
Synchronization Ease of Use (6.67)
The Nokia N75 uses Nokia's PC Suite to synchronize with a PC. This software is well developed and is easy to set up and use. You have a range of options for what information is synchronized between your devices and how it is synchronized. Initiating a synchronization is as simple as connecting your device with the computer via USB. Bluetooth synchronization is also supported, including the ability to have your device automatically recognized and synchronized when in range. We are generally pleased with the ease of use of Nokia's PC Suite and synchronization of the Nokia N75.
Synchronization with a computer is supported via USB or Bluetooth. Contact and contact photos are synchronized over as are calendar appointments, tasks and notes. We were pleased with the wide support for synchronization offered by the Nokia N75 and Nokia's PC Suite. The Nokia N75 can be synchronized with Outlook or Lotus Notes on a PC. Support for synchronization with a Mac is not currently supported, although Nokia has recently updated the iSync plugins for many of its phones so one of the N75 may be forthcoming soon. In the meantime there are various hacks available to get iSync to work with the N75.
Alerts (5.0)
The Nokia N75 allows you to create alerts for tasks and calendar appointments. The type of alert that goes off are assigned by the active profile, which means you cannot assign specific alerts for each item. When an alert goes off you get a dialogue on screen that allows you to dismiss the alert or snooze it for five minutes. If you miss the alert it will sound again in five minutes just as if you had snoozed it. We were disappointed that the N75 didn't allow you to choose how long the snooze lasted and wish we had better control over what tones sound when an alert goes off. The N75's alerts are par for the course for Series 60 devices however.
Over the Air PIM Sync (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support any over the air synchronization of your PIM information. You may be able to add this support in by installing software provided for Nokia's E-Series phones, however we did not test this software with the N75.
Address Book
Adding Contacts (4.38)
Looking/Sorting/Search (3.5)
Fields (10.8)
As with other Series 60 devices the Nokia N75 has a plethora of fields available for contacts. There are 10 basic fields and 32 additional fields, as well as the ability to add a photo and assign a ringtone to each contact. We were also pleased to see the ability to rename fields to better fit information you might have.
Speed Dial/Voice tags/Voice command (3.67)
The Nokia N75 supports speed dial to anyone of nine different slots. This is more limited than many phones that allow you to assign as many as 98 speed dials. Voice tags are not supported, however there is a voice command application you can use for dialing contacts that is accessed by pressing and holding the right soft key when open or the next track key when closed. Voice command fared as poorly on the N75 as it did on the N73 and N95, recognizing only two of our five test names. This makes it rather useless for everyday use and compared very poorly to the Sanyo M1, a regular phone that was able to recognize all five of our test names.
Calendar
Adding Calendar Items (5.21)
Calendar Views (4.22)
The monthly view shows you six weeks at a time. Days that have appointments or tasks are indicated with a small triangle in the lower right corner of the day. When you select a day that has an appointment a tool tip similar to the week view appears at the top with a list of that day's appointments including start time and title. Overall we found the agenda view to be the most useful for everyday use, but the tip that allows you to view some appointment details makes the weekly and monthly views more useful than on many phones.
Fields (6.0)
As with other Series 60 devices the Nokia N75 offers the basic calendar fields but lacks some more advanced features. Title, location, start/end time, reminders and recurrence are all on board. We were a little disappointed with the recurrence options as you can only choose from five preset patterns rather than creating your own as you can on Windows Mobile devices. We were also disappointed at the lack of an all day option, categories, notes and the ability to invite contacts to an appointment. This leaves the N75 behind other smart phones like the T-Mobile Wing.
ToDo/Tasks
Adding ToDo/Task (6.96)
ToDo/Task Sorting and Prioritizing (3.5)
Fields (5.0)
The fields available when you create a task on the Nokia N75 are very basic, allowing you to enter a title, due date, alarm and set priority. Advanced features like recurrence, categories and notes are not supported, which again leaves the N75 behind smart phones running Windows Mobile Professional like the T-Mobile Wing. We were disappointed by the scarcity of fields on the N75.
Notes
Adding Notes (6.44)
Note Interface (2.0)
Note Formatting (0.0)
There are no options to format your notes on the Nokia N75. This includes changing font type, size or color. You also cannot add media or hand drawn items to notes. This is all par for the course for a Series 60 device.
Voice Memo (3.0)
[page title="Multimedia"]
Accessing Music Software (4.95)
Dedicated Music Controls (4.0)
Music Software Functionality and Organization (8.8)
Online Song Downloading (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support any direct download music services.
Streaming (0.0)
We were disappointed that the Nokia N75 was unable to handle any of our test streaming audio files. This includes Mp3, Windows media and Real media streaming. Windows Mobile devices are able to play back Windows media streaming and it is unfortunate that the N75 falls short of this type of functionality. It should be noted that the N75 ships with a trial version of Mobiradio, however because this is only a trial version we did not award points for it. If you wish to use Mobiradio you will need to pay $9.99 a month for the privilege.
Podcast Support (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not ship with any software to download and organize podcasts. This is an unfortunate oversight as Nokia offers an excellent podcast client that is available for free, and we are not sure why it would not be installed by default on their devices. To download and use this client click here.
Music Sync with PC (7.0)
The Nokia N75 can synchronize music with your PC either using Nokia's PC suite software or by using mass storage mode directly with Windows Media Player. For Mac users we should also mention that Nokia recentlly released a client that allows you to synchronize your music with iTunes, available here. Because this client is in beta we are not yet awarding points for it, however we did test it briefly and it worked as advertised. Too bad you can't do the same with iTunes on a PC.
Music Formats and DRM (4.0)
The Nokia N75 supports AAC, MP3 and WMA music files. It also supports Microsft's Playsforsure DRM, which means you can use it with online stores like Yahoo Music and Napster. It does not support Apple's Fairplay, so you won't be able to play music you download from the iTunes music store.
Music Interruption (10.0)
We test how phones handle interruptions by calls while playing back music. We found that the N75 did very well in this test, pausing the music when a call came in and then restarting from the exact point it paused when the call ended. We were very pleased with the N75's performance.
Video
Video Software Access (1.52)
Video Controls (4.0)
When playing back video in Realplayer the center key of the D-Pad acts as play/pause. The left soft key is also assigned to pause, a pointless redundancy, and the left soft key is assigned to stop, almost as pointless. Up and down on the D-Pad will fast forward and rewind clips respectively and the volume keys will of course control volume. There is no way to move between videos, not surprising given that Realplayer lacks any library management features, nor are there any keys for things like full screen view. We found the controls to be oddly organized and limited.
Video Software Score (1.0)
Realplayer on the Nokia N75 is not a good video playback solution. The complete lack of any library management features means that you will need to go and find each video file individually before you can start playing them back. You will need to manually create folders either on the device/card or in the gallery, but neither of these solutions is very satisfactory. It certainly isn't a patch compared to the video playback features offered by Windows Media Player on Windows Mobile devices. Realplayer on the N75 does not provide you with any library management features. This is a serious flaw for an advanced smart device that Nokia markets as a "multimedia computer".
Video Sync with PC (7.0)
As with music you can synchronize videos using either Nokia's PC suite or directly with Windows Media Player on a PC when the device is in mass storage mode. Unfortunately due to the lack of library management features in Realplayer you cannot synchronize video playlists and certainly can't do things like rate videos and synchronize the ratings.
Video Formats (3.0)
As with other Series 60 devices the N75 had some problems with various codecs. It was able to play back the two 3GP video files encoded in H263, but was unable to play back the Mpeg-4 encoded 3GP file. It also wasn't able to play back the H264 encoded .Mp4 file that we tested, although it was thankfully able to handle the realmedia file we tested. Other formats like flash and quicktime were not supported. We were very disappointed with the inability of the N75 to play back video files with the same extension but without the particular codec they support.
Video DRM (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support any video DRM formats.
Video Playback Smoothness (10.0)
Online Video Downloading (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support any video download services.
Video Streaming unscored
Because standards for streaming video are not yet standardized we do not award points for this section. We do however test a couple of streaming video sites to see how the device performs. We were pleased to see the N75 supported streaming 3GP video from www.zoovision.com, however it did not support streaming Windows Media video from www.windowsmedia.com. The N75 also supports AT&T's streaming video service, for those with plans that support it.
[page title="Software"]
OS (8.0)
Home Screen Score (7.0)
If you choose to activate the Active Standby the interface resembles that of a Windows Mobile Today screen, with plugins for your calendar and tasks and a series of shortcuts to launch various applications. This is probably the better home screen for those who are power PIM users, but others should be fine with the standard screen. Either way you can change the background picture easily to use any picture on your device. We like the ability to choose between two home screen types, and especially like the information offered by the Active Standbye display.
Extensibility (8.0)
Running Symbian Series 60 the Nokia N75 provides users with extensive options to extend the capabilities of the device with native third party applications. In addition to the hundreds of software titles available for this platform users can also install java based games and applications, with support built into the operating system rather than through a virtual machine such as on Windows Mobile devices. We were very pleased with the N75's extensibility options.
Customizebility (7.0)
The Nokia N75 provides users with a good selection of customization options. You can switch shortcuts on the home screen and change the background picture, as we discussed above, as well as change the device theme if you want an entirely new look and feel. You also have the option to change the size of the displayed font to one of three different sizes. Finally you can reorganize the applications in the menu screen, putting things in different folders and generally organizing it in the best way for your. These options all make the N75 one of the more customizable phones out there.
OS Responsiveness (5.0)
The Nokia N75's interface was a little slower than we would like. Although nowhere near as laggy as the T-Mobile Wing, it took awhile to launch programs like Web, Gallery and the music application. Even simple things like launching a new email from the messaging application took a couple of seconds. It certainly isn't as fast as the BlackBerry OS found on devices like the BlackBerry 8800. Most users will be able to live with the small delays however.
Gaming (4.0)
Browser Features (8.0)
Browsing Interface (9.0)
Browser Access (5.0)
To test how easily you can access the browser we count how many steps it takes to go from the home screen until we have opened Wirelessinfo.com. We use steps instead of a timed test to take network connectivity issues out of the process. We count typing out the web address as a single step. The Nokia N75 took 8 steps to get to our web site. By far the majority of these steps come from the fact that the advanced Series 60 browser is buried in the menu system. The reason for this is that the link on the home screen goes to AT&T's medianet service, which uses the older browser. Although we understand that AT&T wants people to use their online services its entirely conceivable that those not familiar with the platform won't discover that the more advanced browser exists. Once you actually launch the browser you are automatically taken to a field where you can enter a web address and then just hit go to open the page. We recommend that users replace the medianet link on the home screen with one to the better Series 60 Web.
Calculator (5.0)
Alarm (1.0)
Document Software (4.0)
Other Software (2.0)
[page title="Battery Life"]
Call Time (2.86)
To test battery life during a call we make a call to the phone using Skype and play an audio book over the connection to simulate conversation. We tested the Nokia N75 using AT&T's UMTS network. The N75 performed badly on our call time test lasting only 2 hours and 23 minutes. This is the worst performance we have seen to date from a phone, slightly worse than the LG Chocolate's 2 hour and 40 minute time. The use of the 3G network has a major negative impact on the battery life as does the relatively small 800 mAh battery that the N75 uses. Compared to the Treo 750, which also uses AT&T's 3G network, the N75's battery life was an hour and a half shorter. Those who spend hours on their phone will find they will need to carry around a charger or additional battery with the N75.
Music Playback (4.03)
To test battery performance while playing back music we set an album to play looped at maximum volume until the battery expires. The N75 lasted 5 hours and 36 minutes in our test. This is at the low end of what we've seen from devices to date. It is slightly better than the Krzr K1m's 4 hour 22 minute time but came out worse than the LG Chocolate's 7 hour 37 minute time and the Sanyo M1's 8 hour and 12 minute time. Compared to other Series 60 devices the N75 did significantly worse than the Nokia N73, which lasted 9 hours and 51 minutes, and about the same as the Nokia N85's 5 hour and 40 minute time. Chances are that the N75 won't be able to play music all day long without dying on you, so again be sure to carry a charger and/or additional battery.
Web Browsing (3.24)
To test battery performance when browsing we point the web browser to a page that is set to refresh automatically every 10 seconds. The N75 was again tested using AT&T's 3G UMTS network and again it performed badly, lasting only 2 hours and 42 minutes. This ties with the Motorola Q for the worst browsing time we've seen from a phone to date. It is worse than the Treo 750, another phone running on AT&T's 3G networ, which lasted 3 hours and 3 minutes. It is also worse than the other two Series 60 devices we tested as the N73 lasted 4 hours and 6 minutes while the N95 lasted 6 hours and 8 minutes. We must say that we are deeply disappointed by the poor performance of the N75 on our battery tests. We weight battery performance heavily and this poor performance will have a significant impact on the N75's overall score.
Idle Time unscored
In order to ensure that we deliver reviews in a timely manner we do not test standby time for cell phones. Nokia's stated standby time for the N75 is 200 hours.
[page title="Connectivity"]
Cellular Bands (8.0)
The Nokia N75 is a quad band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM phone that will work on any GSM network worldwide. GSM is the standard in most of the rest of the world and having a quad-band phone is important for world travellers. Our score for cellular bands is standardized based on the number of bands supported.
Data Support Score (5.0)
The Nokia N75 supports GPRS and EDGE on all four of its GSM bands. EDGE is capable of download speeds up to 230 kbps. The N75 is also Nokia's first phone to support AT&T's 3G network with UMTS support on the 850 and 1900 bands. UMTS is capable of download speeds up to 380 kbps, which is a nice bump over Edge but is not as fast as HSDPA, which can achieve speeds up to 1 Mbps. HSDPA is the updated version of UMTS and is supported by several AT&T devices such as the AT&T 8525.
Bluetooth (7.0)
The Nokia N75 supports Bluetooth 2.0, which allows for multiple simultaneous connections. Pairing the N75 with a bluetooth headset was quick and simple, as with other Series 60 devices. The N75 supports the following profiles: SDP Server, Hands Free, Headset, Sync ML, OBEX File Transfer, PC Suite, OBEX Object Push and Dial Up Networking. We were generally pleased with the N75's bluetooth performance but would have liked to see support for the A2DP and AVRCP profiles for stereo bluetooth headphones. Wi-Fi (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support W-Fi.
Infrared (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not support infrared.
[page title="Hardware"]
Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (8.5)
T9 and Auto Complete (5.0)
The Nokia N75 supports T9 predictive text but does not support auto completion of words. The implementation of T9 also runs into problems at times, for example you can't use T9 to enter a web address. Generally speaking we found the T9 easy to use, although you may want to note that the * key is used to switch between different predicted words on Series 60 devices, which is different than many other phones.
One Hand Usability (7.62)
We also run our words per minute (WPM) test using only a single hand. We enter the same sample sentence and again repeat the test five times and take the average for our score. The N75 took an average of 25.18 seconds to enter our sample text with a single hand for a score of 38.1 WPM. This is again an excellent score and only a little worse than the N75's two handed score. We are again very happy with the N75's keypad as it is very comfortabl to use with one or two hands.
Keypad Backlighting (6.0)
The backlight on the N75 is a flourescent blue that does a good job of illuminating the symbols and numbers on both the keypad and the controls. There is a light sensor that will automatically turn the backlight on in low light situations. The duration of the backlight is controlled by the same setting that controls screen backlight. We would have liked to see a separate control for the keypad/controls, but we were pleased with the quality of the backlight and the presence of an ambient light sensor.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (3.0)
The directional pad on the Nokia N75 is small and fairly flat, except that the edges are ever so slightly raised. The center select key is large in comparison to the rest of the D-Pad and is raised higher than the rest of the D-Pad. The result of this design is a D-Pad that is very prone to errors an difficult to use. We did not like the D-Pad on the N75. It's not a patch on the excellent D-Pad's found on phones like the Treo 750 or even the flat but roomy one found on the Razr V3m. Touch Screen (0.0)
The Nokia N75 does not have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (1.0)
The Nokia N75 does not have a traditional jog dial or scroll wheel, however you can use the volume keys to navigate up/down lists on the external display. For this reason we have awarded one point to the N75 in this section.
Soft Buttons (5.0)
The soft buttons on the N75 are located above the directional pad to the left and right. They are not well differentiated from surrounding keys, but are good sized. There is not much play when they are pressed and tactile feedback is minimal. In use we found that they were generally accurate and easy to access.
Volume Control (5.0)
The volume keys on the N75 are located on the right side of the phone near the top. When open the keys are on the lower part of the flip. The volume key is a rocker with the top and bottom of the key slightly raised to help you differentiate them. We found that they were easy to access when needed and although they do not provide much tactile feedback they are comfortable to press. One thing that is different from most phones is that the keys will only function when you are in an application that has audio playing. This means you cannot use the keys to change volume generally, instead you will need to use software profiles.
Power and Standby (6.0)
The power key on the N75 is located on the top of the device when closed. It sits below the plastic casing which makes it hard to hit by accident, an excellent feature for a power button. This does make it a little difficult to press however. We found the easiest way is to insert a fingernail into the slit that divides the key in the middle. The key is used to bring up the profiles menu with a single press while a press and hold will shut the phone down.
Other Buttons (13.0)
In addition to the buttons above the N75 has several additional buttons that assist in navigating the phone. As a Series 60 device the N75 includes a menu, pencil and correct key. These three keys are joined by a dedicated music key in surrounding the D-Pad. On the left side of the phone are a dedicated camera key and another button that opens the gallery. Finally there are three buttons below the exterior screen: next, previous and play/pause. These buttons are used to control music of course, but are also used in the camera interface and for navigating other functions available from the exterior screen. Unfortunately none of the buttons are available to be configured by the use, however several have multiple functions. We generally found all of these buttons to be useful and well placed.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The N75's primary display is QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution. QVGA has become the standard for mid to high end handsets and provides good quality, with little pixelation. The N75's display did a good job displaying items, including high resolution photos and web pages. Our score for gross resolution is standardized based on the total number of pixels supported.
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (8.3)
Pixel per inch is a measure of how densly pixels are packed into a display. Higher pixel density leads to richer colors and less pixelation, while lower pixel density screens can seem washed out. The N75's pixel density is 166.7 pixels per inch (PPI). This is about the same as the Nokia N73's and is higher than the N95's 153.8 PPI despite the same screen resolution due to the N95's larger screen. This pixel density is about average for a phone, howver it's not as high as the over 200 PPI screen density found on some phones like the LG Chocolate.
Screen Physical Size (6.0)
The Nokia N75's primary display is a comfortable 2.4 inches diagonal. This is larger than standard phone screens like those found on the Sanyo M1 and Razr V3m which generally measure 2 or 2.1 inches diagonal. The extra screen real estate makes for a very comfortable viewing experience, especially when viewing multimedia like photos or videos.
Screen Brightness (6.9)
To test screen brightness we set the phone's brightness to maximum and point the browser to a blank white page to ensure we measure the maximum brightness. We then measure the brightness from four inches away using a lux meter. The N75's screen measure 69 lux in our test. This is about the same as the N95's 72 lux, but significantly lower than the N73's 95 lux. It is slightly above average for phones generally and should be sufficient for most users.
Screen Bright Light Performance (7.0)
To test how well the N75 handles bright light performance we shine a bright photography light onto the screen, equivalent to a sunny day, and judge how well we can discern items on the screen. We found that we could make out the menu items on the N75 fairly easily, but text was very difficult to read. It was about the same as the N73, but not as good as the very good bright light performance of the N95.
Color Depth (10.0)
Color depth is a measure of how many colors a phone's screen can display. The Nokia N75 can display up to 16 million colors on it's internal screen. This has become the standard for Nokia's N-Series devices and is significantly better than the 65,000 color displays found on Windows Mobile devices. Colors on the N75's screen are rich with good gradiation. This is particularly important when viewing photos or video. We were very happy with the color depth on the N75. Our score for color depth is standardized based on how many colors are supported.
Secondary Screen (9.1)
The Nokia N75's exterior screen is larger than the standard on phones at 1.36" diagonal. It is a full color display capable of 262,144 colors and has a resolution of 160 x 128 pixels, which is good for 150.7 pixels per inch. We found the exterior display to be very usable as a music manager, but a little cramped when used as a viewfinder for the camera.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (2.0)
The Nokia N75 uses Nokia's standard Pop-Port connector for data transfer and the "slim" version of Nokia's charging port for power. Both ports are located on the left side of the device. The Pop-Port is protected by a hard plastic cover that makes it a little difficult to plug items into the port. The positioning means that when a headset is plugged in the device becomes significantly wider, we would have preferred to see the Pop-Port at least moved to the top or bottom of the device. The combination of proprietary ports is disappointing. We would have much preferred to see the device use a Mini USB port as on BlackBerry devices. One of the more significant drawbacks of this set up is that you cannot charge the N75 via USB. Headphone & Jack Compatibility (0.0)
The N75 uses Nokia's proprietary Pop-Port for headphones. You can purchase an adaptor so you can use your own 3.5mm headphones with the device, but we would have much preferred to see a 2.5mm or 3.5mm port built into the phone. We are also disappointed by the lack of support for A2DP and AVRCP for Bluetooth stereo headphones. We do not award points for devices that use proprietary headphone ports.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The N75 ships with 40MB of internal storage. This is sufficient to handle contacts, calendars and email (as long as you don't have a large number of large attachments) but won't be enough to store multimedia. We recommend you invest in a Micro SD card if you want to take a lot of photos or carry around music and videos.
Expansion Slot & Format (6.0)
The N75 supports expandable memory via Micro SD. Micro SD cards have become the standard for mobile devices and is currently available up to 2GB in size. Although some 4GB SDHC cards are starting to appear we are not yet sure whether these cards will be compatible with the N75. The Micro SD card slot is located on the left side of the phone and is protected by a hard plastic cover. The slot is spring loaded, which makes it fairly easy to get cards in and out, although the small size always makes handling Micro SD cards fiddly. [page title="Other Features"]
Tethered Modem (6.5)
The Nokia N75 can be used as a dial up modem for your computer or PDA either via Bluetooth or USB cable. Nokia's PC Suite easily allows you to create a USB connection, while creating a Bluetooth connection requires a few more technical details like the dial out number for your network. You do get 3G speeds, however these may be constrained if you are using a Bluetooth connection. Mac users can also create a Bluetooth dial out connection, but won't be able to use the USB connection. We were generally pleased with the ease of use and functionality when using the N75 as a modem.
[page title="Value & Comparisons"]
Value (7.0)
As of the time of this writing the Nokia N75 is available from AT&T's online store for $199.99 with a two year contract after a $50 mail in rebate. Without contract you will need to pay the full price of $399.99. The in contract price is reasonable for a smart phone with the N75's capabilities and is comparable to the price of phones like the Motorola Q and Samsung Blackjack when they were released. It is significantly less than AT&T 8525 or BlackBerry 8800. We feel that the N75 is a solid value at its current contract price, although smart shoppers will wait a few months for the price to inevitably go down.
Comparisons
Sanyo M1 - The Sanyo M1 is not a smart phone so you won't have access to the advanced features found on the N75, which runs Symbian Series 60. In other areas however the two handsets are comparable, as both are flip phones with external music controls and 2 megapixel cameras. The M1 comes with 1GB of built in memory, which is a bonus. However the N75 can store more if you invest in a 2GB Micro SD card at a cost of about $25. The M1's camera is far superior to the N75's as it performed better in almost all of our imaging tests and is auto-focus as compared to the fixed focus camera on the N75. The M1 is only available from Sprint while the N75 is currently only available from AT&T, although as a GSM world phone the N75 is theoretically usable on other networks while the M1 is not. Generally we feel that if you need the N75's smart phone features it is the better choice, but if you don't you may want to consider the M1 due to its better camera and built in storage. 
Nokia N95 - The Nokia N95 is the flagship of the N-Series lineup of smart phones to which the N75 belongs. The N95 has better specs than the N75 across the board, with a 5 megapixel auto-focus camera that is the best we have seen on a phone to date, GPS built in and the upgraded version of Series 60. The drawback of the N95 is of course it's price tag, which at $750 is more than three times the N75's contract price. Unlike the N75 the N95 doesn't function on AT&T's 3G network, although it does have Wi-Fi, which the N75 lacks. Despite the upgraded version of Series 60 the software features of both phones are generally comparable. Those looking for the ultimate handset will want the N95, but the N75 is a better choice for those looking for slightly downgraded functionality at a much lower price point. 
BlackBerry 8800 - The BlackBerry 8800 is a business oriented device that lacks a camera but adds a QWERTY keyboard when compared to the N75. Those looking for a business device will prefer the 8800 as it integrates better with corporate servers and support Push Email. The Blackberry OS is also more stable and faster than Series 60 found on the N75, with none of the out of memory errors we encountered while testing the N75. There are more applications available for the N75's platform however and the N75 is a better multimedia device despite the addition of music and video players on the 8800. This will really come down to what's more important to you, business oriented functions or multimedia oriented ones. [page title="Conclusion"]
Who's It For
Business User
The Nokia N75 is probably not a good choice for business users that need to integrate into a corporate environment and require push email. Although you may be able to install Nokia's E-Series software on the N75, we can't vouch for how well it works, and we certainly don't know if it will be supported via AT&T. Business users that don't need corporate integration and push email may find that the N75's smart phone features are sufficient for them, but the terrible battery life will probably dissuade them.
Budget Callers
Budget callers are generally not in the market for a smart phone, and in this case you can find an entry level AT&T phone for under $50 without a problem. Budget callers that do want a smart phone may want to consider the Nokia N75, the $200 contract price is certainly lower than many other smart phones. However those on AT&T can also choose from smart phones like the Samsung Blackjack, Nokia E62 or Cingular 3125 at half the price or lower than the N75.
Chatty Teenager
The Nokia N75 is not a good choice for chatty teenagers due to the extremely poor battery life. Anyone who talks on their cell phone for several thousand minutes a month will find that they will need to carry around a charger and/or extra battery when using the N75. This is a shame as teenagers would probably like the multimedia features on the N75, although the camera's poor performance may be another reason not to buy.
Media Maven
The excellent music functionality of the N75 may make it a good choice for media mavens, however the poor performance of the camera combined with the sub-par Realplayer for video playback are big negatives. The extremely poor battery performance is also another black mark against the N75. These drawbacks mean we can't recommend the N75 for media mavens.
Conclusion
The Nokia N75 was announced with much expectation as the first Nokia N-Series device to be carried by a U.S. carrier. Although there's a lot to like about this handset, including the excellent music functionality and Symbian Series 60 under the hood, the N75's shortcomings are severe. We were disappointed that the 2 megapixel camera on the handset is not auto-focus like those on other N-Series devices such as the N73 or N95. In addition to this handicap the N75's camera performed terribly on our resolution, color and noise tests, taking photos that we would have expected from an entry level phone rather than a high end "multimedia computer" as Nokia likes to call its N-Series line.
Battery life is another place where the N75 simply falls short. With a call time of 2 hours and 23 minutes and a browsing time of 2 hours and 42 minutes you will find that the N75's battery will run out quickly. This makes it a poor choice for business users, who otherwise might have been drawn to this smart phone. At $200 with a 2 -year contract the N75 doesn't offer much that you can't get from AT&T's other smart phones like the Cingular 3125 or Samsung Blackjack at a much lower price. We hope that this poor showing doesn't dissuade Nokia and AT&T from rolling out future handsets, we just hope they do a better job.
[page title="Ratings & Specs"]
| Dimension | |
| Height | 3.74 |
| Carrier | ATT |
| Type | Flip |
| Low Price | 199.99 |
| Width | 2.05 |
| Depth | 0.80 |
| Weight (including battery) | 4.36 |
| Physical | |
| Number of Screens | 2 |
| Mai | |