The Nokia N8 was supposed to be the flagship Symbian device, turning the operating system touch friendly and pitting it againsts the likes of iPhones and Android devices. I purchased an N8 largely because I wanted something different from the other two players in the game (iPhone and Android). After using it for a few weeks, I think its clear that it really cannot compete and I have returned the phone. The device has a great form factor and is easy to hold. Additionally, the camera on the device is something to be marvelled. It rivals point and shoot quality and really shouldn't be compared to other cell phone cameras. Where the device falls short is in Nokia's Symbian operating system. It just isn't nearly as friendly or intuitive to use as Android or iOS. While the phone is plenty fast, using Symbian seems more like a chore, not a good way to describe the user interface of a device I use much throughout the day. This is further evidenced by the fact that Nokia recentl;y announced it is moving away from Symbian. Overall, great hardware meets subpar software.

Avic

Clarksville, MD

Well as the title says this is the best camera phone in the market out there better than the iphone , google nexus one or S and any other phone out there . But the awesomeness of this phone stops at this point . Yes Nokia has provided a great hardware i.e. ram, processor but the software by which I mean the Operating System Symbiam 3 does little to utilize the great hardware . The user interface or the touch is still not good . It is nowhere near the mark of iphone or even what android phones half the cost of nokia n8 can provide .  Nokia needs to leave Symbian and consider taking up android or developing Meego (used in Nokia N900) at a really high rate as the development of iphone or android is going at a great pace with so many applications available for both . But leaving out all the negatives , its still a good phone with a great camera so its a must buy for all those who want a good amera and also don't want to carry an fully fledged separate camera .  

caks

Springfield Gardens, NY

Excellent screen AMOLED capacitive multitouch. It is a pleasure to use, responds well to touch even in drag. Same level of quality for the body, (almost) immune to scratches and fingerprints. The camera just does not protrude from the back, better taken into account. Very convenient to exchange data directly from a USB stick: the mute wire is already in use. It also reads PDF, but you have a moment to get used to screen maybe not suitable for this use. Would also read and edit Office applications, but before you have to buy the license (with a price that, I would have at least made available in trial version). So in nutshell, the N8 is a formidable machine shooting (photos + video) with the particularity that allows you to make phone calls.

akhkha

New York, NY

I bought this cell phone 3 months ago.I was indecided if I should get the Iphone 16GB or this one, the iphone has more user-friendly interface but the Nokia N8 is more complete in all aspects. I did a comparison between the quiality of the pictures and videos from both phone's cameras and the N8 is vastly superior. The memory is 16GB but expandable to 32GB, you can change the text messaging alerts to any ringtone you want (unlike the Iphone).Overall, The voice quality is better than most phones I've tried, and the camera is top of the line for cell phones. MAs props to Nokia for making this phone.The best part of the phone is its look, it looks elegant and stylish, and is very well designed and built, the front glass is super strong and almost unscratchable, the camera lens is well protected too.If i were to rate this phone, I would give it 9.5/10 the only thing I didn't like was the price and the fact that the Ovi store has fewer apps than the Apple store, but it is really the best option out there considering its rivals

LXPX

Laredo, TX

Nokia N8 rules and can rule even more if the OS can get replaced. I suggest Nokia to reall drop out their current OS and adapt with the Android or Windows 7 OS. 12 MP camera, excellent interface and inbuilt HDMI port are some of the uniqu features which are not easily available in the market today. Nokia is so far the best phones as far as the quality is concerned. I have had nokia in the past since I was 16 and I can't tell you how many times I have droped it from a distance. It never ever broke. This phone has sufficient amount of Inbuilt memory as well as the expandable support. Nokia N8 requires an OS to represent the current apps market. This phone is by far the best with the features included. It can easily kill any other phone in the market but the OS needs a change. Go for it if Nokia is willing to offer some OS replacement in near future.

surpri

Bogota, NJ

FIrst, before i get into the meat of the review, let me preface this by saying i have been the most ardent Symbian supporter. I have had a symbian phone since the nokia 3650 launched in 2004--and have had one with me either exclusively or as a second phone for the entire time since then except for a 9 month period where i went exclusively Maemo (Nokia N900). Thus, i won't really comment on whether the phone's UI has a "high learning curve" as some people say, as i feel very comfortable with it. FIrstly, the hardware. this thing is built great. i dropped it a few times already, and yes, there are visible scratches, but everything works (knock on wood). there are no creaky parts, no loose-fitting jiggles, plasticy "disposable" feel as you got with some other nokia phones of late (ahem, nokia N97). of course, there aren't any moving slider parts either, so that helps. the phone is built very well and feels good in your hand. The camera is awesome. it's worth 1/2 the price of admission--at least. if you take a lot of photos with your phone, this is the best one out there. great optics, great xenon flash, macro mode captures great detail. the best camera i've ever used on a phone. the UI...is really buggy. symbian still needs a lot of catching up to do and it shows. very inconsistent. oh, and a word about the store. the store sucks. ovi store needs to improve if they are to compete with apple and google. for some reason, like a real store, the store goes down whenever i try to use it late at night. WTF?

jobber99

Rowland Heights, CA

One of the best touch bases camera phone out there . The touch screen function is quite liquid, so one must not look like a lunatic on the screen "tap" to what happens once or adopted. You can just lightly tap and it will be switched as a Home Screen in the next, without problems. The "touch-QWERTY works really well. Responding as it should, without delay and we will handle it quickly .The mobile phone is also "Feedback". How do I want my! Quite simply, if one writes such a message and presses the relevant letters, it vibrates slightly so that you realize that "doing" something.  The 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss and the xenon flash the device failing to make a very good digital camera! I myself have such a digital camera and am so glad to have found a perfect harmony spare! The pictures are really top, and the HD video recording makes its name, no shame. One can therefore take pictures / videos. But you should also get protection for it and the touch screen, but more on that later.One can also easily play videos / pictures via HDMI connector on the TV-without quality loss! What it is somehow a "portable DVD player makes. In practice it also means that you simply a USB stick with the included USB cable.

gul58

New York, NY

I love Nokia N8. it is one of the only phones the has a 12 megapixel camera, it is also has a wireless FM transmitter so you can listen to Mp3's and it has actual GPS system in which you do not need actual cell service, the screen is great one of things i like about this phone is that it is distinctive unlike the i-phone This is my first time with a Symbian OS. I've had experience with Android and iOS4. I like the ability to do many things with the OS right out of the box. There's no need to root or jailbreak because it has so many great features. USB transfer is a snap and doesn't require any software. I haven't tried using the OVI suite yet. The keyboard is very responsive is is my favorite on-screen keyboard so far. I usually prefer physical boards but this one is great. The T9 feature in regular mode is great for one-handed typing and landscape mode features a full keyboard. The picture quality is amazing and it has lots of features like macro, timers, flash adjustments, white balance, and many other things I like to use when taking photos. The browser is slow and not very easy to use. ( As mentioned by others) Battery meter isn't accurate. The first time it was showed 100% when it was at 40% (used an app to compare). After a restart the meter showed a better reading.  

knivesii

Los Angeles, CA