It shoots 3.2-Megapixel stills, records hi-def video, views either on TVs and a whole lot more; we've reviewed the hotly anticipated Nokia N93 camera phone.
Review summary of the Nokia N93:
|
Gallery » |
 Suffering from a few teething problems in the software department, the Nokia N93 is undoubtedly capable of shooting high-quality stills and truly outstanding video - as well it should, being built like a brick house. First-rate calling and messaging capabilities are also on the slate along with a boatload of additional features, but unless you're willing to sacrifice portability for the ultimate in imaging there are better balanced options to be had. Release: September 2006. Price: $700.
Pros: High-quality stills; excellent video recording; top-notch calling and messaging tools
Cons: Big and bulky; a few software glitches
| Poor |
Mediocre |
Good |
88%
VERY GOOD |
Excellent |
|
|
Full Nokia N93 Review:
 |
Calling - Very good
Handling voice and video calls with ease, the N93 offers excellent quality but doesn't quite match the usual excellence of its siblings for signal reception and volume. Bluetooth headset users will find themselves well served, however, and we also favour the inclusion of speaker independent voice dialing.
Battery life is average with 3,5 hours of talk time and 7 days of standby, meaning users who draw on the full feature set of the phone should expect having to charge every day.
Messaging - Very good
Equipped with a massive, comfortable and responsive keypad as well as the ability to display in the range of 170 characters on-screen, the N93 has the basics down pat with regard to messaging. Unfortunately, touches such as backup and synchronization, the ability to see which messages have been replied to and organizing them into folders are lacking - but at least it's capable of storing a nearly unlimited number of messages.
Camera - Very good
Easily accessible, the autofocus-enabled 3.2 Megapixel camera of the N93 snaps first-rate stills, but struggled with detail in darker areas as well as obtaining focus at the end of its 3x optical zoom, a somewhat slow user interface and the odd software crash.
On the upside, there's plenty of storage as well as solid printing, sharing and viewing options galore; sharing pictures via TV out or wirelessly over Wi-Fi are particularly interesting even though the latter requires additional hardware. Lastly, the video recording capabilities of the N93 are absolutely stunning.
Best of the rest
The N93 also offers several other tidbits of interest, including a decent, full web page-capable browser which benefits from the large, hi-res screen and speedy Wi-Fi access; extensive scheduling and e-mail capabilities; and a music player which plays MP3s and WMAs but lacks dedicated controls and a way of connecting quality headphones.
Also, business users will be happy to note the presence of Office document viewers as well as a bundled USB cable and Bluetooth to provide hassle-free 3G connectivity for laptops.
Price and availability
The Nokia N93 is now available throughout Europe, selling in the €550 range without subscription.
Available now from Nokia's U.S. Web site, the N93 retails for $700.
|
|
|
|
|
Archive