Key features:
2.6" 16M-color OLED display of QVGA resolution
8 megapixel autofocus camera with dual-LED flash and AF assist light
28mm wide camera lens, variable aperture, geotagging, time-lapse, camera lens cover
Symbian OS 9.3 with S60 3.2 UI
ARM 11 434 MHz CPU, 128MB RAM
Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA 3.6Mbps support
Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
Dual slide design with dedicated gaming/audio/gallery keys
microSD card slot with microSDHC support
8GB internal storage
Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotation
3.5mm audio jack
TV out
Stereo FM Radio with RDS, FM transmitter
VGA video recording at 30fps
USB and Bluetooth v2.0
One free N-gage game
Digital compass
Full flash and Java support in the web browser
Active kickstand
Main disadvantages
Image processing isn't very well tuned
Camera features are a bit outdated
HSDPA only 3.6Mbps, no HSUPA
Poor display sunlight legibility
No DivX or XviD support (can be installed)
No smart dialing (can be installed as well)
No office document editing out of the box (can be installed too)
To begin with stating the obvious, the Nokia N86 8MP only brings one major upgrade over the N85. But it's the kind that is likely to make the handset a hot seller. Looks like quite a lot of people will be eager to buy Nokia's first 8 megapixel cameraphone. And this time they'll be treated to more than just old glory. Because the N86 8MP won't settle for simply catching up in the megapixel chase, it tries to set the pace by introducing the industry leading variable aperture and a 28mm wide-angle lens - what a treat!
Oh, and while we're still at the obvious, the N86 8MP is good old (emphasis on old) Nseries. Great all-round performance is what you can expect in one of the most-complete smartphones on the market. A cameraphone, an N-gage gaming phone, a dual slider with a kickstand, a true Symbian all-in-one.
Scary as it sounds, the N86 8MP is not completely shielded against competition. Promoted to the 8 megapixel league in the nick of time, it finds itself surrounded by an alarming number of potential rivals.
The most obvious challenge is taking place on its own Symbian turf. The i8510 INNOV8 is no longer the top Samsung smartphone or cameraphone, but it's still keen to tackle the Nseries newcomer. And by the looks of it, the N86 8MP has quite some to learn from its Symbian rival in terms of image quality.
A couple of Sony Ericsson feature phones are also ready to play defense. It may look like an unequal fight, but a Cybershot (C905) and a Walkman (W995) with no gaps in the spec sheet may be strong enough to stand on their own against a Symbian smartphone.
And if outwitting or outplaying a Symbian smartie is a tough one, how about making up for that with looks. The LG GD900 Crystal has a full pack of high-end features, S-class touch UI and a body to die for.
Not to mention Omnia HD, which may not be of the same caliber and form factor, but is too among the most revolutionary camerapohones this year with its HD video recording.
Faced with a hostile crowd of smartphones, touch phones and feature phones, the Nokia N86 8MP is ready to fire back with Nseries skill and some groundbreaking imaging gear. The image quality of the handset is hardly up to scratch at this point though (we've got a retail unit) and we can't ignore that.
Nokia have got the hardware right however and the image processing is hopefully fixable through a firmware update. How the first Nokia 8 megapixel cameraphone fares against the competition is probably a short-term strategy. The important thing in the long run is the Nseries is done catching up and is ready and willing to discover.
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