Nokia N81

By CNET Au

Nokia has unveiled the Nokia N81 multimedia computer, with expected availability in the fourth quarter this year. It's likely that the N81 will ship in certain European and Asian markets first -- possibly in October.

There will be two versions of the Nokia N81: an 8GB model and one with a microSD expansion slot that can accept cards up to 4GB. Both N81s are built for music and gaming with a 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated game keys (when held in landscape position). The Symbian S60 device will also work with Nokia's newly launched Ovi Internet brand, where you can download songs from the Nokia Music Store and games from the N-Gage service. Music fiends should also be pleased that the N81 includes A2DP support for stereo Bluetooth, an FM tuner, side-mounted dual stereo speakers, and support for a number of file formats, including MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, and M4A. As part of the Nokia Nseries of multimedia computers, the N81 also has RealPlayer onboard for full-screen video playback and a 2-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities.

Specification:

• Talk time
• 4

• Standby time
• 384

Connectivity

• Networks
• GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900

• Wireless technology
• Bluetooth, 802.11b

• Data services
• WAP

• USB connectivity
• Yes

Display

• Main display: Screen resolution
• 240 x 320 pixels

• Main display: Number of colours
• 16 million

Entertainment

• Video player
• Yes

• Games
• Yes

• FM radio
• Yes

• Music player
• Yes

Functionality

• Input method
• Numerical keypad

• Operating system
• Series 60

• Video calls
• Yes

• Web browser
• Yes

General

• Phone type
• 3G, Music, Gaming

• Form factor
• Slider

• Dimensions (W x D x H)
• 102 x 50 x 17.9 mm

• Weight
• 140 g

Memory

• Expansion slot
• microSD

Messaging

• Messaging options
• SMS, MMS, E-mail

Physical features

• Available colours
• Black

The Nokia N81 ain't all about having a good time though. It's still, first and foremost, a phone with quad-band world roaming and integrated Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g). The Symbian smart phone also includes email support (Push, SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), Nokia Mobile search and Nokia Maps.

From a design standpoint, the N81 is gorgeous. We had a painfully brief hands-on time with the device and the slider design is sleek and smooth. The 2.4-inch, 16 million-colour QVGA screen is beautifully sharp and bright, and the alphanumeric keypad spacious. We listened to some tunes over the phone's speakers -- lots of volume but we were still wanting a bit more richness and bass.

Obviously, battery life will be a concern with such a feature-filled phone. Nokia couldn't give us MP3 playback battery numbers, but the N81 is rated for four hours of talk time (GSM) and up to 16 days of standby time.