Nokia N70

For cell phone and non-cell phone aficionados (if there ever was such a thing in this day and age) alike, the Finnish brand Nokia is a name that needs no further introduction. It is one, if not the forerunner in the cellular phone industry for many years now, and it's safe to assume for the next few decades to come.

Nokia has been churning out model after model of gorgeous handsets since its first inception. This is why one can easily get lost in the model number confusion that arises. But among the cell phone bed of roses from Nokia, an elegant thorn arises pricking every one's interest, and the Nokia N70 is one of them.

At first glance, the N70 bears a striking resemblance to the Nokia 6680. This is not a bad thing since the N70 more or less inherited the likable traits of its predecessor and greatly improved on it. Of course, being instantly recognizable and of great importance with its more compact size which gives it a more elegant look, especially with the classy looking stainless steel bezel casing, give it an edge over its predecessor. It's a good and effective design that can either be considered "macho-industrial" or feminine chic, depending on who is holding it. This means it fits both sexes and therefore greatly increases its marketability.

Nokia N70 Camera and Display

On the display front of the Nokia N70, although good on all accounts, it left a lot to be desired. Nokia has proven themselves better at this many times over in the past and it was quite a disappointment that considering the advances in cell phone technology these days, the N70's TFT active display of 176 x 208 pixels is quite average. This is just a small gripe, but when viewed side by side with competing smart phones, and even with the Nokia N90 which was released earlier, the difference will be quite apparent. But it is quite remarkable to say the least that average resolution aside - the display can be viewed perfectly at different angles. This means no squinting through glare when using the N70 under bright, outdoor conditions.

The N70 is equipped with a 2 mega pixel (MP) camera which is decent but falls short when compared to the earlier N90 model, which boasted a lens with the Carl Zeiss label. Now, this is not significant to the average clicker, but most professional photographers will be quite disappointed. It does however take good photos, with the flash helpful in a lot of cases. But the reaction is slow and the macro mode falls short of expectations.

It is also an unpleasant surprise to find that the camera does not offer auto focus, which is very important for shooting pictures on the fly. The N70 also comes with a new photo viewing application and picture editor, as is already becoming a standard among camera equipped phones nowadays. Music playback can accompany your picture viewing, which is not necessarily useful, but it is there if you need it.

This mobile phone's video capturing capabilities have been improved, with the duration of video recording limited to the free memory space, of which the N70 has not a lot of even with the included 64Mb card. It lets you shoot video at 352 x 288 pixels and in various formats including MP4. It also supports video calls which work with both 3G and GSM, with the ability to use either the front or rear camera. You can even opt to use or send a still picture to the other party instead of video. I'm guessing this feature is included in case the video call does not work like a charm (ie: slow video response) under certain conditions.

Nokia N70 Design and Accessories

As stated earlier, the overall design of the N70 is quite elegant, to say the least. The stainless steel bezel casing is guaranteed to inspire more than a second look from onlookers. It's a very pleasing experience just staring at it if I may say so myself. And that alone will have people lining up for one of these units at their respective local distributors. The 262K color screen's brightness can be adjusted according to your needs and produces crisp, clear images. Backlighting of the keypad is excellent, thanks to a sensor which regulates the backlighting as well as the display, providing the user with ease of use when navigating at dark conditions instead of blaring at the eyes as is the pitfall of other phones' backlighting.

The five way navigation pad, though a joy to use, is uncomfortably situated too near above the number "2" key though. Hence it is easy to unintentionally press the number "2" key instead of the "down" directional key and vice versa. But this will far from hinder those wanting to own the Nokia N70 as the nice features far outweigh the negative aspects. And the situation of the five way navigation pad will only need some getting used to anyway as for sure new owners of this smart phone will have a hard time stopping tinkering away with the keys.

Summary of Nokia N70 Features - Technical Specifications

• Weight: 126 g
• Width - Height: 53 mm - 108.8mm
• Thickness: 21.8 mm
• Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 (2G), UMTS 2100 (3G)
• Screen Resolution: TFT, 256K colors, 176 x 208 pixels, 35 x 41 mm
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps, EDGE Class 10, 236.8 kbps, EDGE 384 kbp
• Connectivity: Bluetooth v2.0, USB Pop-Port
• Web Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• Music: MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player, FM Radio
• Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary video call VGA camera
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Expansion Slot: RS-DV-MMC, 64 MB card included, hotswap
• Tones: Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, MP3, True Tones
• Software Features: Symbian OS 8.1a, Series 60 UI
• Other Features: Java downloadable games, Java MIDP 2.0, Video calling and download, Voice command/memo, calendar, to-do list and printing, integrated hands free
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion (BL-5C) 970 mAh, 3.5 hours talk time, 265 hours stand-by time

PROS: Overall elegant and unisex design, good picture quality, long battery life, various multimedia support, Bluetooth capabilities, integrated hands free, downloadable games
CONS: Average display, navigation pad's situation from the keypad is too close for comfort, small memory space, absence of the Carl Zeiss lens
Overall: All in all, the Nokia N70 packs more features that the average user will ever need and will be a great acquisition for those who want a future proof phone they can hold on to for the next couple of years.