In a nutshell: A
very powerful smartphone with a 5 megapixel camera, assisted GPS,
WiFi, 3G HSDPA and a 4GB memory card. The N79 gives you most of
the features of the flagship N96 in a classic shape and at much
lower cost. We highly recommend it! Check out the top 10 independent
deals for the N79 below, or click to read the full
review and user reviews.
Top 10 internet deals
Nokia
N79 Review
Review:
November 2008.
Ooh yes. This is an Nseries phone
that we like. For roughly half the cost of a Nokia
N96, you get nearly all of the features, but few of the problems.
End of review, go buy it!
Seriously, this should be high on your list of
phones if you're a power user and enjoy Nseries phones. It's an
evolution of the Nokia N78, but with
a better camera and a proper keypad (i.e. one that works!)
The N79 weighs less than 100g, which makes it the
lightest Nseries phone ever by our reckoning. But it comes with
a large 2.4 inch display with 320 x 240 pixels and 16 million colours
- the standard for high-end phones in 2008. It also has space for
a proper functional keypad with a 4-way navigation pad and no gimmicks.
This keypad just works, unlike various others currently on sale
from Nokia and Sony Ericsson in particular. It's a phone that does
the basics very well indeed.
But it's in no way a basic phone. Rather it's one
of the highest spec phones around - a definite wolf in sheep's clothing.
The highlights include:
5 megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics & Tessar
lens
3G video calling
Music player, FM radio and FM transmitter
Assisted GPS with Nokia Maps
WiFi enabled
Standard 3.5mm headphone socket
HSDPA 3.6 Mbps
4GB memory card included (8GB max)
The only problem seems to be that the shops aren't
pushing the phone very hard. No doubt it will appear in due course,
but don't expect to see many of these on the street. What a pity.
Messaging: SMS, MMS, email (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3)
with attachment support
Java & Symbian applications
Vibration alert
Memory: 50 Mbytes plus 4GB microSD memory card
(max 8GB)
Connectivity: WLAN, Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced
Data Rate, USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio connector, TV-Out
Internet: GPRS, EGPRS class B, EDGE, HSDPA (up
to 3.6 Mbps download), Nokia Web Browser, Mini Map, Flash Lite
3.0
Quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) plus 3G
HSDPA
Size: 110 x 49 x 15 mm
Weight: 97g
Talktime: 3.5 hours (3G) - 5.5 hours (2G)
Battery standby: up to 370 - 400 hours
Nokia N79 Consumer
Reviews
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Average
rating from 58 reviews:
Reviewed by harsh singhvi from India
on 6th Feb 2010
It is an awesome phone.. it does not freeze... some stupids here
tell that it freezes .... i wud like to tell them not to keep many
applications open, any phone would freeze if many apps are always
kept open.. im using it from a long time and no problems... people
should know how to use this phone... trust me its an excellent phone.. Rating:
Reviewed by lamba from india on
28th Dec 2009
I am unfortunate buyer of this phone.One reviewer has put it aptly
"put it in the fridge, it keeps on freezing" Nokia has no answer
to it ,cannot repair it even after many attempts.Instead of admiting
problem with their product, they will keep on shunting you till
you get frustrated and resign to your fate and throw it out to buy
a new phone but never ever a Nokia product. Rating:
Reviewed by yunki from United Kingdom
on 23rd Dec 2009
I've been using the phone for about a year now and although it started
off as a not bad phone, I'm getting really annoyed now. Its a very
slow and unresponsive phone. The user interface isn't very user
friendly. I previously switched from Sony Ericsson and can't wait
til my contract finishes so I can switch back. The quality of the
photos are very poor, despite being a 5MP camera, I'm certain a
3MP Sony Ericsson camera phone will take better pictures. The pictures
are very noisy (grainy), often the colour saturation is wrong. The
flash is a bit useless as you end up with burnt subjects and very
dark background. Video quality is decent though, you don't expect
much from a VGA camera. Battery life is a bit short but not too
bad, it lasts about 2 to 3 days for me (not much talking, small
number of texts and a bit of music). The phone is small, thin and
very light, which is good, I'm not too concerned about it being
plasticy. In conclusion, the phone was very disappointing. The lack
of responsivness is a real killer for this phone and I would give
it away for free (to some sucker) once my contract is finished. Rating:
Reviewed by Abdul-Rahman from Libya
on 15th Dec 2009
it is best classic nokia phone Rating:
Reviewed by Sameer from India on
8th Dec 2009
This phone is very good when it comes to features and performance
+ looks but it all goes down the drain as it gets bricked very often
, the handset has design faults due to which the lcd and the keypads
go bad and freeze the phone , Nokia sucks big time , it purposely
makes very poor quality handsets so that it can rip off money in
the form of spares and repairs , here in India every Nokia Care
will quote u half the cost of the phone to repair even a minor shit
issue , Nokia should be sued big time for releasing sub standard
handsets , above that it does not have the balls to do a product
recall despite the design faults , it is cheap company that can
only recall chargers and batteries , this brand has got me completely
disconnected , Nokia is not the same as it was , i hope this company
stops producing such bad devices . Thats it . Thank You Rating:
Reviewed by harjeev from london on
1st Dec 2009
got the black version, loved it at first, then it keeped freezing
on music player ect, dust has gotton on every part of the phone
and even managed to get underneat the screen, going to send tt off
for repair from my network providerd, why dooes nokia make such
poor quality phones, and then sell for high end prices!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by J Rico from UK on
26th Nov 2009
Well i had this phone for about three months before i had to sell
it (money issues) but i can honestly say that it was the best phone
i have ever owned. I have a nokia 6300 and i wanted a smart fone
with a simple candybar shape (unlike n95/n96 etc). N79 is all this
and more. The camera is very impressive and the flash is great.
The fm radio reciever was very usful in my car as was the GPS (with
ovi maps) so i was using it as both a sat nav and music player at
the SAME TIME as once you tune in the radio channel you can still
here the navagation voice. Another great feature is the 3.5mm headfone
jack which is excellent as you can use any headphones to get great
sound quality. If you want a smartphone thats not chunky like the
n96 with a classic candybar style GET THIS PHONE!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Kirsty from Australia on
7th Nov 2009
I sent this phone back as soon as I got it as I could hear a faint
high pitch squeel when I was on a phone call, and the person on
the other end sounded muffled, even when I adjusted the volume.
I got a replacement and it has the same sound. So I'll be sending
it back and getting a different phone. Good phone if you don't have
sensitive hearing. Rating:
Reviewed by David Bell from UK on
18th Sep 2009
Best phone i have ever had, and i've had lots! Battery lasts 7 days
no problem, and i text alot. It really pays to condition the battery
initially. Rating:
Reviewed by Gregg from England on
10th Sep 2009
major dissapointment. its slow and unresponsive and the keypads
a nightmare to use. why use thin bars as the two softkeys instead
on proper buttons?! its got a great camera and the maps are class
but nokia seem to have forgotten the basics. luckily it stopped
letting me send texts yesterday so ive got a good excuse to take
it back and swap it tommorow! Rating:
Reviewed by Basil from South Africa
on 10th Sep 2009
I have already signed a contract now I'm just waiting for my N79
to arrive. I can't wait! Before I decided on this phone I did a
lot of in-depth research on it and its unanimous: This is a great
buy for much less than what you would otherwise pay for a smartphone
(with even less features than what the N79 has got!) [Editor's comment:
Is this really a review? Oh, go on then, we're feeling rather permissive
today.] Rating:
Reviewed by neovia from UK on
12th Aug 2009
This is an absolutely fantastic phone. I have been using it for
several months and never had a problem. It is a smart phone so it
has all the functionality of the N series phones but it is much
smaller and lighter. It is great to be able to download applications.
For example the sports tracker and email applications from Nokia
are free and work well. The camera takes great shots and the battery
life is fine. Browser works well although the screen is fairly small.
GPS is fast. If you want a smart phone and not a touch screen, this
is definately worth a look. Note to mobile-phones-uk.org.uk: this
phone is missing from the left menu even though it is a current
offering. [Editor's reply: It's only available sim free from the
online retailers that we track, that's why it now isn't in the main
navigation any more.] Rating:
Reviewed by mark from uk on 8th
Aug 2009
all in all a not bad phone but does have its down sides the battery
life is a joke charged mine all last night and made hardly any short
calls and the batterys about flat Rating:
Reviewed by isha from india on
26th Jul 2009
this phone is really nice but only for only for those who r not
required to use phone constantly n fastly coz its some applications
like camera keeps on freezing rest its good n keypad is smooth,
backup is nice but to see to ur needs before buyin it Rating:
Reviewed by rachel from India on
17th Jul 2009
Its an Awesome phone., am totally in love with it. The picture quality
is awesome and if you go ahead scrolling the navigation wheel workslike
breeze.... OVer all the second best phone i had in the row... well
the previous one was sony ericcson w700i and i lost it... so this
one is a smart upgrade for me. Rating:
Reviewed by Tony from UK on 5th
Jul 2009
Amazing. Rating:
Reviewed by The Phone Demon from Leeds
UK on 22nd Jun 2009
Truly a briliant phone ! surfs through applications with speed and
does not freeze it has loads of smart gadgets on it. dont delay
but one today !!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Abhishek from India on
22nd Jun 2009
This is the awsome phone which i have ever seen. Camera is nice
and the design is sexy.GPS works great.., I will strongly recommend
this phone... come on fellas go grab this phone...:) Rating:
Reviewed by Sudu from Sri Lanka on
22nd Jun 2009
Phone works great. UMTS with Internet radio and FM transmitter run
together flawlessly. Battery life is much better than expected.
The music player of my old 6120c seems to be a bit more user friendly.
Unfortunately GPS and MAPS is still useless here in Sri Lanka as
long as there are no road maps. Phone is highly recommended. Rating:
Reviewed by Firoz Ahmed from Saudi arabia
on 14th Jun 2009
im totally satisfied with this cell. gps is cool and i really love
it. its best in its class and the best in the n series Rating:
Reviewed by retwick from india on
13th Jun 2009
NOkia's Best N_series Multimedia Phone.Really Outstanding Performance.Best
Of 2009. 10 Star.********** Rating:
Reviewed by Laxsinx from India on
8th Jun 2009
Nokia's best N series, high spec phone, with state of art features.
It easily beats my earlier Nokia 5610 in most of its value added
benefits. This is a highly recommended device for 2009, mates! behold
let the champion rule. Rating:
Reviewed by Digamber from India on
22nd May 2009
Very great phone, never given me a problem, i will strongly recommend
it. Rating:
Reviewed by Peter from UK on
17th May 2009
Truly Excellent phone. GPS, WiFi and the FM transmitter are great
functions that all work well. Best looking N Series phone - best
in Black. The xpress on covers are a bit of a gimmick, but the phone
itself certaintly isn't. Very pleased and thoroughly recommend it.
Rating:
Reviewed by Husnain from Pakistan on
30th Apr 2009
Great phone buy it... i am using it.... Thanks, regards Husnain
Abbas husnainonline@msn.com Rating:
Reviewed by Jane from UK on 20th
Apr 2009
I hate this phone. I wish I hadn't been talked into it. It is too
thick, too plasticky looking. I had great trouble transferring the
contacts over from my old phone, it took the whole family to sort
it out on Saturday. It wouldn't allow me to transfer over contacts
as you would expect it to. There are no shortcuts to 'favourite'
or regularly used buttons,i.e GO TO... I cannot delete hideous icons
and narrative stuff on the front page and most annoyingly, when
someone sends you a text message, it is not able to tell you who
sent it until you open it....a function you get on the most basic
phones. Aaaah give me back my 6500 classic any day! Rating:
Reviewed by vaibhav anand rai from india
on 11th Apr 2009
yo.......excellent features....grater then N95.... Rating:
Reviewed by www.mobystar.com from UK
on 9th Apr 2009
Best Nokia Nseries device on the market. All the things that the
N95 N96 do that the N79 doesn't are things I don't need. For me
- weight, ease of use and compactness are the most important after
functionality. When it comes to candybar form factors the N79 is
the optimal design, and still is. Rating:
Reviewed by Balddevil from UK on
8th Apr 2009
So far so good!!!! I'm always sceptical about new phones, but this
one seems to be very good! Excellent Build quality,battery life
seems to be ok and it is very easy to use. After having an N95 I
was very unsure about having another nokia, as it was apalling on
battery life and it constantly crashed. Rating:
Reviewed by Sarah from England on
7th Apr 2009
I wanted a N-series phone but was put off by the majority, which
are ugly slide handsets like the N85, N95 and even the N96. I have
the black version of this phone and it's a very good looking handset.
Feels great in your hand. Some people are finding it hard to get
use to the buttons. It took me a few days to get use to them (I
was coming from a HTC that uses a stylus) and I find them to be
fine. They are large, wide and flat so there's little chance of
typing in the wrong number or word when you text. I text a lot!
I don't use the GPS as I take the train to work but I can definately
see it coming in handy for weekends away. The music quality is great
and organising songs they way YOU want is useful. I listen to music
for an hour into work and an hour returning home. The batery lasts
me about 3 days but I charge every 2 days. Best Phone I've had so
far. Rating:
Reviewed by alison from uk on
7th Apr 2009
i have had this phone for a week now and im not happy with it at
all the camera is not that good and also it keeps freezing when
trying to do something and also after a call it turns its self off
im taking it back now Rating:
Reviewed by James from UK on
5th Apr 2009
Simply brilliant phone. Everything I could ask for. Camera (with
flash) is brilliant. Focusing is fast so no more missed opportunities.
Battery is very good! (recent nokias have not been good in this
department). Installed tomtom on mine and it works a treat. 20 seconds
to calculate route using internal GPS! Mp3 players is VERY EASY
to use - ipod like toggle. 1 tip: set menus to classic view and
it will organise all the features VERY NICELY! Rating:
Reviewed by Lee from UK on 2nd
Apr 2009
I had the nokia 6300 previous and found that to be a good phone
apart from the battery life, i tried the SE C510, which did'nt even
pick up a signal in my house!! So sent that back, i then ordered
the N79 and i am glad that i did, its a brilliant phone, good music
player and speakers, great that you can listen to FM radio through
car speakers. good camera, people that moan about this should realise
that if you wanna take good photos then get a proper one, remember
that a mobile is for talking and texting, so anything else is a
bonus!! i've had mine for over a week now, and i've charged it up
twice, so its got a a good battery life (i surf the web quite alot),
whereas when i did this with my 6300, it would die after a day!!
Easy to use, the only thing that i found was a small problem was
it had no smiley faces for txts, so i had to purchase this from
A-SMS, but it was only a few quid, but that made it better for txtin.
All in all this is a brilliant phone and would recommend highly.
Rating:
Reviewed by D Woodhouse from England
on 2nd Apr 2009
Had this phone for about 4 weeks now and very impressed with all
the features,very user friendly and the best nokia i have owned
to date Rating:
Reviewed by Per Spelman from Norway
on 31st Mar 2009
Yes, it is a marvellous phone - on the paper! But useless i practice.
I have been plundering with almost all functions of the phone for
several months until it died completely. And now Nokia will neither
repair og give me a substitute. Nokia claims it has been subject
to fluid. And their pictures tends to show salt in the phone, which
indicates that sweat has come into the phone, but how? There is
a consentration on the top, and the phone is completely clean further
down. There is only one explanation. It is the hole for the earphones
on the top of the phone that leads a small drop of sweat into the
phone from time to time, until it stops working. And this is a phone
that is marketed as a sportsmobile - N79 Active! Rating:
Reviewed by phalanges from UK on
30th Mar 2009
Nice features, though 5MP camera is already out of date and where
is the proper xenon flash, it is 2009 after all?. Too heavy and
too thick. Those slim buttons are a pain. Nav-wheel is a disaster
- creaky and has now stopped working all together. Screen light
is not uniform. Cover on camera is a pain. Music player is stone
age (buy another one). But, having said that I would have it any
day over the pathetic iPhone that lags behind on so many modern
features. Rating:
Reviewed by Mikey boy from London on
22nd Mar 2009
I recently purchased this phone in black and what a gem it is. Its'
not the best looking phone in the world but sure makes up for this
with it's many features and practicality. I purchased the sexy looking
Samsung u800 before the N79 but took it back because of the small
keypad tinny sound and lack of features. To sum up the N79 is my
best phone purchase to date! Rating:
Reviewed by James from England on
20th Mar 2009
I am in awe of this phone , it makes me speechless and brings a
smile to my face every single time i use it. Not much else i cant
think of to say , just sublime Rating:
Reviewed by Mr.b from United kingdom
on 18th Mar 2009
Best feature on this handset (apart from making phone calls)!! is
being able to listen to the internet radio through the fm dial in
your car or at home via the phones fm transmitter! Excellent :-)
done a few journeys in the car and only buffered twice for a Few
seconds. Well done nokia, also battery life is the best i have seen
in a nokia phone for a long time. Anyway the phone is packed with
features to keep you occupied and more importantly good quality
phone calls, where as most phones now days they concentrate more
on the gadget side of things rather then what the thing was made
for! MAKING PHONE CALLS! ...... Rating:
Reviewed by Mr Funshine from United
Kingdom on 16th Mar 2009
Owned this phone for a little over a week now and honestly thought
my long quest to find the perfect phone had been completed. Sadly
it's not. Very close with this handset though. Build quality is
great. No creaks or squaks and a smooth slide protects the (excellent)
5 MegaPixel camera from any unwanted scratches etc. As with all
S60 phones there is an element of slowness when first switched on.
However, by and large navigation through the menus is a breeze and
quicker than many similar priced handsets. SatNav is a great little
addition too and my phone came with a 140 day licence for drive
instructions. Found the signal very quickly and provided directions
in an equally snappy fashion. Music player very good sound quality
too and the all-important 3.5mm socket means you dont need to use
the risible Nokia earphones (4GB card also included as standard).
FM transmitter is to die for as well. Your CD player in your car
will become redundant. Just put together a play-list and away you
go. So far so good then ? Well, yes, but this is also where the
phone's (perhaps) only imperfection lies. My old N85 (terrible phone)
was sent back because the phone always froze when using the forward
button too often in music player (as well as it's dreadful build
quality). Well, sadly this has now happened a couple of times with
the N79. I'm hopeful a Firmware upgrade from Nokia might fix this.
For the time being as it's still 95% quality I think it deserves
5 stars. I'm looking forward to keeping this one for a while. Rating:
Reviewed by John from England on
9th Mar 2009
Very satisfied with this phone, if your looking for your next phone
this is the one to get! 5 star all the way. Rating:
Reviewed by WENDY from UNITED KINGDOM
on 9th Mar 2009
I have just upgraded to N79 great phone easy to use, GET ONE you
wont regret it Rating:
Reviewed by HASSAN from PAKISTAN on
27th Feb 2009
wow, its really a smart and stylish phone i am using it. its style
is better than n78. i were also used n78 but n79 is really a good
one. these phones are slow becoz of thier heavier symbian software.
some peoples says its battery timing is not good just one day. but
how they said becoz it is not nokia 1112 or any other like 1100,
hane a battery timing of 5 or more days. so buy it. i am using and
i am satisfied with this one Rating:
Reviewed by ali from england on
25th Feb 2009
excellent excellent! Rating:
Reviewed by TIm from North Yorks, UK
on 12th Feb 2009
I have received my N79 phone and I am really pleased with it. It
had v10 firmware on but after waiting about 10 - 15 mins for the
ew firmware to download the phone seems to work better. All i can
say is the build quality is excellent! and i dont know why i put
off buying this phone. I am really fussy about the keypad on phones,
as i had a C902 which went back as i couldnt get used to the awkward
keypad and the GUI (as I normally send a lot of text messages and
the phone just couldnt keep up with me), but I picked up the N79
and thought, this is a sturdy phone and the keypad is a bit like
the 6300. The buttons are pretty much the same size but they are
a bit wider, easy to press and i can text on the N79 just as quick
as i could on the 6300. The Menu key on the left and the C key on
the right are also easily accessable. I bought the phone from Nokia
as they said that if i dont like it i could send it back and get
a ful refund. I dont think i will be sending this phone back. To
lock the keypad, you dont have to use the lock button on the top
of the phone, i have just found out that can use the Left shortcut
key and the * button. The GUI is very quick, the best i have seen
in a nokia smartphone. The camera quality is OK, its better than
my 6300 which is one of the main reasons why i bought this phone,
as i am sick of producing rubbish photos on nights out. I have turned
off the Navi wheel function as to be honest, it was annoying. Hopefully
i will get the most out of the battery. I have turned off UMTS and
only using GSM, turned off WIFI feature as it will not connect to
my hidden network, turned the lights out and power save to the most
eco friendly settings and turned down the brightness of the screen.
I was very supprised how light the phone is. Im sure my 6300 is
heavier. Rating:
Reviewed by kaleigh from scotland on
31st Jan 2009
looks discusting but fantastic phone BUY IT NOW!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Dave from UK on 20th
Jan 2009
Having previously used a N96 i decided to sell it as it was such
a dissapointment. I decided to purchase a sim free N79 from Nokia.
I have found the phone absolutely outstanding from day one. * Light,Sleek
& attractive Smartphone * Superb battery life * Not a fingerprint
magnet like the N95 & N85 Rating:
Reviewed by William from USA on
17th Jan 2009
I've owned this phone for two months and found it to be very reliable
and performs as advertised. The battery-life is very good for me.
Of course, this mostly depends on how the user uses it. I turn off
the UMTS and only use GMS. The N79 is lighter than most smartphones
and offers a lot of features for the money. I highly recommend it. Rating:
Reviewed by manish from UK on
9th Jan 2009
Do not buy this phone...!!! Like N82 it has (atleast my piece has)
poor battery life. I charged the whole battery a previous night
and it was drained completely during the day despite the fact that
I hardly spoke on this phone during the day. Stay away!!! Also sometimes
this phone is very slow especially opening applications. Rating:
Reviewed by zariq from india on
26th Dec 2008
one of the most good phone is this one.no bad coments about this
.there are no problems in this phone like there is in every phone
of hanging.i prefer those who are taking phones to take this phone Rating:
Reviewed by Ashish from England on
23rd Dec 2008
Everything's fine with this phone...but...the biggest issue with
me was (may be specific to me only) that the keyboard light is very
awkward. It doesn't glow properly on all areas of keyboard evenly
such that when you hold the phone at a certain angle the letters
on keyboard are not even properly visible. For a guy like me who
is not a regular texter I have to solely rely on letters visible
to me rather than having memorised it. Other than this I really
could not find any major fault with it. Two features I really admire
are : Navi Wheel & FM Transmitter. This brings it one star down
for me. I would probably go for N85. Rating:
Reviewed by animoley from england on
20th Dec 2008
such a fabulous phones .ONe should certainly get it Rating:
Reviewed by Shannon from Malaysia on
11th Dec 2008
Great phone. Nice design for a candybar phone. Stable in overall,
though it can be slow at times (when browsing pictures). Features
are top-notch. Also, it has a longer battery lfe compared to the
N95/ N958gb and can easily withstand 3 days whole days of power
usage. The N95 needed charging by the 2nd day. In overall, very
satisfied with the phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Trever Wan from UK on
2nd Dec 2008
Normal presentation, but with powerful functions. The camera is
good with quick focus to take a picture in short distance. Large
memory for storing Music. GPS works well, at least can safely guide
to your destination. It may save some money to buy a TomTom (£59
annual GPS fee, I think the fee is expensive). I like FM TX function
very much. You can enjoy music in car and your home HiFi. But sometime
MP3 and FMTX don't run properly. The worst case is to take out the
battery to reset it. Rating:
Reviewed by Nav from England on
30th Nov 2008
WOW! What a mobile phone! Ive had this for a week now, no probs
at all with it. The phone does everything that the N96 does but
is in a much smaller, lighter and more attractive package! [Editor's
comment: I love it when people agree with me!] Rating:
Reviewed by vikram from india on
18th Nov 2008
Keep this phone in the refrigerator. Oh ...dont worry, it keeps
freezing anyway. Iam going back to my n82. This phone is an ugly
duplicate n82. Rating:
Reviewed by joni from america on
12th Nov 2008
i love this phoneeeeee its wow :0 Rating:
Reviewed by wahab from libya on
8th Nov 2008
great phone and is an amazing phone, but camera phone 5 megapixel
different from 8 megapixel camera phone Rating:
