Review: Nokia N81

Nokia N81 Review

Phone rating:

In a nutshell: A possible alternative to the N95, the N81 comes with a fantastic 8 Gbytes of memory, outstandingly good music and games playing features, a superb high-res screen, 3G video calling and fast downloads, Wireless LAN, and an optional GPS module. Its camera can't match the best, and the phone feels a bit plasticky, but it's still worth considering.
Best buy: *Free* with half-price line rental from Mobiles.co.uk.

The Nokia N81 is a very powerful multimedia device that is in some ways like the Nokia N95's little brother. Available in a choice of Cobalt Blue or Graphite Grey, it's a really nicely designed slide phone that's chunky and heavier than the N95, but slightly slimmer. The first thing that strikes you about the N81 is the huge number of keys and buttons! In addition to the usual number keys and Navi Wheel, there are dedicated keys for playing games and accessing music & video: play/pause, rewind, forward & stop. You'll either love this or hate it. We found that the whole user interface is built on the idea of complexity, as the menus and settings can be quite overwhelming, but offer full control over every aspect of the device. The N81 is very much a hard-core SmartPhone, and if this sounds like your kind of phone, then you'll love it to bits.

There are a few areas where the N81 can't keep up with the N95. The screen is the first thing that you notice: although it's a high quality display with 16.7 million colours and 320 x 240 pixel resolution (the same as the N95), the screen is physically about 15% smaller. More seriously, the camera is a poor cousin of the N95's 5 megapixel camera: the N81's camera has just 2 megapixels and lacks autofocus. So, if camera quality is important to you, you'd definitely be better off with the N95. SatNav is missing too, although the Nokia Wireless GPS module is available as an optional extra. The Nokia Maps application is included as standard. So really the shortcomings of the N81 compared with the N95 aren't too great.

Now let's take a closer look at what the N81 does have. The first feature that really differentiates the N81 from the competition is the whopping 8 Gbytes of internal memory. This is enough to store 2,000 music tracks. The N81 has a fantastic music player that can give the iPhone a run for its money. The music player supports all common music formats including MP3, AAC and WMA, as well as Windows Media DRM. Managing playlists is a breeze, and the device can synchronise music with Windows Media Player. There's a 5-band equaliser, support for Bluetooth stereo headsets and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition, the RealPlayer media player supports full-screen video playback. There's also a built-in FM radio with Visual Radio support that tells you what song is playing, and other info. Music lovers have everything that they could want from the N81.

The N81's other focus is gaming. We've already mentioned the dedicated games keys on the front. Games can be played in portrait or landscape mode, making full use of the fantastic 16.7 million colour display. The N81's secret is that it includes support for Nokia's NGage series of games. The choice of games is excellent and the quality of the 3D graphics is exceptional. If you're serious about games, then this is seriously highly recommended.

The list of what the N81 can do goes on ... it's a quadband 3G phone that supports video calls with a second front-facing video camera. It's fully equipped for wirefree use with Bluetooth and Wireless LAN support, voice-independent speech recognition and voice commands, automatic answering with a compatible headset or car kit, internet calls using VoIP, ... Really there isn't much that the N81 doesn't do, and being a Symbian phone the wealth of 3rd party applications that are available for download is huge.

As always with Symbian devices there's a tendency for the N81 to be slow or to freeze if pushed too hard, although the 8 Gbytes of memory certainly helps here. To really get the most out of the N81 you'll have to have used a SmartPhone before, or be prepared to invest time learning how to use it properly. If you don't like high-tech then keep well away, but if the music and games features appeal, then you'll do well with the N81.

Features of the Nokia N81 include:

• Operating system: Series 60 version 3.1, Symbian 9.2
• 2 megapixel camera with 20x digital zoom and flash
• VGA video capture at 15 frames/second
• Front-facing camera for video calls
• RealPlayer Media Player
• Display: 16.7 million colours, 320 x 240 pixels (2.4 inches)
• Nseries music player supports MP3 (VBR), AAC, eAAC+, AAC+, WMA/M4A, WAV
• Stereo FM radio with Visual Radio support
• Nokia Stereo Music Headset supplied
• Gaming: supports N-Gage games (Space Impact Light, Asphalt game demo, Fifa soccer 2007 demo games included)
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, e-mail with support for images, videos, music and documents
• Talking ringtone
• Speaker independent name dialing
• Voice commands
• Voice recorder
• Speed dialing
• Integrated hands-free speaker
• Automatic redial
• Automatic answer with compatible headset / car kit
• Internet calls (VoIP)
• Nokia push to talk (PoC)
• Java MIDP 2.0
• Advanced contacts database with support for multiple phone and e-mail details per entry, also supports thumbnail pictures and groups
• Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map
• Memory: 8 Gbytes (supports microSD memory cards)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, WLAN (802.11 b/g), USB 2.0
• 3G (WCDMA 2100) + Quadband GSM E850/900/1800/1900MHz
• Size: 102 x 50 x 18 mm
• Weight: 140g
• Talktime: 3 hours (3G) - 4 hours (2G)
• Battery standby: up to 400 hours
• Music playback time: up to 11.5 hours

Nokia N81 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 76 reviews:

Reviewed by Mark Shaw from UK on 2nd Jul 2008
I really like the N81. It's a great successor to the N80, looks better too. It's a little on the heavy side, but is packed with about every feature you'd want. nokia-nseries.co.uk
Rating:

Reviewed by Chummar from India on 29th Jun 2008
I think the phone is just amazing. It covers up all the fetures both the youth or the grown ups would ever need. the only terror turns out when it falls off your hand. And you think it's all over. Apart for how delicate it is, the functioning is just smooth n' nice !
Rating:

Reviewed by senthil from india on 24th Jun 2008
Hi, I bought nokia n81 last week. But the performance is not good, it hangs and automatically get switched off. Compare to N73 it is worthless.
Rating:

Reviewed by salins from india on 22nd Jun 2008
superb phone.....n81 rockssssssssssss !!
Rating:

Reviewed by PotatoChip from Indonesia on 21st Jun 2008
Ariel, you're an idiot. I have been using this phone for 3 weeks, and I like it. Nice design, enhanced with dual speaker, but the camera sucks. Nokia FTW!
Rating:

Reviewed by Ariel from Indonesia on 18th Jun 2008
Huge memory,best sound,this phone is the best for a new users,yep,thats ryt,the word BEST would not for long!I mean,its just getting none functional,many download not happen,wat wrong... Many thing that can be download by my nokia 6600 &N71 cant be install on this phone! Take a note,this is worst
Rating:

Reviewed by vb from nn on 17th Jun 2008
super sexy phone very coooool but only 2mp sucks
Rating:

Reviewed by John13 from UK on 3rd Jun 2008
Brilliant phone, awful camera. I really don't know what Nokia where thinking - only 2MP! Otherwise I think the phone is awesome. Mine feels well-built and never lags/freezes etc. In a nut-shell if you like music and games get the N81 as it is, without doubt, better in that department. If you want a good camera get the N95, for a phone the pic quality is awesome ... From my experience, however, the N95 feels slow, clunky and looks dull.
Rating:

Reviewed by Deepak Nagpal from India on 2nd Jun 2008
Awesome phone !!! Gr8 gaming features...N-gage 2.0 rocks....Anyone would buy it if he plays any of the n-gage games in landscape mode with gaming keys on it... Superb music output.... Camera-2mp....excellent outdoor pics, good flash but not so good indoor pics...Better Video recording than most high smartphones... Even web access experience is amazing, just like u are browsing on a PC...
Rating:

Reviewed by Reggae from Egypt on 12th May 2008
I agree with "yankfrommanc from United Kingdom". Got this phone 2 months now after I made a big mistake of selling my Nokia N82 (which was outstanding). Nokia N81 feels cheap, flimsy and a toy. I don't recommend this phone. Go get Nokia N82 much much better.
Rating:

Reviewed by Rawas from Egypt on 11th May 2008
the worst phone ever
Rating:

Reviewed by Zeshan from Denmark on 6th May 2008
I've had this phone for a month now and can say that it is one of the best i have ever had!I haven't experienced any freezes or any glitches of any sort. Gaming, music,multimedia, everything's there. Camera might not be the best, but that's a minor drawback.Overall,a very powerful phone.
Rating:

Reviewed by nokiafan888 from London on 1st May 2008
Had SE 850i & couldn't stand the painful buttons when texting. Tried another SE's (W960i)but decided didn't like SE's lack of functionality cf. with Nokia (you can't seem to personalise the profiles?). Really wanted to stay with Nokia but all the top models seem to have really bad battery life. So tried N81.. and really loved it. Yes the back cover is cheap, never really fitted back properly; keypad not best for texting (often hit n miss); chunky & heavy; camera seemed bad indoors (whatever setting) but brill outdoor pics!and entire handset v squeaky - whats that all about?!? But functionality is there, battery life ok, design was nice, music quality excellent (never used their rubbish headfones). Bad luck that it got dropped into a cup of coffee, never been the same. Tried to swap for same but told it's obsolete (but its new out?!?). Going for Samsung Soul, sorry Nokia but not going to take risk with the N95 which is supposed to be next best after all bad reviews on here. Will let you know how the U900 turns out...
Rating:

Reviewed by bucks from indonesia on 28th Apr 2008
it's a very great phone i ever had....!! multimedia, phone, & gaming in one gadget..!!
Rating:

Reviewed by George from Australia on 28th Apr 2008
for all you people complaing about the phone freezing and it not working well......dont blame the phone and bag it.....its probaby mostly your own fault.....you need to update the firmware via the nokia site....wen i got mine it was pretty bad....updated it, the phone is a beast :D
Rating:

Reviewed by hazza1234 from uk on 24th Apr 2008
best phone ever init.
Rating:

Reviewed by Kathleen from Netherlands on 20th Apr 2008
I use this phone for over four weeks now. I fell for it the minute I saw it and I love it in every way! (Keys, menu, speed, great/loud sound, the big bright screen and the lock-key on top) It does feel like a real Nokia like my old 6310i. The body looks and feels like metal (alluminium) and the slider is very sturdy and tihgt; It opens and closes very firm and neat! But if you buy one, check it out in the shop because there are some who lack the firm, sturdy sliding... Flat fee internet (9,95 euro/month from Dutch KPN) is very fast and the screen is crystal clear, even in bright daylight. Battery life is over 2 days with daily +/- 1 hour internet, checking mail 5 times, some 30 min. phone calls, 10 sms, and also half an hour listening to music. 3G (umts) is activated. If you're in for takin' great pictures don't use the N81 because you'll be dissapointed. I got a little spoiled by my SonyEricsson K800i for that purpose. I hope with the next firmware update Nokia will expand the use of the navy-wheel to all other applications; the contacts list in particulair.
Rating:

Reviewed by yankfrommanc from United Kingdom on 14th Apr 2008
I bought this phone a few days ago and i was really impressed with it when i got it. For some reason, now, the phone feels cheap and flimsy. The slider feels loose like it might come apart at anytime,(you can wiggle the slider side to side which makes you think it isn't tight enough) and you can hear the battery cover squeaking when you push any buttons on the front of the phone. The lock button on the top of the phone feels dodgy and gets stuck when you slide it across to lock the phone. This means you then have to push it back with little force which makes you feel like you are abusing the phone! The navi-wheel isn't much use either. Sometimes it is very unresponsive. Your touch has to be perfect in order for the navi-wheel to respond and scroll through your images, videos etc... Obviously the 8GB memory is excellent for storing tons of music tracks, and the display is very crisp, bright and sharp. Overall, i am very disappointed with the phone, it feels like a plastic toy, with a heavy price tag of over £300. If you are a perfectionist, DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE. You will be very irritated and angry you spent your money it! This is the way i feel.
Rating:

Reviewed by joanne from manchester on 5th Apr 2008
i bought this phone couple of days ago,the camera is quite poor.but not the worst i,v seen everything else i,m happy with,its solid,the keys are not to small,had the n95 did,nt like it it was too bulky and was,nt as well made,for the price its better than the n95,but nokia should of made it at least 3 mega pixels,then it would of been perfect,and auto focus would of been ideal as well,but nothing is perfect,
Rating:

Reviewed by gangster-boy from england on 3rd Apr 2008
very good phone
Rating:

Reviewed by abdulrahman from iraq on 29th Mar 2008
it is the best mobile that ihave ever used I love it
Rating:

Reviewed by kyle stapleton from england on 26th Mar 2008
i like this phone alot, lots of memory and the games are amazing just a shame about the camera though, Nokia sort it out!
Rating:

Reviewed by Dan from UK on 23rd Mar 2008
Highly competent phone, it has amazing quality sound both through the headset and through the speakers, easily the loudest best quality i have heard to date. The n-gage live is quite incredible gameing wise, well well above the usual phone game standard, it looks great brilliant screen, very good battery life for so much functionality. On 2G with the brightness turned down you can get 2 days heavy usage out of it no problem! 8 gigs is alot of storage, i have about 20 full length movies, and 30 mixed episodes of red Dwarf, scrubs friends etc, 15hrs of music, and still have 1 gig left!!. This of course is my opinion, but having owned every high end phone/smartphone from sony, nokia, lg, samsung etc i can comfortably say this is the best so far, i even prefered it to my Nokia N95 8gig!. The only downfall is the camera which is truely awful compared to the rest of its ability, but the video recording is actually very good at 15fps, better than most! of course there are problems with some handsets freezing, but this tends to be isolated and whilst frustrating, it is unfair to call the phone rubbish based on this. Mine has froze out, (or rebooted under stress) about half a dozen times and i've had it for about 5 months. Highly recommended
Rating:

Reviewed by jane from england on 23rd Mar 2008
i love this phone, it functions amasingly at everything....except phone calls!! i have the problem that when i speak on the phone i hear my own voice through the earpiece and it crackles making it very difficult to have a conversation. it sorts itself out after a while but will soon do it again a minute later. i wonder whether its got something to do with the gaming buttons in the earpiece area. its all very well having all this "amasing" gaming technology and that...but if it cant make a phone call to a perfect stadard like cheaper phones can manage it seems a bit of a cop out lol. other than that the phone is great.
Rating:

Reviewed by Praym from Pinas on 15th Mar 2008
this phone is just enough to please one when bored. The memory isn't that high. How could One store batches of songs with a few memory.. but my friend likes it so much.., ^_____^
Rating:

Reviewed by Mark from UK on 10th Mar 2008
this phone is awful, i have had it 3 days and its already frozen numerous times! will be getting rid of it today as i hate it, also camera is pathetic and i no longer want to take pictures as you can hardly see them definately a no no for any1 thinking of buying!
Rating:

Reviewed by jess from england on 1st Mar 2008
well my n81 has now broke . it was good for the internet , i could even go on msn . the only thing was it kept freezing and kept going funny. e.g everytime i went onto menu it would play music.
Rating:

Reviewed by rohit from india on 22nd Feb 2008
this is an awesome phone it is very loud on music and the gaming wow bv screen could be little larger n95 is queen and this one is the best king
Rating:

Reviewed by RITHY from Cambodia on 20th Feb 2008
I had used this phone for one month, I love it, and it comes with good body style. 8GB is enough for me to store all the Khmer Oldies’ songs, sang by King of Khmer Singer (Mr. Sin Sisamouth, died during Khmer Rouge Regime in year 1975, he has golden voice and nobody can compare to him). The issues of the phone are: 1). the headset is not in premium class as it comes with all SE phones. 2). Poor quality Camera, Of course we can use Digital Camera to take the high quality image, but we would need phone's camera to take picture then send it through MMS to our family! 3). cannot read the text of Khmer website Overall the sound quality is lower than SE W880i, That's why I would replace it by W890i when it’s on the market.
Rating:

Reviewed by Richard S from UK on 12th Feb 2008
Despite reading many reviews on this phone, I still opted to go for it when it came for upgrades, partly cos I am not a high user, there was very little option around, that and the fact I didn't wish to join the N95 club. I agree that the camera leaves a little to be desired for, however I use the camera for the occasional snap and for that its great. When I want to take serious pictures, I have a proper camera with optical zoom. The features for this phone are amazing, I have spent years being anti-nokia, but the os is great. The phone is nice and clear for calls and texting is nice and easy. Weight wise it is a little bit heavier but its nice to know I have something on me, saves me trying to work out if I have remembered it or not. This is a nice alternative to the N95 in my opinion, it is a little bit different. I was concerned about the amount of buttons but they are easy to work round. The Ipod type scroll wheel impressed me, I don't know if other people are too light handed or heavy but it whizzed round for me and was very responsive. The only other thing to remember is to close applications properly when you are not using them, failure to do so will make the phone run a little slower.
Rating:

Reviewed by ram from india on 10th Feb 2008
super phone daaaaaaaaaaaa
Rating:

Reviewed by STEEVAN from INDIA on 8th Feb 2008
I LIKED PHONE IF YOU LIKE MUSIC AND GAMES I WILL SAY THAT YOU GO FOR IT IT IS REALY A GOOD SET EVER DON.........................
Rating:

Reviewed by G from Scotland on 4th Feb 2008
Got offered this by Vodafone if I took an additional line. Agreed and got the phone. I've had Nokias for years now and this one is an extreme disappointment. I had the Xpress Music slide as well and it appears this one was made just as cheaply as this one. There is a horrible flimsy plastic back that over time will become damaged if changing sim cards etc. I didn't even bother looking over the phone. There are tons of buttons which is slightly confusing but that's nothing against the phone. Don't think I'll be staying with Nokia after my contract finishes.
Rating:

Reviewed by uk from uk on 2nd Feb 2008
its only for games and music thats why i buy it for the games if you think its for a gamer that phone has it all if you are gamer
Rating:

Reviewed by ste t from UK, chorley on 2nd Feb 2008
brilliant phone iv had it a week now and had no problems, people say it feels cheap, i disagree its a very nice looking phone aswell! the only downside is the 2 mp camera however im not 2 fussed about that! if u want a nokia music phone get this!!
Rating:

Reviewed by bee from uk on 30th Jan 2008
its a good phone but i cant download any games. But when my sister is on the computer i can just search the web on my phone. Its a really cool phone though!
Rating:

Reviewed by Talha from Pakistan on 20th Jan 2008
Don't buy this phone. The camera is HORRIBLY CRIPPLED. Hell, Nokia 6120 Classic's camera is better. The point is, you spend a lot of money on an NSeries device and even if you are not an imaging enthusiast, you DO need it sometime. In that case, this camera will make you cry. Other outstanding points of this phone are the 8 GB memory, amazing keypad and good construction. Nothing you can't get elsewhere. If only the camera were even a 3.2 MP autofocus unit, I would have given it five stars.
Rating:

Reviewed by miah112 from uk on 14th Jan 2008
frist i had the n95 but the phone was rubbish,kept crashing everytime.then i brought the n81 8gb and is one of the best phone of 2008 can't say enough about it, just love it to bits. i am the kind of person that changes my phone every month but i'll keep my n81 until it dies on me.
Rating:

Reviewed by ashley from england on 8th Jan 2008
it is a intreaging phone with the latest technolegy maybe a it complicated but brilliant
Rating:

Reviewed by Mel from England on 5th Jan 2008
I've had this phone now for 3 weeks and so far it hasn't crashed or frozen once which was a problem I have had with other N series Nokia phones.The phone is a nice size and weight however the build quality could be a little better. The slide is good but there is a bit of play in mine when in the open position.When texting on the keypad it is also a little creaky in places.The camera I find good quality when in good daylight but not very good in an evening, the flash just isn't strong enough to light the area.The music player is fantastic which is the reason I got this phone, every bit as good as my i-pod (you will need to put your own decent headphones to the phone but this is easy done as it comes with a 3.5mm plug).The radio too is very clear.Battery life on mine is excellent I get about 3 days usage out of mine and thats using the radio, music player,texts and calls.Ive had sony ericsson phones the last couple of contracts and they are very good phones but I got this because its a really nice looking phone an has 8gb of memory so no extra cost of a memory card needed.If it had the same camera as the N73 (3.2mp with carl zeiss lens) and the build quality was a little better it would be the perfect phone, and I've had a lot of phones.
Rating:

Reviewed by MC from UK on 4th Jan 2008
Havn't started using it on a day to day basis yet due to waiting for my old contract to finish, but Wow! Its an awesome phone Technologically. The functions it has are pretty much identical to the N95 apart from the lack of GPS which isn't a big deal. The only downsides I have with this phone are the Camera and the poor quality of the build. The camera on my Trusty Samsung D600 is better, and built better, I felt I could drop that baby and it would still be in one piece. Where as the rear of the N81 is just a VERY thin piece of plastic!! Why? Especially when you look at the build of the N95 and the 6500's If they listen to people and get the build quality right for the next edition then there is nothing to compete with it, nothing at all!
Rating:

Reviewed by ali from UK on 3rd Jan 2008
its a brliant phone, it got a huge 8 gb and fantastic musicplayer with really loud speakers my only concern is the build quality it sound plasticy and i dnt think it will last long
Rating:

Reviewed by eshwar from india on 2nd Jan 2008
its awesome , only thing is that games should have been full version
Rating:

Reviewed by Alex from U.K. on 29th Dec 2007
I have bought this outstanding Nokia from the internet. It hasn't arrived yet but I am aware that it is a truely amazing phone. My father has one, with the 2GB memory and I am very keen to have the 8GB model as I enjoy my music. Cannot wait, well done Nokia.
Rating:

Reviewed by scot from UK on 27th Dec 2007
this phone is the best, a little hard to use at first. so many different buttons on the front means you can access loads of things very fast, 8gb built in memory is a bit of a con because there is a phone memory and a mass memory, i just want one big one.dont want to swap data etc about when someone is trying to bluetooth stuff to you. Overall its very good, the music player with normal headphone socket is awesome.
Rating:

Reviewed by Shane from UK on 17th Dec 2007
Just got the phone and it truly is a technological marvel, but I do have to agree with some of the other reviewer in that they didn't finish it of well, the slider is wobbly and the plastic makes it feel cheap in the hand.
Rating:

Reviewed by Alex from U.K on 15th Dec 2007
Ive just bought this phone and on having it for 14 hours i must admit its bin the best phone ive had in a while. only one downfall thats the camera but the music player is literally mind blowing. highly recommend this phone to any one who wishes a gr8 music player and phone but not a camera!....
Rating:

Reviewed by Satkirath Singh from Thailand on 14th Dec 2007
Amazing phone. Haven't had a single crash and I have about 6 hours worth of music on it. I've been meaning to put more in but the cable doesn't work which is one of the most annoying things I encountered and im not sure whether its the phone or the cable but either way it's a problem. The only other problem was the camera. It is terrible in dim lighting, the pictures are all grainy and dark. However this phone's music quality is amazing, even at the loudest volume. My friend was playing music on it at full volume from the other end of a football field and I could hear what song it was. The Ngage gaming is becoming a pain because it still hasn't come out yet and i'm getting bored of demos but otherwise this is a solid phone. The slider feels solid and smooth, the gaming keys work perfectly, the WiFi couldn't be better and the best part is plugging in my own headphones or speakers.
Rating:

Reviewed by Richard White from UK on 11th Dec 2007
Very disapointed with this phone, somehow it felt ok in store but within a couple of days it began to feel more like a cheap plastic toy than a phone. There is a lot of very smart technology inside, the wifi works brilliantly and the speakers/music player and sound quality is superb but the build quality and creaky slider mechanism just kills it all dead
Rating:

Reviewed by Robby Kapoor from India on 10th Dec 2007
Nokia just hit the bulls-eye with this beauty...the audio quality is incredible, pretty close to i-pod i reckon...im using Bose headphones with N81,which churns out extra bass from da little sucker...the phone's very practical..compact...the camera's pretty decent too..im glad to say that N81 solves most of my mobile related problems....cheers to Nokia!
Rating:

Reviewed by Ahmed from England on 10th Dec 2007
This Phone looks great but it does not feel great. it feels like a complete toy, but the software and the music player of the phone realy is outstanding.
Rating:

Reviewed by Matty from England on 9th Dec 2007
This phone has got quite loud music and that is the best function on the phone, The camera is rubbish its realy dark when u take a pic, most of the time u cnt call people cos th phone feezes all the time, And sometimes u cant recieve msgs, The phone id constantly freezin just like the n95 that i had, whch buy the way the camera on tht phone is FANTASTIC any way thats my revie on the phone!
Rating:

Reviewed by Fernando from UK on 8th Dec 2007
Absolutely awesome phone, the camera leaves alot to be desired although i think if you needed a good camera then you wouldnt be buying this phone, so it isnt too important. Music quality is brilliant, and the phone itself doesnt dissapoint. Recommended!
Rating:

Reviewed by arty from UK on 7th Dec 2007
Got this phone on tue so had it for a few days to play around with. Music quality using sennheizer px100 headphones is awesome, the headphones that come with nokia look/feel a bit tacky so I didn't even bothered trying them out. Previously I had w950i unfortunately back in the day I gave it a good review but after using it for year it was the most horrible phone that I have encountered, at the moment n81 wipes the floor with any SE phone, the software is very responsive and there is hardly any lag at all, was faster then the UIQ3 from SE, the music player is by far better and again hardly any slowdowns, shame that it doesn't have a star rating for songs. For music lovers that's the phone to get, I don't care about the camera on the phone as my current cameras would wipe the floor with any phone for many years to come. The only disadvantage I can think off is that it takes time to get use to the phone's software coming from SE and that in some places the build quality could be better (but that's being very picky) p.s. I tried iPhone as I was tempted with it, but the price is too silly and beside the touch screen there is nothing special, I found it almost impossible to type on it, very funny how the editors of this site gave it a 5 stars, then 4 and then 3, maybe they shouldn't be influenced by pear pressure and give the rating on what they think and not other users or due to the company's name :)
Rating:

Reviewed by MaTTy from England on 4th Dec 2007
ive had this phone for a few weeks now, and im happy with the sound quality the camera is nothin 2 really get exited about, and the phone is quite big and it doesnt really do that many diffrent things to any other phone that you would get but its okay....... It does freeze quite often but i had the n95 and i had the same problem with that aswell.. i think thats its a commom fault with the n series.. Also aswell quite alot of the time it wont let me phone out and that really annoys me....it lets you sent txts and recieve txts fine.... But wen it goes dodgy and you cant ring anybody they cant ring you either it says " Its not been possible to connect your call " i know its not a problem with my sim card because it wouldnt let me send or recieve txts either! And i have had the same sim card for quite sum time now!The camera if supposed to be a 2 mega pixel but i have seen vga cameras that have better quality! all the games on the phone are demos and u can only play them for 30 seconds and that really annoysn me because they are 5 pound to download lol!! The phone does also scratch really easy! The music is probably the best feature to the phone it is extremely loud and really clear quality!!! The internal memory on the phone is really good aswell its 8gb!!!!!! Anyway i think thats enough of me ravin on but thought i would just tell you exactly what i thought of the phone!!!! peace out people!!!! woop woop!!
Rating:

Reviewed by Angad from India on 3rd Dec 2007
Only 2mp?? evven the N73 has 3.2mpx. And so bulky... otherwise its cool and chic an' a good overall package....
Rating:

Reviewed by Rikki T from UK on 30th Nov 2007
I now have 600 music tracks on this phone and still going! No problems yet, no freezes, no crashes, this is the best phone I have ever had so far!
Rating:

Reviewed by david from uk on 27th Nov 2007
this fone is amazing what more could you ask for it does everything you could want from a fone full 5 stars
Rating:

Reviewed by NOKIA FRIEND from PAKISTAN on 27th Nov 2007
NOKIA N81 IS VERY BEAKITIFUL;AND STYLISH 3G PHON . IT HAS A LARGE MEMORY OF 8GB AND SUPORT MICRCO SD CRARS. A BAST DIGITAL CAMERA 2 MAGA PIX. I THING ITS VERY BAST PHONE.
Rating:

Reviewed by Bobby from England on 26th Nov 2007
I THINK THIS PHONE IS THE BEST PHONE OF THE YEAR, IT HAD A GREAT SHAPE AND INCLUDED ALL THE FEATURES OF THE IPHONE BUT FOR CHEAPER AND BETTER QUALITY..X
Rating:

Reviewed by x from x on 26th Nov 2007
Rubbish fone dont buy it
Rating:

Reviewed by Rikki T from UK on 26th Nov 2007
Just got this phone WAY better than the G600 and K850i I have had before it, just moved 2 of my own cd's onto it very easily. So far full marks!
Rating:

Reviewed by sharad mahajan from india on 26th Nov 2007
best mobail n81 good
Rating:

Reviewed by Mahmoud from Amman, Jordan on 25th Nov 2007
I've had a Nokia N81 8GB for about 10 days now, and i have to say its the best phone i've ever seen. everything you want is there not even missing a feature, with the 8gb memory I put a movie and playback was very smooth and clear and the sound quality was superb, i got all the songs i love on it and still not filled half of the memory. Asphalt is a very nice game. WiFi Reception is strong... THUMBS UP for N81. Nokia is the BEST!!!
Rating:

Reviewed by john from uk on 20th Nov 2007
fantastic phone i love it !!!! i have had it for a week now and had no problems at all. the music quality is superb and the stereo speakers are loud. the quality of the screen is fantatstic. overall i love this phone and i think it deserves 5 stars !!
Rating:

Reviewed by Mac from UK on 19th Nov 2007
When I first got this phone, I was surprised by all the feature it had. The phone is built nicely, if slightly on the chunky side. I wanted to see if I was able to just carry this phone out whilst leaving my ipod at home. The music quality is very good, and the phone does come with a huge 8 gb memory with a nice set of ear phones and remote. Overally I found the phone too complicated for normal use, there were too many sub-menus for my liking and navigation using the D pad wasn't the best, more often than not you'll hit the music player dedicated keys and the phone starts to blast out your favourite tunes when you least expect - very (very) frustrating. Also annoyingly, nokia have decided not to use the conventional mini usb port, instead they opted to use a proprietry port for linking the phone to the computer. Personally, I think this phone appeals to those who will maximise all the features the phone offers- WLAN, google map, real player etc. I have always struggled to use a 'slider phone' as these phones becomes quite unbalanced in one handed operations when the slide is extended. With the bulk of the N81 it is even more pronounced. Unless you need the smart phone capability, I suggest to get a decent camera phone, with a decent headset, and a 8gb memory card (these are now available in mirco SD format).
Rating:

Reviewed by Alex from UK on 17th Nov 2007
got the k850i from O2. i heard it was one of the best around, but iwas EXTREMLY dissapointed. the k850 is just a camera, byt the n81 is so much more. music quiality is just as good as my ipod, and games are A1. all round a great phone, and you will not be dissappointed. nokia is a great make and still are one step ahead of SE.
Rating:

Reviewed by Jacques from France on 17th Nov 2007
I had a N70 and have been looking for upgrade for a while. I was hoping it would live up to the hype and I have to say it has not disappointed. N-Gage re-release was an awesome idea and the music player slays the quality on previous symbian models. The camera could be better but the navi-wheel more than makes up for that! It'll be a few weeks before I manage to fill the memory and the wi-fi works great, if you like your smartphones you'll love this.
Rating:

Reviewed by IZZY from UK on 15th Nov 2007
what can i say about this phone ? i had my eyes on it for a couple of moths, constantly checkin different websites and forums to find out more news about it, and i can in all honesty say it was worth the wait. The 2 megapixel camera can take soom good photos (even though it lacks autofocus), the quality of the mp3's is breathtakingly crisp and clear and also very very loud, i owned the nokia n73 and 6234 before this and i can honestly it beats them hands down in sound qualiy and loudness. the wifi is great to use, and as it is a symbian phone you can use a wealth of third-party applications. battery life is fantasic in my opinion. I also love the the 8gb internal memory and it isn't slow whilst usin or anything like that. All in all i love this phone and in my opinion it is the best phone of 2007 hands down !!! WELL DONE NOKIA !!
Rating:

Reviewed by ben from uk on 13th Nov 2007
wow
Rating:

Reviewed by hafiz from england on 12th Nov 2007
i have had this phone for abot 2 weeks and i absouletely love this phone and whats not too like.It looks fantastic and im usuall a se fan but i decided to go for something else for a change and i am glad i have.if you get it on pay as you go i would say its a reosanable price because you wouldnt need to buy a memeory card even if it is only 2 megapixel
Rating:

Reviewed by nola from Uk on 9th Nov 2007
I've had my N81 for 3 days now, and i'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's been 5 stars so far, but then i am and always have been an N series and nokia fan (last 4 phones were 6230, w800i, n70, and n73). The camera is not that big an issue for me, even though it's a step down from the n73; as i have a digital cam and didn't take that many pics with the n73 anyway. Was going to get the E65 or N95 because of the wifi, but then this came out and decided to go for it instead. The music player is outstanding!!! It works very well for call as well, and it can read out messages! I like the sleek feel and cool look. I'd recommend this to anyone.
Rating:

Reviewed by Ryan from Manchester , UK on 8th Nov 2007
In response to my earlier review i decided that the N81 was'nt for me and returned it to the Carphoe Warehouse for the Lg Viewty and i gotta say..............WOW THE PHONE OF 2007 by far !!!!
Rating:

Reviewed by Ryan from Manchester, UK on 8th Nov 2007
Ive owned this N81 8gb for a week now and am still undecided about it , i have been using the Song Ericsson W910i previously and wish i could merge the better parts of these 2 phones to make 1 ultimate mobile phone yet that would be too simple for mobile builders to do wouldnt it!!! Best way and most informative way to review this phone for a potential buyer is to give a pros n cons review and let you decide for yourself...so here goes.. Pros: Ringtones are so SO LOUD totally deafening even beats the Nokia 6233. Music Mp3 player is very good and playback is crisp . Earphones supplied are very good. Battery life is excellent and is reception. CONS: Heavy Phone and a little chunky to hold , to get to what you want takes about 7-8 menu windows opening its not simplistic , Mp3 player can start playing whenever it feels , Camera is poor very poor , textin is difficult with the lip of slider getting in the way of the 1,2,3 keys , the voice dialling recognition is USELESS and Called ID pics are so tiny when a friend rings you. Will anybody ever build a mobile that rings VERY LOUD with a quick n simple Menu system and give it a 3.2camera as minimum with a xenon flash and have the phone slim like the W910i ??? Is there the perfect phone out there ?????
Rating:

Reviewed by Matteus from UK on 7th Nov 2007
I just got this phone on o2 purely as i was a previous n-gage fan, ive got to say it truely is an amazing phone and i was pleasantly surprised with other features included. This is the greatest nokia ever and i cant wait for n-gage to go live!!
Rating:

Reviewed by Julie from england on 6th Nov 2007
Are you fed up with all the hype with mobile phones? All new models promising this and that and failing to deliver? After paying £300 for a k850i which was supposed to be the dogs well it wasn't. I exchanged it for the Nokia N81 8GB,at £20 cheaper! well its awesome at last great stereo audio quality, no extra cost for memory. Photos are acceptable for a 2mp camera, gaming is good. Loads of great features and so far so good no annoying glitches like some of the N series have suffered on release. Deffo worth the money. Well done Nokia!!
Rating:

You can read more Nokia N81 reviews at RecommendedBuys UK.

Nokia N81 Links