In a nutshell: The
Nokia N85 is almost the same as the N96. It's slimmer but still
comes with GPS satellite navigation, a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus,
3G video calling, WiFi, fast 3G HSDPA and support for 8GB memory
cards. The screen is slightly smaller than the N96, but is still
an outstanding OLED display with 16 million colours. But the poor
build quality and software problems make it a poor choice. Check
out the top 10 independent deals for the N85 below, or
click to read the full review and user reviews.
Top 10 internet deals
Nokia
N85 Review
Review:
November 2008. Last updated April 2010.
What
exactly is the Nokia N85? At a glance it looks just like the Nokia
N96, but slimmer. It has almost every feature of the N96 too:
Series 60 Symbian interface (version 3.2)
5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss & Tessar
optics
aGPS and GPS navigation with Nokia Maps
Wi-Fi wireless internet connection
3.5 mm stereo headphone plug
Ultra-fast HSDPA data transfer
Support for 8GB microSD memory cards
The only things missing are the support for DVB-H
TV (which doesn't exist in the UK anyway) and the 16 GB of built-in
memory. Instead, the N85 has 74 MB of internal dynamic memory and
78 MB of internal NAND flash memory. But you can add microSD memory
cards up to 8GB, so this really isn't a problem.
The
design is a little different from the N96, with a slightly reduced
screen size (2.6 inches instead of 2.8 inches) and a different keypad.
There's little else to distinguish the two phones, so read our Nokia
N96 review for more information about what the phone can do,
and read the detailed specification below.
The
N85 is a cheaper phone, but our users are reporting a lot of problems
with the N85, ranging from software errors, phone freezing or shutting
down, poor screen visibility in sunlight to some shocking stories
of complete hardware failure, with bits falling off and the whole
phone breaking down.
Features
of the Nokia N85 include:
Series 60 Symbian interface (version 3.2)
5 megapixel camera (2592 x 1944 pixels) with
Carl Zeiss optics, Tessar lens, autofocus, dual led flash, 20x
digital zoom
Video camera: MPEG4/3GP VGA video capture at
640 x 480 pixels and 30 frames/second with digital stereo microphone
(AAC format) and 10x digital zoom
Front camera for video calling: 352 x 288 pixels,
15fps, 2x digital zoom
Video and still image editors
Display: OLED, 16 million colours, 240 x 320
pixels (2.6 inches)
Digital music player (supports MP3/AAC/AAC+//WMA/AMR
formats) with playlists and equalizer
Stereo FM radio with Visual Radio support
aGPS and GPS navigation with Nokia Maps
Voice commands
Voice recorder
Talking ringtone
Integrated hands-free speaker
Speed dialing
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email (support for attachments)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0, WLAN,
TV-Out, 3.5 mm stereo headphone plug
WAP, EGPRS class B, WCDMA/HSDPA (3.6Mb/s download)
Quadband plus 3G
Size: 103 x 50 x 16 mm
Weight: 128g
Talktime: 4.5 hours (3G) - 6.9 hours (2G)
Battery standby: 360 hours
Nokia N85 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 100 reviews:
Reviewed by jase from uk. on
11th May 2010
I have had my N85 for 13 months and I have had it replaced once
by my service provider and have sent it off to Nokia for repair
twice as they have not repaired the faults.Nokia has kindly replaced
the phone and still the phone turns off when I come to use it.Very
dissapointed with Nokia and the phone.Will never use them again Rating:
Reviewed by Ethan from Scotland on
28th Apr 2010
Very poor. I loved this phoned when I got it. The specifications
look great on paper but in the real world you have to use this thing
and it's difficult because it is so damned slow and unreliable.
I see exactly the same thing in so many reviews that I would also
say - 'I can't wait til my contract runs out', 'it crashes so often
for no apparent reason', 'worst phone I have ever had', 'utterly
awful fone', 'I really hate this phone' etc etc. Don't be fooled
by the sexy looks and good performance on paper. It crashes all
the time for no reason, it takes forever to come back to responding
to you after you take a photo, it currupts it's memory card contenst
regularaly losing all your text messages, music, videos etc, if
fails switch on the keypad lighting on a regular basis, it's is
mind numbingly slow to do anything, Nokia maps are so incredibly
awful I've installed TomTom and use an external bluetooth receiver.
I've had mainly Nokias since being one of the first to own a then
groundbreaking Nokia 7650. Nokia should be ashamed to put theiur
name to this piece of software garbage. They are in too much of
a hurry to rush out new models that they fail to get the software
working correctly and then fail to support the models (which are
rubbish) they have spewed onto the marketplace. This phone could
be so good. But isn't. THe software is so full of bugs and Nokia
seem to be positively beligerent in their determination to ignore
user complaints. I will not purchase any more Nokia products until
they can demonstrate they have lisened to real-world users and produced
products which are fit for the purpose and actually do what it says
on the packet. I advise you to do likewise. Thank goodness my contract
ends in September. Current contenders for my next phone are The
Motorola Android, the iPhone and the Palm Pre. Nokia need to sort
their act out. If they keep producing garbage phones people will
stop buying Nokia. It's quite simple. Rating:
Reviewed by Luke from England on
26th Apr 2010
This is a poor phone. It crashes so often with no apparant reason.
The battery life is poor also. I can't wait till my contract runs
out. Rating:
Reviewed by Sophie from England on
24th Apr 2010
Im so dissapointed with this phone. First of all when i first got
my first n85 it was fine. Freezed now and then, but overall... pretty
good. But then, one day in a tent camping, stopped working. Would
have a mind of it's own, it was awful. So i had to buy the phone
again. Because orange/nokia would not replace it, but i loved the
sleek design of the phone, so... i bought it again. Now, ive had
it for 6 months (the newer n85) and its just started playing up,
the camera doesnt load, so i cant take any photos or videos. I set
my alarm, doesnt go off... because when i eventually wake up, my
phone is off! even though it had full battery when i went to sleep.
It turns itself off reguarly, and still freezes all the time. When
i recieve text messages i only get the number of the other person,
not their name. so now, i have to check all the time who is texting
me, or remember the last two digits of their number! also, if i
ever get a missed call i have to check the missed calls because
it doesnt notify me when somebody has called me. also the same with
texts. This phone is driving me insane, and im supposed to have
it for another year. I dont know if nokia/orange will replace it
because last time they didnt, after long arguments and constant
nagging. Don't be fooled by the sexy, sleek design, because it is
awful!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Bill Halka from Australia
on 22nd Apr 2010
I have used only Nokias since about late 90's. This is a shocker
and the worst phone I have ever had. Drops out; Freezes; Shuts down
randomnly; Terrible Bluetooth; A champion pussbucket phone Rating:
Reviewed by Aaron McKenzie from England
on 20th Apr 2010
Worst phone I've EVER had!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Dessie from Ireland Tyrone
on 20th Apr 2010
I reale hate this fone,iv had it for nine mts woulden recomend it
faling apart and iv ben good to it worst ever. Rating:
Reviewed by Matt from UK on 14th
Apr 2010
Utterly awful phone. At first I thought id just give this phone
a chance but months on and I cant escape the fact its the biggest
mistake ive ever made when selecting a phone. I had been with Samsung
for a long while and while no major complaints they'd begun to bore
me so thought id try Nokia as I remembered them being alright. Oh
how times changed. The phone does not do what it says it does, in
fact it struggles to do the basic's like making calls and txting
half the time! It constantly freezes and takes forever to load up
any menu. Struggles to load pictures, and cant really cope with
more than a few pics or songs. Sometimes when sliding the camera
shutter across to capture a quick snap shot it wont load camera
app. The dreaded fracture of the phone bellow the scrolling button
has appeared so im expecting im only one uncareful phone pull out
of my pocket away from snapping the front off my phone. It sometimes
refuses to make calls...typically at the worst times, when you need
to get hold of someone urgently which drives me round the twist....then
next second it randomly calls 999 and i can hear the operator talking
but the phone refuses to hang up. Other times it actually makes
a call I want to but the person im calling can hear no sound from
me. Phone build quality is awful. Constantly Ill go ages not receiving
any txts then suddenly out of the blue i get about 7 txts come through
dated hours ago. Now you'd think this would be a network problem
but i've been with the same network years and never had this problem
with any other handset. Sometimes randomly turning it on and off
or ringing someone triggers a mother load of messages to come through.
it sucks! Also people keep complaining there getting the same message
about 5 times when ive only sent it once. Already had multiple phones
replaced because they say theres errors with it or for bits falling
off. (the phones treated very carefully also...so god help you if
you are the kind to keep it in your pocket banging into things or
are clumsy!) Avoid this phone. I cant comment for all nokia handsets
but I certainly wont be using them again. Rating:
Reviewed by jean from canada on
13th Apr 2010
It's garbage. After 6 months, it started to shutdown itself. Rating:
Reviewed by Rose from Scotland on
30th Mar 2010
Very disappointed with this phone. Always been a Nokia user but
not after this one! Lots of problems but the worst is probably the
battery life. Get something else! Rating:
Reviewed by hisham alwrafy from YEMEN
on 24th Mar 2010
ITS GOOD MOBILE Rating:
Reviewed by MARK H from UK on
24th Mar 2010
I have had this phone for 15 months now and have not had any major
problems with it. Rating:
Reviewed by Surferpan from Australia
on 20th Mar 2010
Balls to this phone, it's ruining my life! Freezing, turning itself
off, cracked facia under D-pad, GPS is too slow to be usefull. I
see it's no longer available thru 3 Australia, tells you something
i guess. N95 was a more sturdy, reliable unit... Now how to offload
it? Rating:
Reviewed by James from UK on
9th Mar 2010
Had phone for 6 months on Orange. On 3rd as battery is only lasting
about 16 hours (and I only use it for a few cals & texts each day).
Each phone had same problem (first was ok for about 3 months though).
Orange latest solution is, wait for it, charge it for 4 hours instead
of 2 ! Will see tomorrow whether this technical solution works miracles
!! Generally happy with phone, but have to agree with shoddy build
quality. The creaking keys are a bit embarrasing when my mates are
touching the silent keys on their iPhones. Like the software interface
though. On balance, would go for something else if you are considering
this phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Lucy from Jones on
9th Mar 2010
So bad. Worst Phone i have ever had. Rating:
Reviewed by ken from uk on 8th
Mar 2010
nice phone ,looks good ..... but in a 18 month contract ive had
3 relpacements cos it just keeps failing and at the moment im waiting
a LG replacement handset say no more!!!!!!! rrrrrrrrrubbish Rating:
Reviewed by Lars from Denmark on
22nd Feb 2010
Lol you guys are a bunch of whiners. The phone is absolutely brilliant.
Rating:
Reviewed by stephanie from england on
21st Feb 2010
Don't get this phone, absolute nightmare. I'm on my 3rd one and
still managing to crash at every given opportunity. Internet connection
is awful, mp3 player is terrible, camera does not produce good images.
Cannot wait for this contract to end. Do not get this phone you
will regret it!! Rating:
Reviewed by Ross from UK on 12th
Feb 2010
I have owned this phone for 14 months and not had any issues other
than the ubiquitous nokia slider wobble when open. Apart from that,
I have updated the software regularly and it has worked without
problem! Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from New Zealand on
2nd Feb 2010
Disappointing Phone! Hangs loses some contacts out of address book,
but main complaint is that the speaker packed up within a few days
of purchase now I have to use headset to do calls. Sloppy support
for nokia not impressed will not get another nokia Rating:
Reviewed by sam from uk on 31st
Jan 2010
i have now had 4 or 5 of these due to continued problems with the
phone and screen, each replaced each time with an excess of £50
(excessive) i would not get another 1 and i hardly used my phone
so i am unaware as to y they are so bad! Rating:
Reviewed by Fran Lawrence from South
Africa on 16th Jan 2010
I had my N85 for a couple of weeks. In normal usage the USB port
on the phone broke. I now note quite a number of reports on the
web about exactly the same problem. Bigger problem is that Nokia
advises that this is 'mechanical' damage and not covered by the
warrantee. My view is this is a very delicate phone. I have literally
used Nokias for a couple of decades, and they have been solid. This
N85 is delicate and poorly manufactured. This will be my last Nokia! Rating:
Reviewed by big dave from UK on
23rd Dec 2009
For years I was advised to try a Nokia, after sampling every other
well known brand around. I was bitterly disappointed.... for such
a popular name, there were a number of simple features that I'd
expect from any good phone, which were noticably absent. This I
could live with, if it wasn't for the frequent freezing, the volume/
zoom button stopping moving within a month, and the main select
key having good and bad days; many a time I've found myself hammering
on the button, which oddly enough seems to sort it out for a while...
All in all the phone as a package would be brilliant, and excellent
value for money, IF it had the reliability and robustness that you'd
expect from a household name such as the Nokia N Series. Rating:
Reviewed by Katie from UK on
18th Dec 2009
I received a new N85 this week as a contract upgrade, Within two
days the screen display has become faulty, it's not displaying colours
properly and so the screen is unreadable. The screen now flashes
on and off and when lit, only shows extremely garish shades. I suspect
there may be an internal fault like a loose connection but after
two days this is unnaceptable. Thankfully I didn't buy it in a shop
but arranged the upgrade over the phone - in the UK distance selling
rules mean that I can return the handset FOR ANY REASON within 7
days, otherwise, if bought from a shop, I'd be stuck with the endless
cycles of repairs and new handsets that others have described. Rating:
Reviewed by caroline from england on
18th Dec 2009
nokia n85 looks lovely, but i would not, for 1 second reccomment
it to anyone. its a useless phone. i've had this phone for less
than 24hrs, but i've already put it back in the box for returning.
the phone keeps freezing when i want to use the menu option, the
side butttons are not workinking at all so i can only use the up
and down keys. the clear button is not working properly, it keeps
freezing again. what can you do wit a phone like this? Rating:
Reviewed by V Angry from Australia on
17th Dec 2009
N85, great phone on paper, looks and company. BUT... Had nothing
but PROBLEMS with it switching off, Freezing, Error messages. Verrryyyy
frustrating. I had Nokias all my life, never never never a problem.
n85 non stop probs, been to Nokia Care over 7 times, they always
try to pass the buck, dirty RATS. They keep saying that i put corrupt
files on it and its not their prob. I have same files on Sony Mp3
player, no probs. I cannot belive a multI Billion dollar company
cannot make an mp3 player work like its supposed to, a cheap 15
dollar mp3 player never crashes, yet hundreds of million of dollars
on research and these morons cannot get it right , absolute IMBECILES.
They refuse refund, or GIVE ME differnt model. DIRTY DOGS THATS
WHAT THEY ARE. nokia now SUX Rating:
Reviewed by mypetearthling from UK on
12th Dec 2009
Have had my N85 for a year, it is still the best phone I have ever
owned. It crashed once when it was about a month old, but that was
as a result of my PC dumping every music file I owned into the poor
little gadget. It has been dropped from the top of my 6ft fridge
more times than I care to count, and so far seems to bounce as well
as any other nokia I have owned (it was FM transmitting to the radio
up there!) the buttons took a little getting used to at first, but
i find that every time i upgrade. The camera is fantastic and has
seen me through several gigs and festivals. Sound quality on video
recordings is great once on my PC, if a little tinny from the phone
speakers. It is very easy to customise the menus and shortcuts,
so I can find all of the features i use most literally at the touch
of a button. For the first time in years I'm not counting down the
days til upgrade! Rating:
Reviewed by Sarah Bonnett from England
on 9th Dec 2009
Everyone has their own opinions and it's fair to say that every
phone make will have one or two that are faulty, but honestly ...
don't get this phone. I received my first one in August and within
two days had returned it because it froze. The second one had to
be sent back for repair three times due to the same problem and
it switched itself off randomly. Each time it was returned, I was
advised that it was a software issue that had been rectified. Eventually,
I called Vodafone and demanded a replacement (refusing to accept
another N85) and they relented sending me the new Blackberry Bold
9700 ... that is absolutely amazing and for someone who never wanted
a Blackberry or could see themselves using a QWERTY keyboard, I'm
totally converted! Whatever you do end up getting, make sure it's
not the N85. It sounds great and should be great (it was sold to
me as better than the iPhone), but I think it's too clever for its
own good and can't cope with everything that has been pumped into
it. Rating:
Reviewed by Dave from uk on 4th
Dec 2009
Not a bad phone but I ginf that I'm charging the battery literally
everyday and have already had this replaced by the network as I
though it was a minor fault, but am thinking otherwise. Rating:
Reviewed by nikolas from serbia on
3rd Dec 2009
The worst cell phone i have ever had. It`s a nightmare. Calling
problems,internet connection issues,problems with videos and music,constantly
freezing, turns off itself and so much more. I`m a calm person but
i have the temptation to smash it into thousand pieces,especially
when i remember that i have paid a lot of money to get this annoying
phone. Rating:
Reviewed by CarlosTheDude from England
on 29th Nov 2009
On my 4th Nokia N85... Nuff said!! Constantly freezes, turns off,
flickers on and off ect... DON'T GET IT!! Rating:
Reviewed by deon from australia on
23rd Nov 2009
this should have been a brilliant phone but is complete rubbish.
got this as the replacement for a damaged n95 thinking it was everything
i wanted. had all the features of the n95 but with removable memory.
in a word pretty much perfect. that was until it just turned into
a piece of junk that only half the features work half the time.
image gallery goes from pics looking good to pixellated to file
error while scrolling through. music player cant find songs but
plug it into a pc and everything is there. had a game loose my profile
so 20 hrs of gameplay progression lost. phone locks up while using
the camera. was actually watching a video playback from oone time
the camera did work and froze up again and had to remove the battery
to reset the phone. nokia, hang your heads in shame, this should
have been an excellent phone but its complete rubbish. Rating:
Reviewed by joanne card from england
on 16th Nov 2009
n85 ftw!! amazing phone cant beat it omg how goods my name read
it outloud slowly to yourself =p Rating:
Reviewed by Nicholas from UK on
9th Nov 2009
1 star is too good for it. After 6 months of rebooting on its own
the N85 does not work at all now, I have a two year contract, (I
know I am an idiot little man and big business) they will not repair
the phone because the PCB is cracked/ bent. The only way I think
it could be bent is because it gets so hot when the sat/nav and
FM transmitter are working, I had kept the phone in a case for the
last 4 months to protect it. The keypad is also damaged, which I
think I told you was done in front of me by the Phones4U staff in
Harrogate when I tried to cancel the contract at the beginning (the
phone was slowing down and freezing randomly even then when asked
to do a couple of things at once). I feel such an idiot £25 pm going
out of my account and now no phone. Nokia and Phones4U never again. Rating:
Reviewed by joe from uk on 4th
Nov 2009
n85 is the best :D Rating:
Reviewed by Joel Santos from Philippines
on 4th Nov 2009
FRUSTRATING!!!!! Did Nokia try to put too many things into one device?
I purchased my N85 last Jan 4, 2009. It's exactly 9 months later.
The phone has been in and out of Nokia Service Center. Board has
been replaced twice. I was just told that it will be replaced again,
after waiting 20 days since I last brought it in for repair! There
has never been a day that my N85 functioned perfectly! It reboots,
the FM transmitter was not working, the GPS was not working, signal
reception was poor, and these are just the defects that I know of!
I just got myself a Samsung 16GB Omnia, paid much less for it than
N85, and no complaints so far. Rating:
Reviewed by jeff hickman from england
on 26th Oct 2009
worst phone i have owned since 1987 cant wait to destroy the useless
peice of junk Rating:
Reviewed by Jess from UK on 25th
Oct 2009
I felt that this was a very outstanding phone with its sleek design.
it really is a visual masterpiece. It had poor battery life... i
had to charge it every night!! And the applications used alot of
battery and memory so that the phone takes a long time to start
apps. Also because the sleek design - i kept slipping out of my
hand and dropping it - but maybe thats just me being silly. It did
get very scratched by the end. It has quite a complicated interface
but im sure that isnt an issue for most people. It did have an AMAZING
camera... Rating:
Reviewed by Shaun from UK on
22nd Oct 2009
On my second N85 and waiting for my third to arrive,this is in a
space of one month. Battery faults, freezing,wobbly lcd slide and
now faulty buttons and curser. Wondering what the third phone will
be like! Rating:
Reviewed by gavin deakn from england
on 13th Oct 2009
the only problem is it dident send texts but got it fixed in the
end Rating:
Reviewed by Lynn Jones from UK on
10th Oct 2009
I tried to upgrade my phone this year and have chosen an N85 what
a horrendous mistake - I am now on my 4th handset with various problems
to the phone freezing going online by itself not recognising my
contacts (nightmare) to only having my contat names and it deleted
some of the numbers. I have not got vodafone live and am scared
to set it up incase I have yet another problem with the phone -
at the moment I have a broken line under my 3G connection and also
four little squares - I went into my voicemail and found that I
had two emails that I had missed both from September 2004!! I only
got the phone in July - I am now regreting this choice but am now
stuck with it for anothe 15months - has any one else had the same
problem? Rating:
Reviewed by Michael from Australia on
7th Oct 2009
shuts down all the time, when any key is pushed during a call or
message. rest of it is ok, but no good without electricity Rating:
Reviewed by trevor from uk on
4th Oct 2009
i have two N85 now the first one radio & music player stopped working
after two weeks and now the same problem with my replacemen after
four weeks Rating:
Reviewed by Paula from Uk on
22nd Sep 2009
Worset phone I've ever had! Don't bother it's more hassle than it's
worth. It's been in for repair 3 times now(only had it since March)and
I'm no closer to getting it sorted or getting rid of the phone from
hell! Rating:
Reviewed by mitch from australia on
25th Aug 2009
AVOID!!! Good battery life but it basically ends there.. Screen
impossible to see clearly outside (SO MUCH FOR BEING THE FANTASTIC
OLED SCREEN), unstable, freezes when writing a simple text, crashes
and reboots randomly, software is bugged. Not happy after spending
$500+, expect a lot better than this BS. Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from Australia on
18th Aug 2009
Avoid at all cost. If you want a good nokia just get the N95.It's
a much more stable phone.You won't have the FM transmitter but it's
not that strong anyway so big deal! My N85 wall charger doesn't
work, phone randomly switches off when dialing out then switches
back on, wobbley slider. Second N85 I've had with these faults?
Good battery though, if only using for general text or calls. Good
camera too. Rating:
Reviewed by shramiac from Australia
on 15th Aug 2009
Unlike everyone else, I think the battery is the best thing on this
phone! Get up to 4 days between charges. But the rest of it it rubbish.
After 2 days it started to randomly turn off when dialing out then
would turn back on, video would only play the audio. Sent it back
to my carrier.....waited 10 weeks and FINALLY got a new one (after
many angry phone calls and e-mails to them). The new one then started
playing up exactly the same? Unfortunately AFTER the 30 day DOA
return to my carrier so I'm stuck with it! I live 1000 miles from
my nearest Nokia Care Centre so sending it to them to "repair it"
is not an option! How long would that take???? They won't even send
me a new wall charger to replace the one I was sent with the phone
that never worked from new?? I bought 4 N95's for my employees and
they all work perfectly. Just get an N95 and forget the FM transmitter
which I'm suprised would actually work in a large city? I'm in a
city of about 100,000 and I'm always getting some interference.
Rating:
Reviewed by Tony from UK Bristol on
7th Aug 2009
Had this phone a while now and generally it's performed without
fault. The user interface is rather confused and takes a while to
navigate to the functions you want but for everyday use the multimedia
key provides access to most features. Biggest problems have to be
the OLED screen - gorgeous indoors but completely useless in sunlight
- and I mean useless. Can't see squat! On a recent trip to Spain
I was forever looking for shade to see who the hell I was calling.
The second problem is the video recorder - freezes constantly. This
is a known problem and despite reformatting the SD card the problem
returns within days. The phone is capable of 30fps but with this
bug it's useless. Takes nice stills though. Otherwise, GPS works
great, WiFi good, MP3 fiddly but sounds great, FM transmitter okay
but never worked great in the car - too much interference. My keyboards
cracked too despite careful use. Battery life is v good for a smartphone
lasting 2 days with average use. Rating:
Reviewed by paulmcfc from UK on
6th Aug 2009
This phone is terrible, when on charge it switches on and off every
2 minutes, when you try and record a video it switches itself off,
when you try and ring someone it says 'connection error' and you
have to try about 5 times, the numeric keypad has fallen off it.
The only good thing is the mp3 player!! Do NOT buy this nokia N85
believe me.. very faulty. Rating:
Reviewed by Carl from UK on 5th
Aug 2009
The N85 is one of the worst NOKIA phone I have ever had. If you
have an N95 hold on to it because it's a treasure in comparison.
Here are some N85 faults: 1) Hard to see screen in direct sunlight
2) Audio quality poor on earpiece and speaker mode when compared
to the N95 3) Screen is easily scratched 4) Voip calls keep breaking
up and dropping 5) Poor battery life I am stuck with mine for 18
months on orange but I still use my N95 Rating:
Reviewed by David from UK on
4th Aug 2009
Agree 100% with Chris - anybody giving this phone more than one
star has obviously never tried to view the display in daylight and
has presumably just upgraded from a mid 1980's house brick. It is
a completely unusable device. I have always had Sony Ericssons in
recent years, the C95 for example is a far superior phone (I won't
bore you with why I had to change, its complicated) but this N85
is by far the worst phone I have had in many many years. A phone
that you cannot read when the sun comes out should in my book result
in Nokia doing the honourable thing and recalling it. Mine will
end up in the Thames.Total rubbish. Someone here have it 5, do they
never go outside? Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from UK on
27th Jul 2009
Dont buy this phone, looks flash and all that but the quality is
rubbish, in summary 1. You cant view it in direct sunlight so outdoors
its pants 2. It freezes all the time 3. The battery life is pants
4. My screen broke after a few months Its just not well made Rating:
Reviewed by Lea from Northern Ireland
on 24th Jul 2009
Well, Ok not too good cracked screen got took off so it looks quite
rubbish. Not the best phone in the world, wouldn't recommend it
if it was in the mess it is now but if it was new it would look
brill. I say it is OK but it is quite old. It has a red screen cover
that makes it look quite better. Wish there was better graphics,
but the sound is BRILL!!! So, I think it is very good!!! Rating:
Reviewed by enrike from Peru on
22nd Jul 2009
im using this phone a month and i can say it is very good, maybe
the slide could be better and the sound of speakers but its ok.
Dimensions and features excellent, very good phone Rating:
Reviewed by leanne from london on
19th Jul 2009
i think this phone is not worth buying,, i got mine on a 18month
contract so im stuck with it.. i hate it. it keeps freezing an turning
off it cuts people off when i speak to theM, screen keeps going
blank. its just the worst phone i have ever had an would never tell
anyone to get this phone.. DONT BUY IT Rating:
Reviewed by CJ from UK on 8th
Jul 2009
Bought this phone about 5 months ago. Haven't had any trouble with
it what so ever. Couldn't fault anything other than it can be sluggish
at times to open apps and text messages but perhaps it is because
I have to much on it. I would recommend this phone to anybody. Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from UK on
7th Jul 2009
Good features, but what shockingly bad build quality. Developed
a small crack at the bottom of the lower front bit and that part
eventually fell off. After some arguments with Carphone Warehouse
I got it repaired, but the crack is back after a few weeks, and
now the earpiece has broken too so I can only hear calls with a
headset or on the speaker. Both these seem very common faults -
I'd think twice about buying another Nokia now. Rating:
Reviewed by addam from united kingdom
on 25th Jun 2009
had one for three weeks and the screen has gone black, apart from
this it is an excellent phone. awaiting for replacment. Rating:
Reviewed by JC from UK on 22nd
Jun 2009
An update after my review on 15th May 09. Had a brand new replacement
from orange thad died (wouldn't turn on) within a week and ware
replaced with another on which the speaker has just died. That's
three dead N85 phones in the space of one month. Shockingly bad
build quality and has put me right off Nokia now, even though my
old N95 is still going strong. Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from Greece on
15th May 2009
The finest mobile I have had to date! Sleek, functional, versatile
well built, The only drawback is that the screen is not well visible
in direct sunlight. Rating:
Reviewed by JC from UK on 15th
May 2009
Phone keypad detached after two months. After a repair at a Nokia
centre it detached again after a week, now waiting for a replacement
from Orange. Build quality is shockingly bad and the display is
very poor in bright light. Had an N95 before this and even now it's
2 years old have returned to it as it's in better condition, faster
and better built. Will not be buying Nokia handsets again in the
near future. Rating:
Reviewed by Tom from Hong Kong on
14th May 2009
After giving a lengthy review of the N85 in February, I shall keep
this up-date considerably shorter. I have now been using the N85
for more than three months and thought it warranted a progress report.
The phone still crashes sometimes when I've been playing Worms World
Party for too long, but I take that as Nokia's way of telling me
to get back to work. Contrary to some reports here, I have found
the phone to be solidly built, without any rattles, wobbles, creaks
or groans. Maybe the build quality vaires from region to region?
I also have been impressed with the battery life. While my old N80
would always need charging every single day, I can use the wi-fi,
camera, games, 3g network, voice and SMS functions throughout any
given day without losing a single bar of battery life. Running the
camera in video mode, or using the GPS for prolonged periods still
eats away at the battery, but once you're aware of this it's easy
enough to manage. The lens cover, with which I was initially very
pleased, has turned out to be a bit of a white elephant. Although
it protects the screen from direct scratches, it does nothing to
prevent dust from covering the lens (and for some reason my pocket
seems to be very dusty). If anything the fact that the lens is recessed
due to the addition of the lens cover makes it all the more difficult
to effectively clear away the dust. Despite this, I am very pleased
with the picture quality. In good light conditions the N85's camera
performs admirably, however it takes a bit of patience to achieve
decent results at night or in low-light conditions. All-in-all,
I continue to deeply impressed with the N85 and would not hesitate
to choose it again if given a second chance. Rating:
Reviewed by Adil from Dubai on
12th May 2009
i have had nokia n85 for about a month and i have upgrade the software
version to 11.047, its really awesome smart phone i like it better
then my old n95 , well done NOKIA Rating:
Reviewed by Andy from UK on 11th
May 2009
Had a few Nokia's, N96, N95, 78, N95 8gb etc.. so I am pretty well
up on them. This N85 though blows them all away. It really is a
nice phone and I can't say a bad thing about it. Mine is an Orange
version but changed the product code to Euro 1 to get the latest
firmware. This made a huge difference and i encourage all people
to do it. The screen is gorgous (you really must see it to appreciate
it) and everything is very snappy and quick. It is miles better
than the N96, being more pocket friendly and less rone to crashing.
My only niggle is the somewhat dubious build quality. On the whole
it is fine but the rear cover is a little loose and is something
i wasn't really expecting. This is only slightly disapointing though
and on the whole is a superb piece of kit. Well done Nokia !!! Rating:
Reviewed by Mark from UK on 28th
Apr 2009
Generally very happy with it, much faster than the previous one
(N73 I think). Many more features than I could ever need. One thing
that frustrates me though is that the battery life appears to be
very poor. Some days it struggles to last 24 hours, and that's with
minimal talk time, probably less than 15 minutes. Maybe I am doing
something wrong. Rating:
Reviewed by Mikhail from Belgium on
22nd Apr 2009
overall i think it's a good phone, but mine has some failures. When
i put it off, I sometimes can't put it back on again. I press the
'ON' button, it vibrates and that's it. So i have to put the battery
out for about a 10 seconds, and then try it again. Sometimes I have
to do this 4 times. Also, it sometimes crashes when I use the GPS
function. And then getting the phone back on while drive can be
a nightmare. but this all is nothing when you look at the rest of
the phone. it's a remarkable phone, with a lot of functions i like.
I still discover new functions everyday, because I don't have a
lot of time to spend hours on my phone! and another thing to Oliver
from the UK. you say "Despite living and working in Central London
it somehow persistently fails to find a satellite signal." This
is normal, it's always harder to find signal in a city, than outside
a big city. this is because of the large buildings that get in front
of the satellites. So go live on a farm or something alike :-).
so, It's a good phone with a few problems. If these problems weren't
there, it would be the best phone ever, but now, i still recommend
Ericsson, but Ericsson doesn't have a phone as complete as the N85.
And i will say it a thousand times, it's a phone, a gps, and a lot
more, so it's normal that i crashes sometimes. SO if you want it,
buy it Rating:
Reviewed by Sara Haydon from UK on
8th Apr 2009
Got this on upgrade from Orange. I like the phone BUT in any bright
light it is unusable. I cannot see the contacts or even the number
if I enter it. Other than that it seems OK but.given that the main
use of of mobile is outside, it seems to be a major fault.May return
it to Orange and start over...grr Rating:
Reviewed by Lee from UK on 29th
Mar 2009
Hi just an update from my review on the N85 on the 23rd March,i
have just been back to my local orange shop to exchange my N85 as
it had developed the same problem as the other 3 i had "general
system error" message displayed, but with the exception of everytime
i get a call it connected me to the internet??? also if i was on
a call and someone left a voice mail message the phone terminated
the call i was on to then connect me to voicemail??..oh and the
1 key stopped working. This time orange exchanged the handset for
a completely different model and the faults dept at orange said
there is a fault with some of the software on the phones, The manager
in the orange shop said "same old nokia problems" as i reeled off
the list of faults i had, he agreed to change it immediatley, so
i went for a Sony erricson. So ned you sound like one of the lucky
ones, everyone else good luck if you go with the nokia N85, you
expect to get the odd faulty handset but 4!!!! obviously a design/sof
tware problem...you have been warned!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Yusuf from UK on
29th Mar 2009
I Had my N85 for about a month and 2 weeks, i would say this phone
is quality and excellent phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Miranda from Whales on
27th Mar 2009
Absalutly Amazing Phone! Rating:
Reviewed by ned from Ludd on
24th Mar 2009
Mines NEVER crashed, I'm sure some of the doubters below dont even
own one. Rating:
Reviewed by ben from uk on 23rd
Mar 2009
Phone not yet on networkd (SIM activation pending). Handset provided
by Orange. Thought while I wait I'd install the sync software from
the bundled DVD, 1st mistake! I cannot get the (OVI) software to
successfully install. When it does install it causes the entire
system to freeze, only a hard power off will allow me to continue.
About to try installing PC Suite from Nokia.co.uk. I used that with
my N95 successfully so hopefully the tried and tested software will
actually work! First impressions of the device itself are good,
enough for four or five stars but the OVI software suite lets it
down, badly. Rating:
Reviewed by Lee from UK on 23rd
Mar 2009
Had my N85 for about a month now and im not impressed at all, the
1st one i had broke after about 3hrs it kept locking up with a general
system error message also the speaker quality was awful, so exchanged
it at my local orange shop where i brought it from, although at
first they didnt want to change it, the 2nd one i had, had the same
error message problem, so changed that the one i have now is ok
but have lost all faith in the handset and the slider is now getting
very wobbly. The phone its self is far to complicated and long winded
to get to any of the features, it has a very cheap plastic feel
to it and it creaks when you use the keys. Having owned a nokia
phone before i have to say the 6500 classic and the 6300 were a
hundred times better and looked the part. If you want a phone with
lots of features then this is the phone for you but bear in mind
its cheap look and feel and long winded menu. But if you ask my
opinon steer clear as im not impressed at all there must be some
better quality phone sout there...come on Nokia up your game! Rating:
Reviewed by poppaddomm from kazakstann
on 20th Mar 2009
SHUT FONE DONT GET IT CRASHES AND I DROPED IT AN THE SKREEEN CRACKED
THE BATTEY NEA LASTSZ SSAVE YOURRSELLFFF !!!!!!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by william from england on
3rd Mar 2009
quality fone. good mp3 player, storage and size; its very small
considering what it packs. The build quality isnt great, but i can
live with that for all the functions inside it. Camera and screen
are both outstanding. I've had 4 sony ericssons before this, and
this one beats them all by a mile. overall top notch fone. Rating:
Reviewed by Simon from uk on
1st Mar 2009
I have had the N85 for under 1 month and the microphone has packed
up ! can only hear calls on loudspeaker. Rating:
Reviewed by Frank from UK on
25th Feb 2009
Just sent my N85 upgrade back to Orange. Whilst it seems a good
phone on paper there was a fair few things I did not like about
it. The build quality was pretty awful to be honest. The slide rattled
and was loose. The buttons also felt spongy to press and if it was
like that at the start I can't think what it would be like 18 months
down the line. The battery life also didn't impress me too much.
After making a few calls and using the music player it seemed to
sap a couple of bars of battery straight away. Who knows, maybe
I just received a dodgy handset but from reading a few other reviews
it seems that others have had similar issues. Rating:
Reviewed by Sophie from England on
22nd Feb 2009
Just got my N85 after years of Sony's and Samsung's. Most things
work great on it apart from the camera (one of the reasons I bought
it) which works for about one picture and then the screen goes black.
Try and switch it to video camera and again your faced with a black
screen whichthen flashes up error and asks you to power off and
restart. This happens continually. Must just be my handset as I
can't see anyone else having the same trouble (hence no software/firmware
updates available). I don't have any other issues with the handset
however, I'm now beginning to doubt it's reliability and it's a
shame I've had this problem as I'm beginning to wish I'd stuck with
my 'old faithfuls' and left Nokia alone. Rating:
Reviewed by Tom from Hong Kong on
20th Feb 2009
I can't believe the reviews on this site said basically 'just read
the review for the N96 as it's essentially the same phone'! That's
some of the laziest reviewing in the world, ever. There ARE a few
differences between the two which, in my opinion, make the N85 superior
to the N96 : 1) The N85 has an OLED screen. Ok, so it's 0.2" smaller
than the screen on the N96, but the OLED technology produces a really
nice, high-contrast image with great blacks and vibrant colours
- and without the need for a weight-adding, power-draining back-light!
2) The N85 can radio broadcast. It's not the only Nokia that can
do this, but it is something that the N96 can't do and it means
you can play music from your phone over your radio (whether at home
or in the car) - no need for your stereo system to be equipped with
bluetooth, and no need for wires! 3) Dispensing with the truly useless
mobile TV capability means the N85 can enjoy a smaller form factor
than the N96, and a correspondingly lighter weight. You can still
watch TV over the 3g / 3.5g networks, as well as over the wi-fi
connection. 4) The N85 enjoys USB charging (whilst plugged into
your PC and transferring data). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't
think the N96 does that. 5) It's not a 'few pennies' that you save
over the N96. I bought mine in Hong Kong so do forgive me if I speak
in terms of HK$, but the N85 is currently retailing about HK$1,000
cheaper than the N96. Ok, so it's got less on-board memory, but
even when I had 2gb on my old N80 I seldom used more than two thirds
of it, and contrary to what this site's reviewer says ("...support
for 8gb memory cards...") the N85 actually supports 16gb micro-SD
cards. If I ever find that 16gb of memory is in any way limiting,
then I will have lost all sense of rationality in the way I store
things. All in all I consider that the N85 has (slightly) better
specs than the N96, and yet costs significantly less. It just seems
nonsensical to buy the N96 at all unless you REALLY want the mobile
TV (and can use it in your country), or you REALLY need a few gb
extra storage, or you REALLY want a slightly bigger screen AND are
prepared to sacrifice on screen quality, size, weight, battery life
and radio connectivity. For the record I have noticed a few niggling
glitches with my N85, but nothing that irritates me unduly. There's
a whole lot that I like about this phone and not much to complain
about (especially if firmware updates iron out the glitches). Menu
navigation with Nokias has never impressed me, and the GUI on the
N85 is certainly not inspiring. Games and memory-intensive apps
have a habit of 'hanging' the phone from time to time (though this
usually sorts itself out after a few seconds). Extensive use of
the video camera has led to unannounced re-boots (and consequential
loss of the video that was being recorded at the time) on one occasion.
The camera, generally, is very good. I like the lens cover, the
geo-tagging, dual LED flash (less bright than a xenon but provides
better subject lighting overall as it stays lit for longer AND doesn't
drain the battery AND can be kept on as a video light!). The speakerphone
is clear and loud. The voice-recording function plays back clear,
loud voices - even recorded from across a large board-room. The
Chinese input (I'm in Hong Kong, remember) is much improved over
my old N80 and makes writing Chinese significantly faster. The headphones
are (in common with all Nokias I've experienced) designed for someone
with crazy giant ears, however I like the fact that the jack is
pretty much a standard 3.5mm, and the clarity is better than on
previous Nokias I've owned. I am sadly disappointed by N-Gage games,
but perhaps I'm just not much of a gamer. The slide is significantly
better than on my old N80 (I know what you're thinking by this stage
: I keep referring back to a REALLY old model of phone and it's
not the best comparrison in the world. - I accept that, but it's
the only point of reference I've got), however I think the two-way
slide feature is a little pointless as it gives you little more
than the ability to perform certain tasks from either end of the
phone. I stopped using it (more or less) a while back and I still
find it easy enough to play (most) games as well as music and videos
without those extra little buttons. Overall I am extremely satisfied
with my N85. Of course it isn't perfect and is packed with a whole
lot of features that I may never ues, however the same could probably
be said for any phone on the market at the moment. When Sony Ericsson's
'Idou' finally hits the market then I may revisit my choice of brand,
however when I look back at all the Nokias I've owned and all the
Sony Ericssons (and just plain old Ericssons) I find I have always
been more satisfied with Nokias. The N85 continues to impress me
and I don't find myself wondering what I might be missing out on
if I'd chosen a Sony Ericsson. [Editor's reply: Hi Tom, sorry for
being "lazy" with our review, but you've certainly made
up for our lack of effort! By the way, the review style on this
site is not to describe every feature, menu, etc, etc, but to give
an overview of the key features and in particular to point out any
problem areas. Thanks again for your detailed review.] Rating:
Reviewed by Oliver from United Kingdom
on 17th Feb 2009
Do not even consider getting this phone. I first got one two months
ago and had to have it replaced within a month as it kept crashing
and the phone's speakers stopped working. This morning I went to
turn on its replacement only to find it too has stopped working.
I have owned Sonys for over 7 years without incident and therefore
cannot believe Nokia's build quality. In addition to constantly
malfunctioning both the N85s I have so far owned have felt shoddily
built and the sreen is not fixed properly to the keyboard. Another
failure of the phone is the Satnav. Despite living and working in
Central London it somehow persistently fails to find a satellite
signal. This phone is definitely one to avoid and should I be forced
to accept a replacement it will find itself on Ebay immediately.
Rating:
Reviewed by mike from uk on 14th
Feb 2009
chris, you just have to press red to go to home screen from wherever
you are, phone is quality Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from UK on
3rd Feb 2009
This phone is awful. The navigation usability is just appalling.
I have found navigational faults with almost every function on this
phone. For example, when you are 10 levels deep in navigation, there
is no way to get back to the 'desktop' quickly, except pressing
'back' a lot. The problem here is - on the desktop, the 'back' button
changes to a 'launch clock' button, which is dreadful usability
- so you have to count how many levels you are at, and carefully
go back1...back2... back3... so you don't launch the clock! Otherwise,
it is back... back... back... back... clock... back.... So annoying!
The GPS is great, mp3 player is barely adequate. The graphics on
the phone are terrible - they look really cheap, and there is no
'integrated' feel with the iconography, letting you know where you
are and what stage of the phone's architecture you are currently
in. They keybad is very tricky to use when sending text messages,
and is crammed right at the bottom. The camera is very good, with
some excellent features (stop-motion type photography). Basically
- the whole navigational architecture is a nightmare, and really
spoils this phone. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to overcome
this bad usability, and I may take this phone back. Still deciding... Rating:
Reviewed by nellie from England on
2nd Feb 2009
Love it! Best phone i have owned in years. Rating:
Reviewed by Emily from UK on
31st Jan 2009
I love it! I have upgraded it from disliked Samsung U600. It has
fantastic camera - the photos are great quality - better than from
my digital camera and the screen make photos look clear and sharp.
It so easy to use, texting is a pleasure again!On the negative side
it is quite heavy, and some applications may crash if you rush them.
The radio is not the best too. But I would recommend it as a great
alternative to touch phones on the market. I do not like having
to use my phone using both hands!!! With the touch phone you cannot
text in your gloves as the buttons do not respond!Texting with Nokia
has never been so easy! Nokia N85 is stylish and impressive phone.
Rating:
Reviewed by Chris from Scotland on
29th Jan 2009
Been a Samsung person for last 5+ years, moved to Nokia and loving
it. Really into my phones so I do alot of research before picking
my phones and not disapointed at all with this phone. Any questions
fire away and i'll turn reply for you! Rating:
Reviewed by Ash from India on
29th Jan 2009
My reply to Sam from India, It seems that you buy things without
even looking at them and then repent and blame the manufacturer,
why did u not check the plastic and slider on the piece that you
purchased. It may be quiet possible that only your piece had some
defect. Had you complained to Nokia they would have changed it for
you. My only advice to you is not to give useless advice to others.
Rating:
Reviewed by Joshua from Australia on
9th Jan 2009
Dayum, this phone kicks butt. Likes - Wifi, GPS (Nokia Maps 2.0
works brilliantly and Integrated GPS is free, unless you also go
online network to use the A-GPS, which your carrier will charge
for data). User interface and applications easy, straight forward
to use(for me anyway), Nokia PC Suite and Ovi easy to sync all the
contents ie contacts, msg, photos, videos. Note read instructions/manual
for a stress free setup. Dislikes - No Xenon flash, no silent camera
sound option unless its from the US (if anyone knows how to disable
camera sound will be great for Australia N85). Dual slide not exactly
solid, but no biggie. Easily hooked on mobile internet which causes
a packet. Keypad a bit fiddly but will get used to it. Overall,
very good phone, just short of excellence. Has 95% of stuff most
ppl will be happy with. If only it has Xenon flash, no camera sound
option, better slide like the C905, better keypad , it will be the
perfect smartphone until N97 comes out. Rating:
Reviewed by Tripping from UK on
2nd Jan 2009
Back to Nokia after a 4 year exodus with Samsung, and am so glad
too. User friendly, almost everything is perfect for what I want,
including software apps, WiFi so easy to connect, GPS maps, music,
everything. Yes the slide can get wobbly, but thats a minor inconvenience.
The keys below the OLED screen takes some getting used to, but since
I got a skin cover case for the phones it adds a slight an ever
slight degree of thickness which makes using the keys much easier.
Been playing all the functions for 2 days straight, and still got
2 bars of battery left - amazing. Personal rating 4.5 stars - the
half star missing is for no xenon flash, and wobbly slide. Rating:
Reviewed by Ovie Albert from Sapele,
Nigeria on 28th Dec 2008
I have used other phones before but this one comes to perfect. the
display which sports an OLED type is vivid and crispy. The features
are any phone lovers dream. It is very good. You may only want to
consider the Nokia 5800 Express Music before getting this. I give
it 5 stars. because it is very okay. Rating:
Reviewed by Anna from England on
25th Dec 2008
I have had this phone for four weeks. To begin with it kept crashing
every time I received a message, which was irritating to say the
least and a common fault with these phones by all accounts. However,
it now seems to have settled down and crashes once a week which
I can deal with! It has some amazing features which is why I will
happily put up with the crashing. The camera, music player and wifi
are fantastic but my favourite feature is the fm transmitter which
means no more annoying wires in my car wohoo! The phone now acts
as my ipod as this broke recently! To Faruq you need to go into
messages select options and go to mark all then when you select
delete all the messages are deleted. Great phone definately worth
the money! Rating:
Reviewed by sam from india on
22nd Dec 2008
To all prospective buyers please do not put ur hard earned money
on this piece of junk called nokia n85. This is my personal experience.
I bought this mobile for around 500 US dollars but had to sell it
after 3 days at 400. No return policy at my place. 1. Loose slider,loose
numeric keypad (believe me u can take it out just by putting your
nail under its lower end), it is made of very thin cheap plastic.
Battery cover is also loose with play. 2. Camera is worse than my
earlier n82,lack of xenon flash,poor camera butten,fails to lock
focus even on repeated pressing. Poor feel of camera button. 3.
OLED screen very poor performance in direct sunlight. 4. USB charger-
more wear and tear at single point. The 2mm charger is most durable.
5. Fm transmitter poor signal only a gimmick. 6. Slow fp2 interface,poor
graphics(no 3d accelerator)just compare the photo gallery with n82
(n82 has a graphic accelerator and dual processor) I had to revert
back to my old faithful n82 which i think is still the best nokia
smartphone. Rating:
Reviewed by faruq from bangladesh on
16th Dec 2008
Amazing phone really but could someone please tell me how to delete
all the texts in my inbox at one go instead of having to delete
them one by one? i just can't seem to find the option! Rating:
Reviewed by Hiyajeet from Karishmaland
on 9th Dec 2008
This is an outstanding phone with exceptional features. I changed
the Tocco for this and boy am I happy. I love this phone- beautifully
made. The best Nokia phone ever Rating:
Reviewed by Nikijijoi from Arabia on
6th Dec 2008
This is an outstanding phone with excellent features. I love it...the
best slide phone Rating:
Reviewed by neha from india on
21st Nov 2008
having this fone for about two weeks...this is lyk the best fone
ever!!! everythin iz nyc in this fone!!! errrm the battery is not
as good as they say but its quality is acceptable!!!!! Well there
is no xenon flash lyk in my old n82...but nothin is perfect. Rating:
Reviewed by rahi from india on
21st Nov 2008
its a nice phone Rating:
Reviewed by Doris from UK on
13th Nov 2008
Wow, what a phone! I got my new shiny N85 this morning, I've not
put it down all day. Apart from the great techy features there's
some great simple features too, having the time and date on the
power saver, the wireless transmitter and great ring tones. The
copper colour isn't too bad either. The screen is amazing, really
clear (strikingly so), makes Tetris look great!! The weight feels
reassuring heavy, but well balanced. The rotating screen is good
too. I can't yet see any regrets in getting this phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Ahmed Jiddawi from Tanzania
on 13th Nov 2008
Whoaaa!!! having this fone for about two weeks...this is lyk the
best fone ever!!! everythin iz nyc in this fone!!! errrm the battery
is not as good as they say but its quality is acceptable!!!!! Well
there is no xenon flash lyk in my old n82...but nothin is perfect!!!
other than that...this fone is wicked!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Hon from UK on 13th
Nov 2008
I've had this phone for 1 1/2 weeks now after returning the C905
which I found completely underwhelming and uncomfortable to use.
From initial hands on experience the phone feels quite solid and
has very nice rounded edges all round which makes it quite pleasant
to hold both closed and when slid open (both ways). The keypad is
nicely sized and the buttons feels quite nice to use. I found the
feel of the C905 buttons to be a bit too clicky. The weight of the
phone doesn't sit that far up when the phone is slid open as it
does on the C905 either. When the weight is too high up the phone
constantly feels like it's going to fall backwards out of your hand,
which was my experience with the C905. The weight sits fairly central
on this so it's not constantly trying to fall onto the floor! The
screen is clear and bright and it's one of the first mainstream
phones that uses an AM-OLED screen. The advantages of this tech
are that it should have a very wide viewing angle as there is no
backlight; the individual pixels emit their own light, longer battery
life (lower power consumption) and a very good contrast ratio. I
can't see any major improvements over the standard lcd/tft screens,
but I have noticed the blacks really do look black! There are actually
so many features on this phone that I'd better bullet point the
rest so this doesn't run too long: + Music Player software is fairly
standard - it works! + FM Transmitter is more than just a gimmick.
If you find a nice bit of empty bandwidth the signal comes through
very clearly without too much distortion + 5 MP Camera has a dual
LED flash. The quality of shots has been very good. Low noise and
although there's no Xenon flash I've been very happy with low-lighting
pictures. Video isn't that smooth, but it's definitely adequate.
+N-Gage software. Interesting idea, but it's definitely more of
a gimmick. Need to get a new version of Snake... +Wifi - quite good
actually. The browser implementation isn't uber slick like the iPhone,
but it's adequate for Fbooking, checking mails, reading bbc news
etc. +Battery Life - this phone really excels here, even with all
the features and using gadgets like the FM Transmitter and Wifi,
it turned in a very good battery life. I'm averaging about 3-4 days
of moderate use between charges. I haven't tried the HSDPA or A-GPS
properly yet, mostly because I don't have a data bundle so am very
wary of the £3 per MB cost of mobile internet. Overall, a very nice
phone to use and a great alternative to the chunkier N96 or N95
8GB and a welcome return to Nokia for me :) Hon Rating:
Reviewed by Minah Ali from England on
6th Nov 2008
This is an outstanding phone with exception features Rating: