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MWC 2009

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Nokia N86 Samsung Beat Disk

Nokia waited until Day 2 at Mobile World Congress to introduce its latest N series device, the 8 megapixel N86.

N86

The N86 follows the footsteps of the N85, N95 and N96. That means it is a dual-slider, with standard 12-key dialpad in one direction, and dedicated media playback keys in the other.

The N86 feels much more solid and well put together than the larger N96. The materials were high quality, the back was rounded and smooth, and it felt comfortable to hold.

The sliding mechanism was pure quality. it had a very satisfying action and locked firmly into the open and closed positions with a firm spring assist.

What I didn't really care for were the function keys. They are tiny little dashes that I just find to be unusable. They have decent travel and feedback, but locating them is a bit hard. The D-pad, in contract, was excellent. I really liked the way it felt under my thumb.

The dial-pad felt good. The keys are perfectly flat and well spaced, which will make it great for pecking out messages. The media keys were also well-conceived and had good travel and feedback.

The back of the phone holds the camera. There is a little hatch covering the lens, which is easily opened. Surrounding the camera module is a kickstand that will flip out and hold the phone at a nice angle for viewing content with it resting on a level surface. This kickstand is made of plastic, not metal as on the N96. I thought it was a bit wimpy and could be prone to snapping off.

My only complaint about the N86 is that it is a little on the thick side. Sure, it is far more pocketable than the N95 or N96, but it is chubbier than the N85, which is a nearly perfect-sized device. I also wish the N86 came with the 2.8-inch screen seen on the N96 and N95-8GB, rather than the 2.6-incher that it has.

In all, though, it is sure to make many a photog happy.

Next page: Samsung Beat Disk

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