It’s a cellphone, it’s a camera, it’s the Nokia N83

An all-in-one device gadget person I am not. I like to keep gadgets specific to a function so that should any malfunction happen I will not be at a loss. I have shied away from using any new techie toy as the be-all and end-all of gadgets. I like my camera to be separate from my cellphone and my music player to be another little gadget that I add to my already uber heavy bag.

I am of the mind that there can be no gadget that can do all things under one case. Really, I treat gadgets like I do people; I have yet to meet a person who can be and do everything perfectly. If you have, please introduce him or her to me.

And then there is the Nokia N82.

OK, OK, so I give it a chance.

I put aside my almost close-minded attitude toward camera-phones and I let myself shoot life with the N82.

The Nokia N82 is the latest high-end imaging-focused device from the Finnish manufacturer with a Xenon flash, a five-megapixel camera with auto-focus, and video capture at 30 frames per second.  The N82 Nokia has started to make a believer of me. Moreso when it comes to this cellphone’s ability to take shots at life.

I am no ace photographer, but I do enjoy the occasional picture taking with my canine companions. Imaging is clearly one of the N82’s core functions. That the N82 has a few more little goodies in its camera arsenal makes it a standout.

The first is the N82’s Xenon flash, a first for the Nseries line. This is capable of producing much brighter lighting than is possible with any LED flash. Thus, the N82 takes better photos even in low-light conditions.

I tried to capture some of the dozing moments of my doggies at night in my room and I was pleased with the results of the shots that the N82 came up with. I must say that it did better than the shots I had taken at the same time with the N95.

I guess, the difference is obvious when comparing pictures and this single factor makes the N82 a much more versatile camera phone. The N82, just like its Nseries siblings, also has a dedicated auto focus assist lamp. This is the red light that comes on in low light conditions in order to help the camera focus. In previous Nseries models, the assist lamp was part of the LED assembly; in the N82 it is still part of the overall unit, but is isolated in one corner. I think this must explain why the N82 has faster lock on times for auto focus in low light conditions.

The second improvement is in camera speed. The N82 has a fast camera startup time and a lower shutter lag time, which means that I am better able to capture that magic moment at the time it is happening.

It is safe for me to say that over the last few years, Nokia has been steadily improving the quality of its camera cellphones and image processing software. With the N82 Nokia, the time has arrived. 

There is the now standard video capture, with a VGA resolution at around 30 frames per second and offers very similar performance to the N95 models. The quality is easily watchable on a TV and with practice.

There is no doubt that the N82’s camera functionality is very impressive and gives excellent all around results.

With the N82 I am willing to gamble a bit, and on certain occasions leave the digi camera at home. I find that among all the camera phones I have tried it is almost capable of replacing mid-range standalone cameras. The addition of the Xenon flash means decent images.

It’s in the looks

Yet, it is not the camera specs that first catch my fancy (although it must be obvious by now that the camera is really great), it is the fact that Nokia has opted to return to the candy bar form factor that is the N82’s main come-on for me.

The Nokia N82 is a slim enough beauty as it is 112mm x 50mm x 17.3mm and weighs 114g. It is one of the first Nseries candy bar phones since the Nokia N73.

But don’t let the candy bar form factor make you think for a nano second that this phone is weak and flimsy. It actually feels solid in the hand, and the sides are slanted slightly to offer better grip. There are no weak spots in this phone when handling it even if the body’s cover is made of plastic. The back of the device is just as cool as the front as it sports a geometrical striped design with a smooth surface.

Cool, real cool.

The display on the N82 is a 2.4-inch, 16.7-million color TFT screen, with 240 x 320 pixel resolution. I find the display easy to read even under bright light conditions or under the high noon sun.

There is also a display speaker, an ambient light sensor, and a front-facing VGA-resolution camera for video calling. The front-facing camera is also handy for self-portraits and MMS video messages.

Pressing matters

The buttons on the Nokia N82 are different from what I’ve seen on an S60 device. It took me sometime to get used to the somewhat small buttons.

When I did, I grew to really enjoy using them. The end and send keys are large enough, and positioned at the left and right edges of the phone.

The smaller-sized multimedia key is on the right, next to the “end” key and activates the new S60 multimedia menu, made up of panels with nice transition animations. The numeric keypad is quite different, with very small buttons that are each about the size of a grain of rice, with key labels printed directly above each button. These keys were slightly difficult to get used to, but after sometime I found out that they make text writing much easier because there are less errors made from pressing the wrong keys.

I noticed that the send/answer and end call keys looked a little out of place when I first saw the phone. But if there is one thing that I have learned about cellphones and people through the years, it’s that appearances are deceptive. And, in the N82, the keys are placed in the right spots, as they are easy to find even if I don’t look at the phone.

Yes, the N82 is loaded with all the connectivity options that one might look for in a cellphone. It is Wi-Fi, HSDPA (WCDMA 2100), and quad-band GSM-capable. It also has built in GPS: Nokia Maps with integrated GPS, and assisted GPS supports. There are games with that Nokia N-Gage experience. I must say that I enjoy the car race although I am no cellphone gamer.

It is a time in my techie life where I have reached a crossroad, and have realized that I have been wrong. Mind you, I am not talking about the many twists and turns my life has made as I close in on my mid-40s.

I admit the Nokia N82 is really great.

And yes, I was wrong. A cellphone and camera can make a beautiful combination in one gadget. The Nokia N82 is it.

‘Nuff said.