first take Nokia's latest N series clamshell is a shiny 3G multimedia phone with dual displays, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for music, and support for Windows DRM.
Upside
Developed in Germany, the dual-mode N76 is a quad band GSM phone (850/900/1800/1900) with support for 3G UMTS (2100). It is extremely thin and surprisingly light for a 3G handset, measuring 106.5mm by 52mm by 13.7mm and weighing a mere 115 grams. Dedicated music keys on the front of the clamshell sit below the external LCD display, which acts as a camera viewfinder or music browser when in use, but looks like a mirror when the phone is idle. Power-saving LEDs above the screen indicate the phone is switched on.
We tested the N76's music features with a pair of Bose QuietComfort 3's that the product developer had on hand. Music quality sounded excellent, but that might have been more to do with the high-end headphones than the phone itself. A welcome addition is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Unlike the proprietary Pop-Port connector or the 2.5mm jack found on many Nokia phones, the 3.5mm connection allows you to plug in any headsets without the need for an adaptor.
A microSD card slot on side of the N76 supports memory cards up to 2GB. There is a photo shortcut key that works even when the clamshell is closed; opening the flip after taking a photo launches the media gallery, allowing you to view the captured image on the 2.4-inch screen. The impressive display supports 16 million colours and looks fantastic. Like the N73, the N76 can upload pictures taken with its 2-megapixel camera directly to Flickr.
The S60 operating system with version 3.1 of the user interface allows you to view common e-mail attachments, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files.
Downside
Although the N76 supports Bluetooth 2.0, the stereo Bluetooth audio profile known as A2DP is absent.
After using the N76 for a couple of minutes, we also noticed the mirror exterior is extremely fingerprint-prone.
Outlook
Available in two colour choices of shiny red or black, this stylish 3G phone is expected to sell for about US$390 in The States. An Australian release date and pricing is yet to be confirmed.
Talk time on the N76 is about 2 hours for 3G; using GSM will extend that to 2.5 hours. Standby time is rated at 200 hours. Using the MP3 player, Nokia estimates roughly eight hours of play.
Nokia N76
Company: Nokia
RRP: TBA
7%
3%
Hey Guys! I've updated my firmware recently and I was relieved that A2DP is "activated" in the phone, which means "wireless music" is finally here =)