Review Review N73

FromFrom frfreeee on contract www.nokia.co.uk Stats Zeiss to see you Features ■ Series 60 OS OS: Symbian 3rd Edition ■ 3.2-megapixel camera with The N73’s main draw is its 3.2-megapixel Carl Size: 110x49x19mm auto-focus Seventies show Zeiss camera lens. Does the association with ■ Full HTML internet browsing Weight: 116g ■ the camera optic guru make a real difference? Expandable memory Display: 262,000 colours Let’s take a look. Pros Last month the roared into town with Resolution: 320x240 pixels ■ The 3.2-megapixel Carl Zeiss its stunning photographic and video performance, Camera: 3.2 megapixels OKIA first teamed up with optic if you like your pics bursting with strong lens takes some delicious-looking specialist Carl Zeiss with the N90 colour, you’ll favour the N73. It’s a Video recording/playback: N snaps and pushes the N93 close but it had niche appeal. Its lesser sparring partner, and has since installed common trait with the majority of Nokia’s for picture performance. Yes/yes its famed photo lens in the recent N93. high-end camera phones and while some the N73, takes some of its pixel power into the These handsets, while powerful, were dissenters may says its hues are over- Cons Audio playback: MP3, AAC, something of a niche attraction, primed saturated, it definitely makes for vivid mainstream for early adopters and to showcase and bright photos. Our tests indoors ■ The navigation joystick might AAC+, eAAC+, WMA Nokia’s mobile technology advancements. and outdoors showed a consistent level drive punters to commit hari-kari Connectivity: , But now the Finnish manufacturer is of crisp detail and even exposure, and, with its obstinate action, while HE N73 is the closest a Despite these usability issues, the out of luck. It does offer an optional AD- Snap happy or giving the hoi polloi a taste of the Carl despite the flash’s variable performance, manufacturer has come to N73 has a lot going for it and if you 15 adapter that will set you back £12 Zeiss photographic experience by plonking the camera works well in most lighting the pokey keypad doesn’t fare USB, infrared matching our Phone of the Year, the can overcome its flaws, this handset but is worth investing in if you want to joy-less joystick? its lens trickery in the more mainstream environments. Elsewhere, the N73 much better. T Sony Ericsson K800i Cyber-shot, in terms will prove to be one of the best Symbian really use your phone as a primary digital Internal memory: 42MB N73. The optic type may not be as includes all the stock photographic of photographic prowess and features. around. The latest version music player. It’s also worth noting the advanced as the N93’s Vario-Tessar lens features like exposure compensation, Some dissenters will look at the N80 or of the Symbian Series 60 OS and N73 doesn’t support A2DP (Advanced Memory card slot: MiniSD but it still manages to deliver a sterling flash settings, scene modes and timer. the N93 as challengers, but the N80’s interface is a little more stable, thanks Audio Distribution Profile) for wireless (128MB card supplied) picture performance. Optical zoom is absent but this feature three-megapixel camera falls short while to a faster processor. Any users of past stereo streaming of music to compatible The 3.2-megapixel camera is fired up is still quite rare in camera phones and the N93, despite its stellar performance, Nokia Symbian handsets will find nothing headphones, but considering the accent Java: Yes by sliding the active lens cover open. only really appears in elite handsets is a highly niche device. The N73 cobbles new here to grapple. is heavily on photography, we can forgive Nokia has clearly learned from its like the Nokia N93 and Sharp 903. together the best of both handsets for With the keypad squeezed into a small Nokia for this omission. Games: Snakes previous rickety efforts on the N70 and Instead, close-ups are dealt with a 20x a mainstream appeal, including a 3.2- space, Nokia has at least used the The Nseries has been a conduit for 6680, because this camera protector digital zoom but of course picture quality Messaging: SMS, MMS megapixel Carl Zeiss camera (see page remaining space to include a copious Nokia’s pioneering new full-internet is neatly integrated into the phone’s deteriorates considerably the closer you 14 overleaf for an in-depth look at the 2.4-inch display. The handset’s imaging browsing technique called MiniMap. Internet browser: xHTML, design with a sturdy springy slider move in. N73’s camera features). ambitions means it is essential to have Mobile Choice thinks it’s a canny action. Surprisingly, and unlike the Sony As a video camera, the N73 is a world With its familiar design and feature a sizeable and good-quality screen to development, although we’re divided on HTML Ericsson K800i, the N73 doesn’t come away from matching the N93’s prowess boost, the N73 looks poised to become a view images and to double as a camera whether it’s actually beneficial and easy loaded with a proper flash. Instead an but it’s still not bad despite the judder replacement for the mighty N70. But we viewfinder. The QVGA-quality screen is to use. Essentially, a semi-transparent Email client: POP3, SMTP, LED lamp helps out in indoor and low and image drag, shooting in a maximum have to admit that the new look doesn’t a great platform for these activities, zoomed-out view of the area you’re IMAP4 light conditions. Its performance is fickle CIF (352x258-pixel) resolution in MPEG4 feel as iconic as its predecessor – it displaying crisp detail and vivid colours. reading is shadowed by a complete and the only real blot on the handset’s format at 15fps. sports a more sober design that may not A front-loaded VGA camera is on view of the whole web page as it was Ringtones: Polyphonic, MP3 photographic copybook because otherwise Nokia has also teamed up with online win new fans. hand for two-way video calling and its originally designed, making browsing on the N73 takes some stunning snaps. photo sharing website Flickr so you can Give or take a few millimetres, the N73 performance follows the same lines as a small-screen device less of a thorny GPRS: Yes + EDGE The auto-focus is a slick worker and upload your snaps straight after capture. is the same size and weight as the Sony previous Nseries stalwarts, the N70 experience. Frequency: Quad-band + Ericsson K800i and, like its adversary, it’s and N80. Video calling is something The N73 also comes loaded with wonderful to handle and nicely weighted of a marginal pastime but should you oodles of Symbian software goodies Talktime: 246 mins in the hand. However, getting to grips dabble, the N73 does a respectable including Nokia’s LifeBlog application for with navigating around the N73 proves job. The quality of our call was blighted easy posting and managing of memories, Standby: 350 hours a prickly experience and our gripe rests with slight drag and judder, but the photos and entries online. There’s an squarely with the joystick and keys. Nokia speakers situated at the top and bottom opportunity to download and install has ditched the navigation pad present on of the handset issued strong sound that F-Secure Mobile Anti-Virus if you’re Verdict the N70, N80 and 6280 in favour of a projected the conversation well. It means worried about security, while the usual stick format. The success of the K800i’s you don’t have to rely on the headphones. QuickOffice programs to view Word, Excel The N73 is an expert camera Also consider almost identical operation method should These airshifters also help boost and PowerPoint files and Adobe PDF mean there’s no cause for concern, but new 3D technology that tarts up your Reader are present and correct for the phone and splendid Symbian Sony Ericsson K800i where the Sony Ericsson is lucid and ringtones with some fancy pseudo- more business-minded user. . However, responsive, the N73’s five-way joystick is surround-sound trickery. You can choose Despite lacking the inventive picture A Symbian OS may not stiff and cranky. You really have to thumb circular (surround), fly-by (like a speeding technology and proper built-in flash of usability issues and ordinary the stick forward to get a response and car), zig-zag (back and forth) or meander the Sony Ericsson K800i Cyber-shot, drive our Phone of the Year design curse its record. such force can inadvertently push down, which is diverting, but fun. the N73 takes some cracking snaps but it has the right pixel activating the selection command. This The built-in music player is also pretty and excels as a camera phone. Sure, power and features. With a can be devilishly frustrating. decent, with an equalizer to enhance the it may have a niggly navigation joystick, Similarly, the keypad feels a little sound. The bundled headphones aren’t a cramped keypad and a less inspiring 3.2-megapixel camera with cramped. Given the ample space at ideal but setting the sounds to bass design than the N70 but this handset auto-focus, built-in flash, the Nokia’s disposal, this design feels flawed. booster and pumping up the volume is still a feature-rammed 3G Symbian THUMBS UP unique BestPic technology As with all previous Nokia Symbian to 80-90% produces a driving, punchy smartphone that we’re sure Nokia fans smartphones, the keypad is flanked by a fidelity. Sadly, the N73 doesn’t arrive will flock to. and 3G support, it’s a multimedia button that is a shortcut to with a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter photographic master. your popular features, plus the menu, so if you want to upgrade to quality cans Nick Renshaw cancel and text editing keys. and really strengthen the sound you’re [email protected] > 87%