After watching the Nokia N81 videos, pictures, and reading other people’s impressions from the Nokia Go Play event, I am sharing my initial thoughts on the new device. No, I have not held the N81 or played with it yet. I’ll write a review once I really have it in my hands. In the end, I think it’s perfect for anyone looking to carry a cool phone to show off, but power users like me will probably pass on it. Check out the rest of my opinion.

N-Gage Gaming with the Nokia N81

There are two versions of the Nokia N81. One has expandable microSD storage, while another version, simply called the Nokia N81 8GB, has… yes you guessed right… 8GB of internal storage. The suggested prices are $491 USD and $586 USD respectively.

Form Factor: Holding the Nokia N81

The Nokia N81 is a slider phone, but unique in a way that it includes what Nokia calls, the Navi wheel. It is a navigation scrolling wheel anyone who ever touched an iPod will be familiar with. However, Engadget reports that the Nokia N81’s Navi Wheel is limited to the music player and a few applications. Reviewers in the Go Play event also claimed that the Nokia N81 feels heavy in the hands. For comparison, it weighs 140 grams, compared to 188 grams for the Nokia N93 and 120 grams for the Nokia N95. Sizewise, it is 4.02″ x 1.97″ x 0.70″.

Dedicated Gaming Buttons. The Nokia N81 features two dedicated game buttons next to the area where you place your ears during a phone call. This works out pretty well because it is placed opposite of the Navi wheel. Playing games on the Nokia N81 will be easier and more fun than any other existing phone out there.

Two Landcape Views. It looks like there are two landscape views, making 2 ways to hold the Nokia N81. If you play games, the navigation keys will be on the left. When you use the camera, the navigation keys are on the right.

Dedicated Key-Lock On top of the Nokia N81, you can notice a lock slide. This slide prevents accidental key presses when you are not using the phone. Existing Nseries owners will know that usually this is done by pressing 2 buttons on the keypads. I think this is a great feature on the N81 that other Nseries phones lack.

Functions: Using the Nokia N81

Running underneath the Nokia N81 is the S60 3rd edition. Current owners of the Nseries phones won’t be really surprised. But if you are new to the interface, check their website to learn the overview of S60. I’ll cover what stands out for me.

New Multimedia Menu. Introduced in the Nokia N81 (as well as the N95 8GB) is a revamped multimedia menu. This is a good move by Nokia, because I do not even use the multimedia menu in my current phone, the Nokia N95, nor in the previous Nseries phones I owned: Nokia N93i, Nokia N93, and Nokia N70 (haha now you know my phone history). Now, it really looks a lot more functional.

Music. With the Navi wheel and the new multimedia menu, I believe playing music on this phone will be better than any previous Nseries phones. The speakers on this phone are receiving praises as well. Gizmodo’s verdict is the Nokia N81 is a really loud music phone. They say,

Nokia put the loudest speakers I’ve ever heard on a mobile phone on this thing. The side-mounted stereo speakers were so powerful while the phone was placed on a table, bouncing music off the table top.

Camera. The camera is the deal breaker for me. The Nokia N81 only features a 2 megapixel camera. This will be a huge step down coming from 5 megapixels on my current Nokia N95. The video will obviously be not as good as well. Since the camera is not that great, it also makes sense not to include a TV-out, a feature in my current Nokia N95.

I’m disappointed as a consumer, but I know that Nokia did this in purpose so the N81 won’t compete directly with the Nokia N95. Eldar Murtaz from Mobile-Review reports that Nokia N81’s Navi wheel is functional in the Gallery application, enabling you to rotate the wheel to browse through pictures. Very cool!

Gaming. Those who will buy the Nokia N81 will be those who want to enjoy playing games on their phone. While the dedicated gaming buttons do not scream “I’m a PSP!,” the placement of these buttons definitely makes it a gaming device. During the Q&A at the Nokia Go Play event, a Nokia N81 product manager said that the buttons on the Nokia N81 have tactile feedback as well instead of touch-sensitive. With Nokia launching the new N-Gage service, finding games will be easy.

Conclusion

While the Nokia N81 looks to be a great gaming and music phone, the camera stops me from even considering it. 2 megapixels is simply not enough. If it was 3 megapixels, I’d give it a chance. Since the Navi wheel is new to the Nseries, I would definitely want to test this feature out.