I’ve been using the Nokia N85 for 3 weeks now and let me tell you that this is the best phone to have right now. It has become my replacement for my previous favorite, the Nokia N95 8GB. The Nokia N96 was supposed to take this title, but that phone has been collecting dust on my desk because of the N85. In this first part of the review, I’ll cover the physical aspects.

Black + shiny = excellent gadget formula

Build Quality

When it comes to slider phones, people really want to know about the quality of the slider. The Nokia N85’s slider can be best described as ‘tight.’ You can feel the spring pulling the front up by the time you are halfway up. The quality of the slider is not an issue with the Nokia N85.

As for the rest of the phone, it feels like the materials used were pretty good. I don’t hear any creaking, rattling, or notice any loose parts when handling the N85.

Pocketable

The Nokia N85’s size is very pocketable. It’s thinner and narrower than the Nokia N95 8GB. It’s narrower than the Nokia N96 by a little bit, but the Nokia N85 feels much better to hold in the hands and more comfortable inside a jeans pocket. Let’s look at a size comparison below.

Nokia N85 next to Nokia N96

Display

The front of the Nokia N85 is flat and glossy showing a lot of reflection when the display is off. When it is on, we see a bright 2.6 inch display with the resolution of 240×320. What’s unique with the Nokia N85 is that it is the first Nseries phone with an OLED display. The improvement in brightness, sharpness, and color accuracy is very visible over the older backlit . You really have to see it in person than rely on images online.

People also interested in the Nokia N96 have to decide whether to go for the bigger display on the Nokia N96 or go for the much better quality display on the Nokia N85.

Buttons

The front buttons are where the Nokia N85 gets tricky. I initially had a hard time. There are 12 functional buttons on the front, but 4 of those buttons are flushed with the surface and have no physical separation. They were tough to press, requiring more effort than necessary. After a few days, I have gotten used to the buttons and found the “sweet spots” to press.

Number keypad. The numeric keypad is flat, but in between each row of numbers are thin strips that goes slightly deeper than the main surface, creating a noticeable separation for our fingers.

Flat surface with button separation

Side. On the right side of the Nokia N85 are the volume controls, keyguard, and camera button. I’m right-handed so the keyguard placed on the right side is very convenient for me. When I’m done using the phone and want to avoid accidental button press, I just flick the keyguard with my right thumb.

The right side of the Nokia N85

Speakers

Built for videos. Both the left and right speakers are placed on the right side of the Nokia N85. The placement is perfect for watching movies on the phone, but gets covered when holding the phone with the right hand during a loudspeaker call. Nevertheless, the speakers are loud and gave me no problems hearing my callers.

Connection Ports

Micro-USB with Charging. The Nokia N85 connects to your computer via wire with a micro-USB cable. What’s really great is that the phone will get charged while connected. Previous Nokia owners will need to purchase a different charger to use in the car.

Standard 3.5mm jack. A 3.5mm jack is on top of the Nokia N85. This should be a standard placement on all phones because it is a lot easier to listen to music while the device is in my pocket. That same jack also connects to the TV-out cable where you can connect the Nokia N85 to a TV. This is great to show off to your friends and family the DVD-quality video recorded on the phone on a bigger screen. That’s 640×480 resolution in 30 frames per second!

MicroSD and MicroSDHC. The Nokia N85 takes microSD and microSDHC cards on the left side. What I like about the placement is that I do not need to do anything else other than insert or remove the card from the side with the flap cover. The retail package comes with an 8GB card included.

Camera

Lens Cover. The 5 megapixel camera on the Nokia N85 is protected by a lens cover. The cover slides up and down flawlessly. I don’t want to talk about the camera functions and the way it works yet because that will be in the second part of the review.

Nokia N85’s camera lens cover

Dual LEDs Flash. The Nokia N85 features dual LEDs for camera flash. It’s not as bright as the xenon flash on the Nokia N82. Take a look at a comparison I’ve done between the Nokia N95 8gb, N82, N85, and N96.

• Nokia N82 vs Nokia N85 vs Nokia N95 8GB vs Nokia N96 Camera Flash Test in Darkness

An advantage with using the LEDs, is that you can use it as a continuous light source when creating videos in poor light conditions. Take a look at a sample Nokia N85 video with the LEDs on.

• Vlog: Nokia N85 at Chocolate Restaurant Max Brenner

Physical Conclusion

I really like the Nokia N85 and it is my current favorite phone. Black and shiny seem to be a popular formula. Most buyers will be looking at either the Nokia N85 or the Nokia N96 as an upgrade from the Nokia N95. After seeing the display on the Nokia N85 in person, you will not want any other device without an OLED screen. The Nokia N85 feels good to hold and is very pocketable. It’s really a great mobile device that packs a lot of features.

The second part of this review will be my thoughts on the Nokia N85’s functions, features, as well as usage experience. Stay tuned or subscribe to the Nokia blog’s feed.