UK 3G Mobile Phones - Nokia N81 Review

Your Nokia N81 Reviews

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Reviewer: Mason - UK
Date: 2nd Feb 2010

I got the 8 gig version of this phone in March 2008 on contract & I absolutely love it.

I wanted a phone with a large music storage capacity, had MMS & looked & felt good. I also wanted a phone with a variable contact ringtone facility so I'd know who was calling without having to look at the display or even remove it from my pocket. The Bluetooth works beautifully with my earpiece unit but I can also talk through the headphones or microphone unit too, which is helpful.

I wasn't interested in the camera, which is just as well as it's not really that good but at only 2MP I didn't expect it to be.

I have so far crammed about 20 hours of music onto it & still have 1 or 2 gig of space left. Music transfers easily from my media player straight into the memory & I especially like the fact that I can load entire playlists, in their song order, directly. One thing though, don't use the PC suite that comes with it as it's useless.

Its features are superb & its usability is very good except that the scroll key is getting a little temperamental & doesn't always activate the required function properly, little wonder though as it's nearly two years old. As for the design, it's exactly what I expect from a Nokia which is excellent, functional & extremely good looking.

Even after nearly two years of use it's almost in the condition it was in when it was new apart from some light scuff marks on the screen almost certainly due to the excessive amount of time it spends in pockets but the shiny plastic body is still intact & unblemished.

This phone is the best I've ever had & I am at present trying to find another, brand new one, just in case this one develops any faults in the future because I love it so much & would miss it terribly.

My advice. Buy this phone, treat it with respect & it'll give you exceptional service for a very long time.

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Reviewer: Knight - UK
Date: 23rd Dec 2009

I've had this phone for one day (replacement from Sony Ericsson W910i, don't buy). The phones right speaker has already broken, can't put any music on due to apparently having no memory ( no music, no pictures, no games or anything still on factory settings), can't use N Gage apparently I don't have coverage to download, people can't hear me when I am on the phone.

The phones screen is already lose from the rest of the unit. Buttons seem to have a mind of their own.

Overall I would suggest to people to be very cautious when buying this phone.

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Reviewer: Cc - Bermuda
Date: 22nd Nov 2008

The phone is great but it's not made for people with big fingers. The features are great, it can do so much & that makes the phone not as big as people say it is!

The usability is pretty good & for the people who say it's getting loose just go to the nearest phone shop & they will make it tight again & you can walk around with it for few months. (I can't understand these people anyway because I have had mine for over half a year & I still like it & it never became loose to me! )

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Reviewer: Hannah Barnes - Bedford, UK
Date: 7th Oct 2008

Hey first time reviewing a phone but felt I really had to with this one!

I have had it now for about 5 months & ever since I have had it during a phone call the other person can't hear me for about 5 to 10 seconds & then I cut back in, although I can hear them really clearly! Obviously frustrating when trying to sort something out, I look silly in the middle of town shouting hello Hello?

Anyways I have put up with that because quite frankly I couldn't be bothered to wait 20 days for it to be looked at & then sent back with it still having a problem.

Now I must say I have looked after my phone, the plastic cover is even still on the screen & on the camera lens. So now why of all times (different story! ) does the phone have to go absolutely barmy on me?

I press to go into my messages & it goes into contacts. Freezes for about 10 seconds & then goes back to standby.

None of the buttons below the screen are working & it's annoying me!

Someone please tell me how on earth am I meant to get my contacts, photos etc off of my phone?

When I first brought it, the internal memory was a bonus for me! Not having to worry about cards etc.

NOW IT'S A MAJOR WORRY!

I can't just pop the card out & download onto my computer & with the buttons not working on my phone how on earth can I get into it?

Contacts are saved to phone & not SIM (a mistake I will never make again! ).

If your thinking of buying the phone please take into consideration the troubles I have been having.

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Reviewer: Jason George - Mumbai, India
Date: 18th Sep 2008

Nokia N81 is a superb phone which I ever used in my whole life awesome! As it is a N gage phone the graphics & all other thing is up to the mark. Design good but very much attracted to finger prints.

Camera not so bad actually it's a phone with the camera not camera with the phone & maybe Nokia has done it for the reasonable price actually this product is value for money & it is worth of it. & its s60 based smart phone.

If your fingers are big then this phone is not good for you.

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Reviewer: Matt - UK
Date: 10th Sep 2008

I purchased the 8GB version of this phone from a well known auction site as I fancied a phone bursting with technology, & as I've had it for over 6 months now I feel I can give a fairly decent overview of it.

Initially I was very happy with the performance & features of the phone. The overall design is quite nice looking, albeit on the bulky side. The main problem with the design however is that there is a mass of buttons packed closely on the front below the screen, this leads to knocking the music player buttons whilst texting or navigating menus. The call & power buttons are located on the far edge of either side, this looks like an afterthought & is quite frustrating to use on a daily basis.

The music player itself is fairly decent & with the storage space available means that I soon had over 1500 songs on it, the PC suite software that came with the phone however was totally useless & I had to resort to downloading a new version from the Nokia website. The speakers were initially very good with clear sound & decent volume, they now crackle when certain tracks are playing. The 3.5mm headphone jack is absolutely brilliant as it means a decent set can be used in place of the paltry standard Nokia abominations.

The body of the phone consists of shiny black front & rear panels & beige, brown, gold edge, the plastic that frames the front part of the phone has worn away over time & chips & discoloration have occurred which ruin the look of it in my opinion & make holding it unpleasant.

The shiny black plastic looks superb when you first remove the phone from the box, savour this moment as it's NEVER going to look as nice ever again! It's a fingerprint, dust, sweat, scratch & smear magnet, this combined with the chipping problem mentioned before means it's not too long before it looks tired & worn out.

The other qualm I have is with the rear panel, from the day I bought it till now its squeaked & creaked & rattled, doesn't matter what I am doing with it, be it texting or holding or what it's constantly trying to pop itself off or something! VERY frustrating!

The features included on the phone are vast & work extremely well, the browser firmware is superb & the overall user interface is smooth (apart from the front buttons spree!). Of course many more applications are downloadable making this phone excellent in that department.

The battery life is pretty good considering the power & features, the N Gage application is excellent with a good selection of games which run at a fairly respectable pace. My N81 came preloaded with Tom Tom software, meaning all I had to do was purchase a Bluetooth receiver to turn the handset into a satnav system! This was used on many occasions & proved to be just as easy & usable as a standard Tom Tom standalone system.

Overall then there are some issues with quality & design, but for features & reliability it's up there with the best Smartphone's currently available. It's also a nice change from the N95, it does everything that handset can do. I would recommend it but I have decided to go for a simpler handset.

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Reviewer: S - UK
Date: 31st Jul 2008

I wanna get this phone but I wanna know if the handset & the camera is really as bad as some poeple are saying & whether it is worh the cost of the phone?

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Reviewer: Samuel - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: 6th Jul 2008

Not a bad phone after all, although there are some bad comments about it, but I have to agree with the camera quality, it is really disappointing to pay that much for a phone but ending with a poor quality camera. The slot for the SD card is about to come out even if you do not change the card frequently. Could have been better.

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Reviewer: Jake - UK
Date: 4th Jul 2008

Well I've had the phone (8 GB model) for about two weeks now so I think I can give a fair review of the phone. Well the design in my eyes is one of the best phones I've ever seen but these days there are lots of good looking phones out there. The Features are great there's 3G, Wi-Fi, S60 (So there's lots of applications on the web), the nav Wheel is like the ipod but not as reliable (I use it to slowly search it & just hold the down button to go fast), the Gaming buttons work fine & can be used in other programs (if they are configured to use them), the music player is amazing. The Usability, well if you know how to use a S60 phone before then you'll be fine, or if you have some time to get used to it then again you'll be fine & able to take full advantage of it, however if you just want to pick it up & be able to use it to its full extent then you'll be disappointed. Now just some points around the phone the slider is a bit wobbly (but for some reason it doesn't feel weak & likely to snap) the 2MP camera is good, not as good as an 3 mp or 5 mp but still if you just like taking a fun pics here & there then you'll be more then happy with this. (A tip with the camera is if you change it to 'sunny' then you get much better colour from it). There are a lot of buttons on the front, so if you have very big fingers then you will have problems pressing the buttons but if you don't then they shouldn't be a problem at all. The keypad is flat but after a week you get used to the positioning & you can type without looking. The main problem with the phone that I have is that it attracts finger prints & I expect it will be easily scratched, to over come this I've got a plastic case over it which stops all this. The Battery life lasts about 2 days on heavy usage & 3 if you change it to only GSM network. Overall I would strongly recommended this phone as long as you don't have big fingers or if you want an amazing camera OR if you are likely to drop the phone tons on hard surfaces then this is probably not the phone for you.

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Reviewer: Tupsy Santosh - Mauritius, Mauritius
Date: 18th Jun 2008

The best ever mobile from Nokia for my everyday life entertainment. Being a Software Engineer, this N81 suits me a lot.

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Reviewer: Jo - Birmingham, UK
Date: 14th Jun 2008

I love the features on this phone & I do think it's pretty amazing & pretty easy to apart from putting music on to my phone but now I've sussed that one out but I've had this phone now for about 4 months & it seem so to be breaking or something, the silver around the navi wheel is coming off & also on the side the silver coming off there too it keeps switching itself of when it's been put down & not even hard you can be as gentle as you like & still it will turn off the on & off button doesn't always work & takes forever to come on. It freezes as well which is pretty annoying. I had a Samsung phone before this but I couldn't get use to it so I exchanged it I really wish I gave that phone as instead of this one. Over all first few months of this phone is amazing then it goes downhill.

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Reviewer: Matt - UK
Date: 14th Jun 2008

It's a GAMING & MUSIC phone will everyone PLEASE stop complaining about the camera it isn't that bad anyway. Don't bite Nokia's heads off if it's camera isn't perfect, it isn't made to be a camera, it's a phone. Look of the bright side, it looks amazing & the sound quality & N Gage gaming is fantastic!

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Reviewer: Aniket - Mumbai, India
Date: 13th Jun 2008

Hello guyz. If you are looking for good gaming & music the no doubt go for it. For all N gage fans this is the best thing!

It gives sound quality better than all recent N Series, its sound quality is better than N91, which was the best music phone for me before N81, & for sure its sound quality is much better than Sony Ericsson phone, if you neglect mega bass feature!

Its design is very good, but problem is that its bulky, its navigation wheel working very well.

Except camera, all other features make it awesome.

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Reviewer: Muggo - Brighton, UK
Date: 12th Jun 2008

This for 3 months was the best mobile I had owned.

It had everything I wanted, large memory, great music player, Symbian software, 3.5mm headphone socket, good looks & for a while it worked without once freezing, shutting down or any other typical N-Series traits.

I really liked the N81 I wouldn't say it was anything special. It had some neat features like the keypad lock slide button, the navi wheel & the headphone socket at the top of the phone (as opposed to the N95 having it at the side, so if you have it in your pocket the cable gets stressed or you have it lay down).

The only thing I wasn't too keen on was the camera, but I am not too bothered as I generally have my camera with me anyway.

Then after 3 months it all went wrong. The keypad stopped working & back it went to be replaced by a refurbished one that's screen kept blanking out. In the end O2 changed it for an N95 8GB as they no longer sell the N81.

I've scored the phone on the 3 months I had it.

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Reviewer: Barbara - Birmingham, UK
Date: 10th Jun 2008

I had this phone at the beginning of February 2008 & now in June 2008, I cannot wait to get rid of it. I would say it has to be the worst designed phone I have ever had. Already only a few months into my contract the phone has begin to fall apart. The keypad has come loose & I cannot use the buttons now, the top of the phone has cracked & so has the top keypad. The chrome centre ring has chipped & I would say the camera is very poor for a Nokia.

Another bad reason is that the Nokia software wasn't very easy to follow to install to your laptop or computer & now I am unable to use it & put the latest songs on my phone.

I would not recommend this phone to anybody.

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Reviewer: Princewill - Lagos, Nigeria
Date: 4th Jun 2008

Frankly, I have gone through a lot of reviews on the Nokia N81 & I think it'll be best if I put mine down. The reviews majorly were on the negative but it did not dither me from acquiring this mobile. I use the N81 8GB & believe me it's a beauty. Anyone who says the phone is rubbish should try one with Ngage & 10 working Ngage games, SmartMovie 3.41, why Browser, MsDict, Agile Messenger, Quick office, PDF, Isilo & MobiReader (just to mention a few) installed on it & come back with a candid review. The audio quality is phenomenal.

I was addicted to my N-Series on an average. It can do almost all the N95 can do & more & is even better styled than it. I agree it has a few flaws like the camera & finger print picking, but you need to look beyond these to see why you would prefer this phone to an N95 like moi. Personally the difference between the N85 & N81 isn't much & I would prefer N81 8GB anytime, any day.

For all you mobile gamers especially those who got hooked to Ngage & NgageQD, try Asphalt 3 Street Rules on this device. What else could anyone want in a phone that is missing in this device?

For those finding it hard to make a choice, Wouldn't you rather join me on N81 8GB?

For me, it's Eat, Live & Breathe NGAGE!

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Reviewer: Ray - Middlesbrough, UK
Date: 4th Jun 2008

This phone is great. It comes with so many functions & its battery can last at least a good 3 to 4 days. I highly recommend this phone to everyone.

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Reviewer: Bob - Scotland, UK
Date: 3rd Jun 2008

I have been reading a lot of reviews on this site, 1 of the reviews was that the buttons aren't working I know 3 people with these phones & they don't have that problem. & 1 other thing you can't complain it's too big because look at all the things it can do even sat nav & all that plus it has 8GB built in. I like this phone.

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Reviewer: Tawsif - Mumbai, India
Date: 28th May 2008

Amazing!

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Reviewer: Giantrust - West Lanc's, UK
Date: 19th May 2008

To Scarz Snt from London, to rewind or fast forward tracks just hold in the forward & back buttons, easy.

Great phone, I would recommend.

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Reviewer: Moinuddin Shaikh - Abudhabi, United Arab Emirates
Date: 12th May 2008

I have N81 with 8GB memory & have absolutely worst experience with this hand set. I buy this hand set in March 2008 at a cost of 1500 AED in Abudhabi. Since then this handset sent for servicing 2 times (20 days taken for each servicing) without any result. Today again it has sent for servicing & it will take again 20 plus days as told by the dealer (shop owner).

The fault is that the mobile getting disconnected to call in between & giving the message 'Insert SIM'. The phone has to open & & reinsert the SIM again switch on the mobile. Any time it will go off with same message two will come. First Nokia service centre inform this one is the software problem & send to Dubai to reinstall the Software. Within the next day after receiving the repaired mobile got same problem. Again I send the mobile to Nokia Service Centre through shop from where I purchased the mobile. They returned me the mobile after 20 days, but without any solution to the problem.

This phone has some basic mechanical design fault like.
- the sliding arrangement has some play.
- More SIM chamber holding draw type tray is loose.

It is observed with this problem the company like Nokia is not having proper quality control to check each hand set.

Later after sale service & on Warranty clause Nokia is taking ride to the consumer. They are considering they are the consumer is the nut & their representatives in market do whatever they want after sale.

I bought this phone 2 & a half month back & 45 days out of this 2 & a half month my handset was with Nokia for servicing.

Company is not shown any sign of replacement, again today (12.05.2008) I have given it back for servicing.

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Reviewer: Rob - Walsall, UK
Date: 12th May 2008

This phone is just awful! I have had it for 6 months now & I can't wait to get rid of it.

The camera is just utterly useless & the buttons on the bottom front are dire! You end up playing a music track just trying to access the menu because the buttons are so close together!

I have to admit there are a lot of good features but it just annoys me! Too big & too heavy! Don't bother!

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Reviewer: Rana Higazi - Abudhabi, United Arab Emirates
Date: 4th May 2008

I want to know how much this mobile is now & if it will breaks quickly & I want to know more information about this mobile I want to buy this mobile it's the best.

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Reviewer: Ali - UK
Date: 15th Apr 2008

Like the phone overall, haven't experienced any problems with it yet. Only downfall is the camera, the quality is poor,

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Reviewer: Scarz Snt - London, UK
Date: 15th Apr 2008

I have the n81. My girlfriend brought it for me & it's excellent. It has a large amount of memory but how do I rewind & fast tracks.

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Reviewer: Mike - London, UK
Date: 10th Apr 2008

This is the best phone in the world for me. I like it so much! & the camera is not so bad.

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Reviewer: David - UK
Date: 3rd Apr 2008

Nokia 6300 IS A GOOD MOBILE PHONE IN ALL WAY. I HAVE USED THIS MOBILE PHONE FOR 2 MONTH & I FIND THAT IT IS A NICE HANDSET IN ALL WAYS. I BOUGHT THIS HANDSET FROM HERE. THIS SITE DEALS CHEAPEST MOBILE PHONE CONTRACTS.

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Reviewer: Soundar - Dartford, UK
Date: 30th Mar 2008

I got this phone last week. Compare to the other Nokia products this one is best. But camera is very poor. If the phone is lock & kept in the pocket & unfortunately. But over the best phone is Nokia apart from the camera.

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Reviewer: Joe - Stoke On Trent, UK
Date: 25th Mar 2008

Now, first off, I'd like to just point out that I work for phones 4 you on behalf of the repair team they use, at head office, now that's not boasting I just want to clarify what qualifies me to give a review regarding this handset.

Nokia in general are brilliant handsets, in my professional experience, Sony Ericsson's rank the worst for repair issues & global issues, this isn't to say they are bad, just that I personally would not trust one. Samsung & LG follow a close second in regards to durability & general software issues, with Nokia at the rear with their excellent vitality in regards to both physical endurance & software maintenance.

The first thing which is obvious about this handset, that many of you have mentioned is of course the 2.0 mega pixel camera, now I agree, a lot of handsets especially Motorola's that are equipped with similar camera's generally take better pictures, simply down to the fact that the camera software in this Nokia handset isn't very good, unlike the N73 for example which had a 3.2 mega pixel camera that took pictures with quality on par with the N95 due to the fact it had superior software, this is no longer the case as the N95 has had a good few upgraded software patches released.

As a rule most handsets with a slide or (flex) if you want to be technical would make me feel a little insecure regarding the build of the handset, it's natural to worry about it falling apart, admittedly as some of you have reported there have been cases of the N81 being sold with a loose slide, that's all it is though, a loose slide, it won't cause any short or long term issues handset wise, however it would leave important parts of the handset vulnerable to liquid ingress.

The N gage compatibility, is excellent, the music technology & the large headset jack, excellent additions, to a handset that leaves nothing to be desired. The software as you may have picked up before hand camera wise needs rethinking, here's to hoping Nokia will allow us to update it through PC Suit. However I believe this handset is another excellent addition to the Nokia Symbian 60 family.

So to sum up, good handset, people have had bad experiences in some cases but from what I can tell on the whole the feeling towards this handset is good. If you don't want a high end N-Series handset & a large monthly tariff, then go for the N81 it in no way is shadowed by the N95 boasting quite a few of the same features, it simply is to be considered the Lite version.

Anyway I do hope that reading this review helps some of you to make your mind up in regards to what handset to pick & whether or not this if the one for you.

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Reviewer: Lee - Surrey, UK
Date: 22nd Mar 2008

Upgraded to this phone about 2 weeks ago, previously I had been using an apple iPhone & also had the N95 before that. As far as this phone goes I find it to be almost identical to the N95 feature wise, in fact this is a lot better as regards to games & gimmicks. The n95 whilst being a nice phone has a lot of flaws which people seem to forget, such as the rubbish battery life, the annoyance of it sliding open every time you put it in your pocket & the sat nav takes a lifetime to fire up. Lots of flaws & as for the iPhone, well, personally I would get & 8GB iPod touch & a decent phone separately as the iPhone is great as a music player but as a phone falls flat on its bits! No Bluetooth, lame phone, ringtones are a nightmare to download & install. The annoyance of having to use iTunes etc. & its huge! The n81 isn't bad. OK it's not great but it's defiantly worth the upgrade. All phones have flaws but it depends what you're looking for, if you want a decent camera look for something with Carl Zeiss. Music players, get a Sony. This kind of covers all bases, 8GB is plenty of memory to store pictures, tunes etc & if you have any sense you'll back it all up anyway in case it all goes Pete tong. The phones a bit heavy, but so what! It's a phone! I am happy with this so far. No breakdowns & lockups, will keep you updated but I am sure it's going to be fine! Go look for yourself!

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Reviewer: Sandra - Hong Kong
Date: 18th Mar 2008

There are some bad & good things about this phone.

Music quality & features are excellent.

Design feels a bit bulky & terrible fingerprints on the screen & buttons of the phone.

However used the phone for less than 3 months & the buttons not working.

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Reviewer: Giantrust - UK
Date: 15th Mar 2008

I've had my replacement three weeks now, (see review below) & all is well. This is a great phone for business & pleasure, apart from the often mentioned camera, I use it for emailing, web browsing, chat & texting, the one thing that concerns me is the memory is so large 8 GB, that's a lot of information, programs, tunes & pictures to lose if this one goes the way of my other one & freezes, refusing to start. Not sure if I'd feel happier if in that situation I could remove a memory card to put in its replacement.

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Reviewer: Claire - UK
Date: 6th Mar 2008

I really like the phone. However, I had trouble trying to take the music application off my standby so I had to download software (task list) & it gives you an option to kill the music application, which I do, & it clears it. Also, I was very concerned about the battery life, lasting for a day, until I discovered if I turned the sleep mode OFF, the navigation wheel would stop flashing, & the battery would last me. So far, I recharged it Monday night (9.15), now it's Thursday, & one bar has just gone, & that includes messing about on the phone, transferring pictures & songs. I like the life blog & all the other features. The slide show is brilliant, when you can watch your pictures moving about on the screen (it zooms in & out) & you can listen to music at the same time. The keypad is a bit stiff to press sometimes though, especially when you want a capital letter.

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Reviewer: Edward Cullen - Forks, US
Date: 1st Mar 2008

This is a great phone. I do understand that its camera quality isn't good but I don't really like taking photos anyway I just love the music player cause I can listen to my favourite. Songs & very thing is great.

Give it a go, Edward.

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Reviewer: Veasna - Cambodia
Date: 29th Feb 2008

I always trust in Nokia but for Nokia N81 camera is very bad quality. I think Nokia forget to test the camera before selling it.

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Reviewer: Joyce - Singapore
Date: 28th Feb 2008

Hmmm, actually, the reviews here are so varied, from utter condemnation to nothing but praise. Am considering either getting an N81 or an E51. Or perhaps even a 5610 (but that doesn't even support WLAN). Could anyone give some advice please? Thanks!

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Reviewer: Oliver - Oxborough, UK
Date: 26th Feb 2008

I only got the phone bout begining of February & already I love it, & I recommend it to all the music lovers because it's a brilliant phone. I have got tones of music & pictures on it & I still got tones of memory left. People out there thinking about buying this phone, I will tell you now GET IT! Now.

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Reviewer: Giantrust - Preston, UK
Date: 24th Feb 2008

I had my n81 two days, fantastic phone until it froze & refused to restart. Now waiting for a replacement, hopefully it will last a little longer.

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Reviewer: Fateema - Bradfrd, UK
Date: 18th Feb 2008

So far so good. Best phone I have had. Camera is only 2 megapixels. If you're looking for a very good camera, it's not for you. Overall I think its one of the best Nokia's around.

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Reviewer: Richard S - Bradford, UK
Date: 12th Feb 2008

Despite reading many reviews on this phone, I still opted to go for it when it came for upgrades, partly because I am not a high user, there was very little option around, that & the fact I didn't wish to join the N95 club.

I agree that the camera leaves a little to be desired for, however I use the camera for the occasional snap & for that it's great. When I want to take serious pictures, I have a proper camera with optical zoom. The features for this phone are amazing, I have spent years being anti-Nokia, but the operating system is great. The phone is nice & clear for calls & texting is nice & easy. Weight wise it is a little bit heavier but it's nice to know I have something on me, saves me trying to work out if I have remembered it or not.

This is a nice alternative to the N95 in my opinion, it is a little bit different. I was concerned about the amount of buttons but they are easy to work round. The iPod type scroll wheel impressed me, I don't know if other people are too light handed or heavy but it whizzed round for me & was very responsive.

The only other thing to remember is to close applications properly when you are not using them, failure to do so will make the phone run a little slower.

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Reviewer: Dave - UK
Date: 4th Feb 2008

I bought this Sim Free for £269 (Great Price) & received it the next day. I had spent the previous day ripping all my CD's ready to transfer onto the massive 8GB memory.

I had read all the reviews before ordering the phone & was concerned about the build quality & thought to myself it can't be that bad, unfortunately side.

The phone is a fingerprint magnet & after a while the whole phone becomes very slippery.

The phones features are superb & the music quality is the best I have ever heard on a phone. I really tried to like this phone but sorry Nokia the build of the N81 is not up to standard.

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Reviewer: Keshav - Bangalore, India
Date: 4th Feb 2008

Phone rocks. But camera is poor.

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Reviewer: Michael Angelo - Manila, Philippines
Date: 2nd Feb 2008

Base on my test use. It is clear that this is a very good phone! Just don't drop it! MP3 player & loud speakers is very loud & camera is not that bad. If you need a good camera, try buying a digital camera. Thanks! More power!

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Reviewer: Nick - Portsmouth, UK
Date: 1st Feb 2008

Some people are just so picky! This phone is by far the best phone I have & I would say the picture quality is only slightly less than my old k810i.

I think you all need to double check that you have removed the plastic covers, I must admit mine was next to invisible & only noticed the camera had one 2 days later. Also the screen cover really does nothing for the screen.

I will admit I dropped it OK, this made my keys go mental & in response was calling all numbers & sending texts etc. Being a phone mechanic myself I quickly found the problem, upon opening the phone up I noticed it had your usual plugs etc to connect the screen etc, you need to make sure this is down properly also open it sideways from the left if you fancy a bash because there is a tiny plug on the right which is for the navi wheel & buttons etc. Make sure they are both secure & all button problems will be cured.

My only complaint is the greasy appearance when you play with it, but this is only because it's a shiny slick phone!

Music programs are fine to use, you don't need anything more? My lock button doesn't rattle like others apparently do, but again I dropped mine & it got stuck, it took me two minutes to un stick it. Yes the keyboard is a little creaky & yes the screen does seem slightly loose but common, all these amazing features & an easily fixable phone & 8GB memory, well the only other phone on the market to even look at this phone is the n95. That only has the up on this because of its camera. But if you wanted an amazing camera, wouldn't you go buy a digital one? This is a phone & the 2.0 gig picture is good quality providing you've removed your little sly cover & you have decent light conditions. Get the phone for all reviewers. It's worth the cash!

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Reviewer: M Mustafa - London, UK
Date: 30th Jan 2008

Agree that the PC Suite is a bit slow, but I found that using Windows Media to transfer files was a lot faster & easier.

It does look like it has many functions, but I was only interested in the music player & the 3G. I found that I can use normal headphone jack with this, so it's very useful.

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Reviewer: Robski - London, UK
Date: 24th Jan 2008

I just sent mine back, what a very poorly made phone considering all the hype it has received. Poor build quality means it rattled & squeaked whilst texting & felt like it wouldn't stand up to long term use. Also with the keys set back & under the top, it was fiddly to text with one hand.

Every application opened has to be exited via a menu screen otherwise it is still running & draining power, the music player function couldn't be exited at all, which meant that the alert light is flashing all the time, very annoying if you think you may have received a text or missed call.

The music player functions are basic & the sound very average, & the loading times for converting & transferring music via Nokia PC suite are agonisingly long, hours & hours. The N Gage gaming which is a big selling point hasn't even been launched yet, check out their site & you will find no confirmed start date, so it's a useless function.

Camera is Pathetic, sadly a big disappointment. I think without the gaming ability the N95 looks a much better phone.

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Reviewer: Richard - Stoke, UK
Date: 23rd Jan 2008

Very, Very POOR camera quality! The phone has some very good features but the camera quality is a huge let down! Waste of money would not recommend!

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Reviewer: Eco - Munich, Germany
Date: 14th Jan 2008

Cool phone, nice design & good SW. Music quality is the best up to now in the market.

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Reviewer: Martin Doyle - Leeds, UK
Date: 13th Jan 2008

Very good phone, GET IT.

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Reviewer: Emily - London, UK
Date: 8th Jan 2008

Have had this phone for a month & found none of the problems reported below with freezing or the nav key (maybe I am just lucky).

The buttons are very close together & if you're looking for a phone that has a good camera. I would not recommend this model as it is more of an afterthought than an extra! The MP3 function is exultant compared to the Sony Ericsson phones, much easier to upload music & listen to.

Would recommend as a cheaper version of the phone any day (my partner has one & it has far more problems than this).

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Reviewer: Alan - London, UK
Date: 7th Jan 2008

I have been using the N81 8GB model for about three weeks & am extremely pleased with it. Having used Samsung & Sony Ericsson phones for the last couple of years, I found it very easy to make the switch, as the Nokia interface is intuitive & easy to use.

The music player is easy to use & has some nice features like the ability to automatically generate smart playlists & the EQ function. Transfer of music to & from the device is also quick & easy from any computer, as you can use the data transfer mode to transfer files as you would to an removable drive, even without installing the software provided with the handset.

The camera is adequate but not excellent & struggles in poor light, although the screen resolution & size is such that photos & videos can be viewed clearly.

While this handset looks very good, the build quality is really quite poor. The slide mechanism is not as smooth as others I have used & seems a bit flimsy. In addition, the key lock located on the top of the handset & the battery cover rattles about, making the phone feel a bit cheap.

That said, the Wi-Fi functionality & large internal memory more than compensate for these shortcomings & I would certainly recommend this phone to anyone looking for a good all round multimedia device.

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Reviewer: Veasna - Cambodia
Date: 7th Jan 2008

Every things good but I met a small problem with the key, while the keys locked then I have missed a call I have to slide up to view number.

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Reviewer: Shilli - UK
Date: 6th Jan 2008

Can someone please tell me if this phone is good or not. I really like it but want some advice! & what about Nokia 6500 slide? Please get back to me.

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Reviewer: Tmh - UK
Date: 6th Jan 2008

I've had my N81 for approximately 2 months, some days I really enjoy using it, whilst others I totally despair. I have two major issues with the phone the camera & the sound quality during calls. My previous phone was the Nokia 6280 which came with a 2MP camera therefore I felt nothing of going for another 2MP camera, however no matter what adjustments I make the quality of the photos is poor! As for the sound quality during calls, after about 2 minutes into a conversation there is an incessant hissing that can only be resolved by terminating the call & calling the person back, not always convenient & a little embarrassing! I have already exchanged the phone once for the same problems consequently I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing or have any suggestions on how to rectify the problems? My service provider is adamant that no one else has complained of such problems & I really don't want to go for another phone although the new N95 is tempting.

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Reviewer: Sean - Manchester, UK
Date: 4th Jan 2008

This phone is quite a nice surprise from Nokia, my previous phone was the N80 & putting them together is like Beauty & the beast. It's a vast improvement on the previous phone in all areas. The phone loses marks on usability because it is difficult to use when you first get it. The learning curve is probably about a week, doesn't sound long but it is when you have just upgraded from its predecessor. The design of the phone is very good the keypad seems cluttered but there is a method to the madness & it all seems to work well after the first few days apart from the navi wheel which seems like a bit of an afterthought. Everything about the phone seems to be a pot shot at the iPhone, but it is by no means a no frills version of the iPhone, in fact there is hardly any justice in a price difference between the two. The quality of the whole thing is brilliant best of all, the music player closely followed by the Internet. The sound quality of the phone not only matches the iPhone but beats it by a country mile. The Internet is fast & the Wi-Fi ability is brilliant. It also links up well with my Playstation3, the only drawback is the difficult set up on p.c.

On the whole it's a brilliant phone probably one of the best on the market at the moment Nokia has shied away from the jack of all trades tactic reverting to making phone specifically for a certain purpose. In this phone it has worked well.

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Reviewer: Evi - Cyprus
Date: 27th Dec 2007

Hey gyus. I don't know what to do! I am between Nokia n81 8GB & Nokia 6500 slide. Which one should I buy? Help me please! Answer as soon as possible!

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Reviewer: Jerry S - Portugal
Date: 25th Dec 2007

The good, design, functions like ngage special keys & download, Wi-Fi, the MP3 player, & of course, the 8 GB memory!

The bad, feel a bit bigger for some people, the 2 mp camera!

Conclusion, this a great phone, cheaper than n95 but as good in functionalities! Don't get scared for the 2 mp camera, it's not the MP that makes a phone good or bad! & the image quality is very good! With Wi-Fi & 8 GB memory this makes a great alternative to the iPhone!

Score 9.0.

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Reviewer: Bob - UK
Date: 24th Dec 2007

This is a fantastic phone. Very good design but the keys are a little bit confusing & squashed but that's all right you will get used to it. Features are excellent especially the music player & the ngage gaming. It has lots of keys for different functions & I like it. The keypad buttons are very nice as well. Usability could definitely improve it is complicated & hard to use. 8GB memory is fantastic. You can store up to 600 songs! Wi-Fi is probably my favourite feature it is amazing & the connection is very good as well. I would recommend it to everyone. Yes, it is an expensive phone but the money is worth it. You will find it hard the first couple of days but after that it is fantastic!

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Reviewer: Kalpit - Lucknoow, India
Date: 21st Dec 2007

I like this phone, & I will return with more comments.

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Reviewer: Avish - Kolkata, India
Date: 15th Dec 2007

Worst I have ever used.

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Reviewer: Cila - London, UK
Date: 13th Dec 2007

Despite what I am about to say. I really like this phone.

The only reason I gave the design such a low score is I am concerned about how the phone is put together. The slide isn't smooth & it's rickety. The light shines through from the seams on the face of the phone (& I don't mean the buttons) & it's very clunky. I've had this happen before on another Nokia model (that was discontinued soon after distribution) & the problems got worse as time went on starting with the slide, answering the calls & freezing & crashing.

Also the phone crashed the first 10 minutes of using it. Since, I JUST got it out of the box. As much as I love, I'll have to return it for the sake of my sanity. Hope this helps.

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Reviewer: Jmbd - Philippines
Date: 11th Dec 2007

Very happy with the N81 phone.

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Reviewer: Ismael Nazar - Bradford, UK
Date: 5th Dec 2007

I was disappointed if I am truly honest, after 2 hours of having it, each little part of the phone had dust in it, the phone is sensitive to finger marks, & there was a tapping noise everytime I put the tiniest amount of pressure on the phone.

The camera is shocking, when flash was on, it was mistimed, causing a white image. Without the flash it was blurry & distorted.

Apart from that I loved it, but it's going back & I am getting an n95 8GB, which would have been smart to do initially.

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Reviewer: Din - Pakistan
Date: 30th Nov 2007

What more could you ask for, great phone.

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Reviewer: A Rsolé - UK
Date: 30th Nov 2007

I never write on these things, but figured I should as I've just got the n81. Generally read many bad reviews on it, however after 48 hours I am personally quite impressed, & I am the sort of guy who uses their 14 day return policy to its fullest.

I have had about 30 phones over the last 3 years due to this indulgence, & so I get a good idea of what's good etc. & I say the n81 is very good.

A guys phone really, it's heavy & solid & although some things at first seem irritating like not ever being able to exit the music player, I think it just shows it's a MP3 player as much as a phone, so standby & music player are always on as standard. On an MP3 player, all you do is press the play button, just as you do on this device.

I'd recommend it. If you get one that you think the build quality isn't up to scratch (which is something I've returned about 13 phones for all manufacturers are guilty of it), just use the 14 day policy. (Although after about 8 returns, they generally stop sending them out & say you'll have to pick one up in a shop so you can see it in the flesh).

Anyway, if you want one device for LOTS of music & making phone calls, this is it. Obviously iPhone is the one people are raving about, but I think I'll wait a couple of generations before I trust apple with making phones.

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Reviewer: Lwaurah - UK
Date: 29th Nov 2007

You know what Pete I just want to say what was the point of that? You know you didn't give any reviews either so you can talk can't you? & maybe they want to ask a question.

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Reviewer: Greg - Edinburgh, UK
Date: 29th Nov 2007

I've tried to like this phone. I really have. But I've failed & it's going back.

Yes it has some nice gizmos but it rattles buzzes & creaks a lot more than my old Sony Ericsson W850i. It also crashes if you try to skip through menu's etc too quickly.

I've had to switch it off & back on far too many times to clear a frozen screen. Sorry Nokia, just not good enough!

I really wanted this phone to remind me of previous indestructible Nokia's but it isn't even close.

Back to Sony Ericsson's for me.

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Reviewer: Ferret Lover - Isle Of Wight, UK
Date: 27th Nov 2007

I don't have this phone but it does sound quite good even though there seems to be some flaws. Why do most of the phones that are out now break a lot or have serious problems? I have the Samsung X830 now but I really want a new phone because the screen on my current phone is so small you can't really see any details on the photos. I want a camera & music phone with great memory. Can anyone help by suggesting a phone with those three things?

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Reviewer: Lisa - Lincolnshire, UK
Date: 26th Nov 2007

I had this phone on a week's trial. I think it is a very good phone for music & has a lot of memory. The bits I didn't like were the fact that you cannot move your photos out of the gallery. You can create albums to store them in but they are still visible in the gallery.

The navi key is a bit sensitive & keeps setting the MP3 player going. The camera isn't the best I have ever had on a phone & other than it being a bit heavy it was OK. Unfortunately camera, so I took mine back on got a 6500 Slide which I am finding much better.

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Reviewer: Umar Iqbal - High Wycombe, UK
Date: 25th Nov 2007

This phone just looks excellent. If your looking for a phone that looks great, plays music well & has a wide range of applications, then this the phone for you!

The phones price is very cheap for an N-Series cheapest is found on dialaphone on the contracts section. Honestly if I didn't have an e65 I would buy this phone. Trust me I buy allot of phones & I always get the best.

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Reviewer: Jebali - Yazd, Iran
Date: 23rd Nov 2007

This is a really good mobile phone, I love it too. It works good.

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Reviewer: Luke Clarke - Wisbech, UK
Date: 19th Nov 2007

FEELS, LOOKS & IS GENERALLY CHEAP & NASTY! I WILL BE EXCHANGING IT!

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Reviewer: Brenda - Sydney, Australia
Date: 19th Nov 2007

You really should try this phone out! It's fantastic! I just brought it 2 days ago. I couldn't stop playing with my phone. Excellent features, especially the games & the music player. One of the best yet!

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Reviewer: Pammy - East Yorkshire, UK
Date: 18th Nov 2007

I can't GIVE IT BAD POINTS AS I don't OWN ONE, YET. WHAT is the BEST 12 MONTHLY DEAL? I have ORDERED ONE WITH 400 ANYTIME MINUTES, 500 FREE TEXTS, FOR 23 POUND A MONTH, FREE PHONE, NO CATCHES, CAN anyone BEAT THAT? LET ME KNOW AS I have TIME TO CANCEL.

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Reviewer: Gareth Sullivan - Merthyr Tydfil, UK
Date: 17th Nov 2007

Just a quick question to anyone who has this phone. Can you use your ringtones as text message tones? Because I know some other phone brands don't allow you to do this.

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Reviewer: Farhan - Lahore, Pakistan
Date: 16th Nov 2007

Looks good might as well give this one a try.

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Reviewer: Justin - London, UK
Date: 16th Nov 2007

I've had this phone for about 2 weeks now & it's one of the better Nokia's I have owned. The phone does feel a bit plasticy, but the features & screen quality are good. The main gripes I have with the phone is that the navi wheel seems to accidently set off the music player, which can be quite embarrassing when you are on the tube, my work around for this has been to set the player to mute. The software isn't as buggy as many other Nokia's I have used, but the browser does often shut its self down & returns to the main screen. However, the browser is good when it is open, there is no HSDPA support & wireless network browsing is strangely slow, but these are minor problems. Camera quality is pretty poor by today's standards, but it does the job. The phone has 8GB of built in memory, but is not expandable & the built in speakers are very good. To sum it up, I really enjoy owning & using this phone, but I wouldn't say the build quality or features are wowing me. Hope this helps.

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Reviewer: Lora - York, UK
Date: 15th Nov 2007

I got this phone yesterday & I absolutely love it! Although the camera is only 2 megapixels, the pictures you get are great, & you have the choice of which camera to use! Some of the buttons are a bit confusing, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone! If you can use a Nokia already it's really not that hard to get used to. Go get it!

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Reviewer: Amy - Warks, UK
Date: 14th Nov 2007

Hello All, have a N81 (8GB version). I really like this handset, & trust me I get through I a lot of them. It's a typical Nokia symbian handset not far from the N73.

The Navi wheel is not great I find that when you use & want to press the centre button you move the navi wheel, no that it's a bother as you can turn the feature off.

No storage space. FANTASTIC! I mean just as good as any iPod, & the Internet speed very good also.

Two bad points to this phone, the camera is rubbish. It's on a 2MP, but I took photos at a bonfire party & they were so dark I gave up using it, & I don't like the way you can't really organize your photos.

This is a VERY good music phone packed with lots of bits you will probably never use. But if it's a camera you're looking for like me. Imaging to swap it today for a K850i.

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Reviewer: Sam - UK
Date: 13th Nov 2007

Well I am getting this phone defiantly but I got to wait till 2 weeks though : (, anyway Nokia said this is the loudest phone ever out, is that true as I need a loud phone & I know Sony Ericsson are good for music but I love Nokia's.

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Reviewer: Sanjeev - Kalyan, India
Date: 13th Nov 2007

This is very nice, everyone likes this phone.

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Reviewer: Adam - Birmingham, UK
Date: 10th Nov 2007

8GB internal memory 2 mega pixel camera.

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Reviewer: Jh3d - Dhaka, Bangladesh
Date: 10th Nov 2007

Pete, why are you wasting your valuable time in correcting other peoples mistake? Anyway, the phone isn't that great after all, I have had this phone for a week now & the camera has already been damaged without me actually breaking it!

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Reviewer: JT - UK
Date: 10th Nov 2007

Its out in the UK priced at £280 that's quite cheap considering its an N Series with all its features. Tells you that Nokia N81 is a competitor of the iPhone.

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Reviewer: Pete - London, UK
Date: 9th Nov 2007

Look, if you don't own the phone why do you bother to make a silly comment. Hi I am looking at Nokia N81 & I was wondering if anyone knew how much it is? Thanks well do a search in Google! Duh! & what sort of a review is Got this phone today & it is the best. Yeah, thanks very much Jay that is so helpful. If you are going to write a review then tell us potential users what the phone can do! What you like about it & what you don't like.

I.E what do you want to know about the phone if someone else had one, what questions would you ask them? Ask yourself these questions & then put your answers in a review. Is that too much to ask?

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Reviewer: Paul C - London, UK
Date: 9th Nov 2007

Have had phone for a couple of days. A great phone that is good for music. Haven't really tried out N Gage stuff yet the installed demos look quite good

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Reviewer: Ronaldo - Brazil
Date: 8th Nov 2007

Not used the phone so can't really say anything about the features & usability but reading about the phone it sounds really good.

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Reviewer: Prashant - Pune, India
Date: 8th Nov 2007

Good looks defined! I feel 450 Euros for this phone is overpriced.

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Reviewer: Me - Chichester, UK
Date: 6th Nov 2007

Hi I am looking at Nokia N81 & I was wondering if anyone knew how much it is? thanks.

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Reviewer: Venkat - London, UK
Date: 5th Nov 2007

Phone really great & I am enjoying both music, Phones. It's highly recommended handset for music lovers.

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Reviewer: Anon - Finland
Date: 3rd Nov 2007

Marvellous phone. It has everything you need for a phone.

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Reviewer: Jay - UK
Date: 1st Nov 2007

Got this phone today & it is the best.

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Reviewer: Sting Friver - Portugal
Date: 29th Oct 2007

I have already seen the phone & it looks good, with great functions. It will be my next purchase.

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Reviewer: Richard - Helsinki, Finland
Date: 28th Oct 2007

Great features but pour camera. The Navi Wheel looks hot. I am definitely getting it.

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Reviewer: Jahed - Syhlet, Bangladesh
Date: 17th Oct 2007

The worst phone I have ever used.

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Reviewer: Ejad - UK
Date: 14th Oct 2007

This phone looks serious. Wonder when its released in UK.

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Reviewer: Sophie Folwell - Hullbridge, UK
Date: 13th Oct 2007

Looks like I am the first person to comment.

OK this phone looks good & I am thinking of buying it. Can people give me advice on this please.

Also does it com in pink?



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