Nokia completes its N8 video tour with media player and HDMI demo

You've seen parts uno and due already no doubt, so let's dive straight into the third and final installment of Nokia's N8 overview. Today we are treated to the Symbian^3 media player, which continues to closely resemble Apple's Cover Flow, but we're sure the companies will work it out between themselves. That cover-centric interface gets tugged around a few times to show the phone can handle it without lag, and we also get to see a repeat visit from our friend Mr. Long Press, which functions as a mobile version of a right-click by popping up a menu of contextual options. The video continues into a look at the HDMI connectivity and points out that the N8 will be compatible with Bluetooth keyboards -- you know, if you're in the mood for an Espoo-approved version of Google TV. See the whole thing after the break.

[Thanks, Hythem]

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[naashak Posted Jun 11th 2010 12:47PM]

@Milt75

I have actually compared hands-on my N1 running Froyo with the N8 - trust me, the N8 was way smoother even with the slightly outdated software build it apparently had. Don't go by fanboi comments, see for yourself before making a decision. Too often one seeing the whole Ghz hype used as a PR/sales tactic as if pumping more Ghz just makes everything faster.

[Milt75 Posted Jun 11th 2010 1:45PM]

@naashak
You're right, I'll wait for video reviews before I make a decition.

Thanks

[JonE Posted Jun 11th 2010 4:52PM]

@Milt75
Well, as I said, the N8 has faster graphics than the Ipad, and the Ipad is the fastest Apple mobile device. Personally I find the phone very smooth and fast, and I'm sure it will be even better in two months when it's finalized. I don't think adding faster hardware would help much, as the GPU the fastest I know of, and it's used to much of what the phone does.

[JFH Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:50PM]

@Milt75

Judging by the coverflow, handling of 12 mpx images and gaming I have seen, this device screams. Test one out.

[brendand Posted Jun 12th 2010 9:26AM]

@Milt75 Yes I can. I deny that the OS does not run smooth and fast. Now you prove that it does not run smooth and fast...

[Milt75 Posted Jun 12th 2010 10:46AM]

@brendand
Actually I mean that the OS runs laggy, and not smooth and fast as it should be. I think you don't understand me or if I didn't say it right I'm sorry.

[JFH Posted Jun 12th 2010 4:38PM]

@Milt75

It doesnt run laggy. It runs at 60 fps, and is near instant. Where do you see the lag? Its blazing fast!

[brendand Posted Jun 12th 2010 5:19PM]

@Milt75 And I'm saying the OS *doesn't* run laggy. I don't think there's any evidence it does.

[Milt75 Posted Jun 12th 2010 7:49PM]

@brendand
What? Really don't you see? There are some miliseconds between the touch of the finger(nail) and the response (it has to be more than 7 milliseconds, otherwise you wouldn't see it), is just a bit laggy but you can notice. Just watch it carefully, specially in the first video.
But as someones said, is not the finished product so I think this will be a great cellphone with a great and polish OS when it comes out.

[JFH Posted Jun 13th 2010 2:43AM]

@Milt75

Do you see that 'lag" in this last video? While going through the coverflow?

[brendand Posted Jun 13th 2010 6:45AM]

@Milt75 You're going to have to give a specific time in the video (or maybe you're talking about one of the other videos?), cause I still don't know what 'lag' you're talking about. All I see is speed and slickness.

[Milt75 Posted Jun 13th 2010 10:05AM]

@brendand
In this video I din't notice any lag, but I saw again the other videos and take this:

1st video:
0:41-0:47 This is a ridicullous (sorry if it's bad written) time for changing a wallpaper.
1:09-1:11 Just a bit laggy there.
1:45-1:48 This is suposed to be instantly as the app is running in the background (in my N95 is instantly).
2:17-2:20 Laggy.
2:23-2:30 Conversation app is a bit laggy.
3:59-4:02 e-mail app is laggy too.

COnversation app and e-mail app shouldn't been laggy as they are core apps, but I think this only need some polish and they will be smooth and fast in the final product.

2nd video:
0:27-0:31 Photo app loading time (same as conversation and e-mail)
0:49-0:55 and 1:00-1:04 Slideshow is a bit laggy, watch it carefully because it isn't easy to notice.
1:25-2:49 Come on, this looks like photoshop in a PII (but i have to say that video editor is amazing!). I think that this lag won't be present in the final product.

Although, I think this will be a nice phone when released, as the phone in the videos is not the final product (it's marked as C0, no N8). Same as Symbian³.

[kenny goo Posted Jun 11th 2010 1:37PM]

Well you can't say they're not trying. I'll give them that much.

[raph986 Posted Jun 11th 2010 2:05PM]

This phone is just amazing.
HDMI, USB hosting, 5 bands 3G, 12 MPx + Xenon, 720p recording, 16G of mass memory + SD card, Dolby Digital ,multitouch, free voice navigation, 50 hours of music playback, etc... for 370 euros before taxes!

It's going to be hard to explain why more expensive smartphones have less features.

Nokia just set a new standard.

[Rod Posted Jun 11th 2010 2:11PM]

iPhones not being my bag, it's nice to see Nokia stepping up to the plate with something competitive and stylish. Must admit that I'm beginning to have a hard choice between Symbian and an Android device. Currently with an HD2 - but that relationship is slowly souring quickly now and I feel a change is in order. Might give this N8 a pop.

[vpuik Posted Jun 11th 2010 2:20PM]

I'm starting to like this phone more and more. I'm still waiting for any news on US release. I was thinking about MeeGo phones, but this might be good enough for me untill S^4 comes out.

[threetee14 Posted Jun 11th 2010 2:49PM]

Why is it that the music player, the photos and everything else is snappy and smooth... but the main Home screen LAGS when switching left and right (as shown on part 1 of 3 video)????

[moco Posted Jun 11th 2010 3:13PM]

@threetee14 I was thinking of the same thing but I reckon this is a swipe threshold.

[JFH Posted Jun 11th 2010 5:56PM]

@threetee14

Good observation. Its a threshold, and a setting. You can disable that. There was a vid where, Ahmed360, switches between the 3 homescreens at ridiculous speed by using the toggle button, iso swiping. The video was removed now, but rest assured, its very very quick.

[God9999 Posted Jun 11th 2010 8:00PM]

@threetee14
also remember this isn't the final product, whether it's the hardware and/or the software. Notice the unit used on all three videos is labeled as "C-0" and not "N-8".

[brendand Posted Jun 12th 2010 9:28AM]

@threetee14 It doesn't lag. You have to actually finish the swipe gesture before it switches. After that it's immediate.

[ArticiaS Posted Jun 11th 2010 8:17PM]

N8 720p video sample (with difficult lighting situation):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ71M3ANv94

Full sample file: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C7QHNAU0

[statickeith Posted Jun 11th 2010 9:19PM]

@Angelworks They are cheap. its gonna be about $450-$480 at launch. It is high-end. A phone that cheap doesn't give you 12MP CARL ZEISS Camera with 720p. neither would it give you (REAL) bluetooth 3.0, nice user interface (trust me, they've improved it ALOT since n97), HDMI out, Dolby Surround Sound 5.1, FLASH!!! and SO many other things. The N8 has a 680 MHz, lesser than 1GHz and I agree. BUT, Symbian is a VERY light OS and unlike iOS or Android, it needs much lesser power to operate. it has a standard resolution screen, not lower. its the same as Nexus one (Just because Apple came up with their So-Called "retina display" doesnt mean all other phones are crap, Apple fanboy) Plus, neither Nexus one or iPhone can do HDMI out. and lemme tell you, the resolution of the OS on your HDTV doesnt stay 640x480, it scales and its resolution turns HD!

[trimalo Posted Jun 12th 2010 3:27AM]

superior camera, largest camera sensor, HDMI, amoled screen, reads flash, aluminium casing, great pictures, free navigation for life in 74 countries, what is left to i phone4? 10 000 sudoku applications, interested? forget it, N8 is the king of phones!

[shpe Posted Jun 12th 2010 4:52AM]

when N8 will be in RDA?

because wanna port this app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCI11RBSUlo

[lambrettamike Posted Jun 12th 2010 5:19PM]

What a laugh. N8 will be consigned to museums by its release date because iPhone 4 will absolutely destroy its market.

[JFH Posted Jun 12th 2010 6:14PM]

@lambrettamike

How so? What exactly do you think the Iphone has over this device?

[lambrettamike Posted Jun 12th 2010 11:20PM]

@JFH
Where do I start?

How about 200,000 plus apps
How about a Gyroscope
How about a Retina display
How about Face Time
How about iMovie for iPhone
How about 'being cool'
How about 'not being from Nokia
How about being the thinnest Mobile phone
How about precision engineering, totally patented!
How about a wrap around series of 3 different antenna's
How about iAds
How about 'easy to use'
How about, we will see how well the N8 sells, coming to market after iPhone 4

[JFH Posted Jun 13th 2010 1:29AM]

@lambrettamike

Wow, what a load of myopic bull. Here:

How about 200,000 plus apps

True, but apps are overrated in my mind, most apps suck, or are just rss, links, or whatever. I have owned an Iphone and know first hand. Also, the N8 will have over 10k apps itself, which is less, but more than enough for people who do value it.

How about a Gyroscope

Big deal. Only useful in a specific implementation in a limited amount of games.

How about a Retina display

Great. Apple again brainwashes someone. Its not even Amoled, and the ppi difference between the 270 in other devices and 300 the human eye can see, is so small, that you most likely cannot even tell them apart. "retina" is just a name Apple gives the display, to hide the fact the 3GS has a laughable display density.

How about Face Time

Yeah how about that. Another dumbed down version of what people have enjoyed on Nokia devices, and others, for years. Over 3G. To anyone with a webcam, not only via wifi, and not only to similar devices. Facetime is a joke.

How about iMovie for iPhone

Yeah how about spending 5 dollars on a features that comes free on the N8 and does EXACTLY the same thing. Including adding soundtracks, transitions, ken burns effects, you name it.

How about 'being cool'

The fact that you just wrote this, clearly implies you are not, so having a specific device will not be helping you there.

How about 'not being from Nokia

That must suck, since at least all Nokia phones have decent reception, and are actually useful as phones. I actually think the other way around. Well, not exactly, lots of my gear is Apple, but I just cannot deal with the restrictions the Iphone brings.

How about being the thinnest Mobile phone

Its thin. True. So what?

How about precision engineering, totally patented!

"Precision engineering". Well, they did stack all of the Iphones features into a small package, true. But I think Nokia did something much more impressive with this device, sticking in a huge camera sensor and wide angle lens, in a very thin aluminum unibody. "Totally patented" = wow. If that was patentable, other companies would hold the patents. And they would most likely be German, not Finnish or American.


How about a wrap around series of 3 different antenna's

Yeah how about that. Talk about a solution (at last) for terrible reception on Iphones, and all of a sudden its a feature. Its playing catch up.

How about iAds

How about not having ads on my phone.

How about 'easy to use'

Well, iOS is a lot simpler to use, but it is also a lot simpler than S^3, feature wise. I like the polish of the UI, but jabbing at an icon grid is one of the reasons I feel restricted on an Iphone.

How about, we will see how well the N8 sells, coming to market after iPhone 4

How about, that is irrelevant for this discussion. Even so, we have heard these comments before. As an example the 5800, Nokia's first touchscreen phone, has sold 60 to 70 million times. Thats more than any specific iPhone model (like 3G or 3GS). I dont know if the N8 will sell more than the Iphone 4. But if there is a company that could do it its Nokia, since they sell 3 times as many smartphones as Apple does.

Coversely, how do you think the Iphone stacks up against the N8 on these points:

Price
Bluetooth 3.0 ( yes, its handy )
HDMI ( awesome not to have to buy adapters from Apple)
GPU
Real HD out (not the lesser resolution supported by the Apple connectors)
FREE Movie editor that has the same functionality.
Xenon flash
12 Mpx
Remote controllable.
Folders you can add or remove
Having a file system
Widgets
Video calling to anyone.
Amoled display
FREE worldwide & lifetime navigation
USB OTG
Pentaband, so you can switch between ATT & Tmobile.

So, the N8 loses in number of apps, and pixel density, and beats it in every other possible way.

How about that.

[JFH Posted Jun 13th 2010 2:45AM]

@lambrettamike

How could I forget?! N8 has flash. So you can play farmville in your browser iso having to buy an "app".

[Nrde Posted Jun 13th 2010 5:06AM]

@lambrettamike

Yeah, I suppose you mean the photography enthusiast, under 500$ market.

[Nrde Posted Jun 13th 2010 5:14AM]

@lambrettamike

Hehe, iPhone4 is 0.7 mm thinner than Nokia E71 which was released 2 years ago. And E72 has a physical keyboard in it.

Most of iPhone 4's "cool" characteristics are something that other manufacturers can easily pass (if they haven't already) So what's left for iPhone in couple of months? 200000 apps? Awesome.

[MarkAnderson Posted Jun 13th 2010 9:05AM]

@lambrettamike

You mean like the 3GS was supposed to destroy Nokia's market?

OK.

[neoanime Posted Jun 13th 2010 12:58AM]

@lambrettamike

I dunno whether your post of advantages the iphone has over the n8 is serious or sarcasm...on the off chance it isnt, let me look over it.

The amount of apps are not important when only a fraction of them are actually useful.
A gyroscope isn't important when you have offline maps that can use gps to actually show where the hell you are.
Retina display? All displays have their pros and cons, but as long as they do their job it shouldn't matter. You don't know that yet.
Facetime...Nokia phones have been able to do this for years and using 3g.
iMovie might be subjectively better but since you have to pay for it, I don't think its a fair comparison.
"Being cool" and "not from Nokia" are personal beliefs and cannot be considered advantages.
thinnest phone? Can both fit in your pocket? Then I don't see the advantage.
Totally patented.....what makes you think Nokia phones aren't?
3 antennas versus five 3g bands, and wifi?
iAds? what?
ease of use. Ok well maybe that initially, but once you start to know your phone after awhile, can that really be considered an advantage?
How well something sells? Ok, it seems like you like a phone based on how well it sells versus the actual practicality it has to you.

[lambrettamike Posted Jun 13th 2010 10:44AM]

Thanks for the interest from all recent posts on comparing the iPhone 4 with the Nokia N8.

Seriously, there is no comparison.

From the 24th June 2010 (note this date), we are all going to witness the biggest and fastest technology upgrade cycle the world has ever seen, when millions of people clamour for the iPhone 4.

You can quote all the tech specs you want about the Nokia N8, but rest assured, the execs in Nokia HQ will rue the day in 2007 when they stated (as others) that Apple had no chance of 'just' entering the phone market, because they were dealing with veterans who had spent 20 years developing the art of mobile telephony. Well guess what, in only 3 years the whole industry has been upended and NOW my friends everyone is trying to catch Apple Inc!

[Par Vers Posted Jun 13th 2010 4:38PM]

@lambrettamike
Amen! So now there's going to be iProfit, another useful app, ripping of and leaving no options?
You know I've visited both The Soviet Union and Russia. Same geographical locations by the way. You can only appreciate the possibility of choosing when you dont have it. In The Soviet Union the Party knew best what people needed.
Down here in Europe you have a possibility of choosing. I actually buy my phones with cash and transfer my phonenumber to any operator I choose, transfer being free of charge. Can you do the same - I don't know the US system too well.
Apple once brought a change where others had failed. That has led to a growing popularity of its devices. But as the market is saturated, we have a global economic downturn etc. At least I am left to wonder why would anybody pay for something that others give us for freecor at least allow us to choose ourselves.
Nokia is on its way to take an advantage of Apples innovation on how to approach clients. I believe its not patented...
Now Nokia gives you something to choose from. Something to differentiate.
The issue of having or not having flash is not technological - its...constitutional. You Americans always refer to your freedom and constitution. Yet you are willing to sacrifice your freedom by accepting limitations to your own choosing.

How strange is that?

[retarded commenter Posted Jun 13th 2010 11:35PM]

@lambrettamike
I'll be buying an iPhone 4.
I will also sell it the same day so I can buy an N8. I could probably use the leftover profit to buy a 3DS.

Really though, I don't think there's enough change to convince 3GS owners to upgrade early. 3G owners are fed up with AT&T and will probably switch to another carrier once their contract runs out.

[lambrettamike Posted Jun 14th 2010 1:15AM]

@Par Vers
Firstly, I am European (hint in the 'Lambretta').
Sorry, but there are options, people can buy elsewhere, but if they choose an Apple Inc. experience, that is up to them. Looks as though millions of people are okay with iPhone & iPad without Flash. If you want Flash, buy something else! (Hint: there is still choice, even with Apple products).

Plenty of people across Europe (and Russia) are buying an iPhone because it offers value (way more value than your 'free' phones given away by the networks, just happy that you are attracted to them, and maybe one day you will also upgrade to an iPhone).

Thanks for admitting that Nokia copies is trying to catch Apple!

Flash is constitutional! What crap.

Again, the judge will be the people. If they (you, me and everyone else) turn out in their millions to purchase a truly inspirational device (no not an N8, which as you have just indicated is part of the Nokia 'catch up' on the Apple eco system), the iPhone 4, in addition to their already purchased iPad, then I will have made my point.

Again, choice is there, so don't come all freedom stuff.