Nokia relaunches the N86

General

In what has to be one of the sloppiest undertakings we’ve seen in recent history, Nokia has officially announced the N86 8MP today at Mobile World Congress. First it was presumed to be a leak, then it was revealed to be a bungle and now Nokia has finally decided to show off its first 8 megapixel camera phone in Barcelona. In other words, a company that has openly complained about leaks on several occasions went to Singapore and publicly displayed an unannounced handset, allowing it to be handled and photographed by the public. While you try to wrap your head around that one, let’s move on to the specs…

Aside from the 8 megapixel shooter with a shutter speed of up to 1/1000 of a second, f-stop range of 2.4-4.8 and a wide-angle lens that Nokia absurdly states is equal to that of a wide-angle 35mm SLR, the N86 8MP runs S60 3rd Edition FP2 and features a 2.6″ AMOLED QVGA display, 8 GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi and aGPS with Nokia Maps 3.0 pre-installed. Thankfully, it will indeed be available for use in North America by way of our very own tri-band HSPA model though we can’t say for sure if it will launch around the same time as the Euro model. Battery life isn’t terrible with a rated talk-time of 3.9 hours 3G / 6.3 hours EDGE and standby falling in at 11.5 hours 3G / 13 hours EDGE. Last but not least we have the dimensions and the N86 8MP a big boy indeed, coming in at 103.4mm x 51.4mm x 16.5mm and 149g. All in all it’s a handset with a great camera, above average specs and horrible display resolution – Nseries up and down. Expect to see the N86 8MP begin shipping sometime in Q2 for €375 ($474 USD) and hit the jump for some pics and the obligatory press release.

Capture your life in more detail with the Nokia N86 8MP
February 17, 2009

Barcelona, Spain – When Nokia set out to make the best mobile imaging device, it combined wide-angle Carl Zeiss optics and an 8 megapixel sensor, resulting in performance comparable to a stand alone digital camera. The Nokia N86 8MP is designed to excel in both bright and low light conditions, and it’s optimized for both video and still imaging. Its high-speed connectivity ensures easy and convenient sharing. The Nokia N86 8MP is expected to begin shipping in the second quarter of 2009 with an estimated retail price of EUR 375, before taxes and subsidies.

“People demand mobile cameras that take excellent pictures in all light conditions,” says Juha-Pekka Sipponen, Director, Nokia Nseries. “That’s why the aperture of the Nokia N86 8MP is comparable to that of a high-quality, stand-alone digital camera. Whether it’s running with the bulls in Pamplona or capturing the panoramic beauty of a sunrise over Sydney, the Nokia N86 8MP will take brilliantly clear, wide-angle images that are instantly geotagged to be uploaded onto sites like Ovi Share or Flickr.”

Easy enough for a novice to use, the Nokia N86 8MP packs enough punch to impress an experienced photographer. This includes a wide-angle Carl Zeiss Tessar lens for panoramic pictures, shorter latencies and variable aperture for super sharp photos in challenging bright and low light conditions. The fast mechanical shutter ensures pictures with less motion blur while the dual LED camera flash is powerful enough for excellent photography and video capture.

“When it comes to taking the best digital photos, it’s the quality of the lens and the sensor that count, not just the quantity of pixels. The Nokia N86 8MP is the first mobile device with variable aperture, adding to the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens for excellent results. It has never been easier to capture special moments in such a great quality,” says Helmut Heier of Carl Zeiss.

Every detail of the metal-framed Nokia N86 8MP is thoughtfully designed with photography in mind, including 8 GB of internal memory for up to 4,000 images. Like any high-end digital camera, the memory can be increased with an exchangeable 16 GB microSD card. The device also offers a bright OLED screen with scratch resistant hardened glass, easy photo management, full sync capability with a PC and TV-out support for slide shows.

Shipping with the latest version of Nokia Maps and full Ovi integration, the Nokia N86 8MP gives a personal dimension to photos and videos. People can share their location with personal content like geotagged photos. The Nokia N86 8MP comes with a built-in compass, along with an integrated 3-months license for full voice and pedestrian navigation so that happy snappers don’t lose their way when capturing life through the camera lens.

Multimedia features – music, games, video
The Nokia N86 8MP, with its integrated kick stand, is ideal for watching videos and playing games. Each Nokia N86 8MP can play up to 25 hours of music on one charge which can be enjoyed with the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-214 also announced today. People can build a personal music collection from the millions of tracks and playlists available from the Nokia Music Store, where available.

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12 Comments
  • jonathan p

    To me, this phone is ugly. I never liked the n81 design, and to resurrect that design in more modern handsets just does not appeal to me. It doesn’t matter, nokia has some competition that they need to match now. I am getting ready to jump ship very soon.

  • Dan L

    I am getting ready to jump the Nokia ship too…they make great phones but I am still waiting on my N95-3 firmware update and it is ridiculous already and I am sick of Nokia’s mistreatment of the North American markets.

  • http://www.symbian-guru.com Ricky Cadden

    LMFAO. Quite possibly one of the most well written, funniest opening paragraphs I’ve read in a long, long time. Job well done, sir.

  • cbrines

    Interesting that the press shots show email on the active standby screen. If Nokia can clean up their build quality issues, I’ll pick this one up.

  • aggie99

    i agree cbrines, build quality is the main reason I ditched the N85. I like the added touch of it being a glass front. I suppose, if this is out soon it could tide me over till I get an N97.

  • http://www.andrewcurrie.ca AC

    Is Nelson snickering at that porno kickstand? I know I am! http://is.gd/jQWY

  • JP

    I don’t see what the big deal is about announcing a handset a day after press images and slides are shared.

    Who cares? This is not news, nor is it a leak. Its not like its material information either.

    Additionally, this is going to be the new handset to f*** with. Naysayers will balk and bitch but when its out, they’ll get in line. There’s nothing else sans-touchscreen in this realm. Not even the Samsung Innov8 which has great hardware but no services.

  • Scott

    I’m with JP. The company didn’t leak the phone, they just didn’t make a gigantic announcement the first time they showed it.

    Michael must have wanted to create some drama to keep it from just being another announcement.

  • Nelson

    Ha ha!

  • k

    As a nokia fan, I’m sure I’m not the only one, to say – WTF?!!!

    This should have been the n85 – what a joke, no xenon and 8gb is standard – we should be looking toward 32gb. Nokia is really lagging behind.

    I won’t be upgrading to a Nokia anytime soon.

    I can only hope they sort out their act and have a surprise on the way, but I highly doubt it.

  • Alex Gajano

    What a tough crowd at BGR! So it’s not exactly an Earth-shattering design, but the value proposition for this price tier & spec is extremely attractive. Nokia was a trailblazer a few years ago pushing the envelope of the specs, and now others seem to be carrying that flag (perhaps that’s why some of the die hard fans are disappointed). Remember, not every single new model needs to rock the world- some are just there to make money.

  • k

    It is just an n85 rehash – there are loads of solid, reliable nokia models.

    It’s not just about pushing the specs – having an n82 successor and xenon flash is not a big ask. We should have seen this ages ago.

    It is disappointing because we know Nokia can make amazing phones and they are resting on their laurels. Fans are usually harsh on companies (like Nintendo) because they don’t meet the high standards they themselves set.

    Like Wesker from Resident Evil 5 says – Poor performance indeed!

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