Table of Contents
amazon Nokia 5800 XpressMusic reviews
Design and Build Quality
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was designed with music lovers in mind, featuring a sleek and compact design that was slightly thicker than some of its competitors, but still very pocket-friendly. The phone’s dimensions were 111 x 51.7 x 15.5 mm, and it weighed 109 grams, making it comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The design was characterized by smooth curves and a glossy finish that gave it a modern and attractive look, although it was prone to fingerprints and smudges.
The front of the device was dominated by a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen, with three physical buttons located below it: a call answer button, a call end button, and a central menu button. The resistive touchscreen was a defining feature of the 5800 XpressMusic and was a departure from the capacitive touchscreens used in other smartphones at the time. While resistive screens were less responsive and required a firmer touch, they were also more accurate when used with a stylus, which Nokia included as a part of the package.
The back of the device housed a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual-LED flash, as well as a small speaker grille. The camera module was slightly raised, which some users found inconvenient as it made the phone wobble when placed on a flat surface. The back cover was made of plastic and could be easily removed to access the battery, SIM card slot, and microSD card slot.
On the right side of the device, there were dedicated volume buttons, a lock/unlock slider, and a camera shutter button, all of which were tactile and easy to press. The left side of the phone featured a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot, both covered by plastic flaps for protection. The top of the device housed the power button, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer.
Overall, the build quality of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was solid, with a robust construction that could withstand everyday use. However, the choice of materials, particularly the plastic back cover, made it feel less premium compared to other high-end smartphones of the time.
Display
The 3.2-inch TFT display of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic had a resolution of 360 x 640 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of approximately 229 pixels per inch (PPI). For its time, this was a respectable resolution, offering decent sharpness and clarity for viewing text, images, and videos. The screen was capable of displaying 16 million colors, which contributed to vibrant and lively visuals.
However, the display was a resistive touchscreen, which meant it relied on pressure to register inputs. This type of touchscreen technology was common in earlier touch devices but had already begun to be overshadowed by capacitive touchscreens, which were more responsive to lighter touches and supported multi-touch gestures. The resistive screen on the 5800 XpressMusic required users to press more firmly, which could be frustrating at times, especially for those used to the more responsive capacitive screens found on devices like the iPhone.
Despite its limitations, the resistive touchscreen did have some advantages. It was more accurate when used with a stylus, and Nokia provided a small stylus that could be attached to the phone’s lanyard loop. This made it easier to navigate small icons and text on the screen, especially in applications where precision was required.
The display’s visibility in direct sunlight was average, with reflections making it difficult to see the screen clearly under bright conditions. The viewing angles were also somewhat limited, with colors and contrast shifting noticeably when viewed from the side. However, for indoor use and in normal lighting conditions, the display performed adequately, offering good brightness and color reproduction.
User Interface and Software
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic ran on Symbian OS v9.4, with the S60 5th Edition user interface. Symbian was one of the most widely used mobile operating systems at the time, especially in Nokia devices, and the S60 5th Edition was optimized for touchscreen input. This was Nokia’s first attempt at creating a touchscreen interface for its Symbian platform, and while it was functional, it had its share of quirks and limitations.
The home screen of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was customizable, allowing users to add shortcuts to their favorite applications, widgets, and contacts. The main menu was arranged in a grid of icons, similar to the layout found on other Nokia devices of the time. Navigation through the menus and applications was primarily done through tapping and dragging, with the stylus offering more precise control.
One of the notable features of the S60 5th Edition was the inclusion of a virtual keyboard for text input. The keyboard could be used in both portrait and landscape modes, with the latter offering a more spacious and comfortable typing experience. However, the resistive touchscreen made typing less fluid compared to capacitive screens, and users often had to adjust to the slight delay in input registration.
The software also included a range of pre-installed applications, such as the web browser, email client, calendar, and media player. The web browser was capable of rendering full web pages and supported Flash Lite, allowing users to view Flash content on websites. However, the browsing experience was somewhat limited by the screen size and the lack of multi-touch gestures, which made zooming and panning less intuitive.
One of the key selling points of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was its music player, which was deeply integrated into the software. The music player supported a wide range of audio formats, including MP3, AAC, and WMA, and offered features such as equalizer settings, album art display, and playlist management. The dedicated music shortcut button on the home screen provided quick access to the music player, making it easy for users to enjoy their favorite tunes on the go.
The device also featured Nokia’s Ovi Store, which allowed users to download additional applications, games, and content for their device. The Ovi Store was Nokia’s answer to the Apple App Store, but it lacked the same level of developer support and content variety. Nevertheless, it provided a way for users to expand the functionality of their device beyond the pre-installed apps.
Performance
Under the hood, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was powered by a 434 MHz ARM11 processor, coupled with 128 MB of RAM. While these specifications might seem modest by today’s standards, they were relatively competitive for a mid-range smartphone in 2008. The device offered decent performance for most everyday tasks, such as browsing the web, checking emails, and listening to music. However, more demanding applications and multitasking could cause the device to slow down, particularly when multiple apps were running simultaneously.
The user interface was generally smooth, but occasional lag was noticeable when navigating through menus or opening applications. The resistive touchscreen also contributed to the perception of sluggishness, as it required a firmer touch and sometimes led to missed inputs or delayed responses.
The device came with 81 MB of internal storage, which was quite limited, especially for a phone marketed as a multimedia device. However, the inclusion of a microSD card slot allowed users to expand the storage capacity up to 16 GB, providing ample space for music, videos, and other content.
Battery life was one of the stronger aspects of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. The device was equipped with a 1320 mAh removable battery, which offered good endurance for its time. With moderate usage, including calls, messaging, web browsing, and music playback, the phone could easily last a full day on a single charge. The efficient power management of the Symbian OS, combined with the relatively low-power hardware, contributed to the device’s respectable battery performance.
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Camera
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic featured a 3.2-megapixel rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, and a dual-LED flash. For its time, this was a fairly standard camera setup for a mid-range smartphone, and it was capable of capturing decent photos in good lighting conditions.
The camera interface was simple and easy to use, with options for adjusting settings such as white balance, ISO, and exposure. The autofocus was generally accurate, and the inclusion of Carl Zeiss optics helped ensure that photos were sharp and detailed. However, the camera’s performance in low-light conditions was less impressive, with images often appearing grainy and lacking in detail. The dual-LED flash helped in some situations, but it could also result in overexposed or washed-out photos.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic also supported video recording at VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) at 30 frames per second. The video quality was acceptable for casual use, but it was not on par with the higher-resolution video capabilities of some of its competitors. The videos captured with the device were suitable for sharing on social media or viewing on the phone’s screen, but they lacked the sharpness and clarity that would be expected from more advanced cameras or dedicated video recorders.
The camera also had a basic set of editing tools built into the software, allowing users to crop, rotate, and adjust the brightness and contrast of their photos directly on the device. While these tools were useful for quick edits, they were relatively limited in functionality compared to the more advanced photo editing apps available on other platforms.
The front-facing camera on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was a VGA (0.3-megapixel) camera, primarily intended for video calls rather than selfies, which were not as popular at the time. The quality of the front camera was quite basic, suitable for its purpose but not much else.
Overall, the camera system on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was adequate for a mid-range device from 2008, offering decent performance for casual photography and video recording. However, it was not a standout feature, especially compared to the growing emphasis on high-quality cameras in smartphones that followed in subsequent years.
Multimedia and Audio Quality
As a member of the XpressMusic series, the Nokia 5800 was designed with a strong emphasis on music and multimedia capabilities. The device’s music player was one of its standout features, offering a user-friendly interface and a wide range of supported audio formats, including MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV. The music player allowed users to create and manage playlists, view album art, and customize their listening experience with an equalizer that had preset options and a customizable profile.
The audio quality delivered by the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was impressive for a mobile phone at the time. The device featured a 3.5mm headphone jack, allowing users to connect their preferred pair of headphones, and the sound output was clear and well-balanced. The device also supported stereo Bluetooth (A2DP), enabling wireless audio streaming to compatible Bluetooth headphones and speakers.
The inclusion of a dedicated music button on the device’s home screen made it easy to access the music player at any time, and the physical volume buttons on the side of the phone provided convenient control over audio playback. The device also came with a built-in FM radio, which could be accessed through the music player app and required the use of wired headphones as an antenna.
In terms of video playback, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic supported a variety of video formats, including MP4, H.263, and H.264. The 3.2-inch display provided a decent viewing experience for videos, though the relatively small screen size and lower resolution limited the overall impact. The video player was straightforward, with basic playback controls and the ability to adjust brightness and aspect ratio settings.
The device’s speaker quality was also noteworthy. The 5800 XpressMusic featured stereo speakers located at the top and bottom of the device, providing a surprisingly loud and clear sound output for a mobile phone. This made it a great device for listening to music or watching videos without headphones, although the sound could become slightly distorted at maximum volume.
Connectivity
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic offered a comprehensive set of connectivity options, making it a versatile device for its time. It supported quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and dual-band UMTS (900/2100 MHz), allowing it to be used on a wide range of networks around the world. The device also supported HSDPA (3.5G) with download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps, providing relatively fast mobile internet access for browsing the web and downloading content.
In addition to cellular connectivity, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic featured Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), allowing users to connect to wireless networks for faster internet access. The Wi-Fi performance was generally reliable, with good range and stability, making it easy to browse the web, stream media, and download apps when connected to a Wi-Fi network.
The device also included Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support, enabling wireless audio streaming and file transfer between compatible devices. The Bluetooth connection was stable and worked well for pairing with other devices, such as Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and car audio systems.
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic featured a micro-USB port for charging and data transfer, which was becoming the standard for mobile devices at the time. The device could be connected to a computer for syncing music, videos, and other files using Nokia’s PC Suite software. The micro-USB port also supported USB On-The-Go (OTG), allowing the phone to act as a host for USB peripherals, such as flash drives, although this feature was less commonly used.
One of the standout connectivity features of the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was its GPS functionality, which was integrated with Nokia Maps (later rebranded as Ovi Maps). The GPS receiver provided accurate location tracking and allowed users to navigate using turn-by-turn directions, search for points of interest, and view maps in both online and offline modes. The inclusion of GPS made the device a useful tool for navigation and travel, especially when combined with the pre-installed Nokia Maps application.
The device also supported TV-out functionality through a 3.5mm AV connector, allowing users to connect the phone to a TV or external display using a compatible cable. This feature was useful for sharing photos, videos, and other media on a larger screen, though the resolution output was limited to standard definition.
Battery Life
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was equipped with a 1320 mAh removable lithium-ion battery, which provided solid battery life for its time. The combination of efficient hardware and the power management capabilities of the Symbian OS helped the device deliver good endurance, especially considering its multimedia-focused features.
With moderate usage, including a mix of calls, messaging, web browsing, music playback, and occasional video watching, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic could easily last a full day on a single charge. Users who primarily used the device for music playback and basic tasks could even stretch the battery life to two days or more.
For music lovers, the device’s battery performance was particularly impressive. Nokia advertised up to 35 hours of continuous music playback on a full charge, which made the 5800 XpressMusic an excellent choice for users who wanted a dedicated music player with extended battery life.
Charging the device was relatively quick, with the included charger capable of fully recharging the battery in a couple of hours. The removable battery also meant that users could carry a spare battery for extended trips or heavy usage days, a feature that has become less common in modern smartphones with sealed batteries.
Conclusion
The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic was a groundbreaking device for Nokia, marking the company’s entry into the touchscreen smartphone market and setting the stage for future developments in mobile technology. With its strong emphasis on music and multimedia capabilities, the device appealed to a wide audience of music lovers and tech enthusiasts, offering a solid combination of features, performance, and value.
While the device had its limitations, particularly in terms of its resistive touchscreen and the aging Symbian OS, it was nonetheless a well-rounded and capable smartphone that met the needs of its target audience. The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic remains a memorable device in Nokia’s history, representing a key moment in the company’s journey through the ever-evolving world of mobile technology.
In the years that followed, the smartphone landscape would continue to evolve at a rapid pace, with new innovations and competitors reshaping the market. However, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic remains a testament to Nokia’s ability to create compelling devices that resonated with consumers, even as the company faced significant challenges in the changing world of mobile technology.