[Nokia N75] Review

Introduction

The Nokia N75's matte graphite exterior, a departure from the flashy metallic finishes that are currently common, suggests that the phone holds new and unique features inside as well.

But that proves to be only partly true, although it is quite solid in design, connectivity, and multimedia features such as an integrated 2.0-megapixel camera and 3D speakers.

The N75 is also very solid in the hand, weighing in at 4.23 ounces and sized at a somewhat clunky at 2.05 inches wide, 3.74 inches long and 0.80 inches thick. Sharp photos and elegant exterior design are strong points of the phone, on which the lens and shutter button are placed to resemble a traditional camera. Three simple music player and multi-function buttons on the front of the phone enhance its multimedia uses.

The Nokia N75 also has the potential to be a world traveler. As a quad-band world phone, it can be used on all four frequencies of GSM commonly used internationally.


Design

The distinctive exterior of the N75 deserves the most points for design, with a keypad layout that is also intuitive and useful. The weight is not much more than some clamshells currently on the market but going against the trend of ultra-thin phones, its size is not as easy to slip into a pocket as many others. It is also quite long when opened, with a considerable distance between the earpiece and the bottom of the phone.

There are benefits to having large size however, and one is the beautiful, expansive 2.4-inch QVGA internal display. The 240 x 320 px display offers 16.7 million colors including an ambient light detector, which optimizes the brightness of the display and controls power consumption. Meanwhile the external screen provides convenient access to functions without having to open the phone at a crisp 128 x 160 px.

Optimizing for design, the N75 sports an internal antenna. A small, black Power Key is positioned at the top of the phone, while the top left hand side has a large tab that covers the USB Port. The USB Port provides connectivity with a PC or a compatible media player. Nokia PC Suite software can be used to print images or transfer data. The Charger plugs into a port below the USB Port.

Below on the left side is a smaller tab that covers the microSD card slot, allowing users to expand storage space with extra memory cards. This cover is less flimsy than some, but it still seems delicate enough to break at some point.

A bi-directional Volume Key on the upper right side also doubles as the Zoom Key during Camera Mode. Directly below, an Infrared Port lets consumers transfer data wirelessly to other devices. Above the multi-function Mode Key gives users added convenience by switching between different applications. The bottom right is the Camera Key, which activates the camera and camcorder and snaps photos with the phone open or closed.

While the keypad is overall very simple and well designed, some users might have difficulty with the Menu key and Music Key. These two buttons are positioned between the Call, End and Right and Left Selection Keys. One misplaced touch to the Menu or Music Key brings up those applications, and can interrupt texting or dialing.

Key multimedia features on the N75's exterior are the two 3D speakers located discretely at the top corners, and the three simple Music Player buttons on the face, below the display.

Back and Forward arrows straddle a Play / Pause Key, and all three Multi-Function Keys control other applications in addition to music. A blue light pops up behind the keys with the touch of a finger, an attractive color that ties in well with the black exterior.

Out of the box, the Nokia N75 comes with an 800 mAh Li-Ion Battery, Charger, Data Cable, Quick Start Guide, and User Manual.

Camera

The 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder included on the N75 puts it at the high end of current camera phone technology, and provides print quality photos. An easy to use menu allows phone users to send photos, add them to a print basket, create a slideshow or delete them.

The camera is capable of taking extremely sharp 1600 x 1200 px photos, and generally produces a good color balance. A flash is located above the camera lens on the back of the phone.

The camera design on the back face of the phone integrates intuitively with the camera phone's function: with the phone closed, it is possible to snap photos using the camera button on the top right hand side of the phone. The N75 also balances well on its side for timed shots, a nice feature not included in some other clamshells. Music control buttons on the front face of the phone allow some camera functions to be used with the phone closed, although others require keys inside the phone.

With 40 MB of internal memory that can be extended with a microSD card of up to 2 GB, the N75 can record up to 500 minutes of video or about 2,500 2.0-megapixel photos. Memory cards are sold separately.

In addition to basic features such as flash settings and a self-timer, the camera can also be used to take photos in a sequence. Five scene modes are available-auto, user defined, portrait, landscape, night and night portrait-and tips for each mode's suggested use pop up to the right side when a mode is selected.

Outdoor photos were mostly true to color on the N75's camera and indoor shots were very clear, although with a slight greenish tint. White balance can be adjusted to automatic, sunny, incandescent or fluorescent, and color tones can be set at normal, sepia, black and white and negative.

Another phone in Nokia's Nseries - the N95 - has raised some users' expectations with its 5.0-megapixel camera, but the N75's photo and video quality are on par with other 2.0-megapixel camera phones on the market.

Basic Features

Powered by an 800 mAh Li-Ion battery, the N75 provides up to four hours of talk time and up to eight days of standby time. Nine phone numbers can be programmed into speed dial.

AT&T's menu is presented simply and colorfully on the N75, in an easy to navigate layout. Standard tools accessed through the menu include Notes, a Clock, Calendar that records appointments, Calculator and Currency Converter.

Two style "themes" come with the N75, however neither is very attractive. There is the orange and black Cingular theme, and the hazy purple, fuchsia and black Nokia Nseries theme. The Nokia background is a slight improvement and coordinates with the N75's graphite exterior, but fortunately themes can also be downloaded.

Screen

Beautiful interior and exterior screens are a high point of the N75. It features a large 2.4-inch QVGA internal LCD, capable of displaying a vivid 16.7 million colors at a crisp 240 x 320 px resolution. The external screen, while smaller, displays backgrounds and commonly viewed information on a 262K-color 128 x 160 px LCD. The AT&T menu is beautifully organized in a format similar to BlackBerry menus with choices arranged in a colorful grid.

Manufactured from TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology, both screens offer more vibrant colors and faster response rates compared to other LCD technologies such as OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) and STN (Super-Twisted Nematic) screens. However the drawback is increased power usage which drains battery life quicker. Fortunately, the N75's displays features an ambient light detector to optimize the brightness of the display and regulate power consumption.

The N75's screens are state-of-the-art and wonderfully brilliant. Currently LCDs offer up to 16.7 million colors, with the bulk of cell phones featuring 262K-colors, and entry-level devices using 65K-color displays. Considered high-end, the N75 is an ideal device for viewing multimedia such as streaming videos or photos from the album.

Audio

Music and other media are easy to access with the three multi-function keys on the face of the N75, while the two 3D speakers at the top of the phone provide an excellent listening experience. When the optional 2 GB microSD card is in use, the N75 can store up to 1,500 individual tracks.

An integrated FM radio allows consumers on the road to tunes to stations automatically with up to 20 presets. Access to MobiRadio, Billboard, and other features are also available through the "Tools" section of the N75's menu.

Offering a built-in MP3 player with equalizer, play list, shuffle and repeat features, the N75 allows users to either download their own libraries or buy music from AT&T Yahoo! Music Jukebox. The included Nokia PC suite transfers music from a PC in MP3, MIDI, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ and WMA formats through the supplied USB cable. The player stores up to 1,500 songs with the 2 GB memory card.

Through a partnership with eMusic, AT&T customers can download songs wirelessly to their phones; similar to other music store services from other carriers. However unlike many services, eMusic also allows each song purchased and downloaded to the phone to be automatically available for users to download to their PC for no additional cost. eMusic offers more than 2 million songs for download, free of DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection which limits usage of digital media. While its catalog includes some mainstream artists, most of its music comes from independent labels.

AT&T has followed competitors in charging a premium for the songs. While there is no per-song pricing option, customers should expect to pay $7.49 per month for five songs, with the option of adding five more songs for the same price. That works out to $1.50 per song. Sprint launched its over-the-air music download service in 2005, charging $2.50 per song but has since cut that price to 99 cents. Verizon Wireless charges $1.99 per song for wireless downloads.

The N75 features voice-activated dialing and voice commands, which can be activated even when the phone is closed by pressing the play/pause button on the front face.

By selecting 3D tones, N75 users can also choose from six different Sound Trajectory Options: Circular, Fly-By, Zigzag, Meander, Random and Off. They can also select the Sound Trajectory Speed. Nineteen 3D ringtones are included with the phone. They range from electronic music clips to simple beeps, and showcase the high sound quality. Even a song with vocals is reproduced clearly. None of the ringtones provided with the phone were very appealing, but many users will probably want to personalize the phone with downloaded audio from another device or AT&T.

Messaging

Video and picture messaging are standard features on the Nokia N75. Its large numeric keypad makes text messaging simple, however the smooth surface and minimal separation in between could make it difficult for users who text by touch.

Users can stay in touch with real-time chat available through clients such as AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Windows Live. One right click from the directional keypad connects users to features, buddies and saved conversations.

Pressing Up brings up a blank text message. The selection key in the upper left corner pulls up the Messaging Menu that allows consumers to create a text message, multimedia message, email or postcard. POP3 and IMAP4 email protocols are supported with today's most popular services including Hotmail, Yahoo!, and AOL.

Entertainment

Together, the 2.0-megapixel camera, 3D speakers and high-resolution screens make N75 a strong multimedia device. The external music and multi-function controls keep the N75 competitive with many similarly designed phones currently available, while the speakers and colorful internal display showcase music and videos that can be streamed on the N75 with RealAudio and RealVideo.

Nokia N75 users can access AT&T's Cellular Video (CV) and AT&T Mobile Music. With the N75's enhanced music player that supports Windows Media Digital Rights Management (WMDRM), they can play music purchased at Napster and Yahoo! Music. CV features 10 basic-programming providers from CNN, NBC Mobile, The Weather Channel, Fox News, ESPN, Comedy Central and exclusive premium content from HBO and more.

Content is then divided into sections: TV to Go, News and Weather, Sports, and Entertainment. TV to Go section offers video clips from popular shows such as The Tonight Show and Desperate Housewives. Get current events and weather updates through NBC, CNN, Fox, and The Weather Channel in the News and Weather section. Sports highlights are offered in the Sports section including ESPN, Fox Sports, The Speed Channel, and Fuel TV. Access Hollywood, TV Guide Channel, and Adult Swim are in the Entertainment section.

HBO Mobile, HBO Family Mobile, and Music Choice are available in the premium section. Through AT&T's partnership with HBO, customers can view short previews and video clips of popular HBO shows such as Entourage and The Sopranos.

Music Tone ringtones, J2ME games (Tetris, 3D Pool Hall and Lumines Puzzle Fusion preinstalled) and graphics round out the offerings, downloadable to the N75.

Internet

Internet can be accessed on the N75 by pressing the menu button on the upper left side of the keypad, and selecting MEdia Net.

Unfortunately the N75 doesn't support AT&T's newest HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) high-bandwidth service, capable of supporting theoretically download speeds of up 3.6 Mbps. But it does offer AT&T's UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network at just a step down, offers data rates up to 384 kbps. While ideal, realistically users should expect speeds around 220 to 320 kbps. Necessary for high-bandwidth multimedia features, AT&T's UMTS network serves as the backbone for AT&T Music and Cellular Video.

Storage

Nokia N75 BackThe N75's internal memory of up to 40 MB can be extended with a microSD card (capable of accepting cards up to 2 GB in size, sold separately). A small tab on the side can be pulled out to access the microSD slot. With the maximum expandable memory in place, the N75 can store up to 1,500 individual audio tracks.

Connectivity

The N75 boasts Nokia PC Suite connectivity with USB, infrared and Bluetooth 2.0 wireless technology.

Bluetooth profiles supported include Dial-Up Networking (DUN) to use as a modem when connected to a laptop, Handsfree Profile (HFP) with handsfree car kits, Headset Profile (HSP) to pair wireless headsets, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to provide access to file systems on other devices, Object Push Profile (OPP) to send pictures, virtual business cards, or appointment details, and Serial Port Profile (SPP) to emulate a serial cable. Most users will be interested in HSP and HFP. Unfortunately the N75 doesn't offer A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) for wireless stereo streaming during music playback.

Conclusion

Nokia's N75 is a decently attractive phone, although its stylishness will suffer in the eyes of some users because of its slightly clunky size. The matte graphite finish of the exterior is different, but pleasantly unique. Blue-lit buttons are a modern, well-coordinated touch, and the controls outside and inside the phone are intuitive and easy to use.

The multimedia technology and connectivity, however, offer something for almost everyone and the phone is very solid in this area. The size might be justified by the myriad features packed into this still relatively small package.

AT&T's menu is easy to navigate on the N75 and media are reproduced beautifully, thanks to the high resolution, 16.7 million color screen.

For jet setters, the quad-band world phone is also built to work on all four frequencies of GSM commonly used internationally.

The N75's impressive connectivity offers many more ways to stay in touch, with Bluetooth, USB cable and infrared available to transfer data to a PC and other devices. Users will want to transfer data between their computers and a multimedia phone such as the N75, and Nokia has clearly worked to make this as smooth a process as possible.

Nokia's N75 is overall a very solid phone that includes some of the best cell phone technology currently on the market in a uniquely designed package.