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Nokia N79

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By Andrew Lim, CNET.co.uk
Feb 2, 2009

If you're a fan of exchangeable covers, the Nokia N79 might just be the phone for you. Boasting similar features to the Nokia N95, the N79 uses an intelligent-casing system that adds a little extra to an otherwise mundane accessory.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.co.uk. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some other products or telcos in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia.

The N79's keypad and screen bezel are available in two colors: White and gray, with the Espresso Brown Xpress-On smart cover as a standard accessory. For the white version, it will also come with additional Light Sea Blue and Olive Green Xpress-On faceplates, while the gray option is bundled with the White and Coral Red Xpress-On covers. In Singapore, the units will also be bundled with a 4GB flash media, a 3-month license for turn-by-turn navigation and a registration key for one N-Gage game.

Design

At first sight, there's nothing particularly shocking or innovative about the N79's design. Open its box and you'll find a candybar phone that looks similar to a many of Nokia's other phones, but the N79 has a few features that did catch our attention.

There's a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the N79 so that you can plug in a standard pair of headphones. Next to that there's a toggle switch for easily locking or unlocking the N79. The lens cover that protects the N79's 5-megapixel camera is easy to slide open, but won't move in your pocket.


The N79 comes with three cases that tell the phone what color they are.
Lens cover aside, it's the N79's battery cover that we were most intrigued by. In the N79's box, you get three differently colored battery covers. Depending on which cover you choose, the N79 recognises it via a set of metal contacts and changes its theme accordingly. If you put on the blue cover, for example, you a blue theme is displayed on the screen. It's not a particularly complicated feature, but it works and it does look good. We would, however, like to be able to change the front cover too.

We would also like to see more metal cases on Nokia phones. The N79 doesn't feel flimsy, but it doesn't boast the metal finish of the E71, for example, which feels and looks like a higher-quality product. The N79's keypad could also do with some attention, because it's a little too flat and ill-defined for our liking, but you get used to it after a while. That said, the size and shape of the phone works well--it feels right against the side of your face and fits easily in a pocket.



Tags: Nokia Corp., Camera, headphone, phone, battery
 
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