Nokia 5800 XpressMusic preview

For Nokia smartphone users, the 5800 XpressMusic seems a revolutionary product, and from the quick peek we've had, it's certainly a top device.

The 5800 XpressMusic is a touchscreen handset through and through.

There are only three hardware keys to be seen on the front; a call answer, call end and quick menu button, all of which are responsive and make getting to the heart of the device simple.

The large screen, as you'd expect attracts enough greasy fingerprints to fry a burger with, but it is stunning if you're looking for vibrancy and clarity.

The display is especially good for browsing web pages. There are three options for viewing web pages: full screen, page overview and view images. It's unusual you'll find handsets with so much choice, but in a world brimming with Internet usage it's not surprising

If you're an avid S60 user, and draw your mind back to every disastrous new firmware release of the platform, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the lack of bugs within the 5800's interface. Operations happen quickly and smoothly, with little to leave you aggravated.

The 3.2-megapixel camera however, is a little bit of a let down. Although snaps are clear enough to print out in small scale, you can't zoom into detail as much as with a 5 or 8-megapixel camera.

Although most functions on the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic are easy to operate with the finger, it's nowhere near as intuitive as the iPhone or KC910 Renoir.

Instead of using your finger anywhere on the screen and making upwards/downwards sweeping actions, you have to place your finger (or the stylus) to drag the scroll bar up or down. This is particularly irritating if you're searching through contacts and your tunes stored in the MP3 player.

This is also too apparent when typing a text or email. If you're using T9 keyboard layout, only half the screen is covered with the keyboard in landscape mode.You can just about use your finger for this, but it's the Qwerty keyboard that causes problems.

For some reason, Nokia though it would be a good idea to made each letter the size of a pin head. The keyboard doesn't stretch across the whole screen, but is a small box in the centre of the typing area, leaving the stylus as the only input option which can certainly become a little tiresome.

Another disappointment is the absence of a stand a la Nokia N96 for watching movies with. Although one comes bundled in the box (with a plectrum-shaped stylus and rubberised case), it's just another thing to forget when you leave the house.

It would have been useful for the 5800 XpressMusic to have the stereo speakers on the top to make sure the sound is pumping when watching a film in landscape, but instead they're on each side which means sound is not as full when one is facing a hard surface.

In the applications folder, you'll find a number of pleasing surprises lurking. There are two inbuilt games, one of which is called Bounce. The game is a little like Super Monkey Ball on the iPhone, except you have to use fingertip navigation rather than the accelerometer. If only you could use motion sensing, this would keep you occupied for hours.

Also in the apps folder is quick access to the Nokia Music Store and an Instant Messenger app. As the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is going to be a new addition to the company's Comes With Music service, a Nokia Music Store quick access icon is welcomed here to allow quick downloading of tunes straight to the device. The lack of a hefty internal memory though means you'll have to make full use of the microSD card slot to pack your tunes in.

The 5800 XpressMusic is a noble attempt by Nokia to get a touch UI as perfect as possible. It's a shame that there are some hardware flaws in the first touch S60 handset such as internal memory and a decent camera, but it's the usability that makes it Nokia's first step towards conquering Apple.