Nokia has attempted to make a splash in the smartphone market with the Nokia N8. The Nokia N8 is priced up there with its Android and iPhone rivals, and therefore many reviewers spend a lot of energy focussing on the obvious comparison. Unfortunately, the Nokia N8 rarely comes out on top – but there are features of the Nokia N8’s hardware that have made heads turn.

The solid design of the Nokia N8 already sets the phone apart with its tapered ends, scratch-resistant glass and bright coloured aluminium casing. The phone has a range of external buttons and ports, the most notable being a mini HDMI port so that you can plug the device directly into a monitor or TV.

The 3.5 inch AMOLED display is vibrant and the touchscreen is responsive. The Symbian ^3 operating system is where the Nokia N8 lets users down. The sluggish operating system has been known to stall, even on some of the phone’s most basic apps such as using SMS.  Unfortunately multitasking doesn’t run as smoothly as on the N8’s rivals.

The phone does have its positives: the music player allows the user to flick through the album art, and searching for music is intuitive and fast. The Nokia N8’s outstanding feature is the 12-megapixel camera which quickly snaps up crisp photos. The N8 also features a built-in photo editor and a bright Xenon flash. The impressive camera also shoots HD video, and includes a photo editing application so you can trim clips before uploading them online. This is also where the mini HDMI port will come in handy – you’ll be able to view your clips directly on the big screen.

Overall, users will love the Nokia N8’s camera, however there is likely to be a struggle with this smartphone’s overall usability. While the specs of the phone look great on paper, the Symbian ^3 operating system makes controlling the phone a slow chore. In today’s smartphone market there are phones which manage to include excellent hardware along with a smooth operating system.