Product: Nokia N-Gage QD Price: $1,980 Pros: Many improvements over the original, some good design features and fair gaming Cons: Vertically oriented screen is still small and a liability for certain games; no MP3 player, camera or FM radio. Game titles priced at about $240 are expensive for they are
The original Nokia N-Gage was one of last year's biggest flops. A gaming phone is a great idea, but how could anyone look cool talking into the side of a phone shaped like a burrito?
The second-generation phone, the Nokia N-Gage QD, is much better designed ergonomically and aesthetically. About 20 per cent lighter and smaller, it fits well in the palm of the hand, although Nokia should shave it down to the size and weight of the Nokia 6600.
There are several nice touches: tactile backlit buttons, easy-to-use controls and a protective rubber ring around the device that makes it rugged and durable.
Design improvements over the original N-Gage include an accessible MMC slot (with the old one you had to lift the battery out to insert the game card), and an earpiece built into the face of the unit so there is no more side-talking.
The QD runs the Series 60 version of the Symbian OS 6.0 (which runs on the Nokia 6600) and has good calendar, contacts and messaging functions. Users can also download software from Nokia's site that will sync contact and calendar data from Microsoft Outlook via Bluetooth.
The phone displays images, plays video, sends and receives e-mail, and is capable of multimedia messaging.