Applications

There's no set agenda here... Just a bunch of Applications I Find Important! Starting with the Nokia Ones'...take your Pick :)

The browser..

The reason why this is here and not in its own section is because this is a make do browser Nokia has put in for now while it develops a brand new QT based browser for Symbian^3 . Looking at the browser it is almost identical to the old N97 browser with a few noticeable Changes shown in the screens below. The major new feature that has been introduced is Pinch-To-Zoom . I tried to test the browser as much as possible and it handled most large pages okay only crashing with really large pages and a lot of use . The Pinch-to-zoom works okay but shows some lag on larger pages and can be improved a lot in my opinion. Flash lite 4 is supported which means this is the best all round browser to view any page and will open most Pc flash content but I'd like to see the full flash 10 in the new Browser! There is much expectation from this new Browser which is set for release in Febuary 2011 and I hope we aren't let down. IF Nokia want to see what a browser should be like they should look at the HTC Desire browser which is one of the Best if not THE best on a phone right now! Personally the Symbian browser users too much data to fit my budget so I don't use it as my regular browser..

The Browser Looks Rather Dated.

Minor Changes to Give you some Space

Shortcut Options

And something just for you people who read till here.. A leak of the new browser and Keyboard :)

Ovi Store

No matter whom you are, Nokia Fan Nokia Hater or a neutral you won't be able to deny the leap forward Nokia made in the OVI store 2. The whole app works quicker and easier with better scrolling ,load times and being easier to access! The previous OVI store was pretty much a pain to work with and I'm really happy this has been fixed. Store also has the ability to charge purchases to your phone bill saving you needing a credit card or PayPal to make purchases :) For the OVI store there is just one thing left.. More Apps! The OVI store lags behind The Android Market and the Apples iStore. Although with 250 000 new OVI store users a day , 3 000 000 App downloads a day The Store is growing and wont disappoint you .With the N8 the OVi store will become a part of your life that you look forward to!

New OVI Store Menu

The Old Interface

Viewing an Application

The New Interface

Nokia Maps

I have never been a Nokia Maps fan and all my Previous Phones had Garmin XT installed So I was Sceptical when it came to Nokia Maps on the N8 and as I'm so getting used to ,I was proven wrong . Nokia Maps 3.4 is the best free Navigation you can get on a phone today and makes buying a R2000 GPS unit a huge waste of time. It Combines your GPS with your cell phone Network to get and keep our position and keep it accurate . The Maps of South Africa. A Nice add that Nokia Maps have is Lonely Planet giving you info on the place you're at! Together with Weather updates ,Speed camera alerts and speeding warnings I can not find a reason to switch to Garmin again. Something the Nokia Maps has my Garmin Nuvi 310 doesn't is Pinch to Zoom. It's used all over the N8 so why not in the maps right? It makes navigating the Map so much easier than before!

Then I decided to do something different I installed the Nokia Maps 3.6 Beta from Nokia Beta Labs and WOW Was I Impressed! The detail of the maps is INCREDIBLE!! Transit lines ,bus stops ,3D landmarks ,traffic flow you name it the Nokia Maps has it! Being a beta it's only near perfect with a few bugs around but as my pics below show it is beyond awesome! Ps. Don't forget you are given a car charger in the Box! Perfect :)

New Maps 3.06 Interface

Navigating

Split Screen Searching

Old Maps 3.04 look

You want to see the best thing about Nokia Maps? Show this to your Garmin..

Business Apps

I think that by now it's obvious that the N8 is not a business orientated phone like the upcoming E7 is but it does all the basic functions you would expect for Business user and maybe with some 3^rd party apps could do the Job. The two Business apps on the N8 are Quick office and Adobe Acrobat Reader Lambeth are newer versions than on the N97 and work better for viewing being more finger friendly J My complaint is that both are not full and free so I couldn't edit a thing!

Quick Office works well on the N8

Zoomed out

Web TV

Web TV is something new on the N8 that won't appeal to all because of data costs but if you can link it with the right Wi-Fi connection you may use it often. The limiting issue here right now is the number of channels but that said Nokia has made it easy to design a channel and it shows with the easy operation of the different channels. Let's just hope more channels do come in and this feature doesn't go dry.

Here's the third party apps you need :

Opera Mini 5.1 beta And Opera Mobile 10.1(NEW)

This is my most used app and that's because it's quick ,simple and functional. It may not have flash but I don't mind because it takes a load off my Pocket allowing me to load images for less data . At first this worked bad on the N8 and crashed often, I solved this by moving in it onto the phone memory and using the opera Keyboard. They just released Opera Mobile version 10.1 and if you love Full browsing on your phone its the one for you, Just like on your PC.It loads faster than previous versions and renders pages better.There's no Pinch to Zoom but I'm sure the finals will have it ! You all know the rest about Opera so that's it here ..

Full Screen Browsing

Pop up Menu's

Opera Home with Great Speed Dial

Tabbed Browsing

Grid

With lots of people complaining that the N8 works just like other Nokia phones I got this app to show them just how different it can work and what a step forward I think Nokia has made. This application sorts your menu into a grid of 9 panels and allows you to swipe through each page. It works quickly, even quicker than on the Blackberry Torch where I first saw the idea. You can customise your pages and another useful feature is being able to search for an app. It’s free, so if you want to spice up your N8 menu go get it from the OVI store. Personally I prefer the Symbian menu which works great and I can organise how I want and into the folders I want. It’s just about making the phone what I want it to be.

Menu's Drag across up and down when you Swype

Grid Exit

Move your apps around

OVi Suite and OVi player

This is what you use to manage your N8 on PC so though this is no full review here's my Thoughts. OVI suite and OVI player I find load and process too slow, This gets annoying and I can't figure out why as it isn't an overly complicated app! The next issue is the message management. Copying my sms's to my pc I couldn't separate them between two folders or even two phones . The rest of the sync works fine. OVi Player is quite a Nice app to use and to download Music using my Unlimited Subscription. Finding , sorting and downloading music was nice and simple but as I mentioned can be OH –SO –SLOW when it wants to be! It reminds me of the OVi store on my N97(not fond memories trust me ! )

OVI Player Works

Music Home in OVI Suite

OVI Suite Home

UPDATE: The guys over at Nokia Beta Labs just released OVI Suite 3 Beta with huge improvements to speed and interface! google it NOW!

The Games!!!

After having seen you tube videos of 3d gaming on the N8 I was eager to experience it myself..And I was not disappointed.

1) Angry Birds:

This was the first game I got and boy..Did it take time...why? Because once I got it installed which was Quick over the OVI Store 2(lite version is free) , I was addicted ...an hour later after shooting countless birds off a sling and killing the green pigs to get our revenge I can say this game works flawlessly..No lag, perfect pinch to zoom and touch sensitivity and enough levels to keep you slinging! I also compared this to on the Desire, I found the N8 easier to play on due to touch sensitivity differences. I'm going to try to make a video comparison to show you...but with SA upload speeds quality may be a problem even with uncapped ADSL.
Rating: * * * *

The Beggining of Addiction

I couldn't make a nice video for this game so heres one I found on you tube..

Ps , I've almost completed the Game , Section 4 and 6 Left More to come :)

2) Asphalt 5 HD

Being a racing fan this was on my wish list before I even had my hands on the phone and at 144mb I had high expectations....which ultimately were let down slightly :(
While the game launches at a pace equal if not slightly faster than most smart phones capable of running this mammoth and the graphic effects look great the big letdown for me was game play .There seems to be slight lag, whether this is due to the N8 or the game I'm not sure but when played on the Desire the lag was still present though less than on The N8.That being sad the game offers great features and visuals for a mobile game and has me wondering if my pap is now obsolete??
Is it worth the R25 from OVI store? If you can work around the lag, yes!
Rating: * * *

It starts off looking awesome..

Becomes More Awesome..

And then proves it self good :)

And here is my video of the game :)

3) The Sims 3 HD

While I haven't played The Sims for almost 5 years I was still excited to try this having seen the videos. The running of the game was good with no lag experienced and a good frame rate...The Sims is a large game and it would be impossible to review every aspect after a hours use but I found the game to be similar to The Sims 2 PC with efficient options and variables to keep you touching to try to keep your Sim happy! Worth every cent for a Sims Fan :)
Rating: * * * *

Look Familiar?

Shiamal the SIM

Shopping

Ah the TV!!

My Status :)

4) Need for Speed Shift HD

This...is my Favourite of the lot...Excellent storyline gameplay, graphic effects , play back and a great frame rate. I love this game and I'm sure that anyone who tries it will be impressed with the way it races using the tilt control. This is more than a match for NFS Most Wanted on my PSP! I would love to compare this on other phones but No Iphone available to test so check You tube :)
Rating : * * * * * AWESOME GAME!!

Looks Plain..

Then Blows your MIND!!

Lining 'em up!

My Mazda RX8 Beast!

Drifting Away..

My video of NFS SHIFT with HDMI out on the N8 made using a N97

5)Galaxy on Fire

This was a new game to me but I really got stuck into playing it and kind of obsessed with shooting those enemy fighters down! Not everyones piece of action but if you love to Fly it's a must for you :) plus its free from the Nokia PC software updater so why not?Warning..Getting used to the controls is not easy! but take your time and you'll love the game ;)

Rating : * * *

Looks mysterious ..

Space?

Incoming..

Setting Up the Target..

Being Pursued!

Lining up for the Kill..

Evasive Manuveres..

6)Cricket T20 Fever

This is a game I wanted because I'm a huge cricket fan. The graphics aren't mind blowing like NFS HD or The Sims but are the best for a cricket game! Those cheerleaders celebrations are cool too :) Its worth the R25 over OVI store if you're a cricket fan if Soccer is for you go for Real Football 2010 HD :)

Rating : ***

The Ball..

The Shot..

The Fielding..

The Result..

Right until this Happened..

7)Rally Master Pro
I must be honest this isn't one of my favourite games ,not being a rally fan.The game it self isn't too bad though, graphics are good but nothing special .While game play is easy . This game isn't in the same league as the likes of NFS and Ashpalt.