Nokia N-Gage Game Deck : A Phone To Bite

My mailbox answers. Hereingeflattert comes the latest newsletter of an Internet with super discounts offers. But schnäppchenresistent as I am only buy what is really needed. And then the incredible happened: the rational control of the cerebellum is being replaced by pure desire to buy. * Click * I have just purchased a Nokia N-Gage. Does it even more pointless? Delivery in 3 days. Well class!

Nokia N Gage Reviews Nokia N Gage Game Deck : A Phone To Bite

Design :

Every time I stared at the N-Gage, reinzubeißen I get pleasure. Somehow reminds me of the inside to form a sweet sandwiches with tasty filling. As a mobile phone in any case it is not to be identified. And probably not conceived! The proof: Speaker and microphone are nowhere on the surface. These are in fact on the sides. Who dares to call with the slice moves, suddenly astonished looks of his fellow men to himself. This is really for a strong ego!

I look the part but look way out of a portable multimedia console that comes to more joy. Really small, the slices with the dimensions 133.7 x 69.7 x 20.2 mm (W / H / T) is not. And the live weight of 137g empty, although I have not run a bodybuilding, but prima ballerina is something else. The center is decorated with a display with a resolution of 176 x 208 pixels, which can display 4,096 colors. Law which is the cell phone keypad, the left-pad for navigation as well as three direct access keys.

Where else the filling squirts the sandwiches, there are power button, speaker, power, USB and headset ports, and microphone and earpiece.

A slice does not like traveling alone – the accessories :

The brief glimpse into the black box is (really a black box) shows me that Nokia at (almost) everything has thought of. The giver of life battery and charger are found there, 32 MB MMC Card, USB cable, headset, manual and CD with the “Nokia PC Suite.

Good, but not good enough! Wished I would have a compatible memory card (at least 64 MB), a battery with much higher capacity, and – yes you can dream – a cell phone pocket.

The slice is alive :

A determined clicking the power button – and makes sandwiches at his eyes. It speaks to me on Symbian, at least it is so in the manual on the subject of mobile phone operating system.

makes contact with the outside world it over Bluetooth and USB interface. Bluetooth, so that multiple players can play against each other. And USB to Delicious data from the PC into the slices rüberzuschieben. Furthermore, it is MMS-capable and can run Java applications. The N-Gage also supports GPRS with 40.2 (reception), respectively 26.6 kbit / s (transit) and HSCSD (43.2 / 28.8 kbit / s). Who do without mobile phone services can not access the WAP browser (1.2.1) access. Ah yes, an FM receiver and an MP3 player are also included. Only photography and coffee can not.

The sandwiches will be operated :

Sister, the scalpel. Timid I open the abdominal wall of sandwiches to anzugucken my inner life. Not entirely voluntary, but somehow I have to just put the SIM card, the memory chip and the battery. It immediately jumps to me the stupid concept in the eye: a gaming card will be changed, you’ll have flashbacks and battery must be removed. At least a second game may be stored under the battery cover.

The sandwiches like my PC does not – or vice versa :

Now I install the software provided by Nokia on my PC. As a result, my computer dies a lonely death at once, the operating system does not start anymore. Starts at so great! After three days I could depressive him back to life. For some unexplained reasons, not further an important dll file was destroyed. Next try to curse – to pray, hope it works! What, however, immediately leads to the next disappointment. It is not possible for me to make the software and the USB cable to connect to Nokia. The online support from Nokia is no help to me. Eventually I give up exhausted. Then I create my own using card-reader solution. MMC Card from Nokia to expand, insert into the card reader to transfer data, map back to the sandwiches. Fits.

The slice is versatile – the features :

My fingers move with the directional pad in the menus. There are seemingly infinite number of features, options and possibilities to light. Here, briefly the most important:

Tri-band mobile phone :

This feels all networks in the world probably. The reception quality is excellent. It has an extensive and convenient phone book. Contact details can be easily transferred from the SIM card into the memory. The calendar can be via SyncML to synchronize with the dates on the computer.

Memory :

The internal memory built-in features 3.4 Mbytes and operates the telephone campaigns. As an external memory, all MMC cards are used. The standard 32 MB MMC card I have replaced with a 256 MB copy. SD cards do not like the N-Gage.

Music / Video :

Radio reception is only possible with Headset (antenna function). The reception quality is acceptable. MP3 files are completely taken with undTitel Artist and can be over loudspeakers (lukewarm quality) or Headset (heard good). Both are radio controlled from the MP3 as well as shortcuts.
The concept of the mice actually true cinema for the N-Gage. But can be played through built-in RealOne player videos and small movies. More of a gimmick.

Games :

Not exactly cheap, but does a game on MMC card around 40-50 €. As described above, the conversion of the games change is costly. The quality of the games I tested is good: a liquid composition, good graphics, nifty handling. The controls are sometimes used to. Power, but fun! What is annoying is the long charging time until the game is operational.

SMS / MMS / E-mail :

Goes quickly and smoothly thanks to word recognition of the hand. Very clearly, since the entire text of a text message fits entirely on the display. Using GPRS you can connect to the Internet and fetch his mail from the POP3 server. Easy to use.

Other Features :

Worth mentioning here are calendar, voice recorder, alarm clock, tasks, calculator, currency converter and all internal tools. All no gimmicks, but useful tools.

What a neat sandwiches will be served :

The user interface like it very much. Characters are clearly and sufficiently large. The Nokia has self-control and menu key with good pressure point. The backlight is very bright, direct sunlight readable but can be critical. Sometimes annoying is that the lights off to save energy purposes in 15 seconds.

Sandwiches sounds – that’s not good?

Although it looks ridiculous, this slice lengthwise pressed to his ear: the sound quality of the shell is strong and good. The caller, the quality is satisfactory. I Turn around on the integrated handsfree, both games with the given sound quality are satisfied. Better yet, I find the phone via headset – there is for both sides to find fault with anything.
Today’s phones like the N-Gage are real tone monster. Polyphonic tones are the norm, the 24 tones of Nokia should the spoiled rich ear.

The sandwiches will power – the battery :

Yes, the particles will quickly tire. A little phone, a music reindröhnen Bissel, and already is the N-Gage from the air. Even in standby mode, the charging indicator shows the potential weakness after 2-3 days of seizure (manufacturer 7 days!)
Therefore considered first Rule for the N-Gage: put the charger never out of sight.

Prices :

The N-Gage, there is currently no contract for Verramschpreis under 150 €. For the 256 MB memory card I paid for the online trading just under € 60 for the pouch about 15 €.

Summary :

Short and sweet for the fast readers more deeply into the pros and cons of the Nokia N-Gage:

Negative :

Games are expensive
Long load times (Music, Game)
Lengthy delivery time for powering
Complicated map change in the exchange of Play
Problematic installation routine
Imperfect data btwn PC and mobile phone
Common System Error Message MP3 Player
Occasional error when switching
Aliens telephone service (micro-and shell-side)
Highly underpowered battery
Series only 32 MB card enclosed MCC
Bulky device design
Simultaneous gambling and listening to music is not possible

Positive :

Low price (discontinued model)
Extremely versatile
High fun factor at play
Good display
Great menu

Conclusion :

The basic concept is great – only hitch in implementing it. Nokia designed a device for all possibilities, and therefore inevitably had to compromise. Thus, for this part, may be much, but none of it properly. However, those who receive herunterschraubt his claims, with the N-Gage a real Funmachine. It gives me despite all the shortcomings of fun. Due to the large number of defects but I can on an assessment of mediocrity does not go beyond 3 stars.

Current Info :

Nokia N-Gage to be sold off now! The reason? The successor of Nokia N-Gage QD has been recently introduced. And apparently the developers have improved it some design deficiencies. Thus, we continue to make calls like a normal mobile phone. And the complicated change of the games through the “hot-swap slot” makes clear – the exchange of cards is then that is the future of the outside.