On the back of the N85 lies a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual LEDs. It's very easy to use, with a simple interface, and we found the picture quality to be very good, even in low light -- the LEDs providing more illumination than expected.
Equally unexpected is the built-in FM transmitter, which allows you to play music wirelessly through a car radio. It's something that's been made available in the past using third-party technology, but having it built-in is really useful.
As we mentioned before, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack and the Nokia N85's dedicated media keys mean using it as a music player is really easy. The music player interface is straightforward and gives you the option to shuffle tracks, adjust the equaliser and create playlists.
Performance
Audio quality during calls was loud and clear, as was the loudspeaker, but we recommend using a Bluetooth headset (the N85 supports A2DP stereo) for hands-free calls. Battery life is quoted at 6.9 hours talk time using GSM and 4.5 hours using 3G. Standby time is 363 hours using GSM or 3G. In real life, we found that with moderate use it lasted over a day before needing to be recharged.
Conclusion
After spending some quality time with the Nokia N85, we're not sure why Nokia didn't just launch this as the N95's successor instead of the N96. The N85 is a refined phone that packs in a whole bunch of features into an attractive casing. Our only disappointment is that the keypad is a little flatter than we would like, but the rest of it left us very happy.
Wi-Fi, HSDPA and a music player you can listen to by simply plugging a pair of standard headphones straight in -- great stuff. Okay, it's not a revolutionary product, but it is a very good one nevertheless, and if you're an N95 fan looking for something a little smaller and better-looking, you could a lot worse than this.
Edited by Nick Hide
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters
User reviews6
Add your review
Arish Ghaswala 5 August 2011
Good: Everything!!!!!!! :)
Bad: a plastic body which cud get losse or suffer wear n tear :(
Comment: Great phone omiting d bad points iv considered about it
Babz Choudhury 23 January 2011
Good: Fantastic user interfcae
Bad: fingerprint magnet, coz of the glossy finish to the design
Comment: I loved using this phone, it's like a updated version of the Nokia N95 but with more features & great for e-mail too. I recommend this phone.
dvfine 30 August 2009
Good: more features than the N95, it's like an utpto date version with extras
Bad: software issues like music player constantly losing music
Comment: I love the N95 but was let down by the battery life. This phone will last 2.5 days on average compared to the less than 8 hours I got from the N95. The extra features like the auto rotating screen and audio themes are a nice touch but the navi wheel I don't see the point. It's more a gimmick than a practical gadget, especailly if you have giant fingers like mine.
The camera is good quality but suffers if you are in poor light and I found that image quality suffered when ever I used any zoom. It's also very difficult to keep the lense free from dust, even with a sliding cover on it.
All is not perfect with the phone.. 2 issues have appeared with mine
1- a software issue with photo editing prevents me from adding effects
2- The music player keeps losing my music and won't find it unless I put it all back on with the pc
I find keeping the phone grease free is impossible.
Apart from the problems which I'm getting sorted through Orange, hopefully, it is a great phone.
See all 6 user reviews