Jun 4, 2009

Nokia 5800: The iPhone Killer?



The iPhone created a new trend in the world of cellphones. The whole touch-screen system and the applications drove millions of Filipinos crazy. But now, things are a bit different. Unlike the golden times for Apple, Nokia 5800 has proven that the iPhone is not the only one in the game. That's probably the reason why we are comparing the Nokia 5800 to the iPhone. Overall, a lot of people think that Nokia 5800 was built to counter the growing influence of the iPhone. So let's compare the two "touch" phones side by side and look at the important features that customers value in a cellphone.

Size

iPhone size: 115.5 X 62.1 X 12.3 mm
Nokia 5800 size: 111 X 51.7 X 15.5 mm

The iPhone is bigger in size.

Weight

iPhone: 133g
Nokia 5800: 109g

Nokia 5800 is 25g lighter than iPhone in weight.

Screen Resolution

The iPhone has 3.5” screen while Nokia 5800 has 3.2”.
iPhone: 480 by 320
Nokia 5800: 640 by 360

The iPhone has a bigger screen by .3" while the 5800 has higher resolution.

Storage

iPhone comes with two options- 8GB & 16GB internal memory.
Nokia offers 8GB with micro SD card which is expandable upto 16GB.

Nokia owners can expand memory size.

Input Methods

iPhone: Finger
Nokia 5800: Finger, stylus, plectrum, handwriting recognition.

Colors

iPhone: Black for 8 & 16 GB, White for 16 GB only.
Nokia 5800: Red, Blue and Black.

Battery

Apple iPhone claims that it can play music for 24 hrs.
Nokia 5800 provides up to 35 hrs of music playing.

iPhone: 5 hrs talk-time, 300 hrs standby, not removable.
Nokia 5800: 8.8 hrs talk-time, 406 hrs standby, removable battery.

Camera

iPhone: 2 MP, no flash, no zoom.
Nokia 5800: 3.2 MP, Flash, 3x digital zoom with Carl Zeiss lens.

Music Service

iPphone: Apple Itunes Store.
Nokia 5800: Xpressmusic

Voice Dialing

iPhone: Not Available
Nokia 5800: Available

Voice Recording

iPhone: Through software download.
Nokia 5800: Available

Web Browser

iPhone: Webkit based Safari browser
Nokia 5800: Webkit based browser

FM Radio

iPhone: Not Available
Nokia 5800: Available

Bluetooth

iPhone: Bluetooth is available for just handsfree, no file sharing possible.
Nokia 5800: Bluetooth available for handsfree and file sharing is possible.

Messaging

The iPhone, by default, does not support message forwarding, multiple SMS deletion, sending SMS to multiple recipients and multimedia messages (MMS). You have to update your firmware to the latest version.

With Nokia 5800, all of the above is possible, plus it has MMS ver 1.3, message size upto 600kb, and automatic resizing of Images for MMS.

Price

iPhone: P39, 000. (more or less)
5800: P16, 000. (more or less)

Experience

Apple: The first phone ever launched by Apple is the iPhone, with no prior experience in the telecom market. It’s a novice with a very little market share, despite having millions of iPhone sold.
Nokia: With ages of experience, hundreds of success stories, and dozens of smart handsets in its current portfolio, Nokia has about 40% market share. It owns the No.1 spot --- with no close competitors! Certainly, it's the king when it comes to brand value, service, and experience.

Verdict

Almost all the major brands around the world like Samsung, HTC, LG, etc launched their touchscreen smartphones in the hope of beating Apple’s iPhone. No one came close to the iPhone when it comes to looks, style, feel and features.

It seems that the Nokia 5800 has edged ahead of the iPhone in terms of major features: size, weight, screen resolution, battery, camera, storage system, color choices, multimedia, and messaging system. It even costs 60% less, considering that it's the market leader in cellphones. But that's not the end of the story. When it comes to the user interface, the Nokia 5800 seems inferior to the iPhone. And while the look and feel of the 5800 leans towards the "common consumer", the iPhone's classy style and prestigious branding appeals to the "elite consumer".

So, should I get one? In the end, it all boils down to personal preference, needs and budget.

by Arvee Veloso
condensed from the reviews of www.tube5800.com, www.gsmarena.com and www.3arn.net.

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