A Slim, So-So Smartphone
Nokia's diverse line of multimedia-focused smartphones is the midrange N78, a stylish, minimal phone with hidden talents. It forgoes all the extra controls but includes Assisted GPS (A-GPS) for fsater position locating, image geotagging, and a robust music player. It's also 3G and Wi-Fi capable.
At 4.5 by 1.9 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and 3.9 ounches the N78 features a slick, glossy-black face and a chocolate-brown back. The display is a standard-issue 2.4-inch, QVGA 240-by-320-pixel LCD, oriented vertically. There's also an ambient light sensor on board to adjust screen brightness. The keypad lights up whenever the phone is activated, but typing is difficult. There's no touch screen, QWERTY keypad, or SureType-style setup, but the N78 does include the navi wheel, a square version of an iPod's click wheel.
In testing, N78 turnet out to be solid voice phone, with calls sounding clear in both directions. Its speakerphone sounded well balanced but was loud enough only for indoor use. The N78 is an unlocked GSM phone that works with either AT&T or T-Mobile SIm cards; it's also the first U.S. model to include the Symbian Series 60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2. The N78 is great for playing music, but its 3.2-megapixel camera was a bit disappointing. Overall, this phone is a decent option. But at this price, you should also look at the $500 N82 with its far-better camera.-Jamie Lendino
PC Magazine November 2008
NOKIA N78
T-MOBILE SIDEKICK 2008
Customization over Quality?
The Sidekick 2008 is a fashion item and an expression of identify, not a geeky toy. Its choice of customizable, interchangeable skins is its best feature. The designs are panted directly onto the Sidekick's body, an effect that looks classier, feels smoother, and is much more durable than a sticker.
At 4.7 by 2.3 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and 53 ounces, this Sidekick is a slimmer version of the Sidekick LX. The 2008 version retains the signatures swiveling screen, now a bright 240-by-400-pixel color panel. The trackball, on the right, pulses in multiple colors, and the backlit keyboard is an absolute joy, with firm, nicely spaced keys.
The Sidekick is a terrifict gadget for texting, picture messaging, and IM. The IM client supports AIM, Microsoft Live, and Yahoo! Messenger. E-mail performance is a mixed bag. The Sidekick does push messages from its own TMail account and can check up to three accounts, but it stores only a paltry 6MB of e-mail and 100 text messages. Web browsing is mediocre, but the elegant music player supports a good selection of formats. The photos from its 2-megapixel camera were lackluster, and video was shaky.
As a quad-band EDGE world phone, the Sidekick 2008 has decent all quality, but reception was so-so. If you're set on Sidekick, this is the one to get. But consider whether presonalized skins make up for the tiny mailboxes.-Sascha Segan
PC Magazine November 2008
