Nokia 808 PureView Review

Media

Nokia did a great thing when they opened their gates to Dolby and codec support for all the popular video formats. Finally, we were allowed to simply copy-paste files onto memory for immediate playback without the need for conversion. The PureView 808 is great in this aspect, but still has room for improvement. Dolby mobile is on board and shows up in the Music Settings menu only when earphones are plugged in. Music quality is great with a resounding thump in the bass tones but the higher tones could have been a little less sharp. This is where Dolby comes to the rescue and really shines through when it comes to playing videos. It’s not Beats audio, but is almost as good. 

The 808 PureView comes with ample media servings

The music player’s biggest drawbacks include the lack of a customizable EQ preset, much like it was with previous XpressMusic and some low-end S40 devices, besides no folder view option, forces you to create playlists, which isn’t always easy when you’re loaded with songs. What is a bonus though is the fact that Nokia gives you access to the Music Store which literally has hundreds of songs you can download for free.

The 808 PureView with Dolby enhances audio quality quite a bit

The video player works like a charm, picking up all kinds of formats including MKV and most AVI file types. Full HD videos were not an issue either. There’s no option for ‘Stretch to Fit’ but that’s okay. Another great feature is the FM radio. Nokia has fared well in this territory and so far has not let this Radio-loving nation down. Thankfully, the company has still managed to retain their FM transmitter offering which is a real bonus for wirefree streaming, especially in your car.

Connectivity

With features like NFC, Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE support amongst others, the PureView 808 is well-covered in terms of connectivity. With NFC you can transfer data with compatible devices quite seamlessly or access Nokia’s NFC-enabled speakers or headsets, play games with other Nokia users with NFC smartphones and acquire data via NFC tags. Of course, in most cases data transfer and streaming works through Bluetooth (with A2DP) which is also on board, along with USB 2.0 and USB on-the-go (no adapter provided). USB on-the-go enables you to access files stored on pen drives but you will need to get compatible wiring for this; Nokia has not bundled the PureView 808 with a set. The same goes for HDMI: no cables in the box; but with DLNA, you won’t necessarily need them.

The 808 PureView has plenty of relevant connectivity options

Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive are the best part about the handset besides the camera. Additional apps like Check In, World Traveller, Nokia Recommends, geotagging and a Weather app only enhance their usage. Drive is by far one of the best navigation applications available for mobile handsets. It offers offline maps that are well-designed, free, offer great turn-by-turn voice guided navigation, and did we mention they’re free?

The Social Networking apps allows you to connect to only Facebook and Twitter accounts, but the UIs could have been better designed. You’re better off accessing them from the browser. Setting up email is just as easy as on Android or iOS, but we do feel the UI, once again, isn’t quite optimised for viewing too well. 

The 808 PureView with Nokia Drive and Maps

Unfortunately, Nokia’s App Store, even with its thousands of apps, is no match for the Apple AppStore or Google’s Play Store. It offers no alternatives to media players (video or audio), so you’re stuck with what you have. Popular apps like Instagram or a dedicated Facebook or Twitter app were also nowhere to be found.