Nokia 5800 XpressMusic – Another iPhone Killer (Attempt)

I am not an Apple fan boy, but I do believe that anyone releasing a product that claims to challenge the 900lb gorilla that is the iPhone needs to bring a pair of brass balls and a cup to the fight. Looks like Nokia is doing just that. Launching in India, the latest “iPhone killer”, is Nokia’s first touchscreen phone. Unlike the iPhone, which comes with a 2-megapixel camera, Nokia 5800 is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, LED flash and video capability. If Apple wasn’t so set on cutting the throats of third party developers that outdo their own coders or conflict with the top secret product development path, they would have not a worry in this department. While the phone’s virtual QWERTY keyboard is ideal for text messaging, email and instant messaging, the WiFi, 3G, GPRS, dual-band WCDMA, HSDPA, WLAN (802.11 b/g) and HSCSD support ensures wireless access to the internet. The Symbian 60-based phone is capable of playing audio and video files in multiple formats and for the music or movie buffs, this is a boon as it comes with a whopping 8GB microSD card (note: 5800 has built-in 128MB memory) and for those who want more, an optional 16GB card. According to tech analysts, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic wins hands down in several departments, including:

[1] A battery which is removable and has a better and longer life

[2] A better camera. Nokia has 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording capability as compared to iPhone’s basic 2-megapixel camera

[3] A better screen resolution. Nokia’s display screen is smaller than the iPhone (3.2-inch as against 3.5-inch) but the the resolution is better on the Nokia 5800 with 640×360 pixels against 480×320 pixels for the iPhone

[4] MMS support

[5] Adobe Flash support (Apple claims that Flash may slow down browsing on iPhone and hence the device does not support Flash)

[5] Voice command and dialing features which iPhone lacks

[5] Capability to sync with stereo Bluetooth or in-car Bluetooth handsfree, which iPhone cannot

[6] Ability to support file sharing feature including MP3, images and video files via Bluetooth, which iPhone cannot

[7] An internal GPS support as against external GPS fpr the iPhone

[8] Memory expansion slot. Apple’s iPhone 3G comes with storage options of 8GB and 16GB models but cannot be further expanded

and

[9] Pricing. Nokia 5800 is expected to be sold in the Indian market for Rs.20,000, at least Rs.10,000 cheaper than Apple iPhone 3G.

While all this is nice and good for Nokia, they are going up against Apples formidable features like  Multi-Touch support, iTunes Music support, superior accelerometer for Automatic Screen Rotation (ASR) and 3D Image engine, and ability to download tons of useful software apps from the App Store. The biggest barrier? The sheer pimpness of Apples iPhone both in terms of looks and functionality. Good Luck with that. Either way competition is good for consumers and innovators.