Nokia does the three-phone shuffle
THERE ARE THREE phones well worth mentioning at the Nokia booth, the 5210, 5610 and the N82, as well as the released versions of the N95 and N95/8Gig.
The N82 is a high end phone, you can tell that part by the N prefix. It is the first candy bar form factor phone in the line that I am aware of, and if it like the rest of the N series, it should be nigh indestructible. The great quality but simple phone market is woefully underserved, something that will change when this comes out later in Q1.
Possibly the best looking phone of the show is the 5310 Express Music phone. It is a very slim music oriented part that will sell for under $100. The product is pretty heavily subsidized, but it is a gorgeous and thin part for a very low price. If you are looking for a new phone, this one is worth a long long look. It will be out in 1H.
Last up, we have the 5610, basically the big brother of the 5310. It has the standard Nokia corporate slide phone look, not a bad thing at all, and the music features of the 5310. The 5310 has a 2MP camera while the 5610 ups the ante to 3.2MP. Thickness does have some advantages.
The interesting part about the 5610 is a music slider just below the screen. This is an innovative little gizmo that you slide from one side to the other, and it switches you quickly between phone and music functionality. If you are one of the meth-addled teens that this phone targets, it will be really useful. We can see this spreading to most of the Nokia lineup in short order.
There were a few other things at the stand that we noticed. I have an excellent N95, a phone I heartily recommend, and the new 8 Gig version was at the show. The increased internal memory is nice, as is the slightly larger (2.8-inch vs 2.6-inch) screen, but the lack of a card slot is a deal breaker to me.
The other tidbit we picked up is that the web pads are going to be joined by a WiMax brother in the future. Nokia would not comment directly on the products, but they did strongly hint that it was coming. This would be one amazing device when they get it done, hurry up Nokia, I want three. µ
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I used to love Nokia phones. That was until I had a T610 and realised what an interface should be.

From that day to this we have come two steps forward and 8 back! I do own an N82 and here
we find ourselves in the usual place.

The nokia is a fine piece of technology. At the pinnacle of it too. No other phone comes
close (except another nokia of course). The camera is amazing (better images than my 
Cannon in non perfect northern light. The WiFi, the Ariel quality, the GPS... THE NAVIGATION...

So whats all my fuss?

Well, its all about backwards. Its all about the user, its all about usability.

The menu is clunky, slow, impossible to navigate, change to "hard" if you read the manual... twice! The config
is in one place, the apps in another. Connectivity, access points, its all difficult to reach. I
guess the perfect example is a comparison...

Receive a text message from a friend containing contact details.

On a cheaper competitor?

New message -> read -> "This is a contact, do you want to save it?" Yes. Done.

Nokia?

new message -> read -> Vcard format gobble-de-gook on screen -> options -> save -> contact -> "are you sure you want to save the 
contact, afterall you have only pressed 15 buttons so far?" -> Yes -> "Contact saved, press OK" -> OK. 
(still in the message view) -> Back -> exit -> back -> back -> argrgrgrggrgrgr

Ever walked using one hand to text and the other to eat lunch while trying to catch the No 91? Yes?
Not possible... the N82 buttons are so low down it needs two hands to type. Holding one
handed leads to the inevitable reason why the phone is "near" in-destructable... you drop it... alot!

By the way, dropped it yesterday... the number 3 key now needs alot of push... that's that other reason
gone too then.

Finally. thinking this is probably enough, why would anyone want the default behavior of "recipient"
to be entering phone numbers? How many times do you text to a number by number and who isn't in your address book?

m-a-... should find maria and not just put 62 on the screen. Oh I see... I am to press... Add recipient -> yes
yes I'm sure -> really. totally... -> m... a... p -> q -> r -> down down down down -> select... yes... send... sure... yes... sent -> press "ok"... 
oK.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

In summary, great tech, Symbian as bad as ever for users.

One more? Play music with the included hands free (5 button) headphones? Do the buttons change tracks,
fast forward... anyone... anyone... bueller? Exactly my point... They do nothing... nada... zip.. 
bad interface design, badly thought out, bad bad bad. Ah so they adjust volume... oh please...

Another? Thirsty huh... Export your critical SMS messages from the mistress to PC so the wife doesn't get hold of em?
HAHAHA... well there is 8 options... none work well of course... 90% cost at least £30 after 1 hours
free trial... The one you get working only saves the IN-BOX and even then contains binary in the text data. Oh and the name
is always the wrong person. The Symbian experience needs to improve... alot... 

/N82 user.
I would take a Nokia over an iPhone anyday N95 8Gb. death to iFans!
5310, 5610 and the N82 are already available in the UK in 02 stores on the high street and on the net.
"It is the first candy bar form factor phone in the line that I am aware of"

what abou N70,N73?
sucks for us in america in that the 5610 and 5310 aren't here and according to the local cell carriers there as of now are no future plans on carring these two phones.
'N82 user' why not read the user manual for short cuts instead of using a phone like a grandma? E.g. for quick exit (instead of back,back,back,...) to main view push the red button. Ingenious isn't it.
'N' Series phone nigh on indestructable...

had to snigger when I heard that!

Plastic build quality and unstable software... I can see how that would be difficult to destroy!