Gadget News

Nokia aren’t known for making touchscreen mobile phones, despite making them in the past. That’s about to change with the release of their first mainstream touchscreen phone: the frighteningly brilliant Nokia 5800 Xpress.

A Touching History – Nokia touchscreen mobile phones through the ages

Nokia’s history of touchscreen mobile phones hasn’t exactly been brilliant. The first, the Nokia 7700 was only slightly advanced, and was vile. Its follow-up, the Nokia 7710, wasn’t a great deal better. Nokia have never released a touchscreen mobile phone that’s really hit the big time; they’ve always been, at best, niche mobile phones, or in most cases, not mobile phones at all (as in, they were Nokia internet tablets). With the release of the iPhone, though, it was clear there was a market for touchscreen mobile phones, so Nokia said, ‘We’re having some of that!’

The result is the mobile phone I’m talking about today, and thankfully, the new Nokia 5800 Xpress is far nicer than its predecessors!

Nokia 5800 Xpress – why it rocks

The key thing that’s different about the Nokia 5800 Xpress is its operating system, which, rather than recycling one from old mobile phones, is the brand, spanking new, never-seen-on-any-other-mobile-phones Symbian S60 Touch interface. And just like its top-end rivals in the world of touchscreen mobile phones, the Nokia 5800 Xpress is designed and optimised to use finger control rather than a stylus. In that respect, the Nokia 5800 Xpress is aiming very clearly at beating the iPhone. Features-wise, it easily does that, with a 3 megapixel camera, full-fat HSDPA internet speeds, and built in GPS. Oh, and video recording, something the iPhone lacks. It’s also got access to its own music store, and there’s not getting away from the fact that the Nokia 5800 Xpress is one of the most anticipated mobile phones to be released this year.

But is it going to rule the world?

Nokia 5800 Xpress – ruling the world in two easy steps?

Well, it certainly has the chops to go far, but will the Nokia 5800 Xpress rule the world of mobile phones? Sure, it’s got the novelty value of having that unique touch interface (that’d be step 1), and it’s got the massive brand-power of Nokia behind it (step 2). But… and it’s a big but… what will stop the Nokia 5800 Xpress from ruling the world is what’s missing from the mobile phone; specifically, a big ‘N’ on it to show it’s an Nseries phone. I know it may sound silly, but I honestly think that launching the Nokia 5800 Xpress in any range other than the Nseries may well hurt its sales. But not that badly. Make no mistake, the Nokia 5800 Xpress WILL be one of the biggest mobile phones of 2008!