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Nokia N8 vs Nokia N86 8MP

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

NokiaN8NokiaN86 8MP
Overview
ReleasedOctober 2010June 2009
Display
Screen size3.5″2.6″
Resolution640 × 360320 × 240
Sharpness210 pixels per inch154 pixels per inch
PanelOLEDOLED
Display type3.5-inch AMOLED, 640 × 360, 16.7 million colours; capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch. No maker refresh or brightness value published.2.6-inch AMOLED QVGA, up to 16 million colours; no published maker refresh-rate or brightness figure.
Screen protection–Scratch-resistant hardened glass and metal front frame, from the maker launch release; no inferred Gorilla Glass version.
Performance
ChipARM11 680 MHz (GSMArena)ARM11 434 MHz (GSMArena)
Memory256 MB128 MB
Storage16 GB8 GB
Memory16 GB built-in mass storage from maker sheet; 256 MB installed RAM and 680 MHz ARM11 processor from GSMArena’s full production review. Installed RAM is distinct from system flash and free application memory.8 GB internal flash from maker datasheet. Installed 128 MB RAM is from GSMArena’s full production review; the maker’s up to 74 MB internal dynamic memory is not total installed RAM. Free RAM varies with software and firmware.
Storage typeHot-swappable microSD up to 32 GB; maker’s up-to-48 GB capacity includes an optional card, not 48 GB built-in storage.microSD expansion up to 16 GB, from maker sheet and launch release. Removable card capacity is separate from built-in 8 GB storage.
Cameras
Main camera12 MP8 MP
Ultra wide cameraNoneNone
Telephoto cameraNoneNone
Optical zoomNoneNone
Main camera12 MP autofocus Carl Zeiss optics; 1/1.83-inch optical sensor format, physical 5.9 mm focal length (28 mm equivalent), fixed F2.8 aperture and xenon flash. Optical sensor format is not a physical diagonal dimension.8 MP autofocus Carl Zeiss Tessar: 4.61 mm physical focal length (28 mm equivalent), automatic F2.4/F3.2/F4.8 aperture, mechanical shutter up to 1/1000 second and third-generation dual LED flash/video light. Original launch sheet gives 3280 × 2464 stills; exact RM-484 owner guide and production reviews give 3264 × 2448. Owner-guide matrix retained as the later exact-model evidence.
Front cameraFront video-call camera confirmed. Maker sheet inconsistently labels it QVGA while giving 640 × 480 pixels; no sensor megapixel figure inferred.Front VGA camera, 640 × 480 pixels, from maker sheet; no inferred headline megapixel precision.
ZoomMaker specifies digital zoom up to 2× for stills and 3× for video; no optical zoom.–
Video recordingOriginal maker specification is H.264/MPEG-4 1280 × 720 at up to 25 fps, with stereo AAC audio; low light can reduce frame rate. Later 30 fps/continuous close-up autofocus camera application was a separate Beta Labs release for Symbian Anna, not part of the original camera specification. GSMArena later tested 30 fps with Belle.Main camera VGA 640 × 480 at up to 30 fps, from maker sheet. No HD recording or optical zoom claimed.
Camera featuresTwo-stage camera key, autofocus stills, geotagging and red-eye reduction. Original video uses active hyperfocal focusing; maker’s August 2011 Beta Labs close-up mode adds continuous autofocus from approximately 10 cm, with limitations at longer distances. Anna disables video ND-filter operation to avoid a dropped frame and audible click.Sliding lens cover, two-stage capture key, geotagging, scene modes, white balance, exposure compensation and burst/interval capture. Aperture selection is automatic rather than a manual aperture control. GSMArena and All About Symbian differ strongly on still-image processing quality.
Battery and charging
Battery1,200 mAh1,200 mAh
Wireless chargingNoneNone
Battery life detailInternal BL-4D 1200 mAh; exact 2011 issue 2.0 guide requires qualified service replacement. Maker maximum GSM/WCDMA talk 720/350 minutes; standby 390/400 hours. Up to 50 hours offline music. Six-hour H.264 720p30 playback claim applies via HDMI to a television, not unqualified playback on the handset screen. Up to 3 hours 20 minutes 720p25 recording.Removable BL-5K, 1200 mAh. Maker maxima: 3.9 hours WCDMA or 6.3 hours GSM talk, 2.5 hours video calling, seven hours QVGA/30fps video playback or 25 hours offline music. The original sheet labels standby as 11.5 h WCDMA and 13 h GSM; GSMArena instead lists 264/312 hours. Unresolved apparent unit/error conflict is retained rather than silently converting the maker values into days.
Wired charging2 mm charging socket and micro-USB charging; no maker charging wattage published.Micro-USB charging and simultaneous USB data transfer confirmed by exact RM-484 guide; no charging wattage published.
Design
TypeStandardStandard
Weight135 g149 g
Thickness12.9 mm16.5 mm
Height × width113.5 × 59 mm103.4 × 51.4 mm
Weight detailMaker’s 135 g includes battery; 113.5 × 59 × 12.9 mm.–
MaterialsAnodised aluminium casing.–
ColoursOriginal Silver white, Dark grey, Orange, Blue and Green; availability varies by country. Maker confirmed later Pink on 2 May 2011 with unchanged internal hardware. Other reported regional finishes remain unverified in this source set.–
ButtonsPhysical menu, power, lock, volume/zoom and two-stage camera keys; touchscreen keyboard.Dual slider exposes numeric keypad or media/game keys; physical directional control, volume/zoom, capture and keylock. Active kickstand opens Photos by default and is configurable in the exact guide. Maker sheet advertises automatic media launching with the short slide; GSMArena’s production unit did not perform that action.
SensorsAccelerometer, magnetometer, proximity and ambient-light sensor.–
SpeakersBuilt-in loudspeaker, FM receiver and FM transmitter. Compatible wired headset serves as radio aerial.Built-in stereo speakers with 3D sound effect, FM radio with RDS and FM transmitter. Exact guide qualifies transmitter availability by country; stereo speaker sound is criticised in the original reviews.
MicrophonesStereo video audio recording; dedicated noise-cancellation microphone noted by GSMArena.–
Software
Operating systemSymbianSymbian
Software at launchSymbian^3 with Qt 4.6.2, Java MIDP 2.1, Web Runtime 7.2 and Flash Lite 4.0.–
Software featuresThree customisable homescreens, office document viewers and built-in photo/video editing. Maker sheet’s office viewer list and email editing wording differ; GSMArena’s original retail test requires a paid Quickoffice upgrade for document editing. Native DivX support is disputed between full production reviews; no universal compatibility claim.S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2 on Symbian OS 9.3; music/podcasting, Photos, video player, N-Gage, document viewers and original Ovi services. All About Symbian reports slowdowns and restarts on v10 launch firmware; no unverified later fix claimed.
Release detailAnnounced 27 April 2010 with third-quarter shipment planned. Maker’s 7 October article says first shipments left factories on 30 September and customers received devices the next day; October first-delivery month retained without treating factory shipment or preorder as retail sale. No supported direct predecessor link added.Maker announcement on 17 February 2009 planned Q2 shipping. Nokia Conversations’ 11 June article says shop sales started the previous day around the globe; its 19 June article separately confirms UK shop debut that day. June retained without assuming an identical first-sale day in every market. No maker-supported direct predecessor link established.
Software updatesSymbian Anna and subsequent Belle tested by GSMArena. Maker’s 22 August 2011 camera announcement distinguishes Anna interface/exposure changes from the optional Beta Labs 30 fps/continuous close-up autofocus application. Historical software/services may no longer be obtainable.–
Connectivity
Mobile networkGSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100; HSDPA up to 10.2 Mbps, HSUPA up to 2 Mbps. No LTE.European RM-484 guide: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS 900/1900/2100. Maker launch sheet separately lists a regional 850/1900/2100 UMTS version with WLAN and a 900/1900/2100 version without WLAN; these are distinct regional variants, not combined bands/features.
SIMStandard SIM; maker sheet warns against micro-SIM cards and micro-SIM adaptors.–
Wi-FiIEEE 802.11b/g/n.European guide confirms IEEE 802.11b/g at 2.4 GHz and UPnP home-network sharing. Maker sheet also lists a separate regional no-WLAN version.
BluetoothBluetooth 3.0 from maker specification; early launch coverage’s Bluetooth 2.1 differs and is not transferred.Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR from exact guide; A2DP/AVRCP stereo audio, hands-free/headset, dial-up networking, imaging, file transfer, remote SIM and phonebook access profiles.
USBHi-Speed USB 2.0 micro-USB with charging and USB On-the-Go. Compatible low-power storage devices require the appropriate cable; not every device or powered USB peripheral is supported. Micro-HDMI television output and 3.5 mm AV/headphone socket; HDMI supports 720p and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound.Micro-USB Hi-Speed USB 2.0 data/charging and 3.5 mm Nokia AV socket for compatible headphones and PAL/NTSC TV-out.
PositioningGPS, assisted GPS, compass and Wi-Fi positioning. Original Ovi Maps provides free walking/driving navigation; original online services are not promised available today.GPS, assisted GPS and digital compass; Nokia Maps 3.0 at launch. Navigation trial lengths varied: GSMArena describes three months, All About Symbian’s European package six months driving plus pedestrian navigation. Original licences and retired online services are historical features.

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