Nokia N82 smartphone

Don't judge this book by its cover

Results from the N82’s camera though are the best we’ve yet seen from a Nokia phone, and are up there with the very best digital photography we’ve experienced with any cameraphone. Holding the N82 sideways like a camera, the size of the handset becomes a plus point, giving you a bit more to hold on to and a more stable grip when snapping. Control keys are comfortable to reach, too.

The N82’s camera user interface is practically identical to the one employed on the N95 8GB, with plenty of flexibility for adjusting the settings. White balance, exposure, sharpness, contrast, light sensitivity can all be controlled, and the N82 has a very able autofocus system, plus a macro close-up shooting option that can get sharp images within 10-50cm from the subject.

The 2.4in display is fine for framing photos

The performance on fully automatic settings is superb for a cameraphone. The camera self-adjusts metering extremely ably to changing lighting situations, and handles contrast well. Colours are rich, bright and natural, while captured images have impressive detail for a cameraphone. The xenon flash here is welcome and well integrated too, providing strong illumination to brighten shots in dark conditions, but not so much to overwhelm subjects and burn them out, even at relatively close range.

A two-step capture button helps ensure you get the autofocus system to get sharp on precise subjects you’re after, and the processing speed is quick enough to allay any camera-shake fears. Close-up results were pleasing too, and overall the camera feels comfortable and easy to use – you don’t have to try too hard to achieve results you’ll be happy to get printed.

Like its N95 8GB stablemate, the N82 handles video capture impressively too. Its video record quality is also among the best we’ve seen on a cameraphone, taking footage at VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) at 30 frames per second. Results are good enough to play back on a television, using the TV cable Nokia supplies in the box. This cable, incidentally, can also be used to display all the phone’s content, apps or even video calls on a TV screen.

Using the Nokia Web Browser you can even post blogs

Nokia has included online sharing options as soon as you take snaps, with links to upload pictures or video clips directly to Vox and Flickr accounts. You can also do a bit of post-shot editing in camera, with a selection of tools and effects plus cropping and text manipulation options that add to the imaging package.

You can not only take great snaps with the N82, you can also find your way around with the Asssisted GPS (A-GPS) system and Nokia Maps satellite navigation software. The N82 is supplied with mapping and navigation information for the whole of the UK and Ireland pre-installed on its 2GB Micro SD card. This contains searchable step-by-step routing information by address, business or location, details of thousands of points of interest across the British Isles, and 2D and 3D maps for guidance.