Nokia's Nseries family just keeps getting bigger.  Packed with interesting features, the new N79 has a lot in common with the N85, which is, in our eyes, the current market leader in this field.

Just a little smaller than its big brother, meaning less room on the screen and fewer multimedia options, the N79 nevertheless has plenty of interesting options.

With what's now a standard set of connectivity options (3G+ and WiFi), a 5 Megapixel camera, a 4 GB memory card, the N79 sets itself apart with a GPS chip. 

All of this is packed inside a small, snappy case that's both smart and--should you wish--customizable.

It's not as high-end as the N85 (but then again it's not as expensive, either), the N79 could very easily tempt customers who don't necessarily want the very latest technology in their pocket but who would still like to enjoy some modern multimedia features.

A Certain Look

One thing that sets the whole Nseries family apart from the international competition is the way that its Finnish manufacturer goes about its industrial design without jumping on trends.   With the N79, Nokia has again produced a classy, understated handset with a certain retro charm.

What's more, the N79 also has an extra bonus in the form of customizable clip-on cases, with three different options supplied with every model. 

The phone's interface responds directly to the color of the case.  It's a nice touch, even if it is ultimately useless.


The retro look is definitely in effect when you look at the small 2.4'' screen that's less bright than the N85 as it doesn't use the same modern OLED backlighting. 

The double slider form factor is also gone, leaving the N79 looking very much like an phone from a previous generation.  It's not all bad, though, as these changes have left a very compact, light handset.

The only thing that's a little too squashed is the keyboard, which is just a little too cramped, and whose individual buttons aren't separated.  It makes getting to know the phone very tricky and writing SMS takes a long time.  If you're used to the feel of the buttons guiding you so you can write away without looking, you'll be disappointed here.


One button in particular grabbed our attention: underneath the screen, to the left, is a key that gives direct access to multimedia functions.  The interface works nicely, but it would have been nicer to have a separate multimedia key as we found it too easy to knock it by accident.


Audio & Video Quality

There's a photo editing tool on the N79 allowing you to perform some basic retouching, and the inclusion of a GPS chip allows you to automatically geotag your photos.  This is a very useful tool that's becoming more and more common. 

The photos themselves are good quality, with plenty of detail and certainly acceptable for a mobile phone.  Some people found its images a little too saturated, but the rich colors generally look attractive.

Focussing is speedy, apart from in night mode, where the two LEDs which are supposed to act as a struggle to light up a darkened room.  It's a shame Nokia didn't use the same xenon-based flash as the N85.


Let's look at the music player: it gives a reasonable sound, although it's a notch below Sony-Ericsson's X1 that we're looking at right now.  The only interesting thing about the headphones is their styling, but you could easily upgrade for a better sound quality.

Apart from that, the sound quality is in general reasonable, and the multimedia interface works well.  The FM transmitter--perfect for using in your car--is a nice touch.


Web Browsing Lags Behind

Naturally, after getting used to surfing the web on large--usually touch-based--screens, it's tought to go back to small screens like the one on the N79.  It's useful enough for a quick search when you know you can get straight to the point, but more extended surfing is less comfortable.

If you think the Internet is something for a computer and not a phone, then you won't be missing anything, but if, on the other hand, you're part of the generation that expects the Internet to be everywhere, you'd be better off with another handset. 

It's a similar story with video: it's not impossible to watch clips on the N79's screen, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable an experience as on the N85.

N-Gage for Gamers

Plenty of games are pre-loaded on the card, and you can download more from Nokia's NGage platform.  Once again, the selection is good and the gameplay captivating ... but the small screen holds it back.

GPS

As normal, the GPS is based on the Nokia Maps application, which usually requires a subscription to activate spoken instructions.  A year's subscription is included on the N70, though.

Conclusion

Although the N79 shares many features with the N85, we still prefer the second, bigger model for two main reasons: a more refined slide interface gives easier access to the multimedia features, which all look better on a larger, brighter screen.

All this firmly places the N79 as a medium-range mobile, which will be more than satisfactory for the majority of users, with plenty of other ideas also included.

Finally, it'll go for a long time, whoever uses it: we found it lasted nearly for  three days of normal usage, and 26 hours of music playback.