Nokia N8 Is Beefy with Moments of Genius Design: iFixit

by Michelle Maisto

The Nokia N8 is the first to run the Symbian 3 operating system. Other features include a 3.5-inch multitouch display, 256MB of SDRAM and a 680MHz ARM11 processor. iFixit describes it as “built tough!” as its frame uses more metal than most phones.

The N8 has a front-facing camera for video conferencing and a 12-megapixel camera on the back that iFixit calls “a honker.” The camera is raised off the back case, which might “make it a hassle when returning the phone to your pocket,” writes iFixit.

The N8 features mini HDMI and mini USB ports. In September, Nokia used the N8’s HDMI capabilities to screen “Prince of Persia” on the front of an eight-story building in Sweden.

Getting down to brass tacks, the bottom cover of the phone is removed, a battery-retaining bracket is popped out and the N8’s battery slides out. The ease with which the battery can then be replaced received a thumbs-up from iFixit.

iFixit also liked that the N8’s AMOLED display isn’t fused to its glass, “so you don’t have to replace both if the glass breaks.”

iFixit offers a comparison of the Apple iPhone 4’s LCD display, at left, and the N8’s AMOLED display. The N8’s screen controller is reportedly the same one used by the RIM BlackBerry Torch—”not exactly ground-breaking tech,” says iFixit.

After removing some screws and popping out the antenna, the mid-plane can be removed. “The design of the mid-plane is pretty genius,” states iFixit, explaining that Nokia integrated a large EMI shield into the mid-plane to protect the N8’s main chips. Thermal pads on the face of the mid-plane also conduct heat away from the chips.

The daughterboard at the top of the motherboard is notable in that it has a ribbon cable sandwiched between the layers of the motherboard. It’s more common, says iFixit, to instead attached the ribbon cables with ZIF connectors or solder them to the surface of the motherboard.

With the motherboard out of the way, the flash unit lifts right out. “As opposed to many other smartphones that use either a single or double LED for the flash,” states iFixit, “the N8 uses a Xenon flash tube similar to the kind of flash found in full-size cameras.” The brightness of the N8’s flash comes from the high voltage of the flash module.

The N8’s speaker, which is used by the speakerphone and the media player, is glued to the back of the case but can be pulled off. Overall, though, iFixit reports there’s very little glue inside the phone, which relies instead on mechanical fasteners.

iFixit gave the N8 a high score for “repairability”—an 8 out of 10—citing how easy it is to replace the battery and the glass not being fused to the display. It even went so far as to describe the N8 as having a rugged feel. “This is the beefiest phone we’ve taken apart all year,” the site reported.