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This is an updated review; I originally wrote it before this phone was commercially available in the USA. After having tried one out in a store in Singapore, I had decided to keep my N95 8GB and wait for the N97 instead. First, I was unimpressed with the keypad design, as the flat surface gives you very little guidance to help you hit the right keys. Plus, both the N85 nor the N96 are merely incremental upgrades, neither one offering the type of groundbreaking advances that the N95 did two years ago.
Well, being a compulsive gadget geek, I succumbed in a weak moment. As the price started dropping (and it has been dropping fast, and continues to do so!) I latched on. The couple of factors that did it for me was the bright, crisp screen (and it is gorgeous!) and its smaller, more pocket-friendly size compared to the N95. Also, I liked the new features that it offered: Tri-band UMTS ("worldwide" 3G), FM transmitter, a UI upgrade with "transition effects".
I was soon taken in with the N85. Not only does it have a much sleeker and modern-looking design than the N95 (especially the N95-3 now looks klunky by comparison), but there are dozens and dozens of little details that have been tweaked in the user interface, making for an overall more pleasant experience.
One thing that came up for me, as apparently for many others, is the issue of build quality. After having used the N85 for less than two weeks, a lot of dust had gathered underneath the display it turns out it is not sealed properly onto the base. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement initially I actually ordered a N96 because of this issue. It turns out that there were other problems with the N96 (particularly related to its slow performance and low available run-time memory), so I returned that too in favor of my second N85. This time I was luckier, and I can now say that I have never been as happy with any other phone.
My original review follows, including some reasons I had planned to forgo it; I have marked updates as appropriate.
Both the N85 and N96 incorporate nearly every feature of the N95: GPS w/optional voice navigation, 5 MP camera with LED flash (though these newer models use two LEDs for brighter indoor pictures) and built-in geotagging, support for up to 32GB of µSDHC removable memory (currently 16GB are largest available), standard 3.5mm headphone/headset connector which doubles as a TV-out port, comprehensive bluetooth suppport, and last but not least Symbian S60 (by far the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, far ahead of Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, iPhone, etc with a corresponding wealth of available applications). See my review of the N95 8GB for some more details. Also, both the N95, N85 and N96 are issued in a "standard" version for international markets, and a "NAM" version for enhanced support of North American 3G networks.
The N85 and N96 differ from each other as follows:
UPDATE: I have added the older N95 8GB into the mix for comparison's sake.
* The N85 has a 2.6" OLED screen, whereas the N95 8GB and N96 has a 2.8" standard LCD screen. OLED offers brigher colors, especially in sunlight, and lower power consumption (longer battery life). That's because the pixels themselves illuminate, rather than relying on a backlight to do this.
* Both the N85 and N96 are running S60 release 3 "Feature Pack 2", which means that they support "transition effects" for an overall smoother UI and interactive experience. In particular, the N85 seems overall more "modern" than the older N95. (ADDED 3/19/09)
* In addition to quad-band GSM/2G (850/1900 MHz for North America, 900/1800 MHz for the world outside), the N85 also has a tri-band UMTS radio. The North American version supports the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands (for e.g. AT&T), plus 2100 MHz for roaming internationally, while the N85 8GB NAM and N96 NAM only supports 850/1900 MHz. (Conversely, the international versions of the N85 and N95/N96 support 900/1900/2100 MHz and simply 900/2100 MHz, respectively). In short, it means that if you take your N85 with you abroad, you should still be able to get faster 3G coverage in most places where available, something which is not true for either the N95 or the N96. (Plus, among the North American models, the N85 is the only one that also will work in Japan, since there is no 2G/GSM network available there, only 3G/UMTS over 2100 MHz).
* The N85 has a built-in FM transmitter, for streaming voice calls and music e.g. to your car stereo. This is particularly useful if your car is not equipped with bluetooth (incl. A2DP) technology.
* The N96 has a built-in TV tuner, supporting DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds). However this feature is not enabled in the North American version, because such broacasts are not available here. AT&T, like other North American carriers, have instead chosen to use MediaFLO for digital video broadcasts.
* The N96 has 16GB of built-in mass storage, in addition to a µSDHC slot. Thus, in theory, it is able to store up to 48GB of data with the addition of a 32GB µSDHC card. The N95 8GB is limited to the same 8GB of memory for its lifetime, while the N85 has a µSDHC slot (I currently use a 16GB card in it).
* The N85's processor contains a 369 MHz ARM11 core, while the N96 has a dual 264 MHz ARM9. It is difficult to say which one performs better, but both use Symbian S60 version 3 feature pack 2, which offers significant improvements in interactive feel over the N95 (which contained a 333 MHz ARM11 core). That said, none of these have the graphics coprocessor that the N95 did, so applications (mainly games) that are optimized for this, will run much faster on the older N95. The N95 also wins hands down in JBenchmark trials.
UPDATE 3/18/09: Now having owned/tried all three, I can say that overall, the N85 is the snappiest one of the bunch. The N96, in contrast, is quite underperforming; it even has problems streaming audio to my Pioneer car stereo over Bluetooth A2DP without hickups every 11-12 seconds. As for interactive use, both the N85 and N96 feel a little bit quicker than the older N95.
* Some people have complained about cheap, plasticky build quality on the N85 (see e.g. HowardForums); in particular, the keypad is seemingly somewhat flimsy and simply glued onto the phone. People who have tried both generally seem to prefer the N96 on this account.
UPDATE 2/8/09: With a few day's use of the N85 under my belt, I'd say it is no worse than the N95. The keys are flat and with less tactile feedback, so it may be a little bit more difficult to text with one hand; however it's no worse than, say, the Motorola RAZR or some Samsung phones.
UPDATE 2/19/09: As described above, mine had a problem with the display peeling off the base, and dust gathering underneth.
UPDATE 3/19/09: My replacement N85 has been stellar.
* The N85 is smaller (mainly due to the smaller screen) and will fit easier into your pocket. UPDATE: Both the N85 and N96 are slimmer than the N95.
* Both the N85 and N96 use the micro-USB standard (a slightly wider and flatter connector than mini-USB as seen on the N95) for data, and both can be charged through this port as well. In addition, the N96 has a separate Nokia charging connector. Now, here is the single reason I will not be replacing my N95 with a N85: This connector is at the top of the phone! To me, this is stupid (and the only reason I subtracted a star from my rating), because it precludes the ability for third party manufacturers of docks and cradles to create one that you simply dock your N85 into for syncing/charging. This is especially important in your car, if you plan on using the GPS navigation feature of this phone (keep in mind that when the GPS reciever is turned on, the batteries are drained pretty fast). With my N95 8GB, i simply got a Brodit/ProClip device holder, along with a corresponding vehicle mount from PanaVise, and voila I have a very nice little GPS device/music player/etc readily available; the N85 is definitely a bit more cumbersome in this regard. UPDATE: Obviously I caved in and got the N85 anyway. now has a cradle for the N85 but as I said, it does require that you manually plug the charging connector into the phone.
* As always, beware of rather dismal repair/warranty service from Nokia USA (c/o PALCO). You buy it, you own it. You should be able to do most repairs yourself, though, with parts from e.g. cnn.cn once available for this device. UPDATE: Various customer accounts both here and on[..] indicate that PALCO have gotten significantly better lately.
All this said, the bottom line is that there is simply no match for these phones when it comes to their sheer capabilities and the amount of features found on them. Sure there are phones out there with more emphasis on ease of use and eye candy (e.g. iPhone), and sure there are ones with their own unique features/gimmicks (e.g. the Google Applications in the new T-Mobile G1) but Nokia S60 smartphones are widely regarded as pure workhorses with the best overall feature sets.
The N85 pushes the limits a little further, and is perhaps the phone with the most capabilities on the market today. But if you are concerned about a solid build, you might want to consider the N95 8GB or N96 instead. Or, wait for the newly announced N86 8MP, where apparently a lot more attention has been paid to build quality.
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