Verdict
The lack of of a full keyboard quickly rules out the N86 as a serious messaging device, but for those who are predominately talkers, and are looking for a top-notch camera, the N86 will be an easy choice. The simple sliding form factor slightly differentiated by the media keys will catch the mass market’s eye when the price gets down to a reasonable level, but the more smartphone-y aspects will be something of a barrier for entry. Functional it may be, Symbian is still not a joy to use, and that will be the clincher for a lot of first-time buyers. As is, the N86 gets an above-average three and a half stars out of five, helped significantly by the great camera. If a wider-range of photo-sharing software was tightly integrated and preloaded, and the keypad was a little more e-mail friendly (perhaps SureType style, like on the E55), the N86 would nab four stars.
