Review of NEC's 2 Megapixel N840

By guest contributor Samuel Chan

NEC N840When the largest Japanese mobile phone manufacturer, NEC, announced the N840 as their first real 2.0 megapixel phone, people took note. One reason is that the N840 makes use of a CMOS camera sensor instead of a CCD unit, which tend take superior photographs. People had some doubts about the level of digital noise and color reproduction that would be found in the CMOS camera's photographs. Well, we've finally managed to get our hands on a Hong Kong version of the N840. Continue reading to see how it did.

Physical design

Compared to its brother, the N830, the N840 isn't as physically appealing at first glance. The design is typical clamshell, but it does have some interesting elements on the outside, and reminds me somehow of the Batmobile. NEC has chosen a plastic cover material to reduce weight, but also has the benefit of being more fingerprint and scratch resistant.

The hinge on N840 is arced, so the phone feels more natural when you hold it against your face. Size wise, it is not the biggest flip phone around, measuring a 99mm in length, 48mm in width and 24mm in thickness. It's fairly weighty at 125g, but this is to be expected when you consider the high-end specifications. It's also quite evident that NEC spent some time on the N840's ergonomics; simply looking at the dimensions may turn away a lot people, but actually holding the phone is quite a different story. The curved top casing and the lack of external antenna make the N840 a lot more pocketable than expected. When open, the weight of the upper and lower halves of the phone are nicely balanced.

On top of the phone you'll find an engraved NEC logo, the camera lens, a dial around the lens for switching between macro and normal mode, the external sub display, and the LED camera assist light. Looking at the left side you will find the mini-SD slot and the volume up/down buttons. Located at the right are the infrared port and the stereo earphone/handsfree jack. Out back you will find the battery cover, a hole for hanging decorations, and the polyphonic speaker. The charging and USB connection ports are at the bottom of the phone, protected by a plastic cover.

Flipping open the phone will reveal the main display and the keypad. The 2-click lock system in the hinge feels very solid and durable. The keypad alignment is similar to that of the N830, yet the buttons look more like those of an E338, being black with orange backlighting. The keypad is really well lit in the dark; one of the best we've seen. The keypad is reasonably roomy and you'll be hard pressed to make a mistake on it. The d-pad and the central select button have a brushed metallic-plastic finish that looks and feels very classy. Next to the d-pad are a few more shortcut keys for messages, WAP, the main menu, and the phone book. Needless to say, the obligatory dial, clear/back, and power on/hang up buttons are also in their usual locations.

 

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