The Nokia N86, It Has Arrived

Photos taken by Ms. Jen with her Nokia N86.

Fri 04.30.10 – This morning after several days of watching for the UPS man, two birthday gifts arrived with a thump on the front step: my new PacSafe travel camera bag that will hold a DSLR plus several lenses and Two, count ’em – two, camera phones in their own special area; and more importantly my very own Nokia N86 8 Megapixel camera phone. Not a trial N86 that will have to be returned to WOMWorld/Nokia, but my own, my very own.
Now those of you who read this blog with any regularity know that I have a camera phone and moblogging addiction, in the course of the last 5 years and 5 months that I have been in possession of a mobile phone with a camera and a data connection to mobile blog with. And in those 5 and a bit years, I have tried out many, many camera phones but have only owned 5 of my own camera phones, of which the arrival today of the Nokia N86 was the 5th.
Welcome lovely little 8 megapixel bundle of glass, metal, and plastic kick-ass camera phone joy.

I first tried out the Nokia N86 last June during the Carl Zeiss lens factory tour in Aalen, Germany. And again in Sept/Oct of 2009, when WOMWorld/Nokia gave me a trial N86 for a few weeks. It was last autumn that I knew I wanted an N86 of my very own, but finances conspired against me.
First I got sick and had to stay an extra unplanned week in the UK in October, which was pricey, there was Lauren & Dave’s wedding in Seattle in November, Christmas in December, and SXSW in March, this past month rolled around, I peeped myself back up and said, “HEY! It is time for an N86.”
My beloved Nokia N95 is a bit battle weary and long in the tooth, it was calling out for a full retirement. On the road to such a retirement, it is currently on holiday in New Zealand with Erika & Thomas without me. I have had an Nokia N97 in my possession since November as a part of an application trial but at anytime it could be recalled home.
The Nokia N97 has surprised me and other than rather bad low light photos, I have become quite attached to it, particularly the touch screen and the full qwerty physical keyboard. Even though the N86 does not have a touchscreen, but is a dual-slider ala the N95 and it has the old school T9 style numeric keypad, it is still a marvelous well made device. And then there is the camera. I won’t gush about it here, as you can read my other pieces and reviews on the Nokia N86, but in my opinion it is the best smart phone camera out and about right now.
The soon to be released Nokia N8 may give it a good run, but that will be determined in a few months.
Back to now, or at least a few weeks ago, I was all excited about having the funds to buy an N86 only to discover that they were all sold out at all the reliable North American online retailers. All sold out. I tweeted about this and Ricky Cadden strongly advised me to NOT buy from a non-respectable source even if it had the white Euro N86, but instead to only buy from Nokiausa.com, Amazon, Best Buy or the like.
My own experience of purchasing a non-warranteed Euro Nokia N80 in 2006 that bricked in 2007 with no recourse reminded me that purchasing without a warranty from a non-reliable retailer was a very bad idea, even if they are advertising that they have the cute white one I really wanted.
A week went by, the funds to purchase the N86 were burning a hole in my proverbial pocket and none of the reliable US Nokia online retailers had gotten any new N86’s in when I received a tweet from a reliable source at Nokia USA saying that the Nokia N86 North American model would not be restocked and is sold out.
((O.o))
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HORROR!!!!!!!!!!!!
AGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
I waited too long. Pounds head against wall.
My attempt to be financially responsible had landed me in a quandry: do I forgo the Nokia N86 and nurse the N95 along until the release of the next great Nokia cameraphone months down the road? Or do I purchase any number of lesser camera phones that could replace the N95? Or do I purchase a international non-warranty N86 from a specious, spurious online retailer that may never send the phone (per various rants/review found on Google) or they send a phone and then discover it is a fake or knock off?
As I pondered my options, I received another tweet from a gentleman who knew of my predicament and he had an extra legitimate North American Nokia N86 in his possession and was willing to give it to me. Many thanks to my benefactor! Many thanks!
Now to take lots of lovely & delicious photos with the cute little 8 megapixels of camera phone joy.