Messaging, Internet & Connectivity
The extensive messaging features found on all Series 60 handsets are present on the N76. SMS and MMS messaging and email are all managed by the Messaging application, which can handle POP3 and IMAP email protocols. Since this is an unlocked phone, there are no carrier-branded Email or IM clients to be found. That’s good in the sense that you’re not being nudged towards any specific solution or provider, but bad in the sense that there are no handy-dandy wizards to help configure your email accounts.
Still, setting up email access was relatively painless, and the email app does a pretty good push email impersonation if you set it to check for new messages at preset intervals. The N76 also supports Email attachments (a handy feature combined with the QuickOffice document viewer), and I was also able to access my Webmail via the handset’s Web browser.
Nokia’s predictive text system worked pretty well on the N76, but I tend to prefer those found on Sony Ericsson and Samsung handsets a bit more. Whether it’s my usage habits or actually unavoidable, I wind up needing an extra button press or two to choose from word matches or add my own words to the dictionary on Nokias. Tapping out messages on the handset’s etched metal keypad was pretty comfortable, though not as plush as the experience using the N76’s giant buttons.
It’s a Series 60 device, so the N76 has one of the best Web browsers you’ll find on a cellphone anywhere. Okay, it might not be iPhone’s multi-touch Safari browser, but it’s actually built on the same technology. If you’re used to WAP browsers meant only to show mobile optimized sites, like those found on most carrier-branded handsets, the S60 browser will blow you away. It shows real Web pages and features a nifty mini map that lets you scan a thumbnail of the active page for easier navigation on cell phone-sized displays. The browser also supports RSS feed subscriptions, a feature that more and more seems like it was custom made for cell phone-based information retrieval.
Being an unlocked Series 60 handset, the N76 is also ready for all kinds of upgrades via user-installable applications. Browse some Symbian users’ sites on the Web and you’ll find plenty of Internet utility software, from chat applications to programs for FTP, SSH, and other high-tech, acronym-y kind of stuff. With an N76 and a data connection, you can do a lot, believe me.
The Nokia N76 is an unlocked quad-band GSM phone compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, or any other GSM network in the United States and overseas (check with AT&T for global roaming information). The phone can connect to GPRS and EDGE data networks in the US, and 3G UTMS networks abroad. Lack of US-spec 3G data makes for slower Web browsing, but I found it fast enough for checking Email and occasional forays onto the Net.
Nokia built Bluetooth v2.0 into the N76, including the A2DP profile for stereo audio. I was able to transfer files back and forth between the handset and my computer, and also sync my contacts and calendar data. File transfer is also supported via a Pop-Port to USB cable. Depending on your carrier and data plan, the N76 can also be used as a data modem for laptop tethering via Bluetooth or USB.
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