Nokia N-Gage Gray Console

I just purchased the Nokia N-Gage a few days ago and so far it's been a great experience overall. Those wondering if the $199 pricetag is worth it shouldn't worry, especially since now Gamestop and EBGames have a promo that includes 3 games with the after-instant rebate price.

I bought the N-Gage primarily as a phone, and I think that the current price of $199 is really cheap for the specs that it comes with: I don't think that tri-band world phones that come with a built-in MP3 player and radio, Bluetooth, a memory slot, not to mention WAP/GPRS and POP mail access, will ever sell for so low anywhere else.

As a phone it's a great, if slightly iffy, product. Using the phone's earpiece isn't very comfortable, although the built-in speakerphone and the INCLUDED stereo headset/handsfree set are big pluses for the unit and somewhat makes up for the somewhat uncomfortable design of the earpiece. While I can live with the earpiece, I do find it strange that Nokia, a company that prides itself on ease of use and smart ergonomics, would design the N-Gage in a way that would force the USER has to adjust to the product instead of the other way around.

The phone companies in the United States that support GSM (and therefore this phone) are T-Mobile, Cingular, and AT&T Wireless (as listed). I can't, unfortunately, speak for AT&T users, but Cingular subscribers shouldn't have a difficult time configuring the N-Gage for their service, even if the phone IS currently set up for T-Mobile use. Configuring GPRS is simple; the N-Gage website provides an easy way to auto-configure your phone's settings to your provider through SMS (they will send you a text message with the settings). I have had no trouble setting up my phone at all.

It bears mentioning that Cingular DOES NOT CURRENTLY support the N-Gage, so calling their Customer Service department won't help much at this moment.

Using the keypad takes some getting used to, but it shouldn't be too much of an obstacle to getting it to work properly (again with the ergonomics...) A notable design change is Nokia's placement of the "Clear" button on the left side of the unit, which betrays the standard of placing that particular button along the right side, along with the usual "typing" thumb (for Righties, at least) in instances like text-messaging.

A significant drawback to using the N-Gage as a phone without the headset or the loudspeaker is it really makes you look like a doofus. It's a sure thing that people who have no idea of the N-Gage's existence will think you're talking into the side of your phone and assume you're either A) crazy or B) mentally-challenged. But scr*w them, right?

The radio, unfortunately, has a glitch that has already been discussed on the internet: Quitting out of the radio app in the middle of saving a radio station as a channel will cause the radio app to crash. After that the radio app will fail to load and will be unusable (albeit temporarily). There is a workaround posted on wgamer.com that will allow you to access the radio, but stuff like this shouldn't happen in the first place.

I was also quite surprised at how capable the N-Gage is at fulfilling its ability as a game device. The 2-D games, like Rayman 3 and Splinter Cell, are addictive, beautifully designed and have great gameplay. Tomb Raider (the third game I chose and the only one in 3-D) is all right but definitely could be made better in later versions. Nevertheless, the sight of three-dimensional graphics (PSOne quality) on a handheld is truly impressive.

I understand people's gripes with having to take apart the N-Gage just to change games. I don't personally care about that detail, since I make it a point to finish a game before I swap it out. It would be better in the future for Nokia to make changing MMCs more accessible, but I really don't consider this fact supremely important in light of the other strengths of the N-Gage.

I do not really recommend parents buying this product for their underaged children. In my opinion this is really more of a phone than a gaming unit, so you and they will probably be better off with the cheaper and 5,000 game-titled Gameboy Advance SP. Kids can't live with not having the latest gadget? I say, "DEAL WITH IT" and go get a job mowing lawns or something.

I am very happy with my N-Gage. I put off buying the thing because of the price but the recent rebate was just too good to resist. I recommend this phone highly for those looking for a reasonably-priced, well-featured cellular phone who also want to be entertained on their long commutes. If you prefer a camera with your phone and consider yourself quite uninterested in serious gaming, consider the Nokia 6600 a better purchase. All you have to do is add $300.

Why did I bother writing this review? I am an avid gamer who thinks that way too many elitist gamers have been trashing the N-Gage unfairly. I think that Nokia is headed in the right direction, and even though they've been guilty of more than a few gaffes with the N-Gage (like marketing it primarily as a game deck when it should have been touted as a full-featured phone with high-end gaming capabilities), I still say that they've got something good going on.