Now, admittedly, the N86 isn't your run of the mill older S60 phone - I've waxed lyrical in the past about its unique characteristics and design points, but I still thought that many All About Symbian readers would enjoy this set of real world anecdotes. Maybe you have some interesting tales about using one of your own S60/Symbian phones in ways that are not necessarily 'core' smartphone territory?
1. Digital voice recorder
So my wife bought an Olympus Digital Voice Recorder, for work use. She's used it for a few years, but never been entirely happy with it. Playing back some recent recordings, she called me in as 'system manager' to ask if there was a setting that could be tweaked to improve the quality of recordings, as she could hardly make out what was being said. I had a listen and checked all the settings - everything was on maximum already.
"Why not try my N86", I said, remembering that it had both a voice recorder utility and a digital microphone? I handed her the N86, with the app in the foreground (and 'Quality' set to "High") and said "Press the d-pad in to start recording". She did a few tests and was utterly blown away by the quality and clarity. Underneath her own voice, she could even make out what my daughter was saying out in the garden (through the open window).
The quality of Nokia's phone microphones has always been pretty good, but the N86 (and N8, E7 and E6) have full MEMS digital mikes and produce what is effectively CD quality sound. Which brings me to a real issue - my N86 has now been effectively snaffled by my wife for aforementioned voice recorder duties and so I keep having to borrow it back everytime I want to use it. Maybe I should just get her a white N86 and have done with it?
2. Music in-car power boom-box
No, not via the N86's fairly mediocre speakers. Via the built-in FM transmitter. This was a year ago, I was off on a rare 'boys day out', otherwise known as a bunch of prog-heads off to see a gig, with a night pass from our other halves. It was an hour long ride into town (at least) and noone had remembered to bring any CDs and we only had our usual phones, iPods and smartphones. All very personal music devices, but we wanted something to enjoy together.
I'd brought along my 'backup' smartphone, the diminutive N86, in a pocket and piped up: "I've got plenty of prog on this, tune the car stereo into 96.0MHz". Ten seconds later, Marillion's classic "Misplaced Childhood" was filling the car and it utterly made the journey. And, yes, I found something more soothing and spacey for the journey back afterwards.... delivered again via the N86's FM transmitter and played over the car's powerful speakers.
3. On-demand miniature TV
I've lost count of the times when I've been stuck doing the dishes or cooking (such is the role of a modern man, it seems) and wanted to make the most of the time that was otherwise being wasted (I don't enjoy the chores, understandably). One option is listening to a podcast, of course, but another is to simply boot up BBC iPlayer on the N86, pop out its kickstand and stand it at the back of the sink or kitchen surface. It doesn't get in the way and it lets me catch up with any interesting documentaries from the last few weeks of TV. Yes, the screen is small, but half the time I'm watching what I'm doing - I'd hate to slice my finger off with the kitchen knife because I was watching the programme too intently...
Of course, most smartphones can access BBC iPlayer these days, but I've a particular soft spot for those with a built-in kick stand, the N86 and N96, because they don't have to be precariously propped up on what is usually a smooth and slippery kitchen worktop, invariably to fall down at some point with an annoying clatter. Oh, and the E7 also fills this requirement, with its propped up screen - but then you've got its bottom surface on your potentially wet kitchen counter and it's also optimised for desktop use - the screen's not presented at enough of an angle for comfortable ad-hoc kitchen use.
4. Kid's movie camera
Maybe it's just my family and cousins etc, but the 11 to 15 year olds all love creating their own movies. Knowing that I had the N8 in my pocket, I was approached: "Can we borrow a phone to shoot really good video on?". There was no way my N8 was going to be bandied about the house and garden shooting action sequences, but I felt more relaxed about the N86. With the aforementioned digital microphone and with its huge sensor, the N86 actually shoots stellar video under almost all conditions - and the VGA video would be easier and much faster to edit than the 720p from my N8.
The device worked well and we enjoyed the finished, edited results (from iMovie on my nephew's Mac).
5. Backup phone sat-nav
The time was last summer and I was invited to two press events up in London. I charged up my N97 mini and headed out. 30 mins of movie watching on the train, 30 mins of email and Twitter, 40 mins pedestrian sat-nav later, a few phone calls, and I'd just completed both press events by 2pm. And the N97 mini's battery was totally dead. And I was still in the heart of London.
And then I remembered the N86 in my coat pocket. Switching SIMs on the pavement, I fired up the N86 and I was back in business, it guided me back to Waterloo station, kept me up to date with email and calls all the way home and gave me pleasant listening on headphones throughout. And the battery was only down to about 70% even when I was safely back home.
Yes, I guess this backup phone could have been any other, but it happened to be the N86 and it felt particularly good using it as a phone sat-nav. With all-one-handed operation and tiny form factor it was very unobtrusive and certainly didn't mark me out as a 'tourist with large and expensive smartphone'. Job done.
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Did I say I had five ways the N86 has come to our rescue? I meant ten. Here, briefly, are five more.... 8-)
6. Egg-timer
Sorry to return to the kitchen theme - maybe the N86 was born to be a domestic assistant? - but the device has been pressed into service a number of times as an egg timer. Best Timer is the best bet for this and is very adaptable to err..... to other food preparation times!
7. Torch
With probably the brightest dual LEDs on the market and a very small and un-droppable form factor, the N86 has also made for a super torch numerous times. At fireworks parties, on the way back home after events, it's the bright torch you didn't know you had in your pocket.
8. Wi-fi hotspot
With Joikuspot Premium onboard and with a closed form that's not dissimilar to that of a 'Mi-fi', the N86 makes for an excellent wi-fi hotspot for you and your friends to use with their smartphones, perhaps on a journey. For short periods anyway, on on the internal battery. I've done this several times, though it's also limited by the cellular coverage, of course.
9. Shooting the N8!
It's all very well having a Nokia N8. But what if I want to shoot close-up photos of the N8 (on its own or with other devices), for publishing on AAS or similar? I haven't got two of the things, so the N86 gets wheeled out - it takes stunningly good macro photos.
10. The 'can do' lend out (smart)phone
The traditional sliding T9 keypad form factor may not be to every 2011 buyer's taste, but it's proven and is well known to millions. Making the N86 great for lending to a family member to show them what a quality piece of hardware feels like and to give them a taste of Symbian and the smartphone world without totally overwhelming them - by providing something that looks and feels... like a phone.
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Do you have a trusty backup phone, the one which is always in your coat pocket or purse? Do tell!
Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 18 July 2011