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By Damian Koh
Aug 26, 2008

Nokia's Xpress-On covers are not new accessories to begin with, but this is the first time, the company says, that the interchangeable faceplates will be introduced to its Nseries lineup. To go one step further, these Xpress-On now come with a built-in chip that automatically changes the screen theme on the handset to match the color of the cover itself.

The N79's keypad and screen bezel are available in two colors: White and gray, with the Espresso Brown Xpress-On smart cover as a standard accessory. For the white version, it will also come with additional Light Sea Blue and Olive Green Xpress-On faceplates, while the gray option is bundled with the White and Coral Red Xpress-On covers. Nokia explained that the color combination is to create a striking contrast, with one slightly more conservative and the other leaning toward the more stylish.

Design-wise, nothing drastic has happened. The candybar layout remained as a tested-and-proven formula, though the miniscule call/end and left/right softkeys can be improved. What's interesting is that Nokia has shifted its logo from the usual location above the LCD or between the display and keypad, to the right edge of the screen. The reason for this, Nokia told us, is because more people are taking pictures, surfing the Web and viewing snaps on their mobile phones. And these activities are mostly done with the screen in landscape orientation. So the rationale is to have the logo showing in the upright position when the phone is turned 90-degrees anti-clockwise.

Like its Nseries brethren, the N79 doesn't skimp on connectivity features with the quad-band GSM handset supporting HSDPA (WCDMA 900/1,200), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo, GPS receiver (with A-GPS support), 3.5mm audio jack, TV-out and an integrated FM transmitter. Other features include a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with two LED lights, microSD expansion card slot and microUSB port (the latter two are housed on top of each other).

According to Nokia, the N79 is expected to be available in October. In Singapore, the units will also be bundled with a 4GB flash media, a 3-month license for turn-by-turn navigation and a registration key for one N-Gage game.

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