There are many reasons to like the Nokia N85, but the one thing that has blown my hair back and made me truly appreciate this talented little device is something I had never before seen in a mobile phone…an FM transmitter*.
And not just any weak wannabe transmitter, I’m talking about one that is just as strong – and allows the music to sound just as rich – as the dedicated transmitter on my Sirius box does.
I didn’t think that this feature would be that big of a deal, until I gave it a try the other day. I activated it on the N85, set a station, tuned in to the same station from my vehicle’s radio, and… chicka-pow!
The amazing thing is that 102.5 FM was getting a bit of leeching from another station, which I noticed before turning on the Nokia’s transmitter; but the N85’s signal was so strong, that it totally smothered the bleed-through. This meant that I didn’t have to keep searching for another station, and it will be especially handy for those who live in urban areas that have a lot of radio stations on the dial.
An even more amazing thing is that I did not have to turn off the Sirius FM transmitter in order to get a clear static free sound, like I have had to do with add-on transmitters in the past. Speaking of add-on FM transmitters, they can cost anywhere from $10 to $70, so having the transmitter already built into the music device is a really nice feature.
I can set the N85 in a cup holder, plug it into the power port, and cruise along with my favorite music playing over the vehicle’s sound system – no extra wires or costly add-on devices necessary.
It’s funny how a certain feature will just impress the heck out of you, and that is exactly what this one has done. I can’t hep but wish every other mobile phone that markets itself as an audio device (:cough: iPhone!) would include the same feature. Good job, Nokia!
*I realize that there are some phones which have built-in FM transmitters, like the the Sony Walkman W980 or the LG FUSIC for instance, but I have never used one of those. 😉