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Nokia N82 is everything but good-looking. Sure, the phone looks OK, but it doesn’t come with any “wow” factor and such. Still, it makes a good impression on those looking for a well-balanced and compact device. Thanks to the 5 Megapixel camera on its backside, N82 is in no way slim, measuring around 17mm. Still, surprisingly for its size (112 x 50.2mm), the phone is pretty lightweight (114 grams, including battery). The generous screen doesn’t have any protection and can be easily scratched. Above the screen, there’s a small light sensor, the secondary video-call camera and the in-call speaker. The keypad layout resembles the N81 pattern, but the keys are very different. If you’re a heavy texter, then this phone is definitely not for you. There is only one other Nokia handset that had almost similar keys, and that’s the old N91.

Feedback received by Nokia regarding the small keys of N91 slider wasn’t positive at all but, still, they’re set to continue with them. In fact, more and more handsets (especially Sony Ericsson’s) adopted the thin keys pattern, which is bad for texting. The big D-pad is too thin (again) and seems a little bit flimsy, especially after extensive use. The 2 main keys that control the calls, Accept (green) and Reject (red), have been placed at the edge of both sides of the handset, exactly like on the N81. Again, if you’re a right-hander, you’ll have no problems using the Accept (green) key, but you’ll have a hard time with the Reject (red) button. The right side of the phone is the most crowded, as you can also see from the pictures.

The 2 stereo loudspeakers have been strategically placed at both ends of the right side. Between these two, there’s a dual-volume key, a dedicated camera button, and a special key that opens the Gallery. The left side of the phone features a microUSB port, a small charge port and a microSD slot card that’s been covered by a plastic strip. On top of the phone, there’s the usual Power button and a 3.5mm jack port. On the bottom, there’s only a small gap that marks the place where the microphone has been embedded. When turned on its back, Nokia N82 reveals one of its strong points – the 5 Megapixel camera, featuring a Xenon flash.

The camera can be activated by pulling down the plastic knob placed right near it. The plastic cover that protects the Carl Zeiss lenses are controlled from this knob, which can be easily slid up/down, but not easily enough as to be pulled by mistake. The back cover can be pulled out with ease, revealing the small 1050 mAh Li-Ion battery and the SIM slot. Unfortunately, I wasn’t too impressed by the materials used by Nokia in this case. On the contrary, I noticed that the plastic compound can be very easily damaged if the phone is dropped by mistake. Even if it doesn’t look cheap at all, the safety of the device is pretty much inexistent, especially for those users who might be a bit sloppy. However, even if the keypad has been covered by a polished silvery plastic that could have turned out to be highly susceptible to fingerprints, this is not the case. This means that users won’t have to wipe the mobile phone too often. Overall, despite looking solid and compact, the plastic used to manufacture it ruins the sturdiness of the phone. Speaking of looks, Nokia N82 is more on the traditional side, and will not impress those in search of “otherworldly” designs.