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Described by Nokia as ‘multimedia' computers', handsets in the Nseries push at the higher end of what Nokia can achieve with an eye firmly on media savvy consumers.

However the company doesn't make every handset in the Nseries a flagship one toting the absolute tops of what can be achieved. The N78, for example, has a 3.2-megapixel camera rather than a 5-megapixel one. So what is Nokia pushing here?

Well, it isn't all that clear, to be frank. While this handset does pack one feature I've not seen before in a mobile phone (I'll get to it later) most of what is here I've seen before and there isn't anything that really stands out.

Certainly the N78 doesn't win any prizes for portability. This candybar mobile is a chunky beast and many pockets will struggle to accommodate it. Mine certainly did. Its main problem in this respect is that it's a tall phone at 113mm. Its width of 49mm isn't so much of a problem but at 15.1mm thick it is rather fatter than many candybar mobiles. If you can find a pocket big enough for it, 113g of weight isn't excessive. The main beneficiary of the overall size of this mobile is its screen which measures 2.4 inches diagonally and delivers 240 x 320 pixels.

Nokia mentions the viewing angle when listing the specifications, not something it does with regularity. Nokia's claim of 160 degrees seems accurate enough - you can see the screen if you twist the phone round in your hand till it is almost edge-on. I'm guessing Nokia is talking this feature up because the N78 has Nokia Maps built in. If you want to use this for point to point sat-nav in a vehicle then a good viewing angle is a must.

The screen certainly does this mobile proud. What I'm not so sure about are the keys sitting beneath it. Like the N81, there is a flat aspect to some of the keys. Call, End, softmenu keys, Cancel and the Nokia Menu key are all flatties.

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