Help regarding Nokia N81 purchase decision

[tuxaholic]

Hi after a week of Research I have decided on picking up Nokia N81 mobile, but I have a couple of queries before I purchase the same. Here goes:
1) I need the phone to last a minimum of 3 years as I don't change mobile frequently. I've heard conflicting views on the build quality of N81. gsmarena says build quality is good( and so did Digit in their mag.) but many(most) websites say build quality is suspect . So will it last for 3 years with moderate care?
2) I've also heard that the phone crashes more frequently than other Symbian phones. Any truth to these rumors?
3) Is this the best Symbian based phone for Music & Gaming under 15k? Camera is not important as I have a Canon digital camera.
Ideally I would like to know the view of fellow N81 owners , though any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Hope u guys can guide me!

Thanks in advance

[bassam904]

1->the phone not as good as nokia N82 but is ok in its segment if u buy the 8gig one.
2->No it doesn't crash u need to update its firmware
3-> For gaming yes its the best and for music under 13k u can get nokia n91 8gig although its bulky, but great music quality

[Pathik]

It is a great buy. Perfect for you as you don't need the cam.

1. The build quality is good and sturdy.

2. Nope. There are always some problems in earlier firmwares. Just update it regularly.

3. Yea.

[gagandeep]

3) Is this the best Symbian based phone for Music & Gaming under 15k? Camera is not important as I have a Canon digital camera.

It is the best Symbian based phone for Music & Gaming under 15K....

Well, you should go for the N81 2GB version as it will also have the facility of having a Micro SD card which the 8GB doesn't have.....In this way, if you want you can also use an 8GB micro SD card with the 2GB version and you won't be restricted to the fixed 8GB phone capacity. Moreover, transferring files to N81 8GB is slow......Thats why I think you should go for N81 2GB with a MicroSD card....:)

[tuxaholic]

None of you have told me whether it was last me for 3 years :/

[napster007]

the built is very good. It will last you upto 3 years without a hitch taking into account that you take good care of it and service it atleast once an year.

[dreamcatcher]

Yea right. My freind's slider started creaking after a week. Build quality sucks.

[Power UP]

N81 is a good phone except for the cam.
Just make sure u buy the set with newest manufacturing date.

[krazzy]

Sliders are not know for being rugged because of the moving parts. They just cannot be as rugged as a candybar phone. So if you are really gonna use the phone roughly then I'll suggest you look at a candybar phone. Otherwise N81 would be fine.