Nokia N73 Music Edition

"Take the music with you!" scream songs, adverts, marketing people and excitable shop staff whenever discussions move toward getting a new mobile phone.

But what if I don't want to take the music with me? Or I've got an iPod that'll hold more songs than if I lugged about a rucksack stuffed with 30 of this review's subject, the N73 Music Edition?

That's when the argument falls flat. Despite Sony Ericsson's best efforts and those of the other major handset manufacturers (did someone say 'Rokr'?), listening to music on your mobile phone is an uneven experience. You can't fit much in, even if you've got a hefty 2GB memory card, the headphones and sound reproduction are never as good as a dedicated player and, to add to your woes, music playback drains the battery like nobody's business.

In fact, it leaves us thinking that it would be better all round if, rather than adding MP3 player functionality to your Nokia, someone would add mobile phone functionality to your iPod. Just a thought, and one that's been initiated by this, Nokia's latest music-friendly N-Series handset, the N73 Music Edition.

Setting it apart from your standard N73 are a satin black case, a few extra bits of software and – if you're lucky – an optional microSD card for storing MP3s on. Otherwise it's the same as a standard N73 (which we think looks nicer in plum and silver, anyway). And we might have thus put it down, walked away and thought nothing more of it or its ordinary sibling.

Except for one fact: in a world increasingly dominated by directional pads, the N73 sets itself apart with its mini joystick, or thumbstick. And for us at Pocket Gamer, this is as close to the Holy Grail of mobile phone gaming as we're likely to get outside of the pads on our beloved Sony Ericsson W550i or N-Gage QD.

A thumbstick offers a far greater degree of control over games, whether you're into puzzles or frantic shoot-'em-ups, and leads to less frustration and accidental pressing of other buttons. It is, to be frank, a minor miracle. It's also what raises the N73 in our eyes, positioning it as a great present-day gaming handset.

Indeed, the N73 has got everything you need: a crisp, bright and large screen, great sound, universal support from games developers and publishers, and a battery that will last more than a couple of days before you're required to recharge. In short, it's the business.

That's not to say that it's perfect, mind. The numeric keypad, which is more essential in some games than others, is on the small side and, with little definition between the keys, occasionally leads to fumbling and inaccuracy. The N73's processor, its little electronic brain, is also a bit underpowered, meaning you'll experience the odd wait when you move around the Symbian Series 60 v3 operating system, though you'll not notice any such lag in-game.

It's also heavier than we would have liked, too, but then it is a 3G handset and comes with all the benefits and drawbacks associated with third generation capability. The 3D performance is the biggest payback; you can run proprietary Symbian games and Java titles that feature 3D visuals and not worry about shoddy performance. It's not up there with the powerhouse that is the N95, but then it doesn't cost as much.

So, this is a great gaming handset and a phone with which it's easy to live on a day-to-day basis. The Symbian software will be familiar to anyone who's used a Nokia before, no matter how old, and the installed applications are comprehensive enough to include anti-virus software, an audio recorder, a 3D ring-tone function and PDF and office software support.

It's all enough for us to heartily recommend it and, if you go for the standard N73 instead of this Music Edition, you'll be able to save a few pennies, too.