The N8 is Nokia’s latest attempt to revamp their smartphone lineup to compete with the new offerings from other companies like Apple and HTC. The G2 is the second phone to carry Google’s Android operating system that is now growing at a very fast pace. The main difference between the two phones is their form factor as the N8 is a candybar while the G2 is a side-slider. Sliding the G2 open reveals a full QWERTY keyboard. A physical keyboard makes it easier to type messages quickly. The N8’s lack of a keyboard means you have to deal with the touchscreen all the time.

Speaking of the screen, the N8 uses Samsung’s AMOLED display for superior image quality. Although the screen of the G2 is not as good as that of the N8, it is bigger in size by 0.2 inches. It also has a correspondingly higher resolution of 480×800 to the N8’s 360×640.

Memory is another area where the N8 is superior to the G2. The former is equipped with 16GB of internal memory for storing files while a microSD card is available for extra storage of simply for transferring files. The G2 also has a microSD card slot but it only has 4GB of storage and it is formatted in such a way that only 2GB is available for use. The G2’s memory is sadly too little for most people and expansion is almost inevitable.

One of the reasons why the N8 needs a lot of storage space is its excellent camera. The 12 megapixel sensor can take excellent photos, which can take up a lot of space. The N8 also has a Xenon flash and an autofocus feature, which bring it at par with some digital cameras. In comparison, the G2 is only equipped with a 5 megapixel sensor; not too shabby for a smartphone. Both phones can take 720p video though. So there’s not that much of a difference when it comes to videos.

Probably the most significant difference between the two is the OS. Nokia’s Symbian^3, although it shows a lot of improvement over the older Symbian OS, is still relatively new and untested. Google’s Android OS has already gone through multiple stages of development and it has addressed flaws and added features that it once lacked. With Froyo, which is what the G2 works with, Android seems to be the preferred OS at the moment.

Summary:

1. The N8 is a candybar while the G2 is a side-slider
2. The N8 doesn’t have a QWERTY keyboard while the G2 does
3. The N8 screen is smaller than that of the G2
4. The N8 has a lot more memory than the G2
5. The N8 camera is better than the G2’s
6. The N8 has the Symbian^3 OS while the G2 has Android