[7][8][9][10] The four-way silver-coloured D-pad below the display also contains a new capacitive sensor called the Navi wheel, which allows scrolling in the S60 gallery and music player applications by 'stroking' the key, in a similar manner to the iPod click wheel.

Other than these the N81 has more modest specifications compared to the Nokia N95, with a 2-megapixel camera, lacking both GPS and HSDPA, and weighing 20 grams heavier.

[14] The Nokia N81 notably features a sliding spring-loaded physical keylock on the top of the device, located next to the 3.5 mm jack.

The Nokia N81 had a lower sound output compared to the N91 due to the release of the new firmware version.

According to Nokia, they must follow an international standard wherein a device's initial or default volume must be set too low to cause any damage to its users.