Nokia n97 reviewed

[UnderOpenSky]

It's got a 5MP camera I see, would be interesting to know how good that is.

I think the lack of Nokia Maps would still be a stumbling block though. Unless HTC offer something equivalent?

The other phone I've considered is the Omnia HD.

The camera takes nice shots outside, bit of shutter lag and not so great inside, but I've yet to own a camera phone that doesn't.

I've not used Nokia Maps so can't compare directly, but as I mentioned I use memory map and tom tom a fair bit, although if you wanted to have all the OS maps on your phone, you'd probably need a bigger memory card. I just keep the 250k to the UK and the 25k/50k maps for the areas I use (yorkshire, lakes, n wales, bits of scotland). Tom Tom covers Western Europe.

The joy of windows mobile is that there is a lot of software out there, its not all in a central app store, but to my mind thats a good thing, although it takes a bit more searching. I've found all the best stuff via forums, I'd always been a Nokia person and have ownded more S60 smartphones then you can shake a stick at, but a proper convert now.

I'll admit its not as slick as an Iphone, but if there is something you don't like, you can change it. For this reason I wouldn't recomend it to someone who'd never used a smartphone, but I doubt that would cause you many problems.

Battery life is very good as well, especailly considering the size of the screen, just got to watch you don't leave apps with GPS running in the background. You can change it as well which is a bonus if your away for a while, I picked up a spair for a tenner.

I did start a thread about it, but not really posted much about it recently due to lack of intrest. It is by far the best phone I've ever ownded.

 

[teuchter]

The thing about nokia maps is that it's free... Which i'm assuming isn't the case with the ones you mention. By the way is the OS one searchable (street names and stuff)?
Maybe i should look into the htc phone. I'd have to convince myself that the camera was at least as good as the n95 one though (which is pretty good for a camera phone: people are often surprised that pictures i've taken were just on my phone).

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Depends how ethical you are...l havn't paid for my navigation software.

I've never bought a phone on the strength of its camera, if I plan to take photos I take one with me. Maybe wonder down town, have a play with one and see if you like it?

 

[teuchter]

Yeah maybe, if I can overcome my microsoft allergy.

 

[pk]

I filled my N95 8GB half full with music, roughly 4GB.

I was lucky to get away with playing 3 tracks before it crashed and needed a restart.

Decent enough phone, but pretty shitty compared to the iPhone.

 

[teuchter]

It obviously reckoned you have dodgy taste in music.

Mine's never crashed while in the music player.

 

[teuchter]

There is quite a thorough review of the N97 here.

The majority of the complaints seem to be related to the software. It seems that it's been released with rather buggy firmware (probably due to rushing it out to launch at the same time as the new iphone). Hopefully future updates will resolve most of the problems. Nokia are generally fairly good about following up with firmware updates after the initial release.


Edit - actually it seems they've just released an update today.

 

[kyser_soze]

Can I just echo Global Stoner with a recc for the Touch HD. I use it for commuting apps (media player, adobe viewer) and occassional mapping, and it's probably the best gadget I've ever owned - it does everything I want from a mobile device, plus some other stuff I never realised I needed

Not so keen on touchflo, and I'd prefer it if the text entry was done on a numeric rather than qwerty pad (I find using the stylus a pain, and the virtual keys are fiddly...plus the longform version of T9 they use can be a pain...) but those are the only 2 gripes I've got about it...

 

[teuchter]

Can I just echo Global Stoner with a recc for the Touch HD. I use it for commuting apps (media player, adobe viewer) and occassional mapping, and it's probably the best gadget I've ever owned - it does everything I want from a mobile device, plus some other stuff I never realised I needed

Not so keen on touchflo, and I'd prefer it if the text entry was done on a numeric rather than qwerty pad (I find using the stylus a pain, and the virtual keys are fiddly...plus the longform version of T9 they use can be a pain...) but those are the only 2 gripes I've got about it...

Camera quality is quite important for me, and this is one of the things that rules out the Touch HD as far as I'm concerned. The reviews don't seem to be too impressed with it.

The phone really comes with a lot of functions but there’s nothing surprising besides the display. Since this is a top-shelf Windows Mobile smartphone, it naturally offers many business features. Usually though, such a phone wouldn’t come with a quality camera. Currently the OMNIA is the leader with its 5-megapixel sensor, good picture quality and a very user-friendly interface. When it was announced, the HD also sounded like a phone with great camera. Unfortunately this did not prove correct during our testing. The interface is minimalistic, and similar to the iPhone’s, with an icon for shooting only. HTC introduces a few extras but they could’ve done a better job with the menu. If at least the pictures were good that wouldn’t have been such a problem but alas, they are not. Even outdoor pictures taken during the day do not have good quality; incorrect exposure, unreal colors and a low detail level are the main issues. Since there’s no flash we won’t even talk about indoor pictures.

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-Touch-HD-Review-review-r_2060-p_4.html

 

[Sunray]

Camera quality on mobile phones is an oxymoron.

 

[Refused as fuck]

He very obviously means relatively, Mr Quibblesworth.

 

[teuchter]

Yeah, Mr Quibblesworth.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Not so keen on touchflo, and I'd prefer it if the text entry was done on a numeric rather than qwerty pad (I find using the stylus a pain, and the virtual keys are fiddly...plus the longform version of T9 they use can be a pain...) but those are the only 2 gripes I've got about it...

How big are your fingers? I almost always switch to a landscape keyboard for texting and haven't used the stylus in months.

 

[durruti02]

N86 out now and on vodafone at CPW next week! hopefully! thats the phone i've been waiting for

 

[teuchter]

The N86 looks pretty good. I've seen some very good reviews for the camera quality.

 

[Sunray]

They have a huge one of these in the window of the Vodaphone shop on Oxford road.

I was reading the PCPro review. Its just before the 3GS review, which gets six stars for everything apart from value for money.

I was shocked to read, list scrolling is up with a downward swipe, scroll bar like, apart from in the web browser where down is down. They so don't get it, who in their right mind made that decision.

 

[editor]

Nokia don't seem to get new smartphones, full stop.

 

[teuchter]

I had a bit of play around with a working one in a 3 store at the weekend.

The web browser seemed alright; it has kinetic scrolling like the iphone, with the added advantage of a higher-resolution screen. It did seem to get stuck with some drop-down menus in the national rail enquiries website, when I tried looking at that. I don't know how the iphone browser is with stuff like that.

It's true that list scrolling is up with a downward swipe, but you are operating a scroll bar at the side of the screen so not as confusing as it sounds. It is inconsistent though, and I think a lot of people are asking why lists can't work like the browser does. It may be something that will be sorted out in a future firmware update.

It does feel very well built, and the QWERTY keyboard is good, and comfortable to use.

 

[Sunray]

I just had a go at one in the Nokia shop, its across the road from the Apple shop, buying my Apple care (had to get it retail due to going to Glade)

What a piece of junk. The keyboard is total fail. It took me 10 seconds squinting at the keyboard looking for the full stop. Its next to the return key but someone in their infinite wisdom has put it together with ' so it looks like :

Space bar, wtf!?

The resistive touch screen means its laggy behind your finger.

Its 190 quid on 35pm 18 month contract, which makes it a bit cheaper than the iPhone as its got 32Gb, but if you want to do music, browsing and consumer type thingys the iPhone, Pre and Android for that matter are in a different league.

Seriously, did someone at Nokia think 'good job' because its clearly isn't. The iPhone has raised the bar and it did it 2 years ago. With the advent of v3 of the software, its nearly perfect (battery excepted) for a consumer phone.

I like the way Nokia have tried to out do Apples huge iPhone's in the window, with an even more massive N97. Its easily 5' across.

 

[teuchter]

I disagree about the keyboard, although it's hard to say without using it for a while.

I think it's clear that the iPhone is easier and more intuitive to use; if that's a priority (which obviously it is for lots of people) then it's the better option.

The result of the iPhone having no direct competition in this regard (for now at least) is of course that they can get away with it remaining outrageously expensive.

The N97 is free on a £35 contract from 3, by the way. So the price difference is quite significant.

 

[Sunray]

I can't see how people would want a hard to use phone if given the choice.

 

[editor]

I love the features that Nokia put in their phones. I like the cameras. But the interface is like Windows 3.1 compared to Apple/Android/Palm.

 

[teuchter]

I can't see how people would want a hard to use phone if given the choice.

Speaking for myself, I'm willing to compromise (up to a point) on interface in return for features like a good camera, decent, free, off-air mapping/navigation, removable battery and swappable memory card. And the significantly lower cost (if we're comparing to the iPhone).

Also - intuitive interfaces are of course excellent for people who want to be able to just pick up a device and start using it, without having to put a little time into learning how to use it - ie. the majority of the mass consumer market. But assuming you are willing to put in that time (or, are used to Nokia/Symbian anyway), intuitiveness doesn't always translate into usability in the long run. Given five minutes with an iPhone and an N97, I'm sure most people would be pretty comfortable with the former and slightly perplexed by the latter. But given a week or two I bet the difference wouldn't be so great.

 

[Sunray]

I can use Unix, I've done it professionally. I know shell scripting and shell scripting tools well. I've even got into the new windows powershell.

This does not mean I want to use them as my default interface to a computer. They are powerful tools, but a good UI is one that I can use when I am learning and one that does not get in the way once I have learnt it.

I don't want to delve into menus to do something simple. Case in point, to get the address bar up on the N97's web browser I have to get the menu up, click options, click Goto Web Page and finally up pops the address bar. On the iphone, the address bar is at the top of the web page. If its not visible, I tap the top of the screen and it scrolls to the top, google search is there just like you get on a normal web browser.

Stop defending the indefensible. The phone is stuck in 2003 and it shows.

 

[teuchter]

All I'm trying to say is that the annoyances of the UI will be tolerated by people to whom certain features, like the ones I list and which simply aren't there on the iPhone, are important.

And by people who aren't prepared or able to spend vast amounts of money on iPhone contracts. As I said earlier in the thread, the cost difference to me would be something like £600 over the period of a contract. You can't just gloss over that; that's a lot of cash.

I'm not saying I wouldn't prefer it to have a UI as smooth as the iPhone. There's no doubt they have failed to live up to the competition in that regard.

 

[Principle]

Im having a problem with my n97 - if they are saved to my phones memory they dont ring outloud - Does anyone know what ive done wrong.

 

[6_6]

I quite liked the N97.
The touch interaction is responsive.
If you dislike the homescreen - it is customsiable where you can create a cleaner screen.

 

[6_6]

Im having a problem with my n97 - if they are saved to my phones memory they dont ring outloud - Does anyone know what ive done wrong.

Silence mode ?

 

[Principle]

Normally my numbers were stored sim - but to put pictures i had to store to fone so it ended up with fone and sim contacts so for each "mum there was mum sim and mum fone", so because of that when her number rang me her name didnt come up on my screen just the number, so i deleted the sim versions and then when the number rang me it didnt ring outloud it just rang but silently even though my phone was still on "general and to ring loud with a specific song so im not sure what ive done wrong or if its a problem in the phone in general??

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I was thinking of buying one this weekend - but it was 525 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 F that.

I'm sure it was nowhere near that expensive in Qatar. I can't remember the price in riyals but I'm certain it wasn't 500+ quid.

So I've just bought a Nokia 5800 for 220.

I'm on Pay As You Go because I've just moved countries and can't get a contract.