Over the past month, I’ve had the delight of using the Nokia N97 as my everyday driving force, the device I use day in and day out. When Nokia first announced the N97 would update the existing N-collection flagship device, the N95, I at once began to reminisce about a time when the N95 turned into my pass-to device. Ultimately, I left behind my N95 because I wanted a tool with a QWERTY keyboard and went back to my E90. Without ever attempting the N97, I became very assured within the tool without a doubt, as it packed a full QWERTY keyboard and even better specifications than my E90. My time with the N97 has come and long gone, and now it is time to see if the device has lived up to the hype and whether or not it still provides the N-series flagship identity with the same presence as the tool that changed, the N95.
Design
The N97 is available in two color alternatives: transition black, light, and white. With a weight of one hundred fifty grams, the device feels mild on your fingers but strong enough to withstand the daily wear and tear of being in your pocket or even the occasional drop. The N97 does not feel as robust as the N95, but the sliding mechanism is superior. Also, you ought no longer to experience any of the hinge-associated issues visible on previous Nokia builds.
Beneath the big 3. The five-inch touchscreen has a three-row QWERTY keyboard and four-way navigation on the left side. When I first commenced using the physical keyboard, I had some trouble adjusting to the small keys and the placement of the gap bar at some distance to the right. I can tell you with absolute certainty that you may not be breaking any velocity statistics on this keyboard. However, it is fully capable of managing lengthy emails and consistent textual content messages. I have no hesitations in recommending the Touch Pro2 keyboard over the N97’s keyboard; the N97’s keyboard is truly positioned just too small to compete. However, if you compare the N97’s keyboard to the Motorola Droid, you’d have a very near struggle.
When sliding out the keyboard on the N97, the display screen tilts at a hard and fast angle of approximately 45 degrees. This is an area of personal preference; however, because I changed into an HTC Tilt owner at one time, I enjoyed the perspective and discovered it was perfect for messaging. It would be best if there were a choice to alternate the perspective; however, because I constantly keep my cell phone on my table next to my laptop, I liked the constant angle. I comprehend that this might be a deal-breaker for a number of you available. However, I propose giving it a chance a couple of weeks earlier than you render your verdict.
Imaging / Multimedia
Carl Zeiss optics have long been the staple of Nokia’s cell imaging. The N97 takes a page from the N95’s book, using the identical 5-megapixel camera but adding dual-LED flash for advanced nighttime snapshots. On the front of the N97 is a QCIF (176 x forty-four pixels) digicam for video calls, which is very useful in Europe. However, it serves no purpose right here inside the U.S.
In the latest photograph shootout I did between the N97, Motorola Droid, and HTC Touch Pro2, the N97 walked away with the contest. This has to end any speculation as to whether or not the N97 is a worthy replacement for your point-and-shoot digital camera. I encourage you to assess the photo gallery on the occasion that you’d like to draw your own conclusions.
I must point out that the N97 lens cowl has been known to cause self-inflicted scratches, and within the overview unit I acquired from Nokia, I can affirm the problem still exists. If you propose buying the N97, I suggest finding your nearest service center in advance, to cope with this difficulty if your unit has the same trouble. If you can’t discover a neighborhood carrier middle, simply ensure you purchase a brand new unit with the ultra-modern production possible.
To help store your five-megapixel photographs, Nokia has covered 32GB of internal memory and a microSD slot capable of reading 16GB cards. The mixture of an inner and an add-on garage is an actual bonus you need to think about while evaluating the N97 to different multimedia gadgets. While the iPhone is capped at 32GB till a massive model is released, the N97 can have a possible 48GB or larger if a 32GB microSD assist is added. If you take your tune library on the road, the N97 will not disappoint. Once you fill up 48GB of tune, you could start utilizing the integrated track participant on the N97.
The tracking library may be categorized into tracks using artists, albums, genres, and composers, and you have the potential to create playlists on your cellphone and regulate the sound with the integrated equalizer. Once you run out of recent music to play, you can always use the Internet radio app or the built-in FM tuner, which each performs very well. The simplest real downfall in the local multimedia programs is the RealPlayer. It is time Nokia includes a higher video player. 3GPP and MPEG-4 help is best. However, today, we expect more from the video player, and this difficulty has to be addressed within the Symbian overhaul for 2010.
