For $650 (£499) and running the new Maemo Linux OS instead of Symbian s60. This might be a big turning point for Nokia trying to convince us that they are still #1 in the cellphone business.

They will need a lot more to become #1 in the US though. Having apple ahead of the race with their app store. Let’s just see how the OVI store evolves and what Nokia has under their sleeves (if anything).

The N900 as I said was running a Linux OS which means “OPEN”. Programmers will be happy to see this but they will need to be switched from making apps for the Iphone to making apps for N900 and that will take some courage and work from Nokia.

Here are the specs for the N900: (taken from gsmarena.com)

Talk about what you think in the forum!

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.So the phone looks nice indeed.

.It runs on S60 5th.

.Has a 3.2 auto focus like the Iphone with a LED flash which the Iphone doesn’t yet.

.No front camera.

.”Is basicly 5800 little brother”

.2.9 inch screen

. usb port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, dedicated charging port ( the one like on all old nokia phone like the n95)

. the phone is fluid and takes pictures and videos instantly with no lag.

Think about getting this phone? It is out and you can go to Nokia flagship store or order it online!
Ask questions in the Forum!

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Phone design:

The phone itself is smaller in person. Having seen videos on youtube and comparing it in real life, you will clearly see a difference in the size factor. This makes it easy to put and pull out of almost any pocket (I wouldn’t expect you to put it in your back pocket for such a device). The phone is sleek and appealing, so expect some eyes looking in your direction when you have it out.

On the left of the phone you have the micro USB connector which is used to transfer data and also used to charge the phone so you can charge it while synced to your computer making it more convenient for business people always on the go with their laptop. You also have the lock switch situated in the middle of the side.

The right side you have the volume rocker and the camera button. Both easy to use and easy to press.

Top you have the 3.5 mm headphone jack so you can plug in your favorite headphones right in the phone.

Screen:

The screen is nice, at 3.5 it is bright and colorful. Now if you know this screen is resistive and not capacitive, so the screen feels pressure and not electricity like the Iphone. This could be a problem for people who have been used to the Iphones screen.

The N97 needs some pressure to recognize inputs and the plastic top of the screen makes it less smooth then the screen on the Iphone. But it needs less pressure then the Nokia 5800, which is good.

It is also slow when going through the menu which bothered me a lot considering how new of a phone it is. The processor is probably the problem running at only 434MHz

Interface:

The front screen offers a widget style homescreen were you  can put your favorite app like facebook or the weather anywhere you feel like.

You can easily add and remove the app by clicking on the widget for a second and choose to delete it or replace it. This is a little like the Omnia HD but with a more user friendly interface and also a more organized homescreen.

From the main screen you can access to shortcuts like your alarm by pressing on the clock and access the network settings by pressing on the top right icons.

You can download more widgets and apps form the OVI store which just launched a couple of days ago.

The Menu is the same as on almost every N-series phone with the grid pattern organization. Easily changeable and has a cool animations.

GPS & Maps:

The Maps loaded quickly and goes to the last remembered spot you were at.

The GPS did not work because I was under a big roof. SRY

Navigating was easy and smooth, even when downloading unknown areas. It felt a little too much like google earth on the Iphone.

Camera:

The 5 mp camera feels a little improved over the N95. It takes the same amount of time to take the picture but the result seems to be more impressive.

The duel LED flash works great and will surely lighten up the scene. But Xenon flash would be the best and I don’t understand why high-end camera phones like the Omnia i8910 HD and the N97 don’t have it.

There seems to be some extra features on the side panel that I did not have the time to get to.

Keyboard:

The keyboard is awesome. A texters dream. The keys are easy to press and they are spaced apart enough for people with big thumbs.

The amount of pressure needed is a the right spot and you know when you pressed the key.

The space button is what bothered me at first. As you can see it is located at the bottom right. You probably can get used to it, but I couldn’t the time I was there, I always spaz out when I need to click space bar.

As you can see the lights on the send/end key is messed up and will be fixed on the final version of the phone.

Simple Conclusion:

The phone is great. A little slow, but feels good in the hand and the slide out keyboard is awesome. I would recommend this to people who like texting and want a Nokia phone that is sure to make a great depute when it is finally releases.

I have to add though that I haven’t had the chance to see the Omnia i8910 in person yet. But after reading some user reviews on the internet, it looks quite promising. And spec wise it looks much better then the N97.

You can check out more pictures that I took.

If you have any questions I will be in the Forum.

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http://www.nokia.co.uk/n97?cp=localbuynow&pp=brandhome_tsr_n97#/interactiveDemo

Another point i want to make is the ability to conserve battery.

Now those numbers are decent and are definitely better then the N95. But it seems that Nokia has just replaced the battery with a more powerful one (1500 mAh). But that’s pretty much it. They could of saved power by giving the phone an OLED screen or an AMOLED for that matter, which is what the Omnia HD has. The technology behind AMOLED is definitely a huge plus because instead of spreading the energy through rows of pixels, AMOLED goes directly to the pixel that needs energy to light up, creating darker blacks and higher contrast. Now this is great if you have a dark theme on your phone, it will save you some battery time. Nokia is still using TFT LED technology which has been used forever, and doesn’t give you the chance to save some juice.

There I hope you reconsider if you were going to buy an N97 as your next phone. It’s not that I’m a Nokia hatter (I am using my N95 right now). But I prefer that people make the best choice for their buck. Omnia HD all the way

The N97 is finally available for pre-order, for all you Nokia fanatics. But is it worth it? Now that the Omnia HD is set for a end of may release? Which one to choose?

For a price of €599,00 ($800 but it will sell for $700 in the U.S. acording to this). You get a lower-end device compared to Samsung’s Omnia HD. Willing to pay a price that is awfully high for a mobile is known from the Nokia brand but at least they make sure their device is durable and really meant to “connect people” together. But from reviews, the N97 didn’t give such an outperforming performance, and doesn’t have the “next generation” tech inside of it. It seems to have the same camera as the N95 did, which was a 5 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. But that phone came out 2 years ago and I think that technology has evolved a little to at least perform an update in that category. Why not put the same camera as on the N86?

Other features like the processor which is an ARM II running at 423MHz is a great downside. I mean come on Nokia, now a days high end phones run at 600MHz minimum. The Omnia HD will probably run at 800MHz and for a cheaper price compared to the N97. Did you make your decision yet?

Now if you have been using Nokias since your birth, and sticking that way, go pre-order now. But I am suggesting that this time Nokia is not showing a high end phone to the public, but just another touch screen phone that we’ve already seen (5800 cough cough). The only addition is the keyboard which these days can a be a plus for heavy texters. But personally i don’t see a big difference. The Omnia HD doesn’t have a physical keyboard but from reviews and videos, it performed very well for a touch screen. Reviewers said the keyboard was nicely designed and that the huge 3.7 AMOLED screen just made it easier to type on. Even though the Omnia HD runs on the Symbian S60 5th edition like the 5800, I don’t want people comparing it’s keyboard because it has nothing to do. The screen almost gives it away but also the capacitive touch screen make it easier to the touch and better for inputs.

Nokia has made the N97 available for pre-order before the Omnia HD maybe because Nokia sees that they have been beaten and are trying to make the public more aware of their product and trying to divert peoples attention away the Omnia HD.

Final Word: “Just wait untill the Omnia HD comes out” “Don’t get the N97, it’s not worth the money”.

You can pre-order the phone here if you really want

Full comparison can be found on this site if you still are confused on which one to get or just have never seen or heard of these phones.

Omnia HD video review can be found here:

Full spec comparison of N97 vs Omnia HD here

The only feature that might make people go for the N97 is for full QWERTY keyboard. Now if Samsung makes the Omnia HD multi touch like the Iphone ,then the on-screen keyboard would be a winner.

If you want a full comparison, go here to see for yourself

Oh and the Omnia HD is expected to be cheaper then the Nokia N97. So you choose. Which one are you going to get?