Forums : My N97 review

I had the chance to get my hands on the Nokia N97 which is supposed to come out in June. I am not reviewing the phones insides but mostly how it feels and how the phone performs. The firmware is the latest one so I had a good idea at what the phone will be like at launch. Although the firmware is the latest the case itself is not, you can see that the send/end keys have lighting problems and that will be fixed in the release version of the phone.

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.

Read original blog post