I have been playing with N97 for more than 15 days and here is a candid review of the mobile (review of OVI store is also lined up). The review is primarily from a usage perspective and not from a historical/comparative perspective (i.e. T-mobile G1 vs. iPhone 3G?)
First of all, let me tell you this that Nokia N97 isn’t positioned as a phone, but as a mobile PC (or a web tablet)– and pretty much lives upto that expectation .
3.5in display - offers great real estate for one to play with the device. Home screen offers customizable widgets – right from your mailbox to RSS feed to any application that you would like to add. (I have configured my homescreen to show emails, feeds, shortcuts (opera, music, calendar, notes), fav contacts etc.)
Slider Design – If I were to pick one reason why I consider N97 a PC, it’s the slider design. The slider has been smartly designed for you to not hold the back side, the tilt is perfect for one to use the mobile like a PC.
N97 - The Ultimate Touchscreen Phone from Nokia
QWERTY Keyboard – For some reason, I fail to understand why Nokia decided to move the space key towards right. Similarly, the shift key on the right side makes for a bad experience. Having said that, the keys are good enough for typing (I still miss my 5330) and far better than most of the mobile phones.
Search – Nifty implementation of search – spans across contacts, applications, bookmarks, browser history etc. Handy utility, if you ask me.
Web Browsing – Owing to the real estate (640*360px), browsing is actually a fun on N97. The coolest part is that in-built Nokia’s S60 Web browser presents a larger version of the web page and you can quickly jump to the section (i.e. zoom in) you want to read – just by tapping that section.
The web browser is touch enabled and works like a breeze. What’s really awesome is that you do not need to worry about the mobile version of a site – wider screen and browser friendliness makes the browsing as intuitive as desktop.
Touchscreen – Inconsistent experience – for some actions, you need double click, most works well otherwise. And once touchscreen hangs, it could be a pain in the butt (the only way out is to restart).
Even the built-in accelerometer has a little bit of lag when you switch (or flip!) from portrait to landscape mode, though one gets used to it after a week or so!
Battery Life – If you use it like a PC (i.e. browse/play and more), you charge it like a PC (i.e. everyday)! Plain and simple. (do I need to say more?)
Camera – Personally speaking, this one is my fav. N97‘s 5 mega pixel (and upto 14X zoom) pretty much replaces my camera.
The BIG Question
At a price of $699/Rs. 35K +, is N97 a good buy?
Well, my honest answer would be – It Depends.
It depends on who you are and why you need a smartphone?
If you are the one who wants to weigh the cost of N97 against buying a laptop (costs the same), this isn’t for you (you aren’t that type)
But, if you are the one who is a on-the-move person, has a need for mini PC and an amazing mobile experience (includes browsing), N97 is just for you!
What’s your opinion?
Next – Review Ovi Store.
Replacement for netbooks? How was the doc editing/presentation experience (which I guess would be a major use for netbooks) ? How “robust” does it feel ?
After Nokia’s N700/N800/N880 Internet Tablet, this is the one I like it. A good choice for those who are looking for mini pc in their mobile phones.
Very balanced review ,that lag you are talking about has reduced for me after applying the latest firmware update
check n900 , reaily good , fast and easy use Pc tablet
hiii i have a question …can we see live tv on n97???
hmmmmm
bingung mau koment apa….
vitur nya keren
what about ovi store review?
To hell with the iPhone. I’m a diehard tech-head and only specs matter to me. Meaning, the more specs, the better the handset. I don’t care how many menus or how deep functions are buried. I’ve got a manual and I’ve read it for days. I memorized every function, no matter how unimportant it is. I worship Carl Zeiss and I wish they’d allowed the N97 to become a DSLR with interchangeable lenses. I also think stylii are really cool to whip out and use. $700 is nothing to pay for a piece of hardware of this caliber. I’m now one of the 1 in 100,000 who can whip out a N97 and laugh at those iPhone losers. Did I mention that Symbian is what is called a “classic OS” that’s been around for ages? Age is good because it means stability. Let me shoot some video. Excellent. Videoconferencing is at my beck and call. There is absolutely nothing the N97 can’t do. It’s the perfect smartman’s smartphone. Just read the damn manual.
Yessireebob, I got a smartphone for the ages. Nokia can’t go wrong producing these babies for high tech-loving guys like me. If those noobie, non-tech smartphone users can’t figure out how to use a N97, too bad for them. They’ll just have to be stuck using those shoddy, simplistic iPhones. Damn, they don’t even have keyboards or flashes on them. Who the hell would buy a smartphone without a keyboard? Damn fools. My Nokia N97 is the best damn smartphone in the whole wide world and Nokia will sell millions of them. Now where did I put my stylus? Ma…. did you see my stylus anywhere around.