Initial Thoughts On The Nokia N97 From The Guru
Last night I had a chance to play with the Nokia N97, which was just officially announced a few moments ago. You can check out the specs and whatnot here. To be honest, going into Nokia World 2008, I most certainly did not expect an S60 device. I was personally expecting the new Nokia Internet Tablet, for some reason. Obviously, I was rather stunned as they began to read off the specs from the Press Release and then saw as the Nokian pulled it out of his pocket, this beautiful little machine.
Even though these were prototypes (even the firmware was N00), they were remarkably well-built and rather stable (though of course they did crash a few times while we were playing). The slide mechanism is incredibly smooth and well thought-out. A small panel slides up to conceal the mechanism from you, and from damage, offering a really nice experience.
I asked specifically about the U.S, and was told that there would be a US 3G model with 850/1900/2100MHz UMTS available, and that while there *will* be a bit of a delay in release, they’re really working to reduce the amount of time that passes between the Euro and NAM models, which was good to hear.
I found it interesting that there’s no stylus included (except for in Asian markets, where that’s the norm), meaning that you can use the entire touch interface with just your fingers. Browsing through the menus was very friendly, and the new homescreen really blows you away. It’s incredibly simple to drag and drop the various ‘widgets’ around, and I was assured that it’s an open area on the device, meaning that we at Symbian-Guru could develop an app for our readers’ phones, to show our latest posts on the screen (or whatever else we’d like to offer). Brilliant.
I was also disappointed that the keyboard is only 3 rows, with no dedicated number row like on the E90. However, this was designed specifically so that the device, while wide, is pretty narrow, making it really easy to use one-handed. Also, the d-pad is deliberately placed on the left side, to facilitate gaming, but also so that you can use your right thumb for the touchscreen, since the menu button and virtual softkeys are on the right hand side.
The back also features a small ergonomic lip on the bottom, for one, to allow it to rest evenly on a flat surface, but also to allow for better grip while taking photos, which is interesting. The one big complaint that I have is that it won’t be out till the first half of next year, which also gives me the feeling that it’s likely to be LATER in H1, which means that I can buy the N85 when I get home and have time to enjoy and get bored with it before the N97 comes out.
To sum it up, there’s no reason whatsoever to buy the N96, with the N97 coming to market. Others have been using the N96 on this trip, and it’s embarassing to see them struggling with the device’s crappy firmware and slow features.
What’s really remarkable about the N97 is the size. It’s roughly the same size as the Nokia N82, only a slight bit longer. Thickness and width are the same, and they managed to cram that beautiful 1500mAh battery into the back of the phone. When you see the device, specifically in the open position, it’s amazing to think how much stuff is crammed into that little bitty body.
I know I’ll be waiting for the N97, for sure.
What about the buttons? Good to push?
It certainly looks a breast of a device, however, when it was introduced on stage, some incorrect information was mentioned regarding its built in storage. 48GB WITH a 16GB MicroSD, not 68GB as mentioned in the video I watched.
Any idea if the N97 has 3D acceleration, and the main processor speed?
Cheers,
James @ Nokia Creative
Did you have enough time to check if it has an accelerometer? The phone seems really nice, though I had really hoped Nokia would have announced a phone with a capacitive touch screen. I've played with PDA's with resistive touch screens since 2002, and from my experience they seem to wear out and become unresponsive after a few years of scratches and hard presses - so much that I've almost grown afraid to touch them! :0 (especially if I'm to pay +600€ for the device)
I have no experience of Nokia's new (it's new, right?) Symbian 5th Edition, but I've become so envious towards other operating systems' sleek looks and responsiveness that I can't help but wonder if I'd eventually lose my marbles with this Symbian-based phone's UI. Nokias Symbian OS'es have always felt kinda "bloated" and unresponsive to me.
Time will tell, right?
Cheers,
Kimmo
i love the photo of you holdin n97 it just captures the emotion and excitment you must of been feeling it 's quite funny too lol
I was hoping they would release it for the old non touch phones. Having widgets that would update information from the web at intervals.
Nice addition to the NSeries.
Are the nice transitions coming in the final product, do you think, or is this misrepresentation of the device's UI?
They take quite a toll on the 5800's performance, so I leave them switched off.
. My dream came true, a nokie with qwerty and touch.....don;t worry N97, we'll be together very soon.