After having anticipated and dreamt about the Nokia N97 since it was announced back in December and convinced myself of reasons why I should get it, I was finally able to lay my hands on it for the first time this week. There were screams of joy, uncontrolled laughter, thousands of pictures, some fondling, and I had to really do my best to resist the urge of running away with the device. After all, it was the first time I was meeting with official Nokia managers in France, and I didn’t want them to remember me as “the girl who stole our N97 and stormed out”. Anyway, here is my very biased first impressions from approximately one hour of play.
I’ve been a fan of the N97 for 3 years
First, let’s clear this out: I am no ordinary fan of the N97. I am not a fan of it because it’s a flagship, because everyone wants it, because I’m supposed to like it, or because I want to brag about it in front of the whole world. I have been a fan of the N97 for 3 years. No, I didn’t know about the N97 3 years ago, but the N97 is the convergence of everything I have wanted in a mobile device for over 3 years: touchscreen + qwerty, great mobile camera + gps + tons of internal storage + good battery, and a combination of the best features of the 3 handsets lying in front of me now: N82 + 5800XpressMusic + E71. But most of all, the N97 brings the ONE feature that I sorely miss since I gave up on Windows Mobile.
Let me explain: a long time ago, I bought a Windows Mobile 5 device and although the experience was horrid, I kept it for 10 months just because I was baffled by the versatility and the degree of customization of its homescreen. Some companies built applications that solely relied on it and after a bit of customization, I was able to get over the mess that is Windows Mobile’s interface by arranging everything the way I wanted on the homescreen. Everything suddenly became faster, more accessible and more enjoyable. I wanted THAT but on Symbian, that versatility and that simplicity with the stability and the fluidity that is Symbian. The N97 is the first device that brings it to Symbian and that, my friends, is why I am a fan of it.
Isn’t this the absolute best N97 image to have ever been captured?
(click on the images for the full 12MP goodness)
Answering personal concerns: build quality and size
Let’s get back to handling the N97. After having read about it everywhere on the internet and seen an exorbitant amount of pictures and videos I still had 2 worries that only physical contact with the N97 could answer: build quality and size.
Let’s face it, Nokia has been known to pump up poorly constructed Nseries for ages now, especially ones with sliders, so no matter how much I read that the slider was solid, I wanted to see it with my own eyes and feel it with my own hands. Here is my answer: the N97 IS solid. The materials are extremely nice to touch, the silver rim on the edge of the screen adds a lot to the classy feel, the back has very nice matte finish giving a good grip. And the slider is phenomenal: no wiggles and no spaces when it’s closed, opens with a good push, gives a nice click when it settles in place, and remains firmly open. I had my doubts about it, but after handling it for one hour, I can say that this baby is very well built.
Size wise, I was expecting the N97 to be a monster, especially after checking some pictures of it compared to the 5800XpressMusic, and after succumbing to the E71’s slimness for months now. I was surprised to see that it is very well sized, it fits nicely in the hand, it is slightly bigger than the 5800XM, but remains pocketable. The N97 is definitely NOT for people who worry about their phone sticking out of their jeans pocket, it isn’t an N85 or an N79, but given all the features that it packs and that monstrous screen and keyboard, it comes out pretty nicely on the feature/size ratio.
Nokia N97, 5800XM, E71, iPhone and 2 Blackberries
N97 and the great Mathieu Bertholo who found it easier to hold as a phone compared to his iPhone
The dark gray version isn’t cheap
I had noticed a lot of pictures of the dark gray version on the internet that made it look very cheap, especially compared to the white one. When seen in person, it’s not. Both versions have a very distinctive classy feel to them, with the dark gray conveying a sober business look and the white screaming elegance and distinction. Both are equally great choices, but also both worry me at some level: the dark gray one shows fingerprints a lot more distinctively, the white one might get dirty easily. So yes, it’s a dilemma.
Interface and usage
To tell you the truth, I didn’t have a lot of play with the interface on the N97, other than checking the widgets and trying to steal their installation files (whether or not I succeeded can only be answered if you stole my 5800XM and saw if they’re on it). The N97 brings the same touch interface as the 5800XM, the firmware seemed very stable, the screen is more reactive than the 5800XM and the scrolling feels easier. As for the widgets and their potential, there will be a full article coming up shortly on Symbian-Guru so stay tuned.
When it comes to the keyboard, I only tried typing “Hello World” on it, and it was OK. I blame myself for not testing the keyboard more efficiently, but as I said earlier, I can easily adapt to any form factor so the keyboard wasn’t high on my priority list.
I also tested the camera, but I was in a very dark lit bar and we all know that it’s not the dual-flash’s strong point. The pictures came out a bit grainy, but a bit better than I expected given my experience with the N96 and N85.
The N97 won’t repeat the N96’s shortcomings
The N97 has a huge void to fill left by the absolute flock that was the N96. I was afraid that the software on the N97 would be immature and lagging and that it would require 2 or 3 firmware updates to make it usable, but I found myself facing a device that is not only well built but also reacts well. Nokia doesn’t seem to have messed up on any front regarding the N97, and as a matter of fact you could say that the company who built the N97 is very different from the one that built the N96. Great times are ahead.
