Initial Days With Nokia N97
Hello readers,
I have had the N97 with me for a few days now… and i must say the device has grown on to me slowly but yes steadily. Why i say slowly is because the first 2 days it took me some time to get the hang of the device. Not that I say this as a negative. The device has so much to offer that you actually get bogged down.
The Built:
When I first felt the device in my hand, it felt super nice. The device gives you a very solid feel. If one is not aware that the n97 packs a slide-out QWERTY you cant tell, it is that solid and well built. The metal strip that runs all around the device adds to the quality and gives the device a very sophisticated and classy look. I still haven’t been able to get my hands on the white n97 but I am sure the white would go down in front of the black (and i thought I loved white phones). The one annoying thing is the back cover. It is plastic, i don’t mind the plastic but what I mind is when you open the cover it is scary. You actually have to force it open and same is with closing it. Nokia has again done well by giving a cover for the camera it not only protects the lens but also adds to the aesthetics of the device.
Coming to the slide-out QWERTY keypad i am super impressed. It is perfect Nokia has given a few lessons to all the manufacturers of slide phones. It is that good no creaks, no noise and it is amazingly smooth. I am totally in love with it.
The Touch experience:
The touch experience is amazing. I know all of u must be wondering that its the same as the 5800 but I personally feel Nokia has worked on the touch and has improved on it. I am personally a big fan of the hepatic feedback and love the fact that it has been improved a little from the 5800. All is not good but, the hepatic feedback sometimes refuses to function and you find yourself missing the vibration ( can be device centric so do not panic ). I hope Nokia fixes this problem with the firmware upgrade.
The Keypad:
I have already told you guys about my love for the sliding QWERTY keypad but I am not impressed by its functionality. The keys are nice and big and you get used to them in a few hours (constant usage i mean can be more for the average or below average user). But and i must say there are two big BUTS one is the placement of the Enter and the Backspace, I still haven’t got used to the placement. The second is the numerical keys, Why has not Nokia provided for long press of the keys two provide for the numerical keys. It can become cumbersome and actually quite irritating when you have to press the function key every time you need to use a number key. I am hoping the 2nd issue will be solved with a firmware upgrade. I am aware the 1st problem cant be removed but I had to put forward my grievance.
The Music:
I am not mighty impressed with the quality of music that the N97 has to offer. It is similar to the quality of the music provided by the 5800. I know some people feel that the quality of the music provided my the 5800 is quite impressive, but not me when you are spending Rs 30,000 on the device you better be provided with top of the line. I hope Nokia is listening. With regard to the earphones I am happy with the quality of the headphones (could have been better). Owing to the fact that the N-series is primarily a entertainment device, Nokia should have done much better.
The Camera:
The Camera is the standard Carl Zeiss Lens 5 MP which is nice and I am happy with it but why Nokia hasn’t given along with it Xenon flash is beyond my understanding. The N82 showed to us the Xenon flash improves the quality of the picture taken and I wish Nokia had given that aswell.
I know I am a demanding user but I believe that when you are required to shell out astronomical sums for a mobile phone you should be given nothing but the best.
I am done with the 1st of the many posts you will see me writing about the N97. My next post will cover the WIDGETS in specific and other aspects of the device which make it a WINNER.
Please leave in your comments if you want anything specifically covered.
Ciao
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June 28th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Nice preview =)
June 29th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Great review
But I have to say, the N97 was a bit of a disappointment to me… The keyboard has keys “out of place”, it's currently slower (benchmarks) than a 5800 etc etc but that most negative side to this story is that is costs more than twice the 5800 here in Portugal.
You get the 5800 for 299€, the N97 is on pre-order for 700€
IMO is a bit steep!
June 29th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
very strangely… when i used n97 keypad.. my perception really changed w.r.t. what ppl have been saying generally..
i for one find the key board comfortable for typing.. it's easy and soft on your fingers.. in fact i think nokia should adopt the same format for most of their devices.. very useful for ppl who spend a lot of time typing..
June 30th, 2009 at 12:02 am
The N97 is one of the best phones ever built by Nokia, but i have bought and i was disappointed on how much the Firmware is faulty, it is in major need of an update, Nokia should also listen to hands on customer forums on the nokia discussions site: http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/discussions...
I found a major Fault in Design which i will demand a recall for my phone and get a Brand new N82.
The Flaw is in the Camera, the LED flash are too close to the lens, when you take a night shot you always get a glare on the left side of the image.
Opps for Nokia, its a shame they didnt see that one…
July 1st, 2009 at 11:24 am
The major problem I faced was with the base / user memory , it fell from 45 mb to 5 mb in just a couple hours of usage and updates
http://senseapplied.com/index.php/n97-memory-pr...
July 1st, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Nice review Sehaj
July 12th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Gostaria de comprar um N97 na India para utilizar no Brazil isso é possivel? Pois como estou viajando pra lá iria comprar um N 97 ou N 96, E queria saber qual os valores destes modelos em Nova Delhi?
July 15th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
hahaha
July 25th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I had been looking forward to this for months.. yeah, it looks good, feels sturdy and I have got used to the weird keyboard layout.. but it's more buggy than a buggy thing… If you see what I mean, the Firmware update hasn't sorted the problems out, widgets crashing or just not updating – It's impossible to use internet radio (which I had to purchase since those Nokia Numpties didn't include internet radio!!) with any other application such as maps, given the processor is TOO slow.. I am completely underwhelmed with it…. the Nokia browser isn't the all singing all dancing browser we were promised, i.e. it's supposed to support flash, try using flash on the BBC website, and even when on 3g flash pages stutter and are unwatchable – no download facility on the iPlayer – no support for Skyfire (is downloaded and impossibly annoying to use) the OVI store has basic rubbish on it, and even if you find something you like, there is no guarantee it will work properly, i.e. trapster.
A real shame.. perhaps next time Nokia will have faith in me selecting items on the touch screen instead of me having to 'tap twice' on certain items.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Hi All,
I purchased N97 just 4 days before and today I have given it to the Nokia Service Centre!!
There is a bug in all N97 pieces and be careful before buying one. The software/fimware upgrades are not done and due to that the phone will start acting weird. My phone got locked without an option to unlock from the screen. The contact list format changed. The internet was totally flop. In all it was a broken ass piece of shit!!
September 10th, 2009 at 12:23 am
hang on there. nokia is rollong out fimware 2.0 in october and that will
change your n97 experience forever.