Nokia N-97: A Review

The thin line between the PDA phones and the other multimedia phones seems to be fast vanishing. The Nokia N97, though marketed as a multimedia phone is one of the best PDA phones around with every feature that a buyer could possibly look for in a PDA.

The phone comes with a full QWERTY slide keypad, a huge 3.5 inch touch screen, GPS with Nokia Maps and full 3G connectivity. The phone features the latest Symbian OS v9.4 and built in memory of 32 GB. One of the most awaited phones of 2008; the phone definitely lives up to the expectations and is bound to set the trend for phones of the future.

The Basics:

Design and Display:

The 150 Gms handset is not really heavy for the features it packs in but the unconventional design takes come getting used to. Available in a choice of jet black and pearly white, the phone comes with easy navigation buttons placed below the large 3.5 inch screen. The entire screen slides out to reveal the full QWERTY keypad converting the phone into a mini-laptop. Nokia has improved and tweaked the Symbian OS S60 greatly as compared to the previous versions, making the navigation easy and comfortable.

The large screen also features as a mode of input with a virtual full QWERTY keypad and handwriting recognition. The screen features an accelerometer that automatically rotates the screen on changing orientation and a proximity sensor for auto turn off.

Multimedia:

The phone comes with a great fully featured 5 MP camera. The camera comes equipped with Carl Zeiss optics with autofocus for sharper images. The dual flash ensures bright pictures even when the surroundings are not very encouraging. The Camera’s 4X digital zoom can capture pictures even from a good distance. The camera is also capable of recording great quality video with the large screen acting as a viewfinder.

Ever feel like pampering yourself with some pictures of yourself? The smaller secondary camera can be used to capture that elusive self portrait. The camera becomes more invaluable in today’s world of video calling.

The N97 comes with the near famed N-series music player that is able to play music in formats ranging from mp3 to AAC. The player also comes with a direct connection to the Nokia music store from where you can directly order your music straight to your phone.

The phone takes the experience of watching videos to the next level with the large screen and support for mp4 and 3gp. Enjoy music and video with your own personal headphones with the 3.5 mm audio jack.

The phone comes with a built in photo and video editor which lets you edit your multimedia and upload them directly via the internet.

Organizer and email:

The N97 comes with a great organizer complete with a full calendar that lets you organize your days well in advance. The phone also comes with preinstalled Lotus Organizer.

Nokia has managed to pack every form of email into the phone. The N97 comes with preinstalled Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express and Lotus Notes. In addition the phone has support for SMTP, IMAP4 and POP3 for web email.

Specifications:

Display: 3.5 inch TFT resistive touch screen with support for 16 M colors.
Dimensions: 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm
Weight: 150Gms.
Camera: Main camera - 5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels with autofocus, LED Flash, video light and Carl Zeiss Optics
Second camera – secondary VGA camera
Audio: MP3/WMA/WAV/eAAC+/MP4/M4V.
Video: MPEG4/WMV/3gp/Flash.
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging.
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP, mini USB, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, UPnP connectivity.
Internet: EDGE, GPRS, HSCSD, 3G, HTML, RSS feeds.
Games: Built-in and downloadable.
Memory: 32 GB internal with support for microSD memory up to 16 GB.
Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh (BP-4L), 408h standby and 6h talk time.
Extras:

• A-GPS with Nokia Maps.
• TV-out.
• Flash Lite 3.
• Pocket Office.
• Video and photo editor.
• Digital Compass.