The Phones Show 82 (Nokia N97)

[NeDamoKosovo00]

And one more thing: on the camera lens cover it says: Carl Zeiss Tessar 2.8/5.4 ... And i noticed on my N95 8GB its 2.8/5.6. Whats that for?

[stevelitchfield]

All to do with how wide angle the lens is? Wouldn't worry about it.

[NeDamoKosovo00]

Ah okay, thanks. What can i do about the software update?

[stevelitchfield]

Ask the same question in the AAS forums! You need to break the problem down and get detailed answers, i think. It sounds totally messed up!

[NeDamoKosovo00]

Hey steve, im having some problems with my n97. I cant update the software. I was able to download the ngage, ovi contacts, bla bla. But cant do the phone update. It starts "processing" and then stops. For a month now.... I downloaded the software update on my PC but it doesnt see the phone in pc suite mode.... and neither does my normal pc suite program.... Or the pc suite program that i downloaded from nokia beta labs. Works fine in mass storage mode though

[bronxboyXXX]

The Samsungs HD's 8MP camera has nothing on the Nokia. Dont underestimate any 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. As far as the 32GB goes. Im happy to have it. A few divx files (once a decent decoder becomes available)' a bunch of Mp3's and its gone. This is just like a little laptop and almost as good as my Sony Cybershot DSC T1. do you honestly believe with such a nice camera & video recorder one would not use that up? Bit of advice; try shooting without the flash.

[bronxboyXXX]

The Samsungs HD's 8MP camera has nothing on the Nokia. Dont underestimate any 5MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics. As far as the 32GB goes. Im happy to have it. A few divx files (once a decent decoder becomes available), a bunch of Mp3's and its gone. This is just like a little laptop and almost as good as my Sony Cybershot DSC T1. do you honestly believe with such a nice camera & video recorder one would not use that up? Bit of advice; try shooting without the flash.

[LinuxGalore]

I had a look at the Omnia HD and N97, to be honest they all fall short in one way or the other. The HTC Hero looks interesting but is in desperate need of a faster CPU and a better screen. Shame there isnt a phone with the Omnia HD screen and Arm A8 cpu with the E90 keyboard running HTC's version of Android.

[stevelitchfield]

Ah yes, the mythical perfect device!!! 8-)

[reviewthis1]

I have 1 comment for this world. In review they will be saying that the iPhone 3GS is 3.5G which is faster then 3G and nokia n97 can't support that but in a review in the top left corner of the n97 being reviewed itsaid 3.5G so it just really depends on your os. BTW I am not a hater of either okia or apple.... ok maybe apple...lolz

[paintpokemon]

I would go for an Omnia HD. I saw a benchmarktest for multitasking. The omnia HD scored 506 , where the nokia N97 only had somwhere around 230. The Omnia can handle evrything , where the nokia is more for buisness-users. That's my opinon ;)

[08cct353rajanh]

hmm... i wonder if the n97 will be compatiable with s60 3rd edition apps. that would make it the ultimate symbian phone!

[stevelitchfield]

Errr... it is. Well, many of them!

[probulgarian]

Greetings Steve. I'd like to hear your personal opinion on the N97 cpompared to the Omnia HD. Which device is better? My vote is for the Omnia HD but I haven't had the pleasure of working with either of the devices. BTW does the N97 have a FM transmitter?

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, it has a transmitter. Can't comment on the Omnia HD since Samsung still haven't got any non-crippled ones to any users anywhere!

[MrExacerbate]

Rubbish. Italians have had unlocked i8910s for a month.

[kindredice]

i think htc touch pro 2 is the king of smart phones,not sure about its camera tho.

[steveypeavey]

Hiya steve. Just a quick question. How much of a dramatic upgrade is it between the n95 and n97?

[stevelitchfield]

Dramatic in terms of interface, though overall power and camera are about the same. More gadgets though 8-)

[tissot233]

Keep up the good work!

[eatthename]

The best phone for Nokia's is the Nokia E90 Communicator and the Nokia N97 and I refer buy these two very soon.

[bientje80]

Hey,

what choice would you make between 5800, omnia HD and N97?

I'm looking for a good UIF touch phone with long battery life, cool widgets and nice camera but just can't make a decision... :-(

[stevelitchfield]

Tough choice. Might depend on budget?

[bientje80]

budget doesn't really make a difference.. with the new contract i'm signing the omnia would cost me about 80 dollars (so i assume n97 is also in that price range). I'm leaning to buying the omnia, since i think the n97 is about the same only without the amoled screen.

[holyclap]

Steve,

I bought a Nokia 5800 US version a couple months ago and love it. But every time I see a friend with an iPhone I become jealous of their apps!

5800 feels app-less!

[stevelitchfield]

There weren't all five in the apps I tried...

[Petri87]

Hi Steve.

How is the video playback of long movies on the N97?Does it ever get out of sync whit the audio? I'm asking since I've had that problem whit other devices. And would you recommend this phone for people who want to upgrade from the N95 classic, whit the 32GB memory on the N97 beíng a huge plus?

Thanks for the great review.

[stevelitchfield]

It'll be fine. The 5800's fine apart from the odd stutter - but the N97 is 20% faster, at least. Not sure about an N95 upgrade though - it's a very diff form factor!

[HSNathan8]

Hey Steve,do u think the new apple 3gS is better than n97?,if yes y?

[stevelitchfield]

You mean the one that hasn't even become available yet, versus the one I only had for 3 days? Hard to tell!!!!!!!!!

[HSNathan8]

lol,i thought u wld get a hands on experience before its release,but there's a rumour that the n97,n86 and the 3gs r coming out on the 19th.

[stevelitchfield]

It's a busy month!!!

[kodoku42]

Many good points on this review.

The main reason I consider getting this phone is the hardware qwerty board. I just think I can get a better messaging and web browsing experience without that on screen board popping up.

Some are dissapointed with the layout but as with my experience on the 5800's on screen one I think this is too, a thing you can get used to.

Could you recommend this device for media consumption, messaging and web browsing if the qwerty's drawbacks aren't an issue for me?

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, I think you'd be quite happy.

[lovestosplooge111]

hi steve. love the show. ive just been wondering what would you say is the best thrid party app for turn by turn navigation for 5th edition that uses the integrated gps chip. ive been using tom tom on my previous s60 devices but dont kno if they or any of the major players in navigation have released anything for 5th edition. im planning on gettin a n97. i would use nokia maps but i dont want to pay those subscription fees.

[stevelitchfield]

But Nokia Maps is arguably cheaper than a traditional commercial app! Just pay £1.50 on days when you actually travel and need it. Say you use it 20 times in a year, that's only £30 etc. Or if you go away on a trip/holiday, it's only £6 for the whole month, I believe. Well, it suits me, anyway.

[jlo86]

Are there any hopes of Nokia releasing the N97 in 8Gb or 16Gb variants? 32Gb is a little too much for some of us, considering there's an expansion slot available.

How is the typing on the keyboard when the screen is tilted at that angle?

[stevelitchfield]

No, it's just the one size. Typing's fine with two thumbs, but it's no Psion replacement.

[gtdmouse]

Can you tell me if the N97 has gapless playback? And do you by chance know when the NAM version with the NA 3G frequencies will be released?

thanks.

[stevelitchfield]

No, and isn't it already out in flagship stores?

[eimajvl]

Great review...couple of questions..does the N97 have an on screen qwerty?how strong do you think the alloy hinge is?give your opinion comparing this phone to the Samsung HD which do you think is better at the moment?..yeah think thats it for now,again great review

[stevelitchfield]

1. No

2. Pretty strong

3. N97 (but it's close)

[strangerStranging]

Great review m8,is there any phone on the market that is a worthy replacement for the N95?

[stevelitchfield]

Not really, though there are loads of good options. I'd still be happy with an N95 in my hand though, at the end of the day!

[Duracelpupu]

good review :)

[vastenmielinen]

(saw it too ,in N a week ago)

but the software was non usable back then

lets see how it will make sales

[Hackerscbr]

i have sony k850i, how does the camera on the n97 compare to that?

I dont need a god like camera just something that takes decent pics and a few videos.

[stevelitchfield]

Better in sun, worse at night 8-)

[Salokinos]

oh, I just saw your video on the omnia hd, what's your thought on the it compared to the N97

[stevelitchfield]

It's an awesome device. Or will be, when Samsung finish it....

[Kehaan]

Hello.

And i will keep my Nokia E90 (As you show in the video) for a while :)

From Kehaan.

[Kehaan]

Hello.

Great review. Its weird they have sat the keyboard (The control keys, to turn right, left etc) in the left side? Would be a lot better to put that in the right side of the phone.

I think i will skip this phone, and see what there comes in the future.

But great review. Keep up the good work, as you allways do :)

From Kehaan.

[Salokinos]

Good review,

but I am so disappointed by the 97, I was really hoping for something great. Maybe I should wait for the omnia hd, when are you going to do a full review on that? I too am looking for the perfect device so I don't have to tote so many around. Cheers, and thanks for saving me 700 dollars.

[mujdin91]

i love my 5800. its great

[Temporaryaccount2]

By the way the RAM on the IPhone 3GS is 256 double that of the n97 and iphone 3g:)- hey what happened to my other positive comment?:S

[stevelitchfield]

Thanks. URL? Other comment??

[RouTechKid]

I enjoy watching u're show.And do u know about anything about the new 3.0 software for the Itouch?

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, out June 17.

[RouTechKid]

Thanx.I foud the beta version,i thnk.

[aaaarrroo]

so do you think that i should get this,or wait untill the new i fone comes out

[amrlabib87]

Hi Steve,

I am looking into getting rid of my N91 and I am somehow confused between the iPhone 3GS and the N97. I need a phone that can function as a very good organizer, email, calendar, everything, and at the same time I like a good media phone, but just to play media, I don't need a good camera on the phone. Which one do you recommend?

[stevelitchfield]

Both will be as good for you then, I suspect. N97 might edge it with the qwerty for email though?

[stevelitchfield]

Thanks, though it wouldn't raise as much as finding real sponsors. Noted for the future though!

[stevelitchfield]

Only for the one show though. I've got shows 83 and 84 sorted, at any rate, under another new sponsor. Still looking for someone for shows 85 onwards.

[coolraman08]

Hi Steve,

Would you recommend upgrading to N97 from 5800XM? I do not need a physical keyboard and 8 gigs is enough for me. What I want to know is that how much better is the UI?

[stevelitchfield]

Same UI, or at least 99% the same. A good upgrade if it's not too expensive to make happen?

[lextasy88]

i've never heard the keyboard being criticized.. it's kind of a shock to me, especially since it is the major selling point for the n97... :(

[stevelitchfield]

That's because some bloggers who received one aren't necessarily the most objective people to assess these things. Because I only had it for a week, with no possibility of keeping it, I could be 100% objective and fair. Hopefully 8-)

[lextasy88]

steve, what's your opinion on an upgrade from an n82? you own one too, would you wait for the satio or maybe the omnia HD or the n97?

for me, a 5MP is enough for capturing moments. i may have to use ny n82 on special occasions. but do you think 434mhz and 128 is low for todays market? SE has announced 512MB for X2, with upwards of 800mhz on other devices. i am very concerned about the 434mhz cpu and 128MB and the performance effect. also is the n97 keyboard as bad as you said it was

[stevelitchfield]

From the N82? Might want to go straight to Satio...

[gavrilaeugen]

steve how isi the speed for the first firmware on n97 , end where is the N86 8 mgpx ? :( :( :(

[stevelitchfield]

Pretty fast. And it kept getting delayed. Might see one in a couple of weeks, just before it becomes obsolete (only kidding, Nokia)

[gavrilaeugen]

about the keyboard in bright light maybe the white model is better ? i sent an email to nokia end they say " will be released this month on 23 :| " i have an n95 8 gb y try to update do v.31 but..... failure it was v.30 :|

[mrflibble1985]

i read somewhere that the iphone has 233mb of RAM

[stevelitchfield]

The 3GS? Sounds possible, though until we get them in our hands we won't really know. Hope so though.

[bandora]

N97 V11?? I thought the N97 is on v10.0.012?

[stevelitchfield]

Love to double check, but have just sent our review N97 over to Rafe in Sussex 8-)

[stevelitchfield]

No. It does have other optimisations though - it certainly didn't seem a slow device.

[djyxu]

So what do you think the phone was. I disappointment? I have an N82 and i've been saving up for a half a year for this phone i got enough money. Do you think its worth it? I do need an MP3 player and looking into a touch screen.

[stevelitchfield]

Should be a nice upgrade from the N82, but you'll lose the Xenon, of course 8-(

[Zubject]

Any chance of a Magic review coming up? I know its out in the stores where i live (dk), and so far everyone has been very excited.

[stevelitchfield]

Not out here yet, i think, I'm on the waiting list to get a review device....

[the2gun]

Great review thx a lot

[pachinko1972]

I think Nokia is in deep shit. The 3gs speeds on the internet a second to none. Nokia should of put a OMAP3 in the n97..

[Temporaryaccount2]

Congrats Steven on an amazing episode!! 5/5

[garvintimmann]

i would only replace my nokia e90 with this due to TV out, handy for playing divx's on large tv (making a portable divx player). however the processor isn't quick enough for pc formatted movies, so if you have an e90 I personally wouldn't see the point of getting this. good review steve, will wait in future for replacement to communicator series after e90.

[bandora]

The N97 will plaly pc formatted movies for divx.. I do that with the N95-1! So I believe that the N97 can do that too.

[stevelitchfield]

No, neither will - out of the box.

[hambo6969]

Thanks for the great review Steve. I have been hanging on for this phone for what seems like years! I just cant help feel that the phone does not have the same appeal as when announced last year, what with phones now being released with all of these features. It seems like a very good all round handset though and I'm looking forward to my upgrade. I just hope that something even more impressive doesn't come out in a month or two! Keep up the good work.

[MultiKdizzle]

Ohhh Omnia HD on top 5? glad to see that. On the other hand, N95 is outclassed by several new high end devices. And it's too bad the new iPhone is missing sooo much still.

[stevelitchfield]

It was the N95 Classic's turn (amongst N95 8Gb, N82 trio) and it's still the best at video recording, the best at still photos (of the three) - I tend to rotate them, rather than have the same one of the trio in all the time.

[stevelitchfield]

Just to clarify my comment. The N95 is only better at still photos than the N95 8GB (because of the camera glass protection) and it's better at video than the other two (camera glass again and better colour capture in the sensor than the N82).

[idcy]

so do you think this phone is worth it? im currently just using a sony ericsson k550i but itching to get a new phone, was waiting for the n97 but now im not sure... i also have eyes on the satio. Should i just wait a little longer??

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, give all these devices a few months to settle down....

[Babyalien83]

Steve, how well do the electronic compass work, how responsive is it,

its not a deal breaker, but I would like to see the map syncing up with reality nicely

thx for the video quality tests, thats enough for me I think, just the sound issue that can at least be artifically raised postp

[stevelitchfield]

The compass works very well, it helped Rafe and I a lot when we were testing it in Regents Park area in London last week.

[Babyalien83]

Steve, any comment on how well the compass/map intergration is

your review as ever is good, I enjoy watching em and finally subscribed

at least you havnt filled half your review moving the widgets round!

(did people get this excited when you cud move icons around in windows??? i dont remember that far back)

[surethom]

Does the N97 Still not have kinetic scrolling????

[stevelitchfield]

Yes, in the some of the most important places: Web, Ovi Store, etc. But it's not universal in all lists...

[garejnc]

Congrats on new sponsor :D

[lestube001]

great review.i was bored wih my n96 in month

[LeKabriol]

Really nice review...

I like the way you are objectif in all your reviews. ;)

I am now with a 5800, and don't know where to go... N97 or Omnia HD? Or is it so interesting to spend so much money compared to the 5800... Hoo sorry, I am geek, so yes it is. ;)

Any plan to review the Omnia HD?

Sure Satio is nice, but not available before the end of the year... :(

[stevelitchfield]

Stick with 5800 and see where Nokia take it with new firmware, if I were you.... With the money saved, send me a donation 8-)

[PoetryRocksAlot]

I thought it had a capacitive screen

[stevelitchfield]

Nope. Resistive.

[dimsum05]

Man, I wanted to get an Omnia HD, but the devices can't record audio to save it's life! N97 can't either (apparently) and also can't play 2 of my favorite video podcast's, which the N96 could, and I'm sure the Omnia HD probably will too.

I guess, it will be Satio for me, but the missing 3.5mm audio port will be missed... A LOT!

[stevelitchfield]

Both devices' audio will be improved in firmware though, you kind of have to take the long term view if you're planning to buy etc.

[PoetryRocksAlot]

I have a question, is there really a noticeable difference in stereo volume and quality in N-series devices?

[stevelitchfield]

Hmm.... yes, but I haven't been keeping records on this - they're all pretty good!

[dimsum05]

Well, with Samsung's "firmware update" track record, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[youngcalihottie]

thanks for another good show. im having a hard time deciding between n97 and 5730

[trevsweb]

was dissapointed to hear palm pre was delayed release here in the UK. Steve does vodafone or o2 support tethering?

[stevelitchfield]

Eh? I thought you could get online with any smartphone and any network? I've never had a problem. I mainly use Vodafone, but also worked with T-Mobile. I guess you'd have to be careful with data caps, but....

[trevsweb]

well i thought certain providers were against tethering and charged extra. i will be trying to get my contract mobile data upgraded for when i get my open pandora. atm im using a nokia n95 8gb which should be able to do it :)

[stevelitchfield]

Just don't TELL them that you're going to tether? 8-)

[trevsweb]

lol ok fair enough just thought there might be advantages to tethering upfront rather than doing it the sneeky way

[PoetryRocksAlot]

What does tethering mean?

[datenz]

Tethering is using your phone like a USB dongle to connect your laptop or PC to the internet. If you own a nokia, 'Nokia PC Suite' lets you do this with the click of a button. HIGHLY reccomended when staying in hotels or on trains, and wanting to avoid rediculous charges for browsing the internet.

If your going to try watching films over the internet though, it may be better to go legitimate and pay the £15 a month tethering charge to have an extended data plan usage.

[TzBom]

So, what do you recomend?

N97 or Omnia HD?

[stevelitchfield]

The latter has more potential. The former is more useable right now.

[TzBom]

You are so damn right ;(

Ok, which one would you choose?

I am sooooo confused right now.

[stevelitchfield]

I'd get both and use them in alternate months 8-)

[hord]

should put the sponsors link in the side text, im more likely to visit it when i can just click a link rather then remember the name of it and type it in.

[awaken69]

re. release of iphone OS3.0: nope, not "in a couple of weeks", but rather in 8 days (June 17.)! :D

[stevelitchfield]

I meant til the 3GS appears.

[awaken69]

well, that would be 2 days later then.. ;)

[ResetOriginal]

what happened to the nokia n86? i was really looking forward to that.

also, if you already had a chance to play around with it but not enough time to share, would you say that the n95 8gig is still the better of the two?

[stevelitchfield]

N86 was delayed and delayed. Should be here soon though. N95 8GB isn't the best smartphone in the world anymore - but it's darned close. I alternate which N95/N82 version I put in the top 5 each time, since they're so similar.

[ResetOriginal]

ah, well i do hope the n86 comes out soon aswell, i need a new phone, and the n95 8 gig is my choice but i'd really want to wait and see a good review of it first, and hearing that its out in singapore for about 490USD it sounds very tempting. - not sure if that is true for sure, just things i've been reading on gsm arena

[marksapollo]

Great review Steve. I think I'm stuck between the SE Satio (You going to review that?) and the Palm Pre if it ever gets to the UK. Is it just me or has the market now been flooded with smart phones?

[stevelitchfield]

Yes flooded. And yes, I'm looking forward to hammering the Satio - looks good so far though.

[browncash]

first to view this video!

Brilliant!