 REVIEW : Nokia N95 [ Category - Mobile Phones ] |
 2007-12-11 13:10:48 - by  Marc B |
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Nokia N95: Feature Packed Powerhouse
Yet again Nokia have not ceased to amaze us with this amazing piece of gadgetry that doubles as a phone. For those of you who just want a phone that rings and sends SMS’ you may as well stop reading this right now. However for those of you that would like to see how many cool functions you can jam in a pocket sized device that can also be used as a phone, please, read on.
The N95 is the latest of the N series phones and also incorporates the Symbian operating system which, if you have owned any N-series phone before and didn’t have any trouble, you will be quite familiar with and enjoy using. One of the major benefits of using this software is the abundance of applications from both Nokia and third party providers. There are countless numbers of applications that range from time zone clocks all the way through to motion sensor applications that allow you to browse through the menus using movement of the phone alone. As an indication of the number of variants and types of applications available there is even a profile manager application that bases profile selection on time and GPS position so you can program in all your meetings, sleep patterns or GPS landmarks and not have to worry about always changing your phone profile. Because the Symbian operating system is an open source code it allows any third party to write Symbian applications, meaning that if there is a demand for a particular application then there is a pretty good chance that it is available somewhere on the internet.
This phone features an all new dual slider design with a slide one way giving you access to the phone’s number keypad and the second slide giving you direct access to your media player functions. This is very handy when using your phone as an mp3 player. You can be in the middle of typing a message and slide the phone out the other way to easily skip to the next song then get straight back into writing your message, without having to search around through menu functions. When accessing the media functions the phone view converts to a landscape view providing you a better view for all those really long band and song names as well as a better view of web pages while browsing.
The dimensions of this phone (99mm x 53mm x 21 mm) make the N95 out of contention for the slim and compact range. However, I found the phone to be of perfect size for my needs. It rests comfortably in my hands in both the closed and open positions with easy access to all buttons. For its size and range of features the N95 weighs very little and is noticeably lighter than its older brother the N80.
I have heard and read bad reports about the slider being flimsy and tacky. My experience was contrary to this and I found the whole sliding mechanism to be solid and quite liked the N95 slider locking mechanism. I was previously using the N80 which had no real spring feel to it and although I didn’t mind using this type of slider the N95 was definitely superior. During my research I did find some people complaining of a slightly loose slider and also came across an easy do it yourself fix which can be found here: http://www.n95users.com/Nokia-N95-Tips/Nokia-N95-Loose-Slider-Fix.html. I found this website very useful for information on how to take full advantage of my phone. It also has a forum section that is very handy for finding information and getting help on any problems that you may have with your handset.
The N95 features one of the best cameras of any phone on the market and is packing a whopping 5 mega pixels of picture clarity. It features a two stage capture button that allows you to focus the image before taking the shot so you can get those photos just right before capture. During testing I found that the default settings on the camera seemed to over saturate the picture in normal light conditions. This problem was overcome by reducing the exposure compensation and the light sensitivity. However I found the default settings very effective for taking photos at night or in poorly lit conditions and the results were far better than any other camera phone I have used. One thing that I did quite like was the fact you don’t have to sift through menus or unlock the phone and press buttons just to activate the camera. To change the phone to camera mode all you need to do is open the shutter and away you go.
I was also surprised at the video recording quality of this phone. With a resolution of 640 x 480 and shooting at 30 frames per second it puts the N95 at the top of the game when it comes to video recording on a mobile handset. Nokia also provides you with simple, yet effective, editing software that allows you to create your own slide shows and movies from your media library. This seems to top off the amazing media capabilities of this phone.
Another feature that singles out the N95 is the built in GPS receiver, giving the handset an additional range of unique features. The first and most useful is the satellite navigation. Nokia has provided a map downloader for maps in over 150 countries around the world. You are able to download all these maps for free and view them but unfortunately to activate the tracking and voice guided navigation features you are forced to pay a subscription fee to Nokia. I thought this was particularly unfair considering the price tag on the phone already and attempted all forms of contact with Nokia trying to suggest that they consider offering it free to users, but had no luck.
One of the major setbacks of the N95 is the lack of battery life. As most users purchase this phone for the long list of features it would come to reason that they are going to try to take advantage of them. I don’t understand why Nokia could not have compromised by adding a little more size and weight to supply the user with the much needed extra battery life. During the first few days of use when you can’t keep your hands off the phone and you can’t help but try use every feature, you are flat out getting 6 hours out of the battery. Granted that once use returns to normal it is easy to get a 24 hour period out of this phone you still don’t feel comfortable being separated from your charger for any long period of time.
When you step back and think about it, there isn’t a lot that this phone can’t do. With a 300 MHz processor you are pretty much walking around with a computer in your pocket. On top of the normal phone functions you can read and write office documents, view PDF’s, send and receive emails, use it as a wireless modem, watch movies using a 3rd party divX player, listen to mp3’s, use it as a data storage device, surf the web, it has a personal organizer, GPS navigation, digital camera, video out connection to put all your pictures on the big screen and the list goes on and on. Having purchased and owned this device for several months now the only feature that I was truly disappointed about was the request from Nokia to purchase a license to use the tracking and voice guided navigation features within Nokia Maps. Apart from this I have been extremely happy with the product and would recommend this phone to anyone that is after a feature packed mobile. So despite the hefty price tag, the average battery life and the above mentioned cost for GPS use, this phone is definitely worth every penny.
Pros : - Feature packed (see specs below) - 5 mp camera - Wi-fi capabilities - GPS - 2.6 inch screen - Standard mini USB input - Standard 3.5mm audio jack that doubles as a video jack - Dual slider for easy access to mp3 player controls - Stereo speakers - AV cable allows connection straight to your TV - Abundance of 3rd party applications - MicroSD expandable to 4GB of memory ( 6GB and 8GB cards being released next year)
Cons : - Average battery life - Default photo settings oversaturated - Cost to use GPS tracking feature - Cost of phone itself
Specifications Operating Frequency
Dimensions
Memory Functions
Power Management
Displays
User Interface
Call Management
Voice Features
Messaging
Data Transfer*
Imaging and Video
Mobile Video
Mobile Photography
Camera Specifications
Music Features
Visual Radio *
Navigation
Browsing
Digital home
Java Applications
Other Applications
Connectivity
RealPlayer media player
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