Nokia S60 News and Reviews

Apple iPhone 3G S vs. Nokia N97: The Definitive Head-To-Head!

The cinematic blockbusters of 2009 might have seen Megan Fox in hot pants and James T. Kirk Jr. saving the galaxy, but a huge scale war has been raging in the world of mobile phones - the Nokia N97 versus the 'new' Apple iPhone 3GS.

Both were released on the 19th of June, both are seen as the flagship device for the respective manufacturers, and both are touchscreen superphones which will allegedly make our lives infinitely easier!

With over 1 million iPhone 3G S handsets sold in the first three days of launch, does Nokia's latest have what it takes to maintain the Finnish manufacturer's hold on the top spot?

This comparison starts with a tale of the tape, then we will have a closer look at the box office potential of these two superstars.

Size

The Nokia N97 measures 117.2mm (H) x 55.3mm (W) x 15.9mm (D) whilst the 3G S is 115.5mm (H) x 62.1mm (W) x 12.3mm (D). 

As weight goes, the Nokia N97 weighs a hearty 150g compared to the iPhone 3GS' weight of 135g, two grams more than the 3G model. Granted, a lot of that is due to the QWERTY keyboard that slides out of the former's ample rear, making for a full physical and touch combination. A fair concession, but added to the narrower and longer layout of the N97, it makes for a slightly more unwieldy device as pockets go...

Display

Whilst both handsets have a 3.5" screen, the Nokia N97 opts for a widescreen (16:9) display, which makes it a joy for watching movies. The 3:2, 320 x 480 display on the iPhone makes for a wider, yet shallower screen, a nicer form factor as the expense of a native screen for media.

Camera

The N97 trumps the iPhone 3G S in both quality and quantity, with a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens and LED flash, for both great stills and video recording. Apple finally acknowledges that people might want to take pictures with their iPhone 3G S, giving a 3MP autofocus camera, 30fps VGA video recording, and a mini edit-suite for trimming movies before uploading them.

Operating System

Symbian S60 version 5 gives touchscreen functionality to the N97, whilst the iPhone's Mac based OS is still as slick, intuitive and gorgeous as ever. The N97 definitely feels a little last-gen with the Symbian interface, a system in dire lacking in features like multitouch (a staple on the iPhone and Palm Pre), and need of modernisation to compete with impressive 3D displays like LG's S-Class on the Arena or the Touch Wiz 2.0 on the forthcoming Samsung Jet.

Memory

The iPhone 3G S has memory has a massive premium as the 16GB is somewhat cheaper than the hefty 32GB model. With no memory expansion apart from buying a larger model, the N97 is awesome by taking 32GB and lets you beef it up by 16GB via a microSD slot.

Applications

The App Store is 50,000 applications deep, full of programs, tools and games offering functionality far beyond the original iPhone days. Manufacturers are already in the process of making third party controllers to enhance functionality of the gaming side of things, and the new, faster CPU inside the 3G S makes things all the more sweet.

The Nokia equivalent is the Ovi Store, almost 1,000 deep with a wide array of apps from Star Trek trailers and Java games to social networking software. It's still relatively embryonic, but the iPhone still trumps it as far as finding useful apps that are competitively priced goes.

With the addition of support for movie and music video downloads, iTunes cements itself as the platform of choice to enhance your phone. Time will tell if Ovi Store can catch up!


GPS

Another feature stepped up in the iPhone 3G S is the support for a digital compass, allowing the Google Maps functionality to expand in the region of providing orientation as well as location, allowing to see which direction you are facing as well as where you are. An impressive improvement on the existing GPS/A-GPS features.

Nokia's internal GPS architecture can be used with a variety of third party solutions in addition to Nokia Maps, including turn-by-turn navigation software which is something the iPhone cannot claim...yet. More driving navigation apps are very much on the way for both handsets though!

Communications

HSDPA is stepped up on the 3G S, 7.2 Mbps immediately translates into much faster web browsing and faster download speeds! The N97 is no slouch with a 3.6 Mbps speed, but with a more robust browser supporting Java and Flash it makes websites take a little bit to load them up. Do you want most of the internet, really fast, or all of the net but in a little bit more time?

Bluetooth 2.0 has finally included headset support to its roster for the 3G S, meaning wireless music - finally! It allows the iPhone to keep up with the N97, as both have Wi-Fi connectivity and support for their respective online stores.

As phones, both are still strong handsets with Voice Dialling and speed dial contact features via shortcuts. Funny how making and receiving calls has almost become a supplementary feature to these top flight devices!

Verdict

The interesting thing to note is that on paper, the N97 should thrash the new iPhone. Better camera, a higher resolution screen at a better aspect ratio, more memory and a physical keyboard for those not head over heels for haptic feedback. However, the asthetic allure, the user interface and the apps make the 3G S such a strong device. It may be an incremental advancement on the iPhone 3G, but it fixes the handset in (most of) the right places! All of the shortcomings that they felt existed have been improved upon.

The Nokia N97 has the form factor and functionality to set the pace, but I fear that Symbian is holding them back ever so slightly...a flagship handset which is so similar to an entry-level device in terms of menus and navigation (5800 XpressMusic) is a very risky proposition... If we could see an update to the software to match those initial concept vids, then the N97 would be unreservedly better. As it is, it just has a few issues that keep it from taking down Apple's iconic device.

Nokia N86 overview

I was lucky enough to be at Nokia's N97 / N86 launch on Friday in Regent street and got to play with both handsets. 

The N86 has an incredible 8 mega pixel camera, an OLED (QGVA) screen, duel slide keyboard, etc. In fact besides the camera, the spec isn't too different to the Nokia N85. Just like the N85, the Nokia N86 features an AMOLED screen, which will give a brighter screen, increased colour range, improved contrast ratio and reduced power usage.

The design is very sleek and attractive and at 149g it's certainly pocketable. The whole front of the phone is covered by tempered glass which looks awesome. Enhancements such as the enlarged Dpad make the control cluster easier to use.

The overall build quality of the phone is excellent. Nokia really have improved the build quality of the NSeries. There's a big difference holding the N95 in one hand and the N86 in the other.

What struck me most though, was the quality of the camera. It's without a doubt the best I've seen on a Nokia handset. I was lucky enough to get an early glance at some of the shots Rafe over at Allaboutsymbian had taken. When compared with other Nseries handsets, the N86 was significantly better.

Checkout Rafe's Nokia N86 review for a more detailed look at the phone. It's definitely worth a read.

Nokia N97 stress tests

Today myself and Kenny from N97Geeks have put the N97 through it's paces with a series of stress tests.

The tests range from screen scratch resilience to water tests. The aim of the tests is to give N97 users an idea of just how durable the N97 is and what to expect if the phone happens to drop out of their pocket or in to a bowl of cereal, but hopefully the average user won't be playing with their phone over a bowl of cereal, but you never know.

Tomorrow we'll be doing a couple of drop tests. I know a few friends who dropped their iPhone and cracked the screen, so it'll be interesting to see how the N97 fairs up. We did a couple of tests last night but they didn't come out too well but the screen didn't crack, even when dropped on concrete from head height. Hopefully it will hold up during tomorrows tests.

Source: N97 Geeks

Installing OVI Maps 3.0 on a Mac

With the release of Nokia Maps 3.0 on the horizon, Nokia have released Maps Updater. Unfortunately for Mac users, it's an .exe PC only file.

I'm an avid Mac user, as well as a Nokia fan. So how on earth do I get Maps on my phone?

Well thankfully it's not difficult, but more difficult than it should be none-the-less. N97 Geeks have posted a guide to installing Maps on Mac and conveniently included the Maps .sis file to download. If you're using Safari, right click the download link and save as, otherwise safari will try to unpack the file.

The worst part is, Maps Updater simply installs the .sis file, it's absolutely unnecessary.

Source:N97 Geeks.

Nokia N97 Unleashed: The Best Of The Web!

The Nokia N97 might be weeks from release, but the online community is already ablaze with reviews, videos, opinion and content. In the lead up to the launch, I thought it'd be a good time to round up some of the best of what's on the internet right now!

Initial opinion is largely positive regarding the slick smartphone from Nokia, yet honest first impressions from ZDNet's David Meyer lament the resistive screen and middling build quality. He did like the smooth sliding keyboard and purposeful nature of the home screen widgets.

Steve Litchfield's epic review on All About Symbian is equally glowing regarding the slider mechanism and build quality in general, chucking in positive comments regarding the powerful battery, selection of pre-installed content and the visibility of the screen in various lighting conditions.

He also goes into an interesting level of detail regarding imaging quality from the 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, as well as web browsing on the S60 v5 device.

A commenter on the Nokia Blog chucked in a great post of Nokia N97 pros and cons after a half hour NYC store demo. Loving the slick picture viewer with iPhone style 'bouncy' physics, the phone's surprisingly small size and the quality look of the black model, they only found fault with the disappointing D-pad, the removal of a virtual QWERTY for fully closed usage and overly small buttons.

If you want to buy Nokia N97 in the UK and it just has to be white, it looks like the only place you'll be able to do it is from Phones 4 U, according to Pocket Lint. The exclusive lasts for 2 months, and will be released in most European territories on a contract from the 26th of June. The good part is that it will be available for free on a 24-month, £40 contract but anyone afraid of being tied down will have to shell out £100 up front on a £35 monthly deal. Plenty of texts and minutes are chucked in with both.

There are a few N97 deals popping up from the other retailers, eager to get preorders in way before release. One thing for certain is that the N97 looks to be big this summer!

The hype train for the N97 has left the station, with it already becoming the choice for celebrities (if they get paid), popping up in the new Black Eyed Peas video for 'I Gotta Feeling,' showing off the slider form factor and web browsing on the black version.

An exciting offical event to whip up interest was also hosted on a number of sites, where cryptic clues and taxing riddles led to 8 Nokia N97 winners in the 'Search for N' campaign, the UK arm being run in conjunction with NokNok.tv.

Completely at a loss to what all the fuss is about with the Nokia N97? Think it just looks like an Xperia X1 knockoff? Prepare for a full N97 re-education courtesy of Cnet, with an exhaustive guide to the ins and outs of the most exciting handset to come from the Finnish manufacturer! Detailed pics show off what comes in the box, whilst a quick vid of Flora with the N97 gives us a look at the handset close up.

The winner of the 'best and most detailed foreign review' has to go to blog-n97.fr, who have filmed a magnum opus like no other, showing off every single facet of the super smartphone device. Unfortunately, just like the best foriegn film Oscar winners, their work was oft overlooked due to not being in the English language...take a peek, it's worth it!

Not sure if the N97 can replace your digital camera/camcorder? Check out this amazing selection of N97 pictures and videos, compiled if not personally taken by the Nokia N97 Blog. Frankly amazing!

All this, from a phone that is still a couple of weeks away from release! It's genuniely exciting to see the level of interest which many people have waited a long time for. Some handsets, from Nokia as well as other manufacturers, have disappointed this year. With feedback ranging from muted to glowing, it looks like the Nokia N97 might be the one to kick off the avalanche of really impressive handsets for the summer!

Manual Focus: An Interesting Touch Screen Innovation

A Tweet, I tweeted the other day:

LG Viewty Smart & Samsung Pixon will do it, will Nokia & Apple do it? Choosing camera focus with touch: http://tinyurl.com/touchfocus

Honestly the most interesting bit of the new camera phones that LG and Samsung have coming out in Q2 & Q4 is not the 8.1 megapixels on the LG Viewty Smart nor the 12 megapixels on the Samsung Pixon, but the fact that both of them will be using the touch screen to introduce a "manual" focus to camera phones. By touching the area of the view screen, you can choose what part of the photo that you want the camera to focus on. This is very exciting.

I am *shocked* that the Apple UX geniuses did not first come up with this innovative use of the touch screen as applied to camera phones, but then again, I am not really shocked, as the camera is just an after thought on the iPhone.

When I had my 45 minute trial of the Nokia N97 at SXSW where I compared its photos to the photos that my Nokia N95 took, my biggest complaint about the Nokia N97's photos is that the focus was off. It would be great if the N97 had the touch focus feature on it, as then I could have chosen where or who I wanted the camera to focus on rather than have sharp backgrounds and slightly blurry subjects.

Hey Nokia! That first firmware update for the Nokia N97... The update you will most likely release in July? Make sure that touch screen camera "manual/auto" focus is a part of that update, as it is too brilliant and and too useful to be left out.

This bit of mobile camera phone opinion is brought to you by Ms. Jen of blackphoebe.com.

Nokia N97 Review

Blog-n97.fr originally released a review on the N97 in French, N97 Geeks then translated the review to English. Checkout the Nokia N97 Review in English.

This video, again from blog-n97.fr is in French but you'll get a good idea of the handset, it's form factor and how it performs.