quick guide

N97 View:

The N97 enters the fray stomaching 32GB of on-board storage, double that of any mobile device currently in existence, and can take up to another 16GB via microSD, enabling it to become a portable multi-media computer with 48GB in the pocket. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.

With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their ’status’ and share their ’social location’ as well as related pictures or videos.

* A 3.5-inch TFT resistive touchscreen, with 16M colors and a 360 x 640 pixel resolution
* The screen has an accelerometer sensor for auto-rotating the display
* Supports handwriting recognition
* It has a slide out full QWERTY keyboard
* 3.5mm earphone socket that doubles up for a TV out for audio and video
* Stereo FM radio with RDS, Visual Radio and an FM Transmitter
* Bluetooth with A2DP and USB 2.0 (micro)
* 3G (with HSDPA), EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi
* a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics
* GPS with A-GPS support, a Digital Compass and geotagging
* 32GB of internal storage as well as support for microSD cards
* Pocket office preloaded

N-96:





Nokia N96 Overview

The Nokia N96 is a multi-functional smart phone that is designed to fully integrate mobile communication with the use of the phone for entertainment purposes. The major point of interest that makes this new phone so appealing is that it has advanced video and camera capabilities that are unlike those seen in previous generations of smartphones. In addition to these video capabilities, this phone has taken music playing, Internet connectivity and GPS features to the next level. It is also notable that the new design makes it an efficient phone to use and one that’s user-friendly despite how advanced the features of this phone may be. It’s priced around 550 Euros and is due for release in the upcoming weeks.
N96 as Part of the NSeries

The Nokia N96 is a smartphone that is part of the NSeries from Nokia. These are all multi-media smartphones that are each capable of supporting one or more high speed wireless technologies. In the past, the primary reason that people have liked the NSeries has been because the goal of this series is to combine as many single-device features as possible into one multi-functional phone. This continues to be the reason that people are interested in the N96 with the major difference being the addition of advanced video viewing capabilities on the new device.

Officially this is the phone that will replace the N95. In addition to the major change of adding advanced video viewing features, there are some smaller but still significant differences that enhance the experience of using the later version over the original. It has double the memory of the older smartphone and has a battery life that is designed to last longer which means that the phone is capable of doing more over a longer period of time without recharging than the old phone was capable of doing. Improved audio quality, upgraded FM radio, and geotagging of pictures taken on the phone are additional features that differ greatly from the previous version of the phone.
Camera and Video Features On the N96

Most interesting for many people is the fact that is has such advanced camera and video camera features negating the need to carry a separate digital camera. It also eliminates the need for any type of separate video viewing device. Additionally, this smartphone is capable of advanced television viewing which really takes it to the next level of mobile entertainment which is the direction that all phones are trying to move towards in the modern market.


Here are some of the camera and video features and facts that a consumer should know:

• The camera is a fully-functional five megapixel camera which means that there is no need to carry (or even own) a separate camera; this camera phone can do all of the things that you would want from a traditional stand-alone digital camera device. The camera has a dual LED flash which means that it is capable of taking high-quality pictures in all different types of settings. All of the features and options that you would expect from a stand-alone camera are also present including the option of self-timer photo taking.
• Photos are capable of being stored in either JPEG or EXIF Format. These pictures are also capable of being tagged with the location of the pictures using the GPS features available with the Nokia smartphone. This means that the phone is capable of being used successfully by those people who engage in online social networking and mobile social networking which includes the sharing of pictures and integration of images into the social networking sites. This smartphone is capable of instant upload to sites like Flickr and Google.
• Also included is a fully functional video camera with advanced features including stabilization which means that the wobbliness that is often experienced when recording footage with a smartphone is going to be reduced or eliminated when using the phone for video recording. Editing and sharing features are also present as part of the video camera
• There’s a second camera in the front of the phone that serves the purpose of facilitating video phone calls between individuals interested in speaking face to face with one another. This is a feature that is particularly of interest to those people who want to use the N96 for video conferencing and for mobile VoIP with video capabilities.
• It doesn’t just do photos and video playback either, but also full-function mobile entertainment viewing. This includes everything from accessing YouTube videos with the phone’s mobile browser to actually watching DVB-H live TV broadcasting.



It should also be noted that the camera and video features of the Nokia N96 are enhanced by the larger screen, which at 2.8 inches is an improvement on the N95. It displays up to sixteen million colors on a display resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.
Nokia N96 Music Playing Features


Although the standout thing that people are talking about with the N96 is the camera and video entertainment features of the phone, it is also important that the smartphone is capable of all different types of media playback. The advanced music features reflect that the phone does indeed meet the expectations of customers in this area. Some of the most outstanding features of the music player include:

• An extensive memory so the individual consumer can store a massive amount of music on the phone’s media library. This phone has 16 MB of internal memory which is twice what was offered on the most advanced version of the Nokia N95. This means that it is capable of storing up to 3500 songs on the internal memory of the phone alone.
• A built-in FM radio with RDS. This means that the user can listen to songs on the radio and get the information regarding those songs on a display on the phone’s screen.
• Advanced audio features which significantly improve the listener’s experience when playing music on this device. These features include built-in 3D stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm headphone connector. There is also an audio equalizer intended to enhance the sound of the music.
• Media sharing and the storage of media in a way that is organized and designed to ease use. For example, it is possible to store playlists of favorite music on the device and then to easily access those playlists using design features like the Naviwheel.

With a certain other music/phone convergence device still only days past its mkII release, it was essential that the N96 catered for the music playing mobile phone customer, and although it is no doubt a phone first and a music player second, the music offering should be sufficient for most people.

N-95:



About a year ago Nokia released a tech-freak's dream of a handset offering a mouthwatering horde of features in a fairly compact size. The omnipresent N95 spawned a successor and now the question is how much better can it get. Nokia N95 8GB sure has good genes but there still seems to be enough room for improvement. At first glance, Nokia has heeded user complaints with the original and addressed them properly. However, we are yet to see if the enhancements are enough to make the N95 8GB the definitive upgrade from the previous model or is it about laurel-resting mostly.


Key features

* 2.8" 16M color QVGA display
* 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics
* Massive storage capacity and increased RAM
* Wi-Fi with UPnP technology
* Built-in GPS receiver and A-GPS functionality
* Nokia maps application covering over 100 countries worldwide
* Dual-slide design with dedicated multimedia keys
* Standard 3.5mm audio jack
* 3G (with HSDPA), EDGE and GPRS support
* Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60 3rd edition Feature Pack 1 user interface
* TV-out functionality
* 1200 mAh battery

Main disadvantages

* No camera lens protector
* No RDS system for the FM radio
* Below average GPS performance, no 3rd party apps support
* Extra charges for voice assisted navigation
* Cannot edit office documents
* No card slot
* Doesn't charge when connected to USB


So, back to comparing N95 and N95 8GB, I start with the hardware differences of these two handsets. The Nokia N95 8GB has a larger screen, and in reality the 0.2" do make a difference. The display truly looks larger than you might guess. The QVGA resolution stays the same and is adequate for providing great picture quality, especially when combined with the 16.7 million color support. Other benefits of Nokia N95 8GB over its predecessor is the doubled RAM, which makes the phone faster, even with more applications running in background. The card slot however has been ditched and this might seem perfectly coherent with the 8GB of storage space provided. On the other hand, a card slot can be very useful as a file transfer medium. Though not so frequently used, it's worth having data transfer options. Another advantage of Nokia N95 8GB is the notably better battery life. Short battery life was probably the most criticized feature of the original N95, some heavy users reporting to have been forced to recharge a few times a day. Now, with the 1200 mAh and the demand-paging feature enabled, the Nokia N95 8GB is a real step up. The fact that only the most essential parts of the programs are loaded in the RAM memory with the rest remaining on the mass or phone memory until it is needed reduces the memory-needs of the phone and therefore increase the battery life. However, it is not all milk and honey for the Nokia N95-2. The spoon of tar is the removed camera lens cover. The newly released phone relies only on a slight recess for camera lens protection from dirt and smudgy fingers.

Nokia N95 vs Nokia N95 8GB - dimensions are almost identical • No lens cover with the 8GB version • The BL-6F battery outdoes the BL-5F

N-93:




The Nokia N93 has been on the market for some time now and it did arouse a lot of commotion when it was first officially announced. The extraordinary Carl-Zeiss optical zoom combined with a Vario-Tessar lens was enough to rocket the anticipation of Nokia fans to the skies. This combined with video capturing in VGA resolution at a high framerate is an outstanding achievement that not before long was something reserved for the digital camcorders realm. Now the time has come to see for ourselves how good in reality the ground-breaking Nokia N93 is.

Nokia N93 Nokia N93 Nokia N93 Nokia N93 Nokia N93

Key features:

* 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and 3x optical zoom
* Video recording in VGA resolution@30fps
* Twist and Shoot clamshell form factor
* Symbian OS 9.1 S60 3rd Edition UI
* miniSD card slot
* Stereo FM radio
* 50 MB internal memory
* Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, Infrared, UPnP and TV-out connectivity options
* Rather comfortable keyboard

Main disadvantages:

* Large and heavy
* Picture and video quality not so great
* Optical zoom buzzing gets recorded in videos

The phone is supposed to be delivered in a package along with a Nokia stereo headset HS-23, a Nokia USB cable CA-53, a Nokia TV-out cable CA-64U, a wrist strap, a pouch, and a 128 MB miniSD memory card. All this is market dependent of course, so take that information with a grain of salt.



Nokia N93 Nokia N93 Nokia N93 Nokia N93
Nokia N93 held in hand

However, it turned out that the striving for making it the utmost multimedia machine has turned the Nokia N93 into the utmost uncomfortable mobile phone to use in your everyday life. The sheer size of the thing makes it a portable device that most probably would end up lying on the shelf besides your digital camera just begging to be taken out on those weekends out of town. What we are trying to say is that the multimedia part of the device has evolved so much that now it's no more comfortable to carry it with you and take the occasional snapshot from time to time - while this was the original idea when incorporating digital cameras into mobile phones. Nokia has just crossed the line and went too far this time - venturing into an entirely different product category. But when you take a not-so-good digital camcorder, combine it with a not-so-smart smartphone, add up a size that would easily make you start thinking of carrying a bag, and finally put a price tag exceeding that of the latest PocketPCs and smartphones on the market, then… you are in for a highly dissatisfying product.

Nokia N93 is available in two colors - silver and black. Our phone we got to test was the black one.

N-91:




8 GB hard disk • 2 megapixel camera • Symbian 9.1 OS • brilliant music player • Voice recognition • Bluetooth • EDGE • Wi-Fi • 3G compatibility. With all those rich features the phone packs quite a punch, but would it make it to the final round?

Nokia N91 Nokia N91 Nokia N91 Nokia N91 Nokia N91

Key features:

* Steel body parts
* External music controls on the sliding keypad cover
* 2 megapixel camera
* 8 GB hard disk
* Standard 3.5 mm jack
* Wi-Fi
* 3G networks support
* Symbian 9.1 OS
* Active stand-by mode
* Built-in FM radio
* USB support
* Extremely fast Java
* Manual keypad lock
* A number of extras that come in the original package

Main disadvantages:

* OS incompatibility
* Way too many constructional drawbacks for this price range
* Quite big and heavy
* Display is poorer than competitors' displays
* Poor macro mode of the camera
* No Infrared port
* Slower than common mobiles

N-82




Nokia N82 is considered the next N-series bestseller and, guess what, it has already hit the shelves. Following the sweeping success of Nokia N73, it was a pretty sure bet that a worthy successor wouldn't take long to appear. As we see it, Nokia N82 fits that description perfectly and our eagerness to test it for you should come as no surprise. So join us as we explore the world of Nokia N82.



Key features

* 5 megapixel camera with auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics
* Xenon flash and active lens cover
* 2.4" 16M color QVGA display
* 128 MB RAM
* Wi-Fi with UPnP
* Built-in GPS receiver and A-GPS functionality
* Nokia maps application covering over 100 countries worldwide
* Convenient standard 3.5 mm audio jack on the top
* 3G (with HSDPA), EDGE and GPRS support
* Symbian OS 9.2 Series 60 3rd edition Feature Pack 1 UI
* TV-out functionality
* Automatic UI rotation
* Stereo speakers
* Large capacity battery

Main disadvantages

* Controversial design and questionable ergonomics
* No RDS for the FM radio
* Below average GPS performance
* Extra charges apply for voice assisted navigation
* No office documents editing application
* Doesn't charge off USB

Nokia N73 is said to be the most successful Nseries handset to date, with monstrous sales figures compared to the rest of the N-series lot. N82 comes to succeed it and become the most affordable of feature-loaded Nokia cameraphones. The Finns quote its price at 450 Euro pretax, which sounds reasonable, given the included features and the 2GB of memory card supplied in the package.



The almighty Nokia N95 8GB should probably also feel threatened for the lack of the sweet Xenon flash and the auto UI rotation of its N82 sibling. We still believe though the extra 0.4-inch difference in the display size will also play a major role in choosing between these two devices.

Nokia N82 compared to Nokia N95 8GB

Another potential rival is the Sony Ericsson K850 although being a non-OS device actually puts it in a different market niche. Still, it would be wise of cameraphone lovers to carefully consider both devices before purchasing their next handset. So, to them, and any other interested in the qualities of Nokia N82 for whatever reason, our review takes off after the jump.

N-81:



The Nokia N81 8GB is a truly exciting smartphone combining the power of Symbian 9.2 OS spiced up with the new N-Gage platform. What we have in N81 8GB is entertainment and multimedia unleashed. Not only does its specs sheet impress, but it promises tons of fun. With that said you cannot blame us for being too eager to test it out, can you? So please make yourselves comfortable and join us for this review.




Key features:
Massive storage space (8GB version)
Symbian OS 9.2 S60 3.1 UI
Wi-Fi support
Unique gaming experience with the new N-Gage platform and dedicated gaming keys above the display
Brilliant 2.4" 16M-color QVGA display
2 megapixel camera
3.5 mm audio jack
Touch sensitive Navi wheel
Dedicated music keys and hardware keypad lock switch
3G with video calls
Nice multimedia menu


Main disadvantages:
Mediocre camera
Awkward D-pad
Hefty weight
Uncomfortable keypad
No HSDPA

As you all know, there are two versions of the handset - standard and 8GB. The standard version features a memory card slot, the other has none but offers the exciting 8GB of onboard memory. We are looking at the Nokia N81 8GB but all of it holds true for the standard Nokia N81 as well. Therefore, from now on we are going to simply call it Nokia N81.

N-80:


N80, one of the latest Nokia handsets, hit the market not long ago and surely it made some big waves along the way. The phone comes in a place of very high class business phones with bunch of features and extras. It features a very good 3 megapixel camera, a hi-resolution display, a miniSD card slot, a FM radio and all this is backed up by advanced connectivity technologies such as quad-band GSM, 3G UMTS, EDGE, and Wi-Fi. The Symbian 9.1 OS with the 3rd Series 60 User Interface is responsible of keeping the phone as smart as possible, while the slider form factor really adds class to the business nature of Nokia N80. There are only several problems that could use a fix. But all in all, the phone packs a good deal of horsepower under its bonnet.



Key features:
Brilliant display
Symbian OS
Incredible web browser
miniSD card slot (128MB miniSD card included in the package)
Very good 3 megapixel camera with flash
Excellent audio quality
FM radio
40 MB internal memory
All connectivity options - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, USB
UMTS and EDGE support


Main disadvantages:
Rather big dimensions
Top row of the numeric keypad is hardly reachable
No compatibility between Symbian 3rd Generation and lower versions
FM radio lacks RDS
No automatic keypad lock when slid in
Camera lens is not protected

The phone is supposed to be delivered in a package along with a Nokia stereo headset, a Nokia USB cable, a wrist strap, a 128 MB miniSD memory card and a Nokia 3.5 mm audio jack adapter for using regular headphones with the phone. All this is market dependent of course, so you shouldn’t count on that information.

N-78:



Love it or leave it won't do here, we're afraid. Love it or hate it is more like it. There's so much to get excited about with Nokia N78. The excellent display and capable camera, topped with Navi wheel, FM transmitter, GPS and Wi-Fi sure round off a nice deal. And yes, the latest FP 2 is a downright treat. If only… Well, you must know already what we think of the package. Anyway, you're welcome to read on. Nokia N78 has a whole review up ahead to unleash its potential and a lifetime to beg for a facelift.



Key features:
2.4" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus and LED flash
S60 UI with Feature Pack 2
FM transmitter
Navi wheel
3G with HSDPA
microSD card slot, 2GB card in the retail package
GPS receiver and 3 months of free voice-guided navigation
Wi-Fi
Stereo speakers
3.5mm standard audio jack
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB connectivity (microUSB port)

Main disadvantages:
Keypad or whatever they call it
Shaky battery cover
Not our kind of design
Call, End and C key placement
FM transmitter has weak signal

Nokia N78 stacks up just below the top of the multimedia phone market. The megapixel count and screen size are probably the only things to stop it from directly competing with the N95. It is still quite close and even offers a few features that the omnipresent Nseries ruler lacks.

N-76:



Nokia N76 will fascinate you! Not only will you fancy its slim clamshell body, but you will also like its rich functional portfolio based on Symbian S60.


Key features:
attractive slim design in clamshell form
two excellent displays
OS Symbian 9.2 with S60 3rd Edition user interface
"improved" Feature Pack 1
possible download of additional applications
microSD memory slot
2 megapixel camera with diode flash
Records video in QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) resolution
UMTS and video calls
multi-item repeated alarm clock
functionally rich music player with external controls
FM radio
voice recorder with a 60 minutes limit
great web browser
standard 3.5mm jack and a miniUSB connector
256MB memory card, data cable and stereo handsfree in the package


Main disadvantages:
only 26 MB internal memory
the phone is extremely susceptible to fingerprints
joint toughness makes opening a bit difficult and less comfortable
uncomfortable keypad
switch-off button is unreachable when the phone is open
the phone does not open full if earphones or data cable is plugged in
no Wi-Fi or HSDPA
camera image quality is below average
music player constantly runs in background
Bluetooth does not support A2DP profile.

N-73:



Being the best equipped handset ever Nokia N73 has managed to overrun the king of all mobiles - the slider Nokia N80. It features Symbian OS, 3 megapixels backed up by the label of Carl Zeiss, USB Mass Storage, and works with office documents. Nokia N73 has a brilliant phonebook and a good time organizer as well as an exceptional Internet browser. The interest in this new Nokia phone is overwhelming worldwide.



Key Features:
High-class display
Very good functional keys
Symbian S60 3rd edition
Active stand-by mode
3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics
A second VGA camera for video calls
UMTS support
Infrared
Bluetooth
USB Mass Storage
Great web browser


Main Disadvantages:
Loose camera cover
Uncomfortable and cheap-looking numeric keypad
No memory card included
Slippery joystick
No Wi-Fi
Web browser does not work in landscape mode
Alarm clock is not repeated.

N-72:


Nokia N72 bar-shaped phone is another Nokia smartphone but differs from the latest additions on the shelves of the Nokia smartphones as it runs on Symbian 8.1 OS with 2.8 edition user interface. This transitional system has to offer features from both previous Nokia Symbian smartphones and some of the characteristics of the 3rd edition UI.

Nokia N72:
Main features:
2 megapixel camera
Video recording in CIF (352x288 pixel) resolution at 15fps
FM radio
GPRS & EDGE Class 10
RS-DV-MMC card slot
512 MB memory card included

Main disadvantages:
Big size & weight
No dedicated camera macro mode
Poor display
No 3G support
Controversial design
Loose camera lens cover

N-71:


Nokia N71 is another Symbian 9.1 smartphone in the collection of Nokia. The new clamshell is well equipped and is aimed in the mid-range of customers. It is based on the S60 3rd edition user interface. N71 has 3G UMTS support and can offer fast data transfer via GPRS and EDGE. Besides the 2 megapixel camera there is also a VGA one for video calls. The construction and design of the phone are quite controversial as it is bulky and somewhat unstable in hand, but this, of course, is a matter of personal taste.


Nokia N71
Key features:
Nice display
High-quality 2 megapixel camera with LED flash
VGA video calls camera
3G UMTS
128 MB miniSD card included
GPRS and EDGE fast data transfer support
Bluetooth, Infrared and USB (Pop-Port)
Very fast user interface response
FM radio

Main disadvantages:
Bulky size
Unstable construction (this issue may occur only in our test sample)
Slightly unhandy top part of the keypad
Very small On/Off/Profiles button
No compatibility between older Symbian applications and Symbian 9.1

Nokia N71 is based on the 3rd edition Series 60 Nokia user interface and thus is very much alike Nokia N80, E60 and N91. All four phones have huge possibilities but lack software as the S60 UI is brand new and the developers have not yet produced applications for it.

N-70:




Nokia N70 is a smart mobile phone. It is so smart, that it has basically everything. It supports 3G, has a 2 megapixel camera, three times more memory space than its forerunners, a radio, a MP3 player, memory card slot.

Key features
Attractive design
High-quality construction
Good keypad
Symbian OS
Active stand-by mode
Enough memory space
2 MP camera
3G support and video calls
Built-in radio

Main disadvantages
Lower speed in comparison to common mobile phones
Red button closes applications
Bad-quality macro mode
No infrared port
Old cons have been left unsolved

Nokia N70 is the second phone from the new N series, announced by Nokia in the spring. All models of this line are extraordinary in a certain way: the N90 model because of its 2 megapixel camera and optics from Carl Zeiss, Nokia N91 because of its built-in hard disk. And here we have the new Nokia N70, even if not that special when compared to the two others described above. It is a Symbian Series 60 smartphone just like its forerunners.