An authentic N97 review!

Okay, so let me put this straight-forward before I begin the review. I’m not going to thrash Nokia like a lot of "Apple fan-boys" have been doing by reviewing handsets without even thoroughly using it. I’ve been one of the few customers who was lucky enough to get one among the limited number of handsets (when launched) here in India. I patiently waited for more than two months, using the phone to its full potential (and in the process got the screen scratched 3 times); and now I finally pen down my thoughts to words. This is not a product overview, but a user review, so do not expect me to put down the list of all the components that came in the box set. You can run a search for the same.

Moving to the review

I like the sturdy build of the handset. Very sleek and slips easily into the pocket. Fits perfectly in my palm, not too big nor too small. The phone lock switch is conveniently located on the left hand side which makes it easily accessible with my thumb (when in the left hand) or with my middle finger (when in the right hand). The 3.5mm audio jack port is also located on the top side of the handset, which makes it easier for me to slip the phone in my shirt pocket and connect any headset or auxiliary output chord to it. The screen flips open to reveal the QWERTY keyboard inside which is probably one of the best features of the handset. At first I was slightly skeptical about the flipping mechanism as I thought it would be a little too delicate. I’m sure a lot of you will agree with me on this. However, this is not the case as it is very sturdy.

Using the phone

The 3.5 inch display supports a resolution of 640×360 when in landscape mode which is ideal for watching full-length movies in wide screen format. However, the transition from landscape to normal mode takes a second to complete which I feel is a drawback for any user who uses the phone at lightning speeds to perform various tasks at the same time. The touch screen is resistive which implies that you press it rather than touch it. Was annoying initially but I got used to it pretty quickly. Look on the bright side: you don’t activate a function or an app when the screen is accidently touched.

The QWERTY keyboard is a boon and I guess every touch screen phone should have one. It just makes tasks more quicker; actually, a lot faster. I reply to messages twice as fast now and I’m pretty glad about it. People have been complaining about the placement of the space bar key on the bottom right hand side. On the contrary, I found it much more easier to quickly type messages even while I’m driving. (although I’m not endorsing using the phone while driving in anyway ) I guess, it’s more about getting used to the orientation rather than complaining within the first couple of days of using the handset.

The widgets on the home screen with their Vista like transparent interface really look classy. Forget about the looks, I now have my latest Facebook feeds, headlines from NDTV as well as the local weather updates from AccuWeather right on my home screen. This is one of the most usable and highly efficient features of the N97. Now all that is required is a Twitter widget!

The charger pin is very different from the previous Nokia handsets. It’s like a mini firewire port. The best part about this is that I can connect both the small pin as well as the legacy pin charger here to the phone. No more running around and asking 50 people if you have this specific charger. I won’t speak about the 3.5mm audio jack as most of the cellphones now have this and which makes connecting the handset to any speaker a jiffy.

Applications

The GPS is very fast in the N97. The handset establishes connections with the satellites at speeds thrice of that of the N95. Using Nokia Maps is actually a better experience on this phone. I’ll also give credit to the high-resolution screen.

Video recording now supports the widescreen format (16:9) which is an upgrade from the regular 4:3 ratio we’re well used to. Of course, we have the legacy 4:3 recording as well and also the classic 3GP format recording. But the best part about this handset that I found really superb is the ability to convert videos on the fly when transferring from PC to the phone. Okay, let me put some more clarity on this aspect. Traditionally, when you connect any handset to your computer, you can easily transfer a video file which then will be played by the phone ONLY if the format is supported. Now, when you connect the N97 in PC Suite mode, and when you try transferring a video file onto it, you will be prompted to convert the video into the WMV format and have it playing in your phone in a jiffy. Yes, you can convert those mighty DIVX movies too. And, you don’t need to process the videos through the Nokia Video Manager any more. Just drag and drop; file conversion happens on the fly. Isn’t this really fantastic?

Photos are now categorized month wise. Easier to browse and quickly look out for the ones you want, if you have a large repository in your phone’s hard drive. You can now tag your photos too.

You also have a built-in dictionary which I suppose is the a basic requirement for just about anybody. You don’t need to login to the internet or lookup the word on WordWeb every time you come across an unfamiliar one. Just type the word in your phone and smile as the meaning is delivered to you.

Web browsing is now even better with the wide screen and WLAN speeds are fantastic. Surf websites as they are meant to be. The keyboard makes it a lot easier to type in your login credentials as well as website URLs. The new browser also lets you view Flash websites. Yes, no need to log on to the mobile version of YouTube anymore!

You also have a message reader which reads out your message aloud. I don’t use this at all, but it was great to know that Nokia is concentrating on accessibility features as well.

The addition of Software Update makes it easier to update your phone software and it also notifies you about your firmware updates (if any). Gone are the days when you had to connect your phone to your PC and bring up Nokia Software Updater every time you needed to check for updates. Just connect through your GPRS or WLAN and voila!

Nokia has also provided you with applications like YouTube, SystemStatus, Hi5, Amazon and Ovi Store to make your life more easier.

The Downers

No I’m not a Nokia fan boy at all. I’ll highlight the real downers this handset has. The phone hangs a lot. It has been iterated and reiterated again and again across all the forums, and I’m saying it again. The phone used to freeze almost twice everyday. And on important occasions when I need to answer the call, it just freezes. Really very annoying and of course the hardware gives very slow performance. The N95 was much better in those aspects. I had been waiting for a firmware update and Nokia was prompt to deliver one within a month of launching the handset which claims to address these bugs. However, I’m still skeptical as more updates would be needed until the OS is finally stable.