Review By: vrajesh soni Review Date: 21 Apr 2009
i love this mobile very much. With the introduction of the N-series phones, Nokia started offering devices with advanced multimedia capabilities. N90, Nokias first phone with Carl Zeiss optics was a hint about the companys intentions of creating a device which one day can substitute a stand-alone camera from the mid-class. With time, the top-level Nokia models have continued to use the same optics while also have developing better software and image sensors, thus raising the megapixels.
The N73 came out. But Nokia decided that a 3-mega pixel resolution and brand-name optics are not the only thing, which a top-of the-line multimedia phone should be able to do. N93 demonstrated an optical proximity /zoom/ and video recording with resolution allowing “ TV quality of the picture “- 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second. This turned the phone not only into a camera, which you can always bring with you, but also to a comparatively small camcorder to record those precious moments.
Nokia N95 is the logical heir uniting the previous models in one, making it the top-model in the line for 2007. N95 combines the positive features of a few top-models and it is a multi-functional device with standard size. For its design, the slider form-factor of the N80 has been borrowed along with with some features of the N73. The camcorder offers the same capabilities as the one in N93 and the camera is again with Carl Zeiss optics, but this time with the enviable 5-megapixels. But this is not all. In its pocket dimensions the telephone embrace Symbian operating system typical for all Nokia smartphones and among its feature we have no choice but to mention a 3G HSPDA high-speed connection, a Wireless Lan /WiFi/ and a build-in receiver for localization (GPS). Whether N95 is really this unbelievable phone, offering so much in such small package, you will read in the review below.
DESIGN
The first thing that impressed me about the N95 was its design. Though it will rank among the largest phones weve tested for our Top 10 Cell Phones chart, the N95 is lightweight (4.2 ounces, according to Nokia). It felt comfortable to hold in my small hand, in spite of its 2.2-by-3.9-by-0.8-inch dimensions. The phones 2.6-inch, 240-by-320-pixel (QVGA), 16-million color display can be oriented vertically or horizontally (more on that later), and displays sharp text and bright, colorful images.
The phones dual-slider design helps the device better accommodate its phone and multimedia playback needs. Slide the display portion of the phone up to reveal a numeric keypad with generously sized, easy-to-press keys. Slide it all the way down, and the screen and button orientation shifts to horizontal (the N95s large screen is a huge benefit when playing videos)and at the top of the phone youll see four multimedia playback buttons (for play/pause, forward, back, and stop). The slider design impressed me: It felt solidly constructed and convenient to move one-handed, even with my weakling thumb. The N95 runs the Symbian Series 60 operating system. The icons and displays are mostly attractive, well-organized, and easy to navigate. You can browse through the phones animated menus using its five-way button navigation pad and several surrounding buttons. My one major complaint with the software interface: The language is unclear when youre trying to save a picture or video. Nowhere among the diverse options does it say "save" rather, it says "New Image"which translates to saving the image or video and letting you take another. While I appreciate the shortcut to taking additional images, sometimes I might want to save the image only to the included 2GB microSD card, and not to the included 160MB of memory, for exampleand for those circumstances, the lack of a save option becomes noticeable.
TAKING PICTURES AND VIDEO
From the back, the N95 looks just like a slim point-and-shoot camera. To use the flash-enabled camera, simply slide open the Zeiss lens cover. The camera app starts automatically, and you have your choice of capturing up to 5 megapixel still images, or VGA video at 30 frames per second. When holding the phone as a camera, you have a dedicated button at the top right for snapping pix, and the volume up/down keys double in camera mode to adjust the 20X digital zoom. I found the images I captured to be lively and far better quality than those from other camera phones, but I havent compared its output side-by-side with a dedicated point-and-shoot camera yet. My initial impression from limited use is that image purists, like myself, will prefer the images generated by a dedicated camera.
Other camera-related niceties worth mentioning: You can transfer images via Bluetooth (I had no problems pairing the N95 with my Palm Treo 650 to do so), multimedia text message, or even send them directly to a Flickr or Vox photo sharing account.
MAKING CALLS
As a phone, the N95 was good. According to those I spoke with on the N95, I sounded great however, voices sounded a bit thin to me. I had no difficulties hearing the other party, but even when the volume was pumped up, the audio was not as robust as Id have liked. The speakerphone is sufficiently loud and clear, and it is easy to invoke and deactivate while on a call.
Nokia rates the phones battery for up to 210 minutes of talk time for GSM, and 215 hours of standby time. Well update this review with a final rating once the PC World Test Center completes its battery life tests.
SOOO... MANY FEATURES
The N95 has almost too many other features to concisely enumerate them all. Standard functions include e-mail (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), text messaging, Web browsing, and support for viewing e-mail attachments in .doc, .xls, .ppt, and .pdf formats. But I also enjoyed using the device to listen to music (you can even build playlists on the fly) and watch videos via the preloaded RealPlayer app. Music sounded good, even when piped through the modest built-in stereo speakers. Videos were fun to watch, though I noticed some hesitations when I played 4MB gymnastics videos encoded using RealVideo. The phone comes with links to YouTube Mobiles beta, but its unclear from this beta implementation how much content youll really have access to on the phone. The N95 supports an array of formats, including MP3, AAC, M4A, WMA for music, and MPEG-4, H.264/AVC, H.263/3GPP, and RealVideo 8/9/10 for video. Transferring content is simple: The phone appears as a USB mass storage device when connected to your PC using its a built-in mini-USB 2.0 port. Unfortunately the phones pre-configured folders dont make it clear where you should put your music or video files.
The integrated GPS runs Nokias own Nokia Maps app. Once Ive had a chance to test this feature, Ill refresh this review with my experiences.
In spite of my few nits, Ive enjoyed using the Nokia N95. Its the first phone Ive seen in a while that does a great job at combining style with function.
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| Sound Reception: | | | Ease of Use: | | | Features: | | | Reliability & Durability: | | | Style & Design: | | | Value for Money : | |
Good: SOUND QUALITY IS EXCELLENT
Bad: NOTHING
Recommend: Yes
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