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    added by redpepper007 on 21.12.09 @ 19:06

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One would assume that with the Nokia N95, N96 and N97 having sequential product numbers, there would be a common aim for their use in the minds of Nokia's design team, along with a clear technical evolution. To be fair, you can see the former, in their focus on multimedia in conjunction with a decent camera. However, the latter isn't that easy to demonstrate, as I found when comparing the three Nokia flagships (from 2007, 2008 and 2009) head to head - it seems there are plenty of attributes for which the N95 wins and still more for which the N96 wins....

Before I draw any conclusions, let's look at the raw feature/specs list, putting the three devices head to head. Oh, and for each row, where appropriate, I'm going to pick a (admittedly subjective) winner (or joint winner, in some cases), with the table cell shaded in green - will the latest device necessarily light up all the greens?

 Nokia N95Nokia N96Nokia N97
 N95N96N97
Form factorDual sliderDual sliderTouchscreen/Qwerty hybrid
Thickness of main body19mm16mm16mm
InterfaceS60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2S60 5th Edition (as of v20 firmware, with Symbian^2 code)
Display size and contrast2.6" transflective screen, good in sunlight, bright enough indoors2.8" transflective screen, slightly brighter and clearer than the N95's in all light conditions3.5" transflective with touchscreen layer, visibility not brilliant in sunlight, display not particularly vivid indoors either. Large, but perhaps the ultimate compromise screen?
Capacity160MB user storage on C:, microSD expansion only80MB user storage on C:, mass memory 16GB, plus microSD50MB user storage on C:, mass memory 32GB, plus microSD
Performance, free RAMFairly brisk until the 30MB of free RAM (with v30 firmware) is used up. Ultimately limited.Average speed, due to underclocked processor, but 50MB free RAM means that you're unlikely to run out of memory when multitasking, at leastEven with v20 firmware, the N97's interface is still not exactly quick. Again, the processor seems underpowered, there's not enough free RAM (around 50MB after booting, depending on configuration) for such a large-screened S60 5th Edition device. Lowish free space on C: is also a factor - it's too easy for the OS to run out of workspace.
Graphics, multimedia playbackA TI OMAP 2420 graphics acceleration co-processor means that there's potential for iPhone-quality real time graphics - though almost no software was ever created to use this power. Video playback is generally good, helped by the chip but slightly restricted (e.g. codecs) by the older version of S60 used.Uses a STn8815 multimedia co-processor, which specialises in decoding video and audio streams, resulting in super video compatibility and performance with better battery efficiency. Audio playback is also of higher quality than any Nokia since the N91. A single chip design from Freescale, the N97 struggles on the graphics front. Action games have slowish frame rates and real time 3D rendering is all but impossible. Video playback is surprisingly good, considering the limitations, thanks to clever software and some custom electronics. Audio playback is also good.
GPS performance The antenna is good, but placed awkwardly at the base of the number keypad, meaning that the phone has to be slid open for decent GPS reception.Excellent GPS reception, even when closed.A poor GPS antenna design. Even with the Care Point-applied 'shielded' version, keeping a GPS lock in open countryside is not always a given. 
Keypad/keyboard quality A pretty good keypad, with discrete keys. Spoilt only by amateurish case surround in places.One of Nokia's poorest numeric keypads, with plastic strips for each 'row' and very poor * and # keys.A quirky three row qwerty keyboard that's actually a lot more useful than it looks. Only spoilt on the white model by the key backlight making the legends invisible in a wide range of lighting conditions.
Stereo speaker volume and qualityTerrific. One of the best sets of phone speakers that Nokia has made. Loud, decent quality.Average volume and quality at best. Low volume and harsh, tinny sound are a direct result of not enough space being allowed behind each speaker for acoustic reverberation.
Camera quality (incl video)Excellent stills, excellent pre-focussed VGA video, excellent sound.Excellent stills, spoilt only by the potential for grease and scratches on the exposed lens. Video now pre-focussed (as at v30 firmware), but spoilt by over-eager automatic gain control on the sound.Excellent stills, spoilt on early models by an easily scratched lens, leading to light flare and unusable flash. Video spoilt by infinite focus, leading to blurry videos of family and friends.
Extra hardware controls and buttons Top slide multimedia controls, plus a dedicated 'multimedia' key.Top slide multimedia controls, plus an extra set that light up around the d-pad if media is playing when the slide is closed. Plus a dedicated (and not much liked) 'multimedia' shortcut key. Plus a useful keylock toggle.The keylock toggle is the only extra control here.
Battery, power2mm charging, 950mAh battery2mm charging, 950mAh batterymicroUSB charging, 1500mAh battery
Connectivity to desktopSlow USB (1MB/s)High speed USB (4 to 6MB/s)High speed USB
Unique extras 
BBC iPlayer DRM (download compatibility)Touchscreen, FM Transmitter, Digital compass, BBC iPlayer DRM (downloads, etc.)
UpdatabilityVia Nokia Software Update, backup/restore neededVia NSU or Over The Air, has User Data PreservationVia NSU or OTA, also has User Data Preservation
Dec 2009 pricing (unlocked, SIM free), value for money rating?Hard to find brand new. Around £230 'refurbished', £150 second hand.Still available from many places. Around £300 new, £150 second hand, good value for money, either way.Around £420 new, average value for money.

Looking at the 'green' panels, it's evident that, on balance, the much-maligned N96 gives you more functionality and usability. Though there are enough green cells in the other columns to show that, yet again, there's not really an overall winner - you'd have to look at the attributes and specifications that are important to you, personally.

The aim of the N9x series, as I understand it, is to be a multimedia flagship, and all three do a pretty good job in this department. All three models, N95, N96, N97, have also had numerous firmware updates, Nokia do seem to have a good track record at supporting their flagships, thankfully. The very fact that even the most informed user would have to think hard before picking an overall winner shows that:

  1. all three are still viable flagships
     
  2. all three still have their weaknesses(!)
     
  3. you shouldn't write off older devices - newer is not necessarily better(!)

The n95 was good but is old now. The n96 is more or less - an "updated" n95 only, and kept that small batt. The n97, was buggy at the start, and even with v20 - tends to be still slow, and is "disabled" by having lots of low memory errors. The mini is, and should be, the flagship symbian for today. It's even better than the E72 (with its build issues and erratic optical dpad).


Comments welcome if you'd like to pick an N9x champion! And don't say "Get a Samsung i8910 HD", please. That's a debate and an article from me for another day....


Category: Mobile News | Comments: 11 | Views: 973 | Rating: 0.0/0

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manolis44  
23.08.10 | 05:37


The winner is the N95 because it has speakers louder than n96 and n97. cool



MegaCamu  
22.12.09 | 09:44


n96 is good



redpepper007  
22.12.09 | 09:01


Ah, I totally agree, qwerty keyboard is very important nowadays, or big touchsreen with qwerty biggrin but still, all those qwerty buttons are quite small... it may disturb when u are playing some games biggrin u know, press the wrong button at the wrong time biggrin



u-mar  
22.12.09 | 01:38


All shit phone. E72 is the winner! XD
Cause i ever have slide symbian phone.
But, N96 is a bit better, cause my friend have that.



MobileWon  
21.12.09 | 23:58


Going by the specs, I agree N96 although I would like the N97. I got to have a qwerty keyboard now. You always got to read Nokia specs carefully. They change things at random. For example, one of the issues people had with the N96 is that it has a smaller processor than the N95(also N97.) Supposedly, they figured by tweaking some features they could get by with a smaller processer. I would have to do a bit of research to see if people are having memory errors before I would buy the N96. biggrin



ASS95  
21.12.09 | 23:19


i think the new IPhone is a good phone. i mean great apps,games,themes and so on. its hard to say but bye bye symbian/windows mobile/ and others... sad sad sad sad



MobileWon  
22.12.09 | 00:00


Goodbye defector! biggrin You will be back.:D




redpepper007  
21.12.09 | 20:10


nah, iphone dies when it has to deal with n97 mini biggrin probably... if they start fighting biggrin



GhenMoKai  
21.12.09 | 20:42


iphone FTW




GhenMoKai  
21.12.09 | 19:37


i think the n96 is the winner between those 3 biggrin but iphone is better than all



redpepper007  
21.12.09 | 19:10


If I had to choose one of these, I think I better take n96... biggrin



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