In a nutshell: Available
in Black or White, the N97 is more a mobile computer than a mobile
phone. Packed with every imaginable feature, Nokia's designers have
succeeded in creating a device that is supremely powerful yet easy
to use, with a user-friendly touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY
keyboard. With music, video, photos, email, web and downloadable
apps all easily accessible from the customisable home page, the
N97 delivers everything that we could ask for on the move. However,
it's big, heavy and expensive, and has the usual freezing/crashing
problems that come with NSeries phones. Check out the top 10 independent
deals for the N97 below, or click to read the full
review and user reviews.
Top 10 internet deals
Nokia
N97 Review
Review:
June 2009.
The
N97 is much more than an enhanced N96 - it has a slide-out QWERTY
keyboard and a touchscreen display. Other features include a 5 megapixel
camera with Carl Zeiss optics, GPS, WiFi and 32GB memory. Nokia
claim that it is the "most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer
in existence". Throw away your laptops, guys, the N97 is here!
There
are so many touchscreen phones on the market these days, it's tempting
to think that they are all the same. But the Nokia N97 does offer
more than most. Nokia seem to be positioning the N97 less like a
mobile phone and more like a handheld computer. Although at Mobile
Phones UK, we tend to be sceptical about a lot of stuff, we're actually
genuinely impressed by the N97 design concept. The N97 has both
a touchscreen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard makes
typing fast and easy, and we definitely prefer this to a virtual
keyboard (although it isn't the best keyboard ever - it's too wide
for comfort, and the space key is in the wrong place.) Whether it's
texting, e-mailing or writing notes, the QWERTY keyboard makes things
possible that we simply wouldn't have bothered to attempt on an
old-style mobile. But it's the touchscreen that will demand most
of your attention. The screen measures 3.5 inches across, which
makes it the same as the Apple iPhone
3G S, but it has a higher resolution than the iPhone, at a massive
640 x 360 pixels. With this resolution, there are almost as many
pixels on this pocket-sized device as there were on early personal
computers. And that makes it possible to start thinking about the
N97 as if it were a handheld PC, which is exactly what the engineers
at Nokia have done. The touchscreen is of resistive type, similar
to the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic,
not quite up to iPhone standards, but pretty slick nonetheless.
It's not quite as responsive as the best of the best, and the menus
are sometimes slow to respond - typical of previous Nseries phones.
The biggest problem is that the user interface feels like it's Symbian
with touchscreen functionality bolted on - which is exactly what
it is - rather than a native touchscreen OS such as Android, Windows
Mobile or Apple's OS X.
The
home screen of the phone is information-packed and fully customisable.
You can simultaneously view the date & time, your inbox, the
weather forecast, RSS feeds, Facebook and quick links to your favourite
web pages. This is similar to Samsung's widget interface appearing
on phones like the Samsung Jet and
the i8910 HD. Touch a web icon
and web pages open up in their full glory, with easy touch controls
to scroll and zoom. There's full support for Flash videos as well.
It's the mobile internet as it should be, and once you've experienced
it you won't want to go back to how things used to be. The internet
is fast too, either using the 3G HSDPA connection, and even faster
is the WiFi connection, where it's available.
The
N97 has a built-in GPS receiver, and you can use this to find your
location, to geo-tag photos and to navigate. Nokia Maps is supplied,
plus multimedia city guides and there's a built-in compass feature
too. A 3-month trial licence for pedestrian and voice-guided drive
navigation software is included.
The
N97 has plenty of custom apps available too. Built on the mature
Symbian operating system, there are plenty of apps that will be
suitable for the N97, and you can download applications, games,
videos and content through Nokia's Ovi store.
Nokia
haven't taken this opportunity to upgrade their camera though. It's
the same old 5 megapixel camera that appeared in the Nokia
N96. But that's not a complaint - the camera is a good one,
with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and a dual LED flash.
The
N97 really is a feature-packed phone. It's much more like a laptop
in terms of its capabilities. We're not going to list everything
that it does, because the list would be too long! See the detailed
spec below for further info. Suffice to say that it can handle pretty
much any kind of media and communications that you can think of.
With its close integration with the internet, it feels very much
like the 21st century has arrived. We just want to mention the enormous
32GB of onboard memory, plus the ability to increase this with a
16GB memory card.
Nokia's
battery life figures are very impressive when you consider what
this device is capable of. With 6 hours of talktime on a 3G network
and up to 430 hours of standby, this is as much as we could have
hoped for. We don't yet have any real world data on this, but hopefully
our user reviews below will help to clarify this.
Finally,
we have to comment on the size of the device. Yes, it's big, but
what did you expect? It's heavy too, but there's a lot of stuff
inside! This is a phone that does its best to pack in every feature
that users might want, and we think that it's succeeded. Is it the
best phone ever? It's probably Nokia's best phone, but at its heart
the Symbian operating system feels dated compared to the slickness
and speed of the iPhone, or
the power of Windows Mobile phones such as the HTC
Touch HD or Samsung Omnia.
And just like all previous NSeries phones, reliability is a huge
problem - expect your N97 to freeze and crash from time to time.
We
would definitely recommend the N97 for NSeries fans looking for
an upgrade, but fans of other smartphone operating systems will
probably prefer to stick to what they know.
Features
of the Nokia N97 include:
S60 5th edition Symbian interface
5 megapixel camera (2592 x 1944 pixels) with
Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, dual LED flash, 4x digital zoom
and geo-tagging
Video camera: MPEG4/3GP VGA video capture at
640 x 480 pixels and 30 frames/second, 4x digital zoom and video
light
Front camera for video calling: 176 x 144 pixels
Display: Resistive touchscreen, 16 million colours,
640 x 360 pixels (3.5 inches) with orientation sensor, proximity
sensor and light sensor
Live TV (DVB-H based mobile TV with internal
antenna)
Digital music player (supports MP3/AAC/eAAC/eAAC+/WMA
formats) with playlists and equalizer
Stereo FM radio RDS with Visual Radio support
FM transmitter
Built-in GPS navigation with Nokia Maps application
and digital compass
Speaker independent name dialing
Voice commands
Voice recorder
Integrated hands-free speaker
Speed dialing
Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3,
Mail for Exchange)
Viewing of email attachments – .doc, .xls, .ppt,
.pdf
Java games (Guitar Rock Tour included)
Advanced contacts database with support for
multiple phone and e-mail details per entry
Memory: 32 GB plus microSD memory card slot
(up to 16GB)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, USB 2.0,
TV-Out, (WLAN 802.11 b/g), 3.5 mm stereo headphone plug
Internet: Full web browser with Flash video
support, RSS reader, WAP, GPRS class A, WCDMA/HSDPA (3.6Mb/s download),
WLAN (up to 11Mbps/54Mbps)
Quadband plus 3G
Size: 117 x 55 x 18 mm
Weight: 150g
Talktime: 360 minutes (3G) - 570 minutes (2G)
Battery standby: 430 hours
Nokia N97 Consumer
Reviews
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Reviewed by tom from england on
16th Oct 2009
ONE OF THE WORST PHONES I HAVE EVER HAS THE DISFORTUNE OF OWNING,
i don’t know what phones these people have that rate it above
1 star, please tell me where you got yours from, because they can’t
be the same. right where do i start, i was really really excited
to get the n97, i had a n95 8gb before it and even though the battery
life was rubbish it was the best phone i have ever had, the n97
was brilliant for the first 3 days, then the problems started, it
crashed a couple of times and the only way i could get it going
again was to pull the battery, then the screen would not turn on
when i unlocked it, meaning i would to have to lock and unlock it
3-4 times before the screen would decide it wanted to work, then
the screen wouldn't respond when i tried to answer the phone when
it was locked, meaning i would have to lock and unlock it 3-4 times
before i could answer the call, which more times than not i would
miss, then came the firmware update, phone started working again,
until it decided to delete ALL my messages, inbox, saved, sent and
emails and just to really make my day it decided to corrupt the
memory card, losing all my photos, videos and music (and it was
nowhere near the com puter)then it stared crashing again, but stopped
after a week for some reason, but the screen would totally freeze
up, wouldn't respond to unlocking, answering calls nothing at all,
even pulling the battery out didn’t help, until i lost my
patience with it and vented my anger on it, to which the screen
suddenly snapped to life, for about 60 seconds, i now have to punch
the screen 3-4 times (can you see a pattern here) for the screen
to wake up, and I’ve tried cleaning the screen, making sure
there’s no bits stuck in the edge, all the usual, the fact
of the matter is it is a useless phone, i'm going to send it back
for a new one and sell it on eBay, buy a phone that actually works....
Rating:
Reviewed by Adam from UK on 15th
Oct 2009
TERRIBLE PHONE! FULL OF BUGS,IT CRASHES,IT FREEZES! DO NOT GET IT! Rating:
Reviewed by Craig Williams from England
on 12th Oct 2009
i was told to leave this phone alone by my local nokia shop as its
buggy and freezes and crashes. was told to buy the n86 as the best
upgrade from the n95 Rating:
Reviewed by Aaron from ulster on
11th Oct 2009
by far the worst phone i have ever had it keeps freezing every 2
mins and the camera is rubbish i cant recieve or make calls either
and the touch screen is really unresponsive Rating:
Reviewed by Shahjee from UK on
10th Oct 2009
Appalling mobile, if you have it locked on 3, you cannot get the
latest firmware to this phone and pretty much having the mobile
freezing every so often. If you want to multi task, as this phone
was made to run apps and call and do other tasks, it cannot hack
it. Its a poor phone with poor battery life. Great regret to the
N95, since the N96 also had a very low power processor this N97
still has the low power and so don't expect to be having a WOW factor
playing your n-gage. Rating:
Reviewed by GLJones from Wales on
8th Oct 2009
Was a bit sceptical at first, but after upgrading from my n95 8g
(best phone ever) I couldn't put the phone down, and still the same
now, there are so many things to entertain you on this phone. The
firmware is a bit buggy but you can live with it. The battery is
good considering all the gadgets. It can last up to 3 days, but
2 with heavy use. All in all very happy with phone. Rating:
Reviewed by anon from UK on 8th
Oct 2009
perfect Rating:
Reviewed by phoebe liu from china on
8th Oct 2009
good produt, i like the disign very much ! pls contact me through
: phoebeliu@kiel.com.cn Rating:
Reviewed by Paul Schildkamp from England
on 5th Oct 2009
The worst phone i have ever had. Upgraded from my n95, and sent
it back within 2 days. Kept locking up, was unable to receive or
make calls, and the camera wasn't as good as the n95 even though
its only 5mp!!! I text alot aswell and maybe its just me but touch
screen doesn't do the job, and that qwerty keyboard, about as much
use as a chocolate teapot for anyone with normal size fingers (and
does anyone really use those little stick things!!) Rating:
Reviewed by Jake from UK on 29th
Sep 2009
Great phone, although not as clink-free as the iPhone Rating:
Reviewed by Harry from Ireland on
28th Sep 2009
I've had this phone for 3 weeks now, and I must say that I love
it. It took some time to get used to (particularly its resistive
touchscreen), but after a couple of days I got the hang of it and
am having a ball getting to know the phone. I particularly love
the QWERTY keyboard - I'm not quite ready to go completely touchscreen
yet. My only complaints are that it is still quite buggy and performance
and speed could be better. And while it really is a mobile computer
and does just about everything I could want in a phone, it kind
of feels like Nokia released a half-finished product. Still, nothing
firmware updates won't eventually fix, and Nokia in the past has
proven that it eventually gets it right. I do just about everything
on this phone, so much so that I barely even use the laptop anymore.
Web browsing is so much fun, and I'm loving the 32gb memory (which
I can expand even more if I ever use that much). Easily the best
phone I've ever owned - even better than the iphone (mostly due
to better specs and more features, although the iphone is more user
friendly and faster). I love it, and cannot wait for the upcoming
firmware update next month. Rating:
Reviewed by ELTON from ALBANY on
25th Sep 2009
I LIKE Rating:
Reviewed by GEOFF.DONALDSON from ENGLAND
on 24th Sep 2009
This is by far the worst phone I have ever had. After all the hype
and having had the N95 I am very disappointed. It is not user friendly
and the bluetooth feature is not reliable. I hesitate to give it
even one star. Rating:
Reviewed by Lee from U.k on 19th
Sep 2009
Well true to Nokia's form this handset was labeled Nokia's new 'Flagship'
fone. This in itself put alot of pressure for this device to work
really well, and surpass the previous n series 60 smartfone platform
devices. As with the n95 when it was first released some experianced
software issues that really bugged up the fone. True to Nokia's
form several software patches were released which resolved these
issues making the n95 a dream to use and relise its true potential.
Im sure this will be the eventual outcome for the n97, and so after
several releases it will reach its optimum potential too. For the
early buyers of the n97 they will feel like beta testers, but unfortunatly
its seems to be all too common for manufacturers to release handsets
with buggy software to get them out on the market. The issue's i
have is the known issue of the lens slider scratching the camera.
Reminds me of when the prada fone was released with a pouch that
actually scratched the display ! The other issue's is the inferior
plastic backcover. For a 'flagship' fone this should really have
been made out of stainless steel. And when the slide keyboard is
extended if you look between the gap, the ribbon is rather open
to the elements. It also catches dust everywhere. NO bundled pouch
is poor ! As for the software issues version 12 and then version
2.0 will cure these im sure. So my advice is to either buy now and
update as and when or hold off for a few months, and purchase a
n97 handset with the newer more stable software imposed. Try to
stay away from 'branded handsets' as the networks tend to not release
the newer software patches as quick as the generic ones. 3 stars
for now as the n97 is yet to reach its true potential. Rating:
Reviewed by Farshid from UK on
19th Sep 2009
It is the worst mobile phone I have ever seen. You can't even find
a single SW worst than Nokia n97 OS.It is very very buggy. I have
my N97 since 2 months ago, after 2 days lense was scratched, I had
to returne it to shop and they chnaged it for me :), I ve been told
if I dont want to have scratch in camera lense , i should not use
its camera, because it doesn't matter how careful you are, it's
cover scratch it after a few use. It is a design fault. It hangs
and sometimes it switches off automatically and you can't even turn
it on unless you take the battery out and In again. when you recieve
a call light goes on for 2 sec and off for 2 sec and on and off
again,if phone is locked you can't answer your call by pressing
green button, you need to sweep the sceern, but when light is off
you have to wait for another 2 sec to see wher you need to touch,
so you are going to miss your call for the first 1-2-3 month. after
that you should act very quickly.lots of strees for answering a
Call. when you are listening to music and someone call, you have
to take headphone off and On otherwise you can't hear the person
from headphone. Nokia Satnav is too dificult to use, it take 3 min
to set up which address you are looking, not user friendly at all.
battery cover is plastic and it scratches very easily. when connecting
to internet, before exit it automatically disconnect it first, when
you have lost signal (e.g. suddenly gone to underground) you can't
exit internet anymore because it tries to disconnect but as there
is noo signal it hangs. lot of lots of bugs. when visiting a web
site and go to another page, if you press back it tries to load
that page again, so it take a long time to get back to last page
again.. I dont recomend this phone at all. Rating:
Reviewed by Ash from UK on 18th
Sep 2009
Had this phone since release, the battery is great I charge it every
couple of days. The software has a little niggles but it updates
itself anyway. My friend has the iphone and to be honest thank god
didnt get one. My N97 is miles apart from the iphone 3gs the battery
on the iphone lasts 6 to 9 hours. anyway the n97 is a great great
phone Rating:
Reviewed by zboredzahmed from pakistan
on 18th Sep 2009
well lets say ive never wasted £500 on something so boring Rating:
Reviewed by Dgdsmaster from Portugal
on 16th Sep 2009
This is an authentic pocket computer. It may be big and heavy, but
150g won't make you walk slower and you will always manage to put
it in your pocket. The menus have everything, not complicated 5
clicks to get something. Another problem that the review doesn't
mention is that it is better to put it over a table (or something
like that) to write fast in the slide QWERTY keyboard (which could
have the space bar in another place. However, you get used to it).
Internet speed is fantastic. The time between pages in the best
HSDPA connection is quick and not boring. The 5MP is great and fast
(not like 3 seconds to charge like Samsung Jét's). I've got nothing
else to say about the N97. Great Phone, especially if you need one
like this. Visit http:/hwmobilephones.blogspot.com for more mobile
phone reviews. ~Dgdsmaster P.S: Congratz Nokia! Rating:
Reviewed by Mark from England on
16th Sep 2009
I have had my N97 for 3 weeks and love it. To me it does have a
few minor niggles but it can do so much I amnot really suprised.
I previoulsy had an N82 and loved this but recall it did take a
few firmware releases to make it 100% smooth. I have a smart phone
for a reason and fully use all the main features. I am on Firmware
v12 and it is seems very stable generally. Main gripe is sometimes
(def not always) it can struggle to get / hold a WIFI connection
in my house even tho I know its all up and running. Maybe you have
to restart the browser once or twice occassionally or someimes get
a download to contine. Apart from that I have experianced none of
the reported issues on the newsgroups with GPS, crashing, freezing,
low mem on c:, etc. I love the BBC Iplayer download feature and
now catch up on my BBC programmes on the train! The sat nav (v3
download from Nokia Beta) is brilliant and worked well on several
long journeys. Surfing the net is a breeze and the music player
ok. I sync my phone with OVI and my PC and bluetooth connect it
to my car. All of these features work without issue. I currently
have over 1200 AACs music files and 26 BBC programmes on my device
and still have 25GB of the 32GB memeory free...!! I do have a scratch
on my camera lens (the biggest gripe on news groups) but it is in
the middle and I honestly have not noticed any issues with the few
photos I take (I am no expert I am afraid). If it becomes an issue
I will just take it back to Nokia during the 2 year warrenty and
get it fixed. I beleive Nokia have addmitted a design flaw so don't
see it being an issue. I find the touchscreen very responsive and
accurate (I was a TC sceptic and was going for the N86 as my upgrade
for ages) and the added bonus of being able to quickly use a full
qwerty key board for a google search, email, text, pword input,
is brilliant. (My txts now read like letters with punctuation, caps,..etc
lol) If you are watching videos, surfing the net, listening to music,etc
battery life can seem poor (I just charge it overnight in the week
as a matter of habit) although it has never dropped to below 2/3
bars since I have had it. Over the weekend when my phone is just
a phone and occassionally a camera it looses a bar or 2 max over
the 2 days. My N82 was just the same. So my honest view is 5 stars
as it a worthy replacemnt to my N82. I am sure that the v2 firmware
on the horizon will remove the few niggles I have. Rating:
Reviewed by pervez alam from pakistan
on 15th Sep 2009
best n97 mobile i like Rating:
Reviewed by Stuart from UK on
14th Sep 2009
Had this phone a little under 2 months & just can't believe how
poor it is.Crashing,changing ringtones etc on it's own.yesterday
I lost all my sent&recieved txts when I hooked it up to my PC to
install some music(lets not even talk about how poor the Nokia software
is for the PC).Add to that the poor performance of all the apps(nokia
maps aside)& the fact I've not been able to sign up to My Nokia
somehow & therefor can't even use the ovi store.Compared to i-phones
I have seen the browser is awful.Then there's the battery.The best
I've seen is under 24hrs the worst?Sent 12 txts & recieved the replies
within 2 hrs of taking it off charge & the battery went flat.have
seen it go flat in under 12hrs in my pocket from a full charge.The
heat that comes off the handset is also unreal.maybe mines just
faulty? Rating:
Reviewed by Mr.Bigtime from EU on
14th Sep 2009
bought N97 and very disappointed. it is slow, freezing, unresponsive
touch screen. lagy. firmware V2 will fix these? Ok but EXPECTING
a phone works DECENT (not perfect)out of the BOX is too much? N97
is BAD out of the BOX. i read on net that close down applications
and widgets to make it run faster and better. where is difference
between iphone and n97 interms of multitasking? i bought n97 for
multi tasking and if it doesn't work that way NOKIA and their flagship
called N97 is FAIL. Rating:
Reviewed by Steve from uk on
13th Sep 2009
Had N97 for a month and it must be a different animal to the one
used by all the people scoring it 4 stars or less !! Touch screen
, keyboard and camera are great. Loads of apps (try Snaptu, Opera
mini, Nokia Photo Browser Beta and Google maps, also try GetJar
as well as ovi )Have over 20gig of music and video on phone, and
everything works smoothly. Have bought screen protector, which is
un-noticable and doesn't affect touchscreen at all.The N97 replaces
my N95 8gig which is a great phone, this one is better ! May not
suit everyone, but my last 5 phones have been Nokia and they suit
me fine, just glad I wasn't put off with bad reviews, and am sure
with software upgrades the phone will get even better !!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Jason from England on
11th Sep 2009
What can I say I wanted something to replace my blackberry and be
more user friendly, well this phone has it all, okay the battery
can be intersting, but you can turn features off to help save power,
the best I have cranked out of it was 5 days in gsm mode and 3 days
with 3g turned on. The camera is brill and I like the interface,
very easy to follow. My only gripe is wehn you answer a call you
have to slide your finger across the phones, I would just like to
press the green touch screen answer button. Overall, I think it
blows the blackberry away, has masses of memory 32gig, so dont need
to carry my ipod now, and its and it blows the iphone into touch
as it has 2 types of keyboards, a normal qwerty keyboard, which
is very easy to use (with the exception of the space bar in the
wrong place) I highly recommend it, pity I cant give it 7 stars Rating:
Reviewed by sonu from UK on 11th
Sep 2009
this is a great phone, one of the only phones that can display full
websites without any problems. touch could have been better but
the keyboard makes up for this. The res on the phone is amazing
higher than the iphone, so great for seeing pictures. Rating:
Reviewed by meme from uk on 7th
Sep 2009
its really slow ........... the browser was kinda fast but thts
about it really!! Rating:
Reviewed by Sakib from newyork on
7th Sep 2009
one word ...deadly!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Bryan from Wales on
6th Sep 2009
PERFECT Phone. Well no phone can ever be perfect, but for now, this
comes close. I have had loads of phones and this is by far the best,
I have recently had the gd900 and pixon12, and the N97 is fantastic
compared to them. The camera is really good, and the dual led flash
is brilliant. Best feature is the QWERTY keyboard, people complain
about the space bar, but its in the perfect place, I personally
love it. If you looking for a all rounder, with a great camera with
qwerty keyboard, the N97 is the phone for you, and will a new firmware
around the corner which adds kenetic scrolling and a new facebook
app, the future is looking bright for Nokias flagship N device. Rating:
Reviewed by raymond from UK on
6th Sep 2009
this phones actually not that bad, the interface is no where near
the iphone's standard, but the n97 makes up for it with its easy
to use qwerty keyboard (spacebar in wrong place though), and the
camera. Also the resistive touchscreen isn't as good as the iphone's
capacitive. If you prefer a phone for pleasure, it would have to
be the iphone, but for the pure features, this is better Rating:
Reviewed by Ben from Dublin on
5th Sep 2009
I upgraded to this phone from a reliable-enough first-generation
silver N95. What a mistake! The Series 60v5 operating system on
the N97 crashes in normal use while exploring the phone's features
(and there are no firmware upgrades available), Wifi silently fails
after a few hundred Kb have been transferred, making it unusable
(The N95 had a config work-around, but the N97 doesn't expose the
same setting). The headphone socket is dodgy - sound drops in one
ear with the slightest touch on the plug. (...and yes, CPhW, I had
plugged it in firmly!) The Series 60v5 user interface looks like
it's designed for three-year olds and doesn't feel like it was designed
for touch-screen use. Nokia, what were you thinking?! Overall, this
phone has been a severe disappointment. The saddest thing of all
is that I traded in my perfectly functional N95 - so now I'll have
to take a new N95 8Gb. I hope it's as reliable as the old N95 was. Rating:
Reviewed by zak from leicester on
1st Sep 2009
faboulous phone, had iphone 3gs befoore and glad i exchanged it,
buy it wont let you down well done nokia Rating:
Reviewed by stephen-lee edwards from
UK on 1st Sep 2009
Dont bother with this phone. It is ridiculously difficult and slow
to text with and is rather sluggish. The web browser was fast but
thats about the only plus - if you want to sync your outlook email
at work with your phone dont buy this as it doesnt work no matter
what you do Rating:
Reviewed by martin from UK on
31st Aug 2009
N97 was a choice of this or the samsung jet and after a lot of playing
about with both went for the n97 overall a fab phone slider is smooth
and the build is very good. Stylist is a good tool and have found
handwriting text with the stylist is so easy. Overall glad i went
for this and not the jet. If you want a phone that looks good and
you dont want to carry a lap top around with you this is the phone
for you Rating:
Reviewed by andy from uk on 30th
Aug 2009
This phone is terrible it is one of the standard n series. crashing
and freezing. screen going white. they spent to much time adding
all the new techy bits they forgot to fix the old problems. if i
could give it 0 stars i would had it less than 12 hours and took
it back crashed more times then i could use it. Rating:
Reviewed by Terry from UK on
29th Aug 2009
Got this phone yesterday, after lots of consideration due to some
of the problems listed here. If your used to Nokia N series phones
you wil enjoy this one...it does have its glitches, but all N series
have! the signal strength is the biggest weakness with the 97...it
is not as stong as it was on my 95..other than that, its a good
upgrade Rating:
Reviewed by rob from uk on 25th
Aug 2009
had this phone. 2 days then sold it what rubbish. i am now using
my old n95 so much better. n97 is over rated. Rating:
Reviewed by michael from england on
25th Aug 2009
this phone is absolutley amazing i bought this phone and i can't
take my hands of of it it is that good. this is the bets phone ever
buy it don't buy the iphone it is rubbish. Rating:
Reviewed by smartcookie from uk on
25th Aug 2009
I personally really like this phone, although the first one i tried
had a duff charger. I received a replacement and all was well,but
i wanted to compare it against something else.Therefore i ordered
an HTC TOUCH Diamond.Oh dear!! big mistake..the HTC device has to
go back!! I realise now that the Nokia N97 is pretty much all you
need for mobile technology.The camera is good, the interface is
good, the software support is good, the look and feel of the phone
is good. Sure, there are some issues, i.e. the phones speed..but
there is a lot going on in there,and i think sometimes a bit of
speed has to be sacrificed to accommodate all the astonishing features
this phone has. Many people have compared this phone to the iphone...hmmm,
both have their plus points...im sure the iphone interface wont
be bettered for a long time....but the N97 beats it on the camera
and the fantastic built in storage.It all comes down to personal
choice...and at the end of the day im pleased with my choice. Rating:
Reviewed by sam from UK on 24th
Aug 2009
I HAVE THIS PHONE had it for a month. my problems are *bad signal/reception/coverage.
compared to my N95 8GB it has like 60% of reception power *GPS is
really bad, keeps losing signal and has delay of 100-200 metres,
im now using my old bluetooth GPS receiver because the built it
one is not accurate at all. *finally got a big scratch on my lens,
although i have been very carefull with it, i.e. cleaned it everyday,
opened it with finger nail and not putting pressure on it. apart
from these its a good phone but these problems really puts me off
this phone. im a nokia fan but i advice you not to get this phone.
nokia needs to learn a lesson. Rating:
Reviewed by JC from UK on 23rd
Aug 2009
Ok, I've tried to like this phone, I really have. I loved my N95
and always thought the only thing it lacked was a keyboard but really
the N97 is no replacement. Phone is still flakey even with the new
V12 firmware, freezes, has problems unlocking and with the camera
activating for no reason. It also seems to randomly play the "Nokia"
ringtone, rather than the one I've set, but worst of all it crashes
and drops calls. I think Nokia have really lost the plot here. Internet
radio and VoIP + loads of other things I'd taken for granted on
the N95 don't work or run. The keyboad is so poor I find myself
using the numeric touch screen pad to type messages as it's quicker
- yet there is no touch screen qwerty! The hardware and features
look so great and if you like the N95 the interface is familiar.
But the firmware is just broken beyond belief. Avoid. Rating:
Reviewed by SoIntoNokia from England
on 22nd Aug 2009
Listen to me and listen real good... this phone is GREATTTTTTTTTTTT!!!
I initially had this phone on vodafone and I got a lot of issues
and i was wonder wot's up but i realized when i was away from home
and in an area where the reception was good the phone worked well...so
i decided to return it and now i have it on T-Mobile which has a
great reception at home and work... i think persons who have problems
with this phone it's more an issue of signal strength...if u r in
an area where the signal strength is poor the phone does not work
well...and it freezes...but i've had this now for 3 weeks and i
just absolutely LUVS it! I would recommend to anyone and the camera
is decent enuff but if u want a phone dat is also a camera den dont
get this.. but if u have a camera and want a really good phone/computer
go and buy the Nokia N97!! Rating:
Reviewed by Khaled from Uk on
20th Aug 2009
The phone is amazing!, much better than a iphone or pretty much
any phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Nick from West Yorkshire
on 20th Aug 2009
Why does anyone like this PATHETIC phone??? Its an N95 with a touch
screen, and a rubbish one at that. It has more bugs than an insect
colony and Is larger than an MP's expenses Bill. The camera is average
to say the least and the features are nothing more than standard.
Anything this can do the G2, W995, Arena, Omnia HD, N79, 5800 or
even a 3330 can do better. Garbage to say the least [Editor's comment:
I think, Nick, that if you are honest with yourself, you will admit
that your review is not very objective.] Rating:
Reviewed by Jonny from England on
19th Aug 2009
Love this phone got it today, best phone i have ever had the pleasure
of using, i have an ipod touch with the latest firmware and would
just like to compare the touch screens on them both, the N97 is
by no means second best, i cant tell the difference at all. this
is an Iphone killer! Rating:
Reviewed by james from blackpool on
19th Aug 2009
Dear Tony you can update the firmware by going on the nokia website
and download the software updater and follow the instructions it's
really easy. Rating:
Reviewed by dave from uk on 18th
Aug 2009
On my 2nd phone now still has some little bugs but overall i think
the phone does what it says on the tin. I will keep the phone,as
once you get used to it its a great phone. 4 stars due to having
to replace the first one. Rating:
Reviewed by tony from uk on 13th
Aug 2009
a few words to says , better than the iphone 3GS. Question, how
do u update the firmware? Rating:
Reviewed by henry from uk on
12th Aug 2009
the nokia n97 is the best phone on the market by miles. I got it
two weeks ago and it is brilliant. One word of advice do what esi
said and the phone will become twice as good to own. Rating:
Reviewed by Hussain Ali from UK on
12th Aug 2009
This Phone is good Rating:
Reviewed by oscar from england on
10th Aug 2009
this phone is hard to use and is rubbish not whorth £500 Rating:
Reviewed by nana fredua from United
Kingdom on 9th Aug 2009
this device is just simply outstanding.a masterpiece from nokia. Rating:
Reviewed by Sean from Ireland on
8th Aug 2009
Got tired of waiting for my provider to release this phone in Ireland
so bought one sim free, have had zero problems with it freezeing
or reseting, loved my N95, Love this even more. Rating:
Reviewed by HUSSAN from UK on
8th Aug 2009
absolutely wonderful. this is beyond imagination. what a phone.
its a complete package. whats not in there. everything you need.
awesome bettery life and the range of things it offers. very good
browser and the phone itself....loveing every singler moment with
this phone...forget iphone....n97 is already a legend Rating:
Reviewed by wael from UK on 7th
Aug 2009
I totally agree with Brad, myself was and still iphone user, then
decided to go to Nokia N97, in terms of applications yes it got
so many things u can play with plus of course an excllent camera
superior than the iphone poor camera.and for me the FM transmitter
is really good, sound quality as well is excllent. bad things about
nokia: big, dificullt to use (iphone far easier to use), keep crashing
u need to restart it so mnay times. the screen keep freezing so
u have to hit it so many times, so many applications so u hit the
wrong button. disapointing . Rating:
Reviewed by David from Scotland on
31st Jul 2009
I can't believe this phone even though i have had it for a month.
There are so many things which i haven't done yet on it, i am startled
about the looks, connectivity, style and the keypad. I think it's
worth every single penny, it sweeps the Iphone 3G S and the samsung
Jet off the table. Rating:
Reviewed by Review from Uk on
30th Jul 2009
An excellent phone, worth the money. Rating:
Reviewed by Brad from UK on 27th
Jul 2009
I feel that i'm possible able so provide a great review, if your
looking at either the iphone or the N97. I have both on trial, my
needs are push email, camera, gps, and music player, and most of
all good battery life and stability. The N97, looks very nice and
has a good camera, push email using googlemail/yahoo mail, is a
bit hit and miss,so i downloaded Nokia's messaging software which
supports push email,on a trial period, send and receive are fine,
though you can't read the attachment, and when sending a picture
via email, the phone uses the default email, so that wont work.
so you have to get the picture id, then trawl through the phone
in nokia messenger and find it.although this isn't a problem its
just another thing to remember. Gps works well, though in a car
moving the digital compass doesn't work.Music is fine. Now the problem,
the Os is very glitchey and you feel that the phones is going to
freeze and it it on many occasions.email needed constant tapping
to read.everything felt difficult to use and such an effort. iphone
3g S, "the smooth operator", gps, excellent, music player,excellent,
push email and contacs, excellent. os, excellent, camera good. Both
the batteries lasted about a day on heavy use. so for me i'm keeping
the iphone, oh and by the way the N97 got really hot and warm. Rating:
Reviewed by Chris Hartley from UK on
27th Jul 2009
I usally change my phone every two month ive had almost every nokia
samsung HTC iphone(including nokia n96 n95 HTc touch samsung pixel
iphone 3g) I'm really suprised how good this phone reallly is. Like
i said i have had a lot of phone's this is the best on the market.
If you want a phone with sat nav fantastic camera lot's of memory
easy to use check your email with the best wiget's then this phone
is for you Rating:
Reviewed by Esi from UK on 26th
Jul 2009
Upgraded from N95 8GB and there is no way i go back to N95. First
of all once you get your phone (if you get one) update the firmware,
at the moment latest version is V11, secondly go to settings -->
application manager and unistall all the rubbish thats been installed
mainly by providers - in my case 3. also remove Facebook and accuweather
widgets from your home page they just eat up your RAM and battery,
and finally reboot, you then will have 58MB RAM and 50+MB on your
C drive. BTW install any applications you like on E (Mass storage
drive). I have done this and the phone has NOT crashed in 10 days.
Pros: * GPS is strong - I use "Garmin mobile XT" * Battery is good
- better than N95 8GB * Web browsing is a joy with bigger/high resolution
screen - install "opera mini" for web browsing * QWERTY keyboard
is lovely - people say D-Pad is on left and space is on right but
you get used to it after 2-3 hours of use and is a joy to text and
game on * The screeeeeeeeeeen is gooooooood * its not laggy as some
say * Camera is good - both picture and video * build quality is
really good Cons: * signal/reception/coverage(or whatever you wanna
call it) is not as good as N95 * Lock/Unlock key is a bit loose
- apparently its normal and it would not fall off, fingers crossed
* FM transmitter seems to have range of 1 meter max -still a very
good feature Thats all i can think of at the moment, BUY it, do
what i said above, and enjoy AND finally dont listen to these Apple/Iphone
fanKIDS, they need to go and get their problems sorted with thier
iphones e.g. Overheating, screen cracks, no multitasking, poor camera
etc (lot to list) Rating:
Reviewed by John from UK on 24th
Jul 2009
Absolute Utter rubbish. The screen freezes everytime you go on the
internet and automatically restarts. I have had loads of problems
with this absolute rubbish phone. DO NOT BUY ! ! ! Rating:
Reviewed by marc taylor from UK on
23rd Jul 2009
I got my phone a little over two weeks ago. I have got to say that
"outstanding" just does not do it justice. My first handset was
faulty but I was still in two minds as to whether to send it back
or not as I was so amazed at the capabilities of the handset. When
I did send it back and received my replacement my amazement rocketed.
Slick slide functioality, perfect touch screen, I am always connected
to me e-mails and facebook, which shows real-time status updates.
Texting has never been easier. The sound is unbelieveable, clear
and very loud. It's a phone that captures peoples' attention and
people are always asking what phone it is and if it is "as good
as the I-phone". The answer is yes, it's clearly better. Higher
screen resolution, just as many apps, copy and paste functionality,
GPS, higher spec camera, bluetooth 2.0, the list of reasons as to
why it is superior is almost limitless. The more i use this phone
the more i fall in love with it, for example i only found out today
a nifty little setting to make the screen turn around as you turn
the phone. (may have copied the i-phone) but hey ho. Get it if you
can. It's simply amazing. Rating:
Reviewed by MT from Scotland on
22nd Jul 2009
Got my N97 and within a day the screen has gone off and unit has
to be repaired, dissappointing to say the least, all features were
great too, software bugs cause certain apps to freeze etc but a
software update should sort that. Rating:
Reviewed by Ash from England on
21st Jul 2009
Had the phone for a couple of weeks only one problem on orange your
internet limit is 500mb and this phone rockets through that amount.
Might want to look at vodaphone. Rating:
Reviewed by James from UK on
20th Jul 2009
It keeps turning itself off an crashing... the battery is useless
too. I was really looking forward to getting this but i'm very dissapointed.
It has potential to be great but very flawed - good camera and nice
keyboard though. Rating:
Reviewed by Adam from UK on 16th
Jul 2009
This phone is just filled with bugs. I've updated the firmware and
the crashing seems to be worse! This thing loves to switch itself
off. The widgets (applications on the homepage) constantly freeze
and crash, with facebook being the worst. Nokia need to sort this
problem out! Rating:
Reviewed by David from Scotland on
14th Jul 2009
Very good phone with great features,only downfall is the locking
system which can be very annoying.The keyboard is a lot better than
i thought it would be. Thumbs up from me. Rating:
Reviewed by dan from england on
14th Jul 2009
ive been a user of the nokia n series phones ever since the n95-
ive always got the newest model n95/n95,8gb,n96 and now the n97.
The n97 ticked all the boxes in that it had all the latest features
and wasnt that much different from the older n95 layout. Ive had
the iphone and that went back cos i couldnt get on with the touch
screen. When the n97 had a touch screen and key board i thought
it was a perfect combo. I waited for ages for t mobile to get it
with them. Ive had the phone for less than a week and im afraid
to say the phone is no good. The touch screen is slow and unresponsive,
the buttons are too small on the keypad. It has crashed a few times,
and ive put songs on it, then when ive gone to take them off ive
got a 'file corrupt error' (ive later found out this is a common
fault) so the files are deleted but the names cant be removed? The
phone is just too buggy. It seems so rushed, im sure in about 3
firmware updates time the phone will be much better but for a final
product its just not finished or good enough. The software really
lets it down, ive got a ipod touch and its just totally blows the
n97 away in terms of responsiveness, when you touch a part of the
screen on the n97 it just does nothing and you have to press it
a few times, and you find yourself holding the phone like a calculator.
Im guted at my experience of this phone cos i was really really
looking forward to it. Im going back to my trusty n95 8gb cos its
never let me down, its really quick compared to the n97, when i
text it instantly responds unlike the n97. The camera is still the
best, and the size is perfect. There isnt a phone out there i would
trade it for. All in all- dont get the n97 if you like texting,
texting on the sly (i.e at work) cos you cant text with just one
hand. The n97 is slow, you would find it impossible to use whilst
out on a night out drunk. A internet connection is essential on
this phone cos its made around it so if you dont have unlumited
internet dont bother. Sorry nokia but the ipod still wins the touchscreen
war. Back to the drawing board Rating:
Reviewed by charleen johnson from walsall
on 10th Jul 2009
i lovethis phone i have never ever wrote a review before but i am
well happy and have not put it down since i got it two weeks ago
and i am on vodafone ..no probs love facebook links too much to
say but this phone is the bees knees i just never ever want another
upgrade ...i love my phone its the best ...boooooooo to the Ipone Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from u.k. on
9th Jul 2009
Mines going back! the phone is over-rated very poor. its an N95
in the form of a touchscreen screen. I am very disappointed overall.
The phone resets itself with no reason what so ever. The user interface
is very unimpressive compared to the new touchscreen phones such
as HTC and Samsung. I hate the fact you can only use the scroll
bar on the side of the screen to move thorugh menus and cannot scroll
by swiping anywhere on the screen!! very annoying! its not worth
the price! Rating:
Reviewed by brighton from england on
7th Jul 2009
absolutly brilliant phone! some freezing with the menu grid but
usually solved with the pressing of the end key > very easy to use
once you get the hang of it very fast internet and a five star rating
!!! ive had my one for two weeks and i am inlove with it i upgraded
from the n96 and there is a huge leap there n97 better in every
way Rating:
Reviewed by Zac17 from Newcastle on
5th Jul 2009
Really, really, really good phone... The camera is superb, well,
during the day anyway. In the day its better than my Olympus digital
camera. The video camera is amazing!!! Cant believe you can get
this quality from a phone!!! The huuuuge memory is fantastic!!!
Good bye iPod lol, dont need you anymore. Something no one seems
to be mentioning (or at least i havent read about it) is the phones
built-in 'FM TRANSMITTER' that lets you play music through stuff
like your car radio!!! I had one of these for my iPod that i had
to plug into my cigarette lighter and it was such a faff that i
never used it lol. But this is exceptional! Had my car and 2 other
cars all tuned into it :D Bit annoyed that the 'pen' doesnt slide
inside the phone, but attaches via a piece of string. Bit pathetic
that and no doubt is gonna scratch the phone I love the way it finds
Wi-Fi all by itself and uses that instead of mobile internet! Watching
videos on YouTube and BBC iPlayer is mint! Its faster than my PC
by a long way!!! So far, after 5 days, nothing has gone wrong with
this phone and its had some very heavy use... The battery is very
good when you consider the performance of this phone!!! Rating:
Reviewed by SANUR ALI from LONDON UK
on 5th Jul 2009
Got the today for £500 sim free from Nokia, it is great it out does
the iphone 3gs in all direction, from the camera to the qwerty keyboard.
It is also lighter than the iphone and the speakers are louder than
the iphone. [Editor's comment: It isn't lighter than the iPhone!] Rating:
Reviewed by nassi from maroc on
4th Jul 2009
his the best fone wawwwwwwwwwwwww i lovit Rating:
Reviewed by Dinesh from India on
4th Jul 2009
This is an extremely good phone, not yours if you are looking for
thin phones! Rating:
Reviewed by Faheem from U.K. on
4th Jul 2009
I have had this phone for about 3 days and I am very disappointed.
The UI is just rubbish, it seems nokia are putting no effort in
what so ever to develop thier phones. they are stuck with the same
type of interface and cheap build quality that they had 4 years
ago! The phone keeps freezing, as did the other Nseries phones.
I am not happy at all. sending mine back tomorrow. Im going to head
for the Samsung jet or Omnia 2 when they come available next month.
it is no way as good as other touchscreens on the market. dont believe
the hype... and read the online reviews before you get this. I choose
to ignore the reviews and have been proven wrong! Rating:
Reviewed by Peter from London on
3rd Jul 2009
Not good enough. Annoying things not working well like BBCIplayer.
Cant answer phone on any button without taking lock off. Weather
report worked well first day then for the next two days despite
rebooting and trying everything never worked again. Nokia N97 helpline
continually engaged.Sent it back today. Iphone...........here I
come! Rating:
Reviewed by nottmbantam from saudi arabia
on 2nd Jul 2009
Update: just updated the phone's software, now running on version
11.0.21, which has made a difference and now much better to use,
the software works a lot more responsively. I bought mine sim free
so it didn't come with a load of operator rubbish pre-installed.
I'd take it up to five stars now from my previous 4.5! Rating:
Reviewed by Ash from England on
2nd Jul 2009
I have the n97 on orange and theres nothing wrong with it at all,
don't even bother reading the bad reviews. Rating:
Reviewed by ants from glasgow on
2nd Jul 2009
got this phone last week. spend the first 3days hating it and the
next 4days loving it. its takes a little bit of getting used to
but now i'm getting used to the touch screen it getting better.
also think that once more apps are available it just get better.
the touch screen isn't as good as the iphone, but it's not an iphone
so thats probably why. no perfect, but still pretty good Rating:
Reviewed by Khalid from England on
1st Jul 2009
I bought the N97 on the day of its release i must say i was dissapointed
with the creaky battery cover, freezing software and tempramental
keylock. The touch screen did not impress me either. Considering
I have always been a Nokia fan and was also looking forward for
the N97 i was absolutely dissapointed. So I turned towards the Iphone
3GS and although i was skeptical about it I am really pleased It
is definately the best touch screen phone. Sorry Nokia but you really
need to improve your build quality or else you will loose alot more
customers Rating:
Reviewed by jo from united kingdom on
1st Jul 2009
disappointing. would recommend iphone 3gs instead of this phone Rating:
Reviewed by Loren Shefer from United
Kingdom on 1st Jul 2009
I've noticed that all the bad reviews are from people that are on
the VODAPHONE network. I think that says it all, this phone is great Rating:
Reviewed by huss from england on
29th Jun 2009
great phone did everything expected of it. freezes sometimes but
when the software update comes out that will be fixed like the n95
was. People complain about the "old" symbian software and ofcourse
the iphone is much faster to navigate but it is just too plain,
besides people buying this phone are probably upgrading from a n95
(as the n96 flopped) and so having the same old symbian OS with
a few tweeks in my opinion is good,i had the iphone and it did take
a little time to get used to the new menu. but then using this i
instantly found it easy as it was exactly like the n95 so getting
used to it was a piece of cake. Rating:
Reviewed by Ashley from England on
29th Jun 2009
Thank god I waited! amazing phone with everything you need...even
a FM transmitter! Rating:
Reviewed by mark from scotland on
28th Jun 2009
I recieved the N97 yesterday and i must say that it is been worth
the wait. The handset is a perfect size and the touch screen is
very good and responsive. The only problem i have encountered so
far is it will not connect to the internet or send and recieve mms,
but hopefully a trip to the local vodafone store will rectify this
and input correct settings. All in all a amazing fone that is packed
full of features and you just cant put it down. simply awesome!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Aidan from England on
28th Jun 2009
What a terrible phone. I looks great, however I only received mine
this week and I have been plagued with problems. I have a considerable
problem with the web browser. Every time I try and go into it, error
403 comes up and refuses me access. I have called Vodafone 5 times
now and they keep on putting a temp fix on it, however apparently
the phone is too clever and defaults back to not giving access.
(how does that make sence). Be warned everyone. Ade Rating:
Reviewed by mike from moray on
28th Jun 2009
quality great but not as good as iphone tryed compare with my ipod
touch on internet ipod wins hand down my n95 8gb much better phone
same running gear on n97 my phone going back to vodafone tommorow
Rating:
Reviewed by Bryan from UK on
27th Jun 2009
Got my N97 yesterday, best phone I have ever owned by far - and
I have owned a lot, including most recently the tocco ultra, samsung
pixon & Sony C902. The N97 isn't slow like some reviews are suggesting,
its very snappy! Great camera, and I love the qwerty keypad, the
space bar is by your thumb so literally takes minutes to get used
to. Highly recommended. Great Mobile! Rating:
Reviewed by Andrew from London UK on
27th Jun 2009
Very surprised at the glowing review above and user reviews below.
In London Nokia have a store directly opposite Apple's store so
I spent a lot of time playing with this device. My basic thoughts
are there is far too much wrong with it. Physically it is too heavy
and too thick. You also have the moving parts of having a qwerty
keyboard slideout and I'm not sure that will allow it to last. Next
the user interface simply is too clutered. Each tab seems to occupy
a rectangle so you end up with a bizzare Tetris kind of effect.
This didn't make it easy or intuitive to use. I personally also
find it fairly slow at least compared to the Iphone 3GS. Lastly
I know the screen is supposed to be the same size as Apple's but
it felt narrower. Overall go for this if you can't live without
a physical qwerty keyboard. I think it has too many features and
is over-designed. Owning it I would probably be driven mad. But
given other user reviews it looks like I am in a minority of one. Rating:
Reviewed by nottmbantam from Saudi Arabia
on 26th Jun 2009
Ok, so had it for a week now, which I think gives me areasonable
length of time in which to evaluate it, as I use it as my main device.
Bought it sim free in Riyadh, had looked for it in Jeddah, but could
only find the white version as a reasoanble price. Glad it waited
to find the black version. I’ll do the review in two parts.
First the hardware.: Its fantastic. No argument, five out of five.
Its a perfect size, the weight, screen size , ‘feel’
in the hand. It exudes high end build quality, so much better than
the ‘rickety’ N95 I had for two years. The touch screen
works really well, the slide out keybaord feel well made and solid.
The arabic version of the phone obviously comes with arabic letters
on the kayboard, which make the keys look a bit cluttered in my
opinion, and the black keybaord has the numbers printed in blue,
which make them a little clearer than on the white keyboard. I’ve
found though that I can type pretty comfortably on it, eventhough
the space bar has been moved! The D bar / button works well when
the screen is in open position. Camera is very good as you might
expect, compared to the N95 pics, I would say there is slight improvement,
even though the pixels are the same, I think the processing has
improved somewhat. The screen is superb. Copied Quantam of Solace
onto the memory card, and its looks great on the screen, very easy
to watch movies and from that perspective, I think its going to
replace my PSP and my iPod for when I’m down the gym. I usually
compress movies so I watch movies on the PSP when I’m on the
cross trainer! Although the screen is smaller than PSP, it’s
still a pretty decent size. The speakers however could do with a
bit more juice to them. A bit disappointed there isn’t a built
in stylus, like the 5800, but in reality, with the QWERTY keyboard,
you don’t really need one. The one supplied attaches to the
phones, rather than being built into the hardware itself. Bluetooth,
wi-fi and interent all work well. Please note though, that phone
only charges through the USB port, not by using the usual Nokia
charger – even the slim version. However, this is compensated
by the package contents – a USB cable, a mains wall charger,
a car charger AND a small adaptor to use with the traditional wall
charger. Another point to make is that is IS possible to charge
via USB AND transfer data at the same time, but in order to do this,
the USB cahrge probably needs to come from a powered USB hub –
some laptops might not provide enough power from the USB ports to
provide the charge supply needed – certainly my old Mac Powerbook
doesn’t. I tranferred my old 4gb memory card from my N95 and
the N97 imported the contacts and via Bluetooth, transferred bookmarks,
text message, MMS messages from the N95 all with no fuss. The phone
does have a slide lock key,which to be honest has taken me few days
to master. You have to slide to lock, and then press for around
a second to unlock. When in locked mode, and a call comes in, you
still have to slide for a second to unlock and then press answer,
so takes a couple of couple to fathom out. The back battery cover
is another ‘clip on’ type rather then the older ‘clip
and slide on/off’ type. Personally, I don’t like it,
they feel flimsy and cheap. The battery cover on my 6300 feels solid
and that’s the type I prefer. Speaking of baterries, the battery
life is ok so far, So the software? This is where its at its most
frustrating. I’ve had several Symbian based phones, and love
them, they are so versatile and give you so much flexibility. But
here, the main grip is with the internet connectivity. There is
no easy way to switch internet connection between for example wi-fi
and interent, and can take a few tours of the various menus to workout
how to do it,and even now, I couldn’t even explain how I’ve
managed to do it,very frustrating. As I use the interent a lot,
I find this a bit of a disappointment. This is where I’m looking
forward to the next software upgrade! Touchscreen works well, sometimes
a little slow, but bearable. The Home Screen is nice,and easy to
customise, I don’t use Facebook that much, so changed that
widget easily and setup my own preferred widgets. Set up email clients
pretty easily, once I got the settings for my gmail account, it
sends and receives perfectly. The FM transmitter is a disappointment,
its not powerful enough. When on, it needs to sit near to the car
ariel ( not the head unit ) otherwise, it just won’t pick
up the signal. Great idea, but not well executed. Very pleased to
see Joikupsot included, even though its only a trial version, this
is probably my favourite bit of software, had it working well on
my N95 ( it turns your phone into wi-fi hotpsot ) .Otherwise, all
the other menu’s work well, pretty easy to work your way through
them. I’m an Apple fan, have bought several bits – iMac,
laptops, ipods, etc. But the iPhone still is way behind in terms
of functionality and hardware, for me, even the new iPhone 3GS doesn’t
come close to this. Yes, iPhone wins in the ‘style over substance’
award, but the N97 – in my opinion –is still a better
proposition. Summary – fantastic bit of hardware – five
out five. Software- needs slight adjustment and one or too disappointments.
I have to agree with the 4.5 stars, its excellent but not yet perfect.
Once the software is sorted, it’ll be very very hard to beat.
Rating:
Reviewed by Aidan from England on
25th Jun 2009
All, I had my new N97 delivered yesterday and its truely fantastic.
There is small issues with the handset that I have yet to sort out,
like online media will not load up because of connection problems,
however once this is sorted I am sure I will learn more about its
features during the next 2 years I have. I would seriously advise
those who have an I-PHONE to at least take a look at the N97. It
may not be apple software, but the touchscreen is very effective
and responsive and the keyboard is quite easy to use. Scouse Rating:
Reviewed by Howard from England on
24th Jun 2009
This is one of the most powerful i have ever used. I had the N95
8gb and felt the 5800 was to similar and in a way it was a downgrade.
so i decided to wait for the N97 and as of this moment i think it
was a good decision. My only small complaint is when i slide the
bit on the side to unlock the phone the back light does not come
on and i have to repeat the process. but the widgets are amazing
and accessing facebook is a breeze. Rating:
Reviewed by Tom from England on
24th Jun 2009
Received a white N97 yesterday from Nokia direct. A massive leap
forward from my previous N95. Very easy to use, touchscreen is very
responsive. Keyboard mechanism is a work of genius, looks flimsy
but very solid. The amount of features on this phone is incredible
and I doubt most phones come near it. Nokia fans will love this
phone, highly recommended. Rating:
Reviewed by mafae faida from saudi arabia
on 23rd Jun 2009
everyday i went to axiom store (starting 19 june 2009) to ask for
the nokia n97 but it is always not available. tomorrow, 24th June
2009 will be the day the axiom salesman told me they will have the
n97 stock and the only available color for selling in axiom is black,
no white unit sorry. the price is still 2,999 rials. inshaallah
bukra they have n97, coz i cant wait not to own one. mind you, the
keypad is very much cramped with the arabic characters, numbers
and english letters. it looked very small and for those with eyesight
problem, u need to use glasses for texting because the keypad characters
look really small. i was told that axiom will only sell black n97
made in finland. no white units available is the reason. [Update
by mafae faida on 24th June 2009: kabir mushkila (big problem)!!!
n97 not yet in axiom stores as promised by the salesman. yesterday
he told me it will be today, so i went there again only to go home
empty handed. now, the salesman told me mumkin (maybe) saturday
- 27 june 2009. this is really terrible. i am already tired of waiting,
and i might postpone buying the n97 till the price gets lower, that
might be next month july or august or maybe never. truly sad about
this coz nokia stores sell the n97 at sky rocket prices not lower
than 3,800 rials.thats all for now.] Rating:
Reviewed by nottmbantam from Saudi Arabia
on 22nd Jun 2009
Yes, I saw the black one for 3800 ( plus Bluetooth car kit ) , and
then also in another Nokia store for 3500. In the end, I bought
the black one in Riyadh - from Callem store ( Granada Centre, Riyadh,
Exit 9 ), and paid 3299sr, so a bit more than Axiom, but every Axiom
shop told me a different story - some said two weeks, some said
two days for new stock. I was also thinking that Axiom were being
a little untruthful - every shop said they had sold out. I was starting
to think that they didn't actually have any in the first place.
THe main Nokia shop in Mall of Arabia was priced at 3000sr - same
as Axiom prices. Pleased I went for the black one. Been using it
for two days now, so will write back after another week with a more
detailed review. [Editor's comment: Looking forward to your detailed
review, nottmbantam, as the N97 is not yet available for sale in
the UK.] Rating:
Reviewed by mafae faida from saudi arabia
on 21st Jun 2009
the nokia N97 black is now being sold in Nokia store in Al Safa,Jeddah
for 3,800 rials. it started on June 19th. that's the minimum retail
price being asked. the other nokia store in Al Faysaleeyah, Jeddah
asks 3,913 rials for the black unit. apparently, the Axiom store
is selling the N97 for only 2,999 rials but in all the Axiom stores
you go to, they don't have any stock available. the reason given
by the saudi salesman was that the stock was only 4 pieces and the
arrival of more stocks will come after two days. I wonder why there
is an artificial shortage being created. I caught a saudi man buying
the N97 from an Axiom salesman, with the box of N97 on the table,and
when I approached the salesman and asked for the N97, his face looked
worried because I saw the N97 unit on the table,then he told me
to ask the other salesman if there are units available. and i was
told that there are no units. hmmm, i smell something is wrong here.
i suspect they are choosing the buyer whom to sell the unit. they
are prioritizing local saudis than expats because it is early selling
date of N97. and almost all nokia stores are selling it for more
than 2,999 rials. can you understand what i am saying? they sell
in nokia stores more than the amount Axiom is selling. i wonder
why so? Rating:
Reviewed by nottmbantam from Saudi Arabia
on 19th Jun 2009
Well,this isn't a review in full, just an update! Its now on sale
in Saudi in the Nokia stores,very nearly bought it yesterday ( sim
free, handset only ) but the Nokia shop in Jeddah only had it in
white. Ummed and ahhed about it for a while, then the sales assistant
produced a black version for demo only, and had good look at both.
In Saudi, the keyboard also comes with arabic letters on the keys,
which IMHO, makes the keys a little cluttered. For some reason,
the markings on the black keyboard stand out a little clearer, so
decided I will wait for the black version - about a week. In low
light ( like my Macbook ) the keyboard is illuminated, which again
makes it easier to see the letters ( Is there a trick to get this
to light up when you want it, or just wait for 'low level lighting'?
) . Anyway, will write back next week when I've got hold of the
black version. Been using my N95 for two years( what an outstanding
phone ). I knew the N97 came with an FM Transmitter, but also comes
with Joikuspot pre-installed ( turns your phone into a wi-fi hotspot
using the sim's data connection ) so pleased to see that addition.
Five stars for now, the touch screen and software is the same as
the 5800, my wife bought that last week, nice phone. Rating:
Reviewed by bisto from uk on
12th Jun 2009
nokia reps were out n about this week on the promo... Got a quick
play with the n97, definately way out in front for this summer.
Touch screen seemd 2 run very smoothly out the box. Also has some
of the handy features back from earlier n9... that were missing
from n95/n96 ie video flash and the browser seems to run closer
2 the n93 than n96 tho in my eyes thats a great thing! Cant wait
for full release my preorder was in before the demo was out my hands.
Nokia in white, also a nice touch. Rating:
Reviewed by Mabz from UK on 17th
Mar 2009
well well well, wat can i say, after months of being tease i finally
had my hands on one of these babies and my first thought 'IT'S AWESOME'
the best soon to be out, no phone can match this machine, yes it
is full of bugs but that tends to happen when the final release
is not finished yet, the keyboard is so cute and small,fatty fingers
might and say might have a problem. The phones not too big or too
small just the great size well tat's what i can say until it's final
firmware release. Rating:
Reviewed by Anonymous from UK on
6th Mar 2009
Absolutely brilliant! This phone is fantastic and will appeal particularly
to 'tech' people. The OS version/firmware is old and therefore contains
numerous bugs which leads to an annoying touch screen (as the other
person said, unresponsive at times). Regardless, a powerful phone
nonetheless. I would not take this review seriously as I'm working
with an old/buggy N97 (perhaps alpha/beta version/firmware?). I'm
sure in the final release this is all fixed! A few more points,
gorgeous design so well done Nokia! Haven't tried the other Nokia
5800 touch so can't say which is better. But the amount of features
this beast packs will keep anyone busy for a while. Excellent keyboard,
works very well and had no problems. [Editor's comment: As far as
we are aware, this phone is not yet available, so we're not sure
how you've got hold of one to review?] Rating:
Reviewed by frank from uk on
13th Feb 2009
i am probably one of the first people in the world to get this outstandig
piece of quality. the camera is superb at 5 mp and the touchscreen
works well with the QUERTY keyboard . but thetouch screen is a bit
unresponsive but still this is one of the most powerful multimedia
devices ever made(i still think the lg renoir is better). all in
all a very good phone [Editor's comment: So, Frank, how did you
manage to get this? We haven't seen one yet!] Rating:
