My Cellphone My Terms

Nokia N97 Cell phone Review

The wait is over, the widely anticipated flagship cell phone for Nokia, the Nokia N97, is now available in Canada as of December 10 th,2009 exclusive to Bell and just in time for the Christmas Holidays. For the smart phone lovers what this means is yet another device that you can dare to compare or simply add to your wish list or Santa list which ever will make it a reality.

The device specification sheet reads like a must have list: 5-megapixel camera, tri-band HSPA, WiFi and Bluetooth, Qwerty keyboard and tilt touch screen, GP and MP3 Player, all features which are comparable to most smartphones in the market today. Also, the Nokia N97 cell phone makes use of a large 3.5 inch touch-display and can be used as a pure touch phone in many instances which rivals the Apple iPhone. It is also similar in size to the iPhone and Blackberry family of phones. But the question is does the Nokia N97 live up to the hype?

On the plus side, the phone capacious internal memory of 32 GB expandable by a further 16GB optional storage via flash card means you will be able to store plenty of video footage. For the heavy texters, having a physical keyboard complete with backlighting and two-tone characters is definitely a plus. Quoted as having a battery life of 360 minutes of WCDMA talk time equates to roughly a couple of days of life with moderate use which is considered above average. While the standardized connectors like mini-USB, 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD mean you won’t be carrying a bundle of proprietary leads and accessories.

The not so hot features include, a display resolution of 640×360 with the colours lacking clarity and often appearing faded. The camera offers 5-megapixels, autofocus and an LED flash which is standard these days but the Video quality falls short of the iPhone 3GS showing periodic blocking and smears when panned quickly or attempting to capture fast moving subjects. Also, the media apps lack any of the visual appeal of rival devices.

In short, no out of the park features to really shout about. Priced on the Bell Website at $199 on a 3 year contract or $600 outright, it’s right up on the list as one of the more pricey handsets available in the market. All in all, a nicely designed phone with lots of great features to offer.

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