The Nokia N97 Story: Choosing Classic or Mini?
Published by Steve Litchfield at 11:47 GMT, February 4th 2010
With the release of the new (v21 or v11, depending on the device) firmware for the Nokia N97 and N97 mini, both smartphones suddenly got distinctly more appealing, running more applications at once and with their software finally becoming 'fit for purpose'. So you like the unique, patented, hybrid form factor? But the big question is: which one should you buy? In this feature I look at the differences between the two phones, commenting where needed and.... I try to pick an overall winner.
Before delving into the breakdown of the differences, a quick pointer to my original dual review of the two devices:
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 1 - The Hardware
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 2 - The OS, The Interface, The Apps
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 3 - Camera, Multimedia and wrap-up
There. All caught up? Of course, you are, the N97 and N97 mini have been hugely high profile devices. The former, in particular, has rightly snagged much bad press for buggy software and hardware at release. Yes, I said hardware - specifically a noisy GPS antenna that (even after replacement) still doesn't get close to some older S60 phones and a badly designed camera glass protective shutter (the re-design of which does fix the problem).
But we now have a new baseline. Both N97 and N97 mini now have new RAM-efficient firmware, with as much as 60MB available after boot (depending on configuration, capable of running a dozen apps at once quite easily), with full kinetic scrolling in every screen, dialog and list, and with the N97 classic's camera glass now potentially scratch free. And both devices are now cheaper, I've found the Nokia N97 classic for sale, brand new, unlocked, online for £380 and the N97 mini for £350.
With this new baseline established, I think it's fair to say that both smartphones are now more desirable. Yet geeks everywhere are now, quite rightly, posing the question: "Which one do I go for?" Here's my summary of the main differences. I've allocated scores out of 10 in each of the areas where the two differ, in an objective attempt to find a 'winner'.
| Nokia N97 | Nokia N97 mini | "Steve says", plus 'scores' (where relevant, classic always listed first, then the mini) | |
| Form factor | 55mm wide, 16mm thick, 150g | 52mm wide, 14mm thick, 138g | Though the larger screen is a benefit on the N97 classic (see below), the overall form factor has to be in the mini's favour. Not only is it slimmer and more 'phone' like, the use of a stainless steel back makes it seem thinner still and the mini simply never feels bulky. The flatter angle of the hinge mechanism is also better in most people's opinion. 7pts to the N97 classic, 9pts to the N97 mini. |
| 'Internal' (system) disk (C:) | Around 50MB free out of the box | Around 290MB free out of the box | The single biggest problem with the N97 classic these days is something that can't be solved with new firmware or a Care Point visit. Once essential updates have been added, and even allowing for all third party apps installed to mass memory instead, many users are running with only 25MB or so free on disk C: Throw in Nokia Messaging or something equally hungry and the OS starts to run short of workspace on C: In contrast, the N97 mini has an extra 256MB in hardware and space on disk C: is never, ever an issue. 4pts versus 10 pts. |
| Mass memory |
32GB |
8GB |
Though more is better, I have to confess that with a 16GB microSD as my main music and media store, the mass memory in these devices just gets used for temporary media downloads - podcasts, videos, captured photos, and so on. And I didn't even get close to filling up the 8GB in the N97 mini. So although the N97 classic wins here, it's a narrow victory. 10pts to 9pts. |
| Screen size and tech | 3.5" transflective | 3.2" TFT | This is more subjective, with the N97 classic having a display that's paler indoors but much better outside in bright light, while the N97 mini has a more vibrant display indoors but blacks out more in sunlight. The clinching factor for me is possibly the display size - the larger display on the N97 classic is easier to read for those with less than 20:20 vision. Again, a very narrow victory. 9pts to 8pts. |
| Keyboard | 33 key QWERTY, plus d-pad | 34 key QWERTY, plus cursor keys | Aside from the d-pad vs cursor key debate, there's little to choose between the two keyboard variants. The N97 classic's is arguably better positioned (with the letter keys exactly below the physical screen) and the keys easier to press, while the N97 mini has an extra punctuation key and better key definition. Too close to call here, utterly down to personal preference! 7pts each. |
| GPS | Original antenna was 'noisy' and insensitive. Replacement (via Care point) isn't much better | GPS antenna not brilliant | When radio components get converged miniaturised to this extent, I guess something has to go. In this case, it's GPS antenna performance, though I'd still class both the N97 and N97 mini as 'disappointing' in this regard. 5pts for the N97 classic, 7pts to the N97 mini here. |
| Camera | Original camera glass protective shutter was mounted too close and scratched the glass. Care point replacement is fine though. | Exposed camera glass and dual LED flash | Although the core camera components are identical, the mounting arrangements are different. With the new protective shutter, the N97 does a great job of protecting the camera glass from damage and has the advantage of being able to launch the Camera app by simply sliding open the shutter. In contrast, the N97 mini's camera glass is permanently open to miscellaneous scratches and damage and you have to press and hold the main camera shutter to launch the Camera app, which takes longer. The only plus side of the N97 mini's arrangement, other than less bulk, is that the LEDs are always available, so the PhoneTorch utility becomes a lot more practical. Still, overall, from the perspective of the new baseline (with a replaced N97 camera glass and shutter), 9pts to the N97, 8pts to the N97 mini. |
| FM Transmitter | Yes, works very well | None | Surprisingly useful, this is great for switching music and podcasts in the car over to a preset in the car stereo. Once you've gone down this route, it's hard to go back to a phone without an FM transmitter! To give one device 10pts and the other zero would be too savage a weighting though - I'll admit that an FM transmitter isn't an essential for everybody. 4 bonus points to the N97 here. |
| Battery | 1500mAh | 1200mAh | Of interest to everyone is how long the phone lasts between charges. The N97 mini's battery is on the low side, for true road warriors, at least - I was regularly running out of power when spending a day away from my desk and a charger. The extra 25% capacity in the N97s battery makes all the difference in the world and means that you'll have a bar or two left at the end of a busy day rather than nothing at all. 8pts versus 5pts is fair here, I think. |
Adding up the (admittedly slightly personal) scorings, we get 63 points for the N97 classic and (unbelievably) 63 points for the N97 mini. I swear that this result isn't fixed, but it is a reflection on how equally balanced these two devices are now.
Which means that I can't answer the question 'which is better' overall, but I can make a recommendation, depending on who you are and what your priorities are.
- If you're a power user and you want all the gadgets, you want the maximum of everything and you're prepared to fiddle around a little to manage its meagre disk C:, then the N97 classic is the best choice, you'll be running with fewer compromises overall.
- If you're someone who simply wants a sleek modern smartphone with a good QWERTY keyboard and you're not planning to spend all day fiddling with the thing, then go for the N97 mini - it's better all rounder of the two.
Me? I'm fairly obviously in the first camp, though when non-geek friends ask me about the marque I'll uniformly recommend the 'mini'. Hopefully I'm not being too contrary in using one device while recommending another!
Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 7 Feb 2010
Categories: Comment, Hardware
Platforms: S60 5th Edition
Feature Discussion
j d
I think I'm going to be firmly in the "can't live without an fm transmitter" camp from now on.
I think the most impressive use case for this is when you are playing not only music, but also voice guided GPS instructions over the car stereo. Awesome.
I think the most impressive use case for this is when you are playing not only music, but also voice guided GPS instructions over the car stereo. Awesome.
Unregistered
Easy for me. Those few mm make an enormous difference to the carry comfort. I cannot deal with huge lump phones, so it has to be the mini.
Unregistered
If you are on a budget then the classic is by far the cheaper purchase as a used device from Ebay. Perhaps this pure market force fact alone says enough?
yitwave
As an owner of both the N97 and N97 mini, I must say the Mini's stability is significantly better than the N97, so i would recommend the mini to anyone who is NOT a tech head.
Having more C: (avoiding the mess when this goes low and the annoying practise in monitoring C: or clearing cache) eases a lot of headaches for new users of the Symbian platform. This problem will only truly be cleared up if users can install Nokia apps on E:\ particilarly OVI Messaging & Maps.
If the above is fixed, then the playing ground is much closer for the 2.
Having more C: (avoiding the mess when this goes low and the annoying practise in monitoring C: or clearing cache) eases a lot of headaches for new users of the Symbian platform. This problem will only truly be cleared up if users can install Nokia apps on E:\ particilarly OVI Messaging & Maps.
If the above is fixed, then the playing ground is much closer for the 2.
malerocks
I have used both the phones as well, and i definitely love the mini more. The sleekness is better that the classic, and it is much more stable and better to use.
I do not face any serious GPS issues, though I have to admit that if I am in a building and there are atleast 2 / 3 storeys above me, the GPS rarely gets a signal. I am not sure if this is normal or an example of the poor GPS quality that Steve mentioned in this article.
I also love the colours that the mini is available in - definitely sexier than the white or blank available in the classic (IMO). I am not a fan of the transmitter (though I do feel at times that I could have it :tongue:) and the built in 8 GB plus a memory card suits me just fine... :)
I just fail to understand why does the mini boot up with lesser RAM as compared to the classic when essentially they are the same phone - software wise...
I do not face any serious GPS issues, though I have to admit that if I am in a building and there are atleast 2 / 3 storeys above me, the GPS rarely gets a signal. I am not sure if this is normal or an example of the poor GPS quality that Steve mentioned in this article.
I also love the colours that the mini is available in - definitely sexier than the white or blank available in the classic (IMO). I am not a fan of the transmitter (though I do feel at times that I could have it :tongue:) and the built in 8 GB plus a memory card suits me just fine... :)
I just fail to understand why does the mini boot up with lesser RAM as compared to the classic when essentially they are the same phone - software wise...
widehead
Neither win. They are both dreadful phones. If you must have a touch UI (perhaps you have recently had a knock to the head or maybe you're just stupid) it's a no brainer - the iPhone is for you (if you must have touch, clearly you don't know your arse from your elbow).
Buy an N86 8MP. Gorgeous screen, great camera and none of that annoying, pointless, time-sapping touch UI nonsense.
Buy an N86 8MP. Gorgeous screen, great camera and none of that annoying, pointless, time-sapping touch UI nonsense.
Ratkat
If you must have a touch screen Nokia the winner is ..........the Nokia 5800, 95% of the features and very few of the problems of the N97 Classic/Mini at less than half of the price.
Unregistered
Don't buy N97/mini. The processor is too slow - when you play mp3 in the background you can feel the phone working slower, Mobbler in the background causes kinetic scrolling slowdowns etc. On top of that all the memory problems. If you want Symbian, buy 5800, it has exactly the same insides (except camera) and may possibly be worth the much lower price.
Or wait for new phones with Symbian^3 or wait even longer for Symbian^4 :)
Or wait for new phones with Symbian^3 or wait even longer for Symbian^4 :)
bluejacker
As an old E-Series Qwerty user (E61, E61i, E71) the N97 Mini is the first N-Series which is really tempting for me in terms of build quality. Although I am a power user, I don't want to have to fiddle around with the C drive of a phone for which I just spent €350+ especially when it has 32GB of storage anyway. Sorry Nokia but that is just plain stupid and how should I explain that to normal users?
BTW Steve which Theme is that on the N97?
BTW Steve which Theme is that on the N97?
ericgadgetfreak
the answer is N900....the best there is now!!
Unregistered
Quote:
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Originally Posted by widehead
Neither win. They are both dreadful phones. If you must have a touch UI (perhaps you have recently had a knock to the head or maybe you're just stupid) it's a no brainer - the iPhone is for you (if you must have touch, clearly you don't know your arse from your elbow).
Buy an N86 8MP. Gorgeous screen, great camera and none of that annoying, pointless, time-sapping touch UI nonsense. |
The iPhone is not a no-brainer for touch, it is oversized compared to the N97 mini, and does not have a physical keyboard. I absolutely love the touch interface on the iPhone, but those two problem points kill the possibility stone dead *for me*.
I agree the N86 is a good phone, but I am outdoors a lot in daylight, and I need a screen I can read.
I also partly agree that the 5800 is brilliant, and a better value alternative *if* you don't want the widgets and the physical keyboard.
Horses for courses. Only those that have had a knock on the head or the stupid would assume that one size fits all.
Unregistered
I have the N97 "classic", and after the latest firmware update I must say, I am quite satisfied. It does everything I want, and yes, while Nokia should have put a faster CPU in the thing, it still does quite well in most areas and some areas quite excellent, actually.
I use Skyfire, Opera, WebKit for surfing depending what I need, all are fine.
For fun, music and day to day stuff I use: Mobbler or play mp3s from my 14 GB large music library on the phone, Frodo (with Bilbo) C64 emulator (amazing emu), Nokia Maps, Google Maps, play a few games bought from Ovi, use it to record concerts and rehearsals (I play in a band), take pictures, Facebook and email.
...and I cannot live without the QWERTY keyboard.
Everything works like a charm as long as you just remember one thing - ALWAYS install on E: drive ;-)
I love this phone, and right now everything is good.
BUT the next high/mid-end Symbian device from Nokia better be with a faster CPU and OpenGL ES or better graphics chip, or someone else will get my money.
I use Skyfire, Opera, WebKit for surfing depending what I need, all are fine.
For fun, music and day to day stuff I use: Mobbler or play mp3s from my 14 GB large music library on the phone, Frodo (with Bilbo) C64 emulator (amazing emu), Nokia Maps, Google Maps, play a few games bought from Ovi, use it to record concerts and rehearsals (I play in a band), take pictures, Facebook and email.
...and I cannot live without the QWERTY keyboard.
Everything works like a charm as long as you just remember one thing - ALWAYS install on E: drive ;-)
I love this phone, and right now everything is good.
BUT the next high/mid-end Symbian device from Nokia better be with a faster CPU and OpenGL ES or better graphics chip, or someone else will get my money.
Unregistered
Both of them are generally bad. The user experience is hardly great and i dont know why Nokia is always sticking with only 182mb of ram no im sorry ONLY 128mb
krisq
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
Both of them are generally bad. The user experience is hardly great and i dont know why Nokia is always sticking with only 182mb of ram no im sorry ONLY 128mb
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dan_md
As I am currently using the 5800, moving to either N97 or N97 mini is an update.
Between the two, I would likely go for the N97 mini. The smaller size and the heftier device memory are both plus points for a techie like me. The reduced memory can be easily compensated by a microSD card and the FM radio is not much of a loss as I don't carry my headset that often.
Since I carry 3-4 handhelds/phones most of the time, the smaller size is a must.
Between the two, I would likely go for the N97 mini. The smaller size and the heftier device memory are both plus points for a techie like me. The reduced memory can be easily compensated by a microSD card and the FM radio is not much of a loss as I don't carry my headset that often.
Since I carry 3-4 handhelds/phones most of the time, the smaller size is a must.
slitchfield
No, no, no, why do people keep getting confused between an FM radio and an FM transmitter? TOTALLY different thing. Gah.
widehead
Quote:
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Originally Posted by dan_md
As I am currently using the 5800, moving to either N97 or N97 mini is an update.
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I love Nokia. I've dabbled with other manufacturers but Nokia are streets ahead - except with the N97. It's absolutely dreadful in every way.
For touch UI the iPhone is by far and away a superior device. The lack of a qwerty is irrelevant as it's actually faster to use the touchscreen. Not so with Nokia. The 5th edition UI is, at best, a shoddy compromise and at it's worst is an unusable mess.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.
Unregistered
Quote:
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Originally Posted by widehead
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY.
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The iPhone is too large, the touch screen won't work with gloves. The screen is too vulnerable to damage, the cases crack and split at the back near the USB connector too easily. Lovely interface, I have one nut don't carry it.
The N97 mini is the only phone that does the job for me. Unless you can name a more suitable one. I doubt you can because I've tried very hard.
germcevoy
I owned and sold a 5800 for no apparent reason. Tried android and now want another Nokia as a second device. Wanting to stay touchscreen for video purposes. Never considered N97c but have looked at the mini. My girlfriend picked one up on contract and its fairly nice. Now I'm looking to buy sim free from eBay and cannot for the life of me justify the 150 quid premium of the Mini over another 5800. What's it get me? 1.8 megapixels and an average and painful keyboard. Good hunting on eBay gets a new 5800 for 120 pounds. Only one winner. Just pissed I sold mine in the first place.
widehead
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Unregistered
SPEAK FOR YOUR SELFISH SELF.
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Get an N86 8MP! If the screen is too small or you must have touch (for God's sake WHY?!) get an iPhone. Waffle about a "delicate screen" or it being "too big" is nothing but empty hand-waving.
For the hard-of-thinking: the N97 mini is a disaster. Touch on the Nokia is dreadful. it is time consuming, counter productive, counter intuitive, pointless, bolted-on (badly) and totally unnecessary. Some brainless morons will tell you "there is no place for a non-touch device in 2010" or some other such idiocy. Touch is, in its current guise, nothing more than a fad. It's come and gone before. It'll need to change drastically if it's to stay this time.
Unregistered
Quote:
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Originally Posted by widehead
I don't see how giving advice is selfish. Far from it. I wouldn't want anyone else to be lumbered with such a hopeless device as the N97mini.
Get an N86 8MP! If the screen is too small or you must have touch (for God's sake WHY?!) get an iPhone. Waffle about a "delicate screen" or it being "too big" is nothing but empty hand-waving. For the hard-of-thinking: the N97 mini is a disaster. Touch on the Nokia is dreadful. it is time consuming, counter productive, counter intuitive, pointless, bolted-on (badly) and totally unnecessary. Some brainless morons will tell you "there is no place for a non-touch device in 2010" or some other such idiocy. Touch is, in its current guise, nothing more than a fad. It's come and gone before. It'll need to change drastically if it's to stay this time. |
Jimmy1
From a former Nokia owner (a 6650 flip) and a current Motorola Droid user: the N97 is an awful phone; the mini is just 'okay' but not much better. They both hang a lot, are very slow, and the touchscreen response is middling, while S60v5 is just a mess.
I travel overseas to Europe from New York to visit family, so I've taken both of the N97 versions for a test drive.
Honestly, Nokia should be embarrassed for releasing such half-assed efforts onto the public, and this is coming from someone who thought that the E71 was one of the best phones Nokia ever released. Of course they went ahead and botched that up with the absolutely terrible E72, but that's another discussion...
The N86 is actually a pretty good phone, but my poor thumb joint ached at the thought of going back to T9 buttons only. If the N86 had a Palm Pre style portrait slide out qwerty, it would have been the bees knees.
I hope Nokia isn't hitching its hopes onto S60 for much longer. Yes, Nokia makes great throw-away dumbphones for second and third world countries, but currently, they can't make a good smartphone it seems.
And from their unwavering use of low powered ARM processors and 128 MB RAM chips in their phones, one would think that they bought warehouses full of those things back in 2002, and are absolutely determined to use every last one of them. That's the only explanation I can come up with for sticking them in every single phone Nokia releases.
I travel overseas to Europe from New York to visit family, so I've taken both of the N97 versions for a test drive.
Honestly, Nokia should be embarrassed for releasing such half-assed efforts onto the public, and this is coming from someone who thought that the E71 was one of the best phones Nokia ever released. Of course they went ahead and botched that up with the absolutely terrible E72, but that's another discussion...
The N86 is actually a pretty good phone, but my poor thumb joint ached at the thought of going back to T9 buttons only. If the N86 had a Palm Pre style portrait slide out qwerty, it would have been the bees knees.
I hope Nokia isn't hitching its hopes onto S60 for much longer. Yes, Nokia makes great throw-away dumbphones for second and third world countries, but currently, they can't make a good smartphone it seems.
And from their unwavering use of low powered ARM processors and 128 MB RAM chips in their phones, one would think that they bought warehouses full of those things back in 2002, and are absolutely determined to use every last one of them. That's the only explanation I can come up with for sticking them in every single phone Nokia releases.
RogerPodacter
Quote:
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Originally Posted by widehead
I don't see how giving advice is selfish. Far from it. I wouldn't want anyone else to be lumbered with such a hopeless device as the N97mini.
Get an N86 8MP! If the screen is too small or you must have touch (for God's sake WHY?!) get an iPhone. Waffle about a "delicate screen" or it being "too big" is nothing but empty hand-waving. For the hard-of-thinking: the N97 mini is a disaster. Touch on the Nokia is dreadful. it is time consuming, counter productive, counter intuitive, pointless, bolted-on (badly) and totally unnecessary. Some brainless morons will tell you "there is no place for a non-touch device in 2010" or some other such idiocy. Touch is, in its current guise, nothing more than a fad. It's come and gone before. It'll need to change drastically if it's to stay this time. |
Unregistered
owning an n95-3 before my n97 NAM, i came to the conclusion to just wait it out if u own one of the great N95s (basically any none n95-1). Otherwise, buy any other cortez a8 phone or any of the e-series, because they all come with enough ram and storage to handle any task and still retain stability. Something is seriously wrong with s60v5 on the n97, ram leaks and all.
Unregistered
Can't say I remember the last time my N97 classic crashed tbh, yes the phone was a pretty big let down after the astronomical hype it received but eh, with V20+ firmware it's a perfectly dependable and hugely capable bit of kit, Just without the glamour of the iPhone/Android crowd. Mind you, if I was to start my contract again now, my money would go on an N900 instead.