Why the Nokia N97 sucks... and why it still rules

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If there's such a thing as a popular whipping bag in the mobile world, the Nokia N97 surely has to be it. The original S60 5th Edition flagship has undergone so many troubles and humiliations in the last 12 months that it should surely be six feet under by now. And yet, despite having ready access to any phone in the world, my main SIM card is currently in... the Nokia N97. Here's why it sucks... and why it still rules. In an understated, misunderstood, jack of all trades way....

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"Just to re-iterate, I've had the following brand new top-end smartphones pass through my hands just in the last four months:

  • Nokia E72 (tiny 2.4" screen, no Podcast client) - see the AAS review
  • Samsung i8910 HD (super hardware but let down by lack of official support, poor battery life - see below - and illegible screen in the sun - ditto) - see the AAS review
  • HTC Desire (poorish speaker, poorish battery life, and again illegible in the sun) - see the Phones Show review
  • Google Nexus One (as above, but with less HTC-ised software package) - see the Phones Show review
  • Sony Ericsson X10 (terrific screen, poor battery life, appalling mono speaker) - see the Phones Show review
  • Sony Ericsson Satio (buggy, poor Xenon-integration, cheap plastics. And did I mention it was buggy?) - see the AAS review
  • Sony Ericsson Vivaz (poor screen in sunlight, inconsistent interface(s), exposed camera glass, no camera flash) - see the AAS review
  • Motorola Milestone (poor keyboard, poor keyboard and, yes, a poor keyboard, ruining the device's USP) - see the Phones Show review
  • HTC Legend (screen a little small, Sense UI a bit overwhelming, poor battery cover arrangement, usual OLED in sunlight complaint) - see the Phones Show review
  • HTC Hero (screen small again, plasticky, speaker quiet) - see the Phones Show

If the above seems as though I'm being picky, then you'd be right, but remember that I do this for a living and that I picked just as big a list of negatives for the N97 at the top of this article. We're still a long way from the perfect, faultless smartphone."

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