Heading out into the wilds of Devon a week ago, for my annual vacation, I wanted to try the smartphone equivalent of going 'commando' - travelling light, one device only, one SIM only, one chance to get it right for all my phone, communication and entertainment needs. No laptop, no iPad, just the smartphone. I had the choice of over 40 devices - and I ended up going with the much-maligned Nokia N97. Here's why the N97 is still almost good enough in its twilight years/months - and here's how it performed when put to the extremes of outdoor use. I wasn't trying to destroy it, per se, but it certainly survived some abuse. I'd trail the end of the tale here... but you can probably guess!
Why did I choose the Nokia N97?
"It's one of the most agonising decisions I make each year. And also one of the most pleasant and fun. Choosing which smartphone is going to be my swiss army knife for the week away in the wilds. I know, I know, the clever gadgeteer would take a camera, a camcorder, an ebook reader, etc. All optimised for a single task. But I always, but always go for the converged solution - simply because I can. And because I want to test out the converged lifestyle as aggressively as I can before I evangelise it with the same aggression to my (ahem) interested public."
