The verdict: Nokia N95 8GB
Published by Steve Litchfield at 15:06 BST, October 22nd 2007
Is the Nokia N95 8GB the best smartphone ever made? There's an awful lot to it, including some features which don't yet rise to their potential, plus a number of potential pitfalls, but on balance no other 'phone' ever created comes close. Within the limits of the QVGA screen and numeric keypad form factor, the '8GB' takes it to the limit in almost every department. Here's my illustrated Nokia N95 8GB review.
"A big thumbs up overall though. Nokia has listened carefully to the feedback coming from early N95 users and has addressed just about every criticism and done it in style. The original device enjoyed several major firmware updates and countless extensions via the Download! application and I'd expect this to see the same attention from Nokia. "
Categories: Hardware, Editorial Thoughts
Platforms: S60 3rd Edition
News Discussion
Unregistered
1
slitchfield
No, it's still all plastic and light years from the build strength of the E90. But yes, it does seem well made. Mind you, different batches will always vary... let's hope for the best!
malerocks
You think Nokia will abandon the original n95 too after the n95 8GB starts selling? Like they abandoned the n93 after the n93i came in...
Unregistered
Is there any chance you can review the N95-3 (North American Edition) that just came out? It seems to be about "halfway" in between the old N95 and the N95 8GB. I don't know if we got demand paging, for instance, although we did get the bigger battery and increase in RAM. We still have the MicroSD slot, but also the smaller screen and "old" menu layout. There are other differences, though, and I'm wondering if we will get some of the new features in a firmware update.
neilhoskins
Completely bizarre that they've removed the video editor. Whenever I've tried to run it I run out of RAM, but they've dropped it as soon as there's a device with enough RAM to cope with it. Maybe the problems with the video editor aren't to do with RAM at all...
hargs48
Well written review Steve.I was wondering if you could please post some screenshots of the phone running Handy Taskman with some of the common apps running in the background ie. Web,Contacts,Calender,Messaging,Gallery and so forth.This way we can get a even better idea what all this massive amount of RAM actually means.:icon14:
slitchfield
One of the screenshots in the review shows most of the apps open (little blue circles etc)
Steve
Steve
Guess Who
The screen should be 480x320px. QVGA is lame.
Unregistered
No physical lens protection is kind of a deal breaker.
A high quality 5mp chip behind a constantly dirty and sooner than later scratched lens ... awwww-some. :(
Wish they'd release the 95-3 in europe too. 8Gig cards cost just 100€ already and the smaller screen at the same rez just means crispier image quality. More ram and better battery was all the original n95 needed...
A high quality 5mp chip behind a constantly dirty and sooner than later scratched lens ... awwww-some. :(
Wish they'd release the 95-3 in europe too. 8Gig cards cost just 100€ already and the smaller screen at the same rez just means crispier image quality. More ram and better battery was all the original n95 needed...
lifebloger
"Nokia has listened carefully to the feedback coming from early N95 users and has addressed just about every criticism and done it in style."
And now the early N95 users have to buy the new one !
It is regrettable on the part of Nokia! At least I hope that Nokia will be kind enough to offer anything to these early N95 users !!!
I can say now : me and Nokia it's simply the end !
And now the early N95 users have to buy the new one !
It is regrettable on the part of Nokia! At least I hope that Nokia will be kind enough to offer anything to these early N95 users !!!
I can say now : me and Nokia it's simply the end !
slitchfield
Oh come on. every product in every walk of life gets improved on and a version 2 released. Hang on in there though, because I've got a gut feeling that there'll be a good new firmware out soon for the original N95....
Guess Who
The N80 was the same crap like the N95 v1, poor battery, not enough RAM, crap slider mechanism, Nokia should have corrected the mistakes before the release of the N95. Early N95 buyers got served just like SE's lemon P990 buyers.
Bobagent
Disclaimer: I've not played with the new N95 8GB so may be way off but.....
Steve you seem to like bashing the carousel multimedia interface...from afar it reminds me of 'front row' on the Mac.
I'm a long time Mac user but realise there is a distinction between managing my content e.g. iTunes, iPhoto etc but then viewing through a simpler interface e.g. Front Row
Like I say I've not seen the new multimedia interface in the flesh so be way off the mark but what seems to be seen as a useful addition to Os X seems to be a bit slated on S60
What's so bad about it?
Steve you seem to like bashing the carousel multimedia interface...from afar it reminds me of 'front row' on the Mac.
I'm a long time Mac user but realise there is a distinction between managing my content e.g. iTunes, iPhoto etc but then viewing through a simpler interface e.g. Front Row
Like I say I've not seen the new multimedia interface in the flesh so be way off the mark but what seems to be seen as a useful addition to Os X seems to be a bit slated on S60
What's so bad about it?
Unregistered
Does anyone know where you can buy this phone online. Not even nokia's home page has it up on 'buy online'.?
fernando20
There's no Office folder? Aw...
When will S60 allow us to change the icon of the folders we created? I hate seeing all that same looking folders on my menu, the ones that comes with the phones are so much nicer.
When will S60 allow us to change the icon of the folders we created? I hate seeing all that same looking folders on my menu, the ones that comes with the phones are so much nicer.
hermida
I was wondering if we would get landscape n-gaging on the N95, would be weird to have the d pad on the right side, they could do the reverse landscape just like in the N81 and make 2 of the multimedia control keys act as game keys. would be nice, even in N95-1.
Unregistered
Hey,so while listening to music over built in speakers,it is mentioned in you earlier review that,ie90 is on par with N95.Does this still hold good against N95 8GB
slitchfield
Yes, there's an Office folder, with the usual suspects. Apart from the video editor, all the N95 original s/w is here etc.
re: the Carousel, maybe it's a personal thing. You'll have to try it yourself!!
re: the Carousel, maybe it's a personal thing. You'll have to try it yourself!!
Unregistered
Shame that there is no removable card. I frequently use mine to transfer data off and on via a card reader. On the whole though, a MUST HAVE. I WANT IT NOW. Few things in this category of products are worth the money to me, my N95 is wonderful and being worked to death. I intend to do the same to the 8GB.
Unregistered
I am repeating myself because i dint get a reply the last time:-
Hey,so while listening to music over built in speakers,it is mentioned in you earlier review that,ie90 is on par with N95.Does this still hold good against N95 8GB
Hey,so while listening to music over built in speakers,it is mentioned in you earlier review that,ie90 is on par with N95.Does this still hold good against N95 8GB
slitchfield
Sound quality over speakers is identical to that on the original. Same hardware etc.
N95ROCKS
so that means that in the case of the new 95 8GB, e90 is better in terms of sound quality through ext speaker; correct me if i am wrong,thanks dude.
Unregistered
Hi. I'd really appreciate it if someone could clarify whether the 8gb N95 can play flash video / youtube video. Is this something OVI is meant to enable and if so how / when ?
I've just been playing on my daughters IPOD Touch and the internet and youtube apps are great and so the Iphone is a real draw at the moment, but I appreciate the N95 8GB is probably a better phone overall...decisions decisions !
Really appreciate it if anyone could advise.
Thanks.
I've just been playing on my daughters IPOD Touch and the internet and youtube apps are great and so the Iphone is a real draw at the moment, but I appreciate the N95 8GB is probably a better phone overall...decisions decisions !
Really appreciate it if anyone could advise.
Thanks.
slitchfield
I'm not going down the quality comparison route. Compared to headphone output, they're both rubbish, of course. 8-)
Re: YouTube, nothing's really changed. Mobile YouTube clips work OK, but Flash video doesn't. Same as on the iPhone and every other handheld....
Re: YouTube, nothing's really changed. Mobile YouTube clips work OK, but Flash video doesn't. Same as on the iPhone and every other handheld....
Unregistered
It certainly has all the bells and whistles, but it's not that smart while it doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard.
I presented Nokia with an idea about how one could incorporate a full QWERTY keyboard on the N95, while maintaining the sliding out numeric keypad. Their response: "we're not interested". Oh well.....
I presented Nokia with an idea about how one could incorporate a full QWERTY keyboard on the N95, while maintaining the sliding out numeric keypad. Their response: "we're not interested". Oh well.....