(C) 'Attention Grabbing Headlines Ltd.' No, of course, I wouldn't rather have a 'classic' N95 than the newer 8GB model, if offered both for Christmas, but there's still a real story here. I argue that there are enough positives for the 'classic' as to keep it a contender. Read on...

1. It's cheaper. £375, SIM-free, including VAT, from Expansys. If you have to ask about the SIM-free price of the 8GB model then you probably can't afford it!
    
2. Some activities are faster. For example, the speed of disk access/scanning, when updating the Music library or Gallery or doing an Image Store from your PC. In each case, there's a big slowdown when needing to trawl across that big 8GB internal disk.
    
3. It's lighter, around 10g lighter, around 8% in terms of overall weight, and noticeable in the hand.
    
4. It's thinner, too, by at least a millimetre, also noticeable holding the two side by side.
    
5. There's a proper, protective shutter over the lens of the 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens. With your fingers pressing into this area every day in normal use, the shutter stops finger grease getting onto the glass cover and spoiling the next 'must have' photo opportunity.
    
6. There's a microSD slot, meaning that you can not only stick in a 8GB card if you want the full storage capability of the newer model, you can also swap files with other computers and accessories with card reading slots, e.g. to put your microSD into a printer to print off photos.
    
7. There's a comprehensive on-board video editing suite (built into Gallery) - bizarrely, this is missing on the 8GB model and I have absolutely no idea why!
    
8. It's less nickable. By which I mean that the N95 is so commonplace nowadays that you won't be a magnet for teenage muggers, whereas the black 8GB model is instantly recognisable and, unfortunately, lusted after.
    
9. It has a rougher side and rear coating, giving you a better grip and meaning that it's less likely to be dropped.
    
10. Did I mention it was cheaper? 8-)

As mentioned at the start, the newer 8GB model has advantages (higher free RAM, better screen, bigger battery) that outweigh the above factors for most people, but I wasn't going to let that get in the way of putting forward a few contentions that will both get people talking and (hopefully) keep the original N95 on sale alongside its newer brother.

Steve Litchfield, AllAboutSymbian, 9 Nov 2007

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