Nokia N97 review: Lock, stock and touch

16 June 2009
They don’t get any bigger than that. A launch of this caliber can aptly be called inauguration day. The release of Nokia N97 is the N-series counter-move that geeks have been waiting for since November. Easily one of the most...

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  • a
  • aatif
  • vwp
  • 17 Jun 2009

how many other phones support full flash so as to view videos directly.
please advise because that was the only reason i was attracted to this phone.

    • N
    • NightBlade
    • 0T4
    • 17 Jun 2009

    This is a nice phone, no doubt, but I don't think it'll withstand the competition.
    It's a perfect example of a 'meh' handset - bland looks and user interface and mediocre media capabilities. It'll sell if priced right, though.

      • b
      • bummy
      • jDv
      • 17 Jun 2009

      Regardless of how n97 is behind its time, there's still alot of people buying the brand.

      Maybe people's got to try something new themselves to compare!

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • nbu
        • 17 Jun 2009

        useless, 17 Jun 2009Great specs. But as usual, it seems that any mention of pr... moreHow can the Iphone be affordable, but the much cheaper N97 not be?

          • u
          • useless
          • 4kE
          • 17 Jun 2009

          Great specs. But as usual, it seems that any mention of price, and the fact that it's a complete show-stopper for virtually everybody on the planet, is missing. This phone, like all Nokia smartphones in the US, remains a novelty for users who have money to burn, and/or have an allergy to the excellent and quite affordable iPhone3g/PalmPre models. They match or exceed on feature/usability, except for perhaps the camera.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • TIE
            • 17 Jun 2009

            Kumander Robot, 17 Jun 2009No it's not, sorry you're wrong. Judging a mobile phone's c... moreWell actually if you take a look at camera samples of the 8pmx phones, you would see that most if not all of them are superior in terms of detail and colour rendition compared to 5 mpx phones.

            yes more megapixels does not imply more quality, but the 8mpx sensors used in phones today are definitely better than the 5mpx sensors.

              • O
              • Oh Really???
              • RKp
              • 17 Jun 2009

              Anonymous, 17 Jun 2009Actually, the 8MP cameraphones have bigger sensors than the... moreBigger sensor how? Care to prove that? No phone manufacturer publishes those specs. Just looking at the size of the lens and aperture opening of these camphones, those sensors are even tinier than those on the cheapest point&shoot cams, which generally are either 1/2.5" or 1/1.7". And those sensors are already tiny compared to those on a DSLR which are either ~23x15mm (APS-C) or the same size as 35mm film (36x24mm). And that's why DSLR lenses are that huge compared to those on toy camphones & P&S cams. And it has a direct effect on image quality, which is all that matters, not megapixels.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • 3bu
                • 17 Jun 2009

                NOKIA, 17 Jun 2009this is the ultimate device ofcourse it is... what is not u... moreYeah , sure LoL

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • tVn
                  • 17 Jun 2009

                  rafael, 17 Jun 2009nothing special about N97. sadly Nokia is way behind its co... moreYeah its true. Just look at the pricing of the 5800XM and now the N97. Its so obvious Nokia's primary objective these days is to put as many S60 touch devices in the hands of consumers. This is similar to the clamshell fad. Nokia absolutely did not cared about the segment. In the history of Samsung mobile? Nokia's decision to stay out was Samsung's big break. Sad but true. Touchscreen was the big thing when Iphone showed the world what touchsreen allowed. But guess what? Nokia didn't believe in it. Suddenly there's Android. Then Palm Pre. Then WM going 6.5 and out of the blue touch screen is no longer a gimmick. Seriously Nokia committing the same mistake they did with clamshell.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • M3g
                    • 17 Jun 2009

                    So it is official - N97 has failed!!!

                    After two and a half years Nokia STILL can`t produce anything that matches the iPhone!! Not to mention the Omnia HD or the other big guns!

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • tVn
                      • 17 Jun 2009

                      Anonymous, 17 Jun 2009Actually, the 8MP cameraphones have bigger sensors than the... moreNot neccessarily. MP count need not neccessarily be positively correlated with sensor sizes. Otherwise you'll have a 24MP phone being significantly larger than a 12MP phone. The guy is correct. Sensors matter more for camera phones and more MP doesn't mean bigger sensor. Also just to prove the point why MP is not everything, a 24MP DSLR doesn't deliver 2x the quality of a 12MP DSLR. If the 12MP has a good sensor while the 24MP has an absolutely rubbish sensor, you might find the 12MP performs better.

                        • r
                        • rafael
                        • mb3
                        • 17 Jun 2009

                        nothing special about N97. sadly Nokia is way behind its competitors. same tragic UI like 5800. lets be honest, iPhone od android UIs rocks ( currently i'm using htc magic and i better liked apple UI)

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • kB}
                          • 17 Jun 2009

                          TMobile 3G (in US) won't work with N97 sadly.

                            • e
                            • esi
                            • 0y9
                            • 17 Jun 2009

                            I currently own n95 8gb and owned other nokias in past,but IMO this phone its not such a cutting edge phone apart from the touch screen. and currently i dont see any point upgrading to n97 especially with that price tag/expensive long contract.

                            also i thing its a bit on the big/heavy side

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • 0Bi
                              • 17 Jun 2009

                              Kumander Robot, 17 Jun 2009No it's not, sorry you're wrong. Judging a mobile phone's c... moreActually, the 8MP cameraphones have bigger sensors than the 5MP ones. You talk like an expert, but you don't know enough facts.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • nbu
                                • 17 Jun 2009

                                Does anyone know which games are pre-installed?

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • nbu
                                  • 17 Jun 2009

                                  Nice phone overall.

                                    • K
                                    • Kumander Robot
                                    • RKp
                                    • 17 Jun 2009

                                    Anonymous, 17 Jun 2009They aren't misleading..it's one of the most important aspe... moreNo it's not, sorry you're wrong. Judging a mobile phone's camera based on megapixels exposes you and the reviewer's ignorance about image sensor technology. Go read up more on www.dpreview.com and why most of the new P&S & DLSR cameras released now have inferior noise & image quality compared to their predecessors. Hint: the image sensor doesn't change size. Can you comprehend that?

                                    It is just wrong to place too much emphasis on the camera, when there are other more important features to be comapred and emphasized on today's smartphones.

                                      • S
                                      • Steve
                                      • MJc
                                      • 17 Jun 2009

                                      The N97 is a flawed device and I struggle to see it's purpose. It launches when the competition couldn't possibly be any stronger.

                                      Sales wise, I predict a mega flop.

                                        • A
                                        • Alex
                                        • 0ky
                                        • 17 Jun 2009

                                        GSMarena, I am very surprised by fact that you think the D-pad is on the wrong side! Take a look at any GBA, DS, PSP or any other handheld. Tell me, on which side is the d-pad located?

                                        I've always really like all your reviews as they are very fair and balanced and I agree with almost everything you said in your N97 review, but I am both shocked and disappointed that you didn't understand why the d-pad is where it is.