I normally don't do articles on phones. There are PLENTY of other good bloggers (Darla, Ricky, and others - I am talking to you) who have that honor. However, the N810's Web 2.0 focus has led me to explore one a bit here. Actually, it was several Nokia employees at the Web2Summit who gave me a hard time for wielding my Motorola Q too. I was invited to use an N95 to capture the event and experiment.
I won't do a full review of the N95. With no expertise in phones, I am not qualified to do so. As a mobile tech blogger, though, I am qualified to evaluate it as a tool for ME . I've determined that it is the second most useful mobile content tool I've ever used - surpassed only by the N810. A 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera, video capability, direct upload to YouTube, Blogger, Flickr, and more through Shozu, and more make it perfect for generating content. Pairing it with the Nokia N810 over Bluetooth allows both devices to share files and an Internet connection.
As a multimedia phone, it worked very well. Over WiFi (as I only tested it with a prepaid AT&T SIM card) I was able to browse the web, upload photos, and use the extended internet features. It even has a GPS and mapping application which fetches maps live from the Internet.Like the Internet Tablets, there is also a strong Symbian user and developer community. With GSM technology (and never carrier locking) the N95 is usable in the United States on either AT&T or T-Mobile.
Even without truly usable service, I don't want to leave the N95 at home. It's far too convenient to have a device with Internet access, direct content generation, and even strong multimedia playback without having to carry another device.
The camera is where I had the most fun. In San Francisco, I took a whole bunch of pictures with the N95. While not as beefy as my Powershot S5, it's certainly high enough quality the images I post here. The LED flash is surprisingly useful (though it won't replace a Xenon strobe) and the convenience of carrying a 5 megapixel camera converged with a phone cannot be ignored.
The above is an example N95 photo, taken from a moving trolley. Check the Flickr feed (linked above) for the full sized image.
Is this the blogger's dream team? For this blogger: Yes. A Nokia N95 can capture the photos and video as it happens, then either upload it directly or share an Internet connection with the N810. On the N810, posts can be written formatted, edited, annotated, and published. I wish I had one of these at CES. I may next year.
It's not all roses for me, however. I am sad to say that the N95 cannot currently become my primary phone. I am attached to Verizon for the next year and lack the funds to break the contract and start a new one. I also am unwilling to do this on THIS PARTICULAR N95 because it is not the version with 3G connectivity in the United States. The EDGE network, sadly, is too slow for my liking. There is an 8GB model and a US 3G model available. By CES, I hope to afford a 3G unit and the budget to cut my Verizon contract and switch to AT&T. If my dream were to come true, there would be an N95 on Sprint's CDMA/EV-DO rev A network. That way, I wouldn't have to look at another carrier when Sprint roll out WiMAX. I've become addicted to EV-DO rev A mobile broadband.
For now, I'll begrudgingly carry my Motorola Q. In the future, expect to see me toting around an N95 and N810 especially in out-of-town events.
13 comments:
you did not however mention, that the dream team will cost almost 1k USD :)
and having both devices with 2 GPS each, is kind of like over-killing... until these features become standard, they will stay as cool-gadgets for the high end users...
i am looking other combinations, like N810 with say a nice phone with at least 3MP autofocus, plus 3G - they will together well too i believe, minus the dollars.
And it's a stupid dream.
The OpenMoko guys are doing it better than Nokia, the end-user version will have wifi, gps and gsm. I don't remember about camera, but hey, it's the first model. If it's successfull hurrah for them.
Also: OpenMoko is 100% Free Software, while Nokia's gadget isn't.
I agree that the computer needs to merge with the phone and pda and camera. OpenMoko goes further to establish this than this very appealing Nokia gadgets, which is why I have decided to wait for it, instead of wasting money on proprietary software which is GNU/Linux based and doesn't do calls, forcing me to have two expensive gadgets in my pockets.
:)
Welcome to the N95, i hope you get the US version soon.
Good luck.
2Rui Seabra:
Using vista on umpc i doubt open source firmware on moko is killer feature for ThoughtFix. N95's 5mpix camera IS.
2ThoughtFix:
Is wifi coverage good in US? In my country (Latvia) both EDGE and 3G are so expensive noone takes seriously idea of uploading videos through cellphone. Prices are ~1$ per megabyte
With Nokia and Qualcomm currently at legal loggerheads in a protracted patent battle and Nokia's realization that Asia, not the US, is the major mobile growth market, I seriously doubt we'll ever see an Nseries (or any Nokia) CDMA phone. If that weren't enough, Nokia also wants to switch to a more Apple-style direct-consumer-relationship business model, which causes Verizon and Sprint epileptic fits.
N95? Is almost like having 2 IT! I want a phone with no screen at all, a phone that is very small (credit card size?) and I want to use my N800/N810 to control it.
rul: The openmoko is an interesting idea, but it's way too far behind in development. We'll see what comes out of that team in the next couple years.
wahlau: Yes, it IS an expensive kit. But it's ooooooh so niiiiice.
Good feedback, all.
Hey Thoughtfix,
Cool use of ShoZu there, I see you're having a lot of fun with our app :-) Remember you can also subscribe to your Flickr friends' photostreams in our latest release.
Have fun with your new toys and happy snapping!
Best,
Mark (ShoZu)
This will be my exact setup as soon as the N810 is out. I can not wait. But to respond to the other comments, yes this duo is only for the bleeding edge Nokia people who want GPS on everything, and internet everywhere. Let's go November!
http://danielmeyer.blogs.com
When I first saw the N95, I thought it was cool. However, it's really pricey, and with my N800 in hand, I don't feel the need to get another browsing device. The only benefit in my mind to getting an N95 is the very nice camera and decent video recording capabilities. It's too far out of my price range to justify for just that, and I don't want to obsolete my N800 as a day to day device.
great stuff. have a question for you. what speed you think you could get by pairing the n95 as a 3g modem? i cant rely on wifi since it's still to uncommon over here. got a nice turbo 3g net though =)
Well Daniel - This is pretty much the set up I use. I live in the UK and have the N800 & N95. Fortunately I have it on T-Mobile with 3G coverage and up to 3GB download per month. I will also be adding the 810 to my collection as soon as it is available thanks to all your posts.
2 rui seabra: OpenMoko is a joke. You can hardly make any phone calls with the current software. And they sell device, which ships with firmware, which doesn't even boot. Even though it's a developer version, it's total disrespect to ship devices in such state. OpenMoko is going to fail miserably - it will never be a product quality, at least with current development team.
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