Nokia's new N97 super phone isn't easy to love.
It's complicated, occasionally frustrating and quirky, sometimes tough to control, and at times just refuses to do what you want it to do.
Oh, and it's expensive.
But if you're willing to work at the relationship, the N97 does have some exotic capabilities.
Before you even pick up the phone, the first issue you'll have to deal with is the price. At $699, the N97 demands commitment.
The benefit, though, is that you're committing to the phone, rather than to a particular carrier, since, here in the U.S., the N97 is not subsidized in exchange for a two-year contract like the iPhone 3G S and other handsets.
Yea, freedom!
On the other hand, you're going to have to sign up for a voice and data plan anyway if you want to use your N97 as more than just a paperweight.
Since the N97 is a GSM phone that requires a SIM card to operate, you will be limited somewhat in which carrier will work with your phone. I tested one with an AT&T 3G account.
Once you've got the phone in your hand, you'll notice that it's a handful.
It's bigger and heavier than an iPhone, with an identical-size 3.5-inch screen (although the N97 does have a sharper screen resolution).
But the N97 packs a lot of hardware in that package, including a top-notch landscape keyboard that slides out with a solid thwap.
On the back, there's a five-megapixel camera with an LED flash and a very nifty lens cover that you can slide open with your thumb, and there's another lower-res camera on the front.
The phone comes with 32 gigabytes of memory built in, and the microSD slot lets you add 16 gigs.
Turn the phone on and you're confronted with the N97's first real enhancement over the iPhone: a home screen with Internet-connected widgets. So rather than just having a static icon that opens the real program, the icons themselves are programs.
Your Facebook widget will actually display live updates from your friends, the weather widget shows current conditions in your area (which you can set manually or automatically adjust depending on your geographic location), and the news feed will run a ticker (which, again, you can customize based on your location so you only get local news).
The N97's main asset is versatility, and it knows how to flaunt it.
The camera is also superb.
While there are phones with higher megapixel counts, I've rarely seen any with better picture quality, and the N97's camera excels at auto-focusing.
The camera is good enough to outclass most digital point-and-shoots in most situations.
But changing options, navigating menus and just fidgeting with your phone can be frustrating.
First, the screen itself, which uses a different type of touch technology than the iPhone, Palm Pre and other devices, is not as finger-friendly as you'd expect.
Nokia does bundle a lumpy stylus with the N97 and says the display type is critical for Asia, since it's better suited for handwriting recognition.
But it just doesn't feel intuitive, and you often have to press the screen two or three times to get it to respond.
I also occasionally had programs – notably the Facebook application – freeze when I tried to open the home- screen widget to access the full program.
You'll get along just fine with this device if you're willing to compromise, but many people might be tempted by a mate that's not quite as high-maintenance.Nokia N97
Pros: The keyboard and camera are exceptional, the machine packs a ton of storage space, and the home-screen widgets give you a ton of customizable info at a glance.
Cons: Expensive, balky touch screen display, expensive, high learning curve, and expensive.
Bottom line: The N97 is the thinking man's smart phone. So how much time do you want to spend thinking about your phone?
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