It is with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to
my last phone the Moto Ming. It has served me well and has borne the massive
abuse that I handed out to it from time to time. Enough of the Eulogies, after
much market research, I decided to buy the N95 8GB model. I guess being the
music freak that I am, the 8GB space was a little too alluring to resist. I did
have the option to go for the iphone but a 2 MP camera was hardly impressive
compared to the 5MP on the N95.
Looks
The N95 comes in a neat black finish and has
a rather ergonomical look to it, the only problem is that the N95 is rather
‘thick’ and compared to the iphone is more of a box. However the dual sliding
design is simply brilliant. In addition the N95 8GB has no camera shutter, so
its much simpler to take photos as well and the back of the phone looks really
good.
3/5
on looks
Features
I am yet to see a phone that has as many
features as the N95. From A-GPS to document editing, the phone does pretty much
everything a person can want from a Smartphone. Although Nokia’s claim that the
N95 is the future of computers is a little far fetched, but in terms of the
features the N95 packs a punch. Wi-Fi connectivity is impressive and 3.5G
support means the phone is future ready for the UK market. The only disappointing
feature is that Nokia Maps requires a 17 pound purchase to activate actual
navigation. The phone comes equipped with an accelerometer that senses the tilt
of the phone much like the iphone.
In addition the phone’s music player has an
added stereo effect called stereo widening that actually improves the stereo
effect of the music.
5/5 on Features
Camera
The Carl-Ziess optics are fantastic,
although a camera phone can never compete with a regular digital camera, the
phone’s camera is brilliant and feature rich. Even the 0.3 MP video calling
camera does a brilliant job. The phone is feature rich, but the lack of a
comprehensive photo editing software is disappointing. Not to mention the Sony
Ericsson C905 already has a 8MP camera.
4.5/5 for the Camera
Durability
The phone looks sturdy, and is well
constructed(I am not dropping it to test it!). The slider looks like it will
last and will not act up in the future. The phone does not smudge or look
greasy after prolonged use.
?/5 on Durability
*Battery
Life*
The battery life is far from impressive.
Using the GPS and a few phone calls will drain the battery life considerably. I
listen to around an hours worth of music, fool around with the GPS and the odd
photo. The battery last around 2 days tops. I was expecting more from such an
expensive phone and I am not convinced that Nokia has made an impressive effort
to improve over the older N95.
3/5 for battery life
Conclusion
Is the N95 the best phone ever made? NO,
however is it the best phone available, NO doubt.