Nokia N95 Review:

The stylish Nokia N95 features an 2-way slide design for easy switching between phone, entertainment, and browser. The quad-band Nokia N95 GSM/EDGE phone is also ready to run on 3G networks here in the US (850/1900 MHz UMTS/HSDPA), enabling fast downloads and streaming multimedia while on the go. Nokia N95 also includes integrated Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11b/g) for accessing open networks at work, at home, and on the road from a variety of wireless hotspots.

Nokia N95 based on S60 software operating on the Symbian OS, enabling you to personalize the Nokia N95 by choosing from a wide choice of compatible applications that can be downloaded–including games, navigation, entertainment, and productivity titles. This version of the Nokia N95 (model N95-4) has an internal 8 GB memory, and it doesn’t include a MicroSD expansion slot.

Nokia N95 cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides quad-band connectivity (850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz).

The innovative 2-way slide concept makes it easy to switch between different modes, going from reading maps to watching a video with a simple slide. A numeric keypad slides out from one end of the device while dedicated media keys slide out from the opposite direction, converting the display into full screen landscape mode.

With the Carl Zeiss optics on the 5-megapixel camera, you can capture print quality photos and DVD-like quality video clips. Carl Zeiss, a world leader in high quality camera lenses, brings an award-winning legacy to the Nokia N95 with state-of-the-art optics for mobile photography and mobile video. The Zeiss name has been associated with cameras from Hasselblad, Rollei, Yashica, Sony, and Nikon.

The Nokia N95 actually has two cameras, a high resolution camera on the back of the device (the main camera in landscape mode) and a lower resolution camera on the front (CIF resolution, 352 x 288). The main camera on the back of the Nokia N95 supports an image capture resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels. You can use both cameras to take still pictures and record videos. Images are saved as JPEG files while videos are recorded in the MPEG-4 file format with the .mp4 file extension, or in the 3GPP file format with the .3gp file extension (sharing quality). Photos and video clips can be enjoyed on a compatible television thanks to the Nokia N95’s TV out feature and support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology.

With instant access to the Internet, sharing life experiences with the world by uploading pictures and videos directly to popular picture sharing and blogging sites is quick and easy. The Nokia N95 includes software for uploading images directly to the Flickr.com website, one of the world’s most popular photo communities, which allows you to share pics with friends and family, send photos directly to your blog, or simply organize and store.

Aspiring photographers and film makers don’t have to stop at just capturing stunning images and DVD-like quality video (640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps) with the Nokia N95. An integrated photo and video editor allows for music and tags to be added before sending images to friends or uploading them to the web.

Nokia N95 Features:

The Nokia N95 also offers a large 2.8-inch QVGA 16 million color display, impressive 3D graphics, built-in stereo speakers offering a 3D stereo effect, standard 3.5 mm audio jack, and mini USB for convenient data transfer. Other highlights include 802.11b/g Wi-Fi with WPA2/WPA security, Bluetooth v2.0 connectivity, and 8 GB of internal memory.

Lifeblog
Designed with mobile photographers and bloggers in mind, the Nokia N95’s Lifeblog feature lets you view, search, edit, and share your personal digital content with ease. Lifeblog’s synchronizing software automatically pulls your media together into an easy-to-browse, searchable multimedia diary: SMS, MMS, images, videos, sounds, and text notes stay organized between the N95 and your PC.

GPS Mapping
Plan your route, find your way home, and get to know places you’ve never visited with the integrated GPS mapping capability. The Maps application includes maps for more than 100 countries, enabling you to explore the world, find specific routes or locate services such as restaurants and hotels and covering more than 15 million points of interest. You can also purchase additional features, such as city guides and voice guided navigation.

Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map
View web pages as they were originally intended with the integrated Nokia Web Browser, which enables you to zoom out to a full screen view of the entire page using the Mini Map feature. Find the section you want and then zoom in to the content you need. The text instantly adjusts to the size of your screen. The Nokia N95’s browser also keeps a history of your browsing so you can quickly get back to where you started.

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
Universal Plug and Play technology means that the Nokia N95 will discover, interact with, and control other compatible home electronic devices. This includes PCs, media centers, home entertainment systems, new smart appliances, home automation systems, networked peripherals, and Web-based services. With compatible equipment, you can stream video from your Nokia device directly to your TV, or hear music tracks stored on your PC through your living room’s sound system.

RealPlayer Multimedia Playback
Take your media with you when you’re out on the go. With the built-in RealPlayer software, you can stream and download your favorite content onto the Nokia N95, giving you access to the latest news, sports, and entertainment updates. Or sync up with your PC and play the music and movies stored on your hard drive.

Nokia N95 Performance:

We tested the quadband (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; EDGE/GPRS) Nokia N95 in San Francisco using T-Mobile and Cingular service, and in general, call quality was good. On our end, there was a slight background hiss but nothing too distracting that we couldn’t carry on a conversation. Our friends, on the other hand, reported clear and excellent audio quality and said it sounded like we were on a landline. They were really impressed that such good sound was coming from a cell phone. Call quality didn’t diminish when we activated the speakerphone. We also had no problems pairing the Nokia N95 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.

In terms of general performance, the Nokia N95 was fairly sluggish. There was a delay in response time whether we were using the camera, launching the media player, opening documents, or just calling up the multimedia menu. All in all, it’s just a matter of a few seconds, but long enough to be noticeable and a bit annoying. The Web browsing experience was good, as pages loaded fairly quickly (faster using Wi-Fi than cellular), and we’ve always been huge fans of the Nokia Web browser.

Multimedia is the Nokia N95’s forte, as evidenced by the features and performance. Music playback through the phone’s speakers was better than anything we’ve heard from recent smart phones. It still lacks that deep bass, but we’re impressed nonetheless. We also watched a couple of MP4 video clips using RealPlayer, and the video quality was decent with some expected pixilation. However, the playback was smooth and audio and video were always synchronized.

The Nokia N95 is rated for four hours of talk time and up to nine days of standby time. In our battery tests, we were able to get 3.5 hours of talk time on a single charge. While the talk time battery life was impressive, the standby time was not, as all the wireless radios and multimedia features take a toll on the device. After just one day of using the N95 in its various capacities–media player, phone, GPS, mobile Web browser–the battery was drained down to just one bar, so keep your travel charger handy. According to FCC radiation tests, the Nokia N95 has a digital SAR rating of 0.38 watts per kilogram.

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