Nokia N97: The Mobile Computer Arrives

Techtree News Staff, Dec 02, 2008 1703 hrs IST

Heavy on multimedia features

At the Nokia World 2008 conference, Nokia has announced the all new N97 smartphone, the mobile computer, unlike its Chinese counterpart. The Nokia N97 is touted to be a phone for social media enthusiasts, and is expected to retail for EUR550 (Rs. 35,010 approx., taxes not included) in Q2 of 2009.

Nokia's N97 will directly compete with the iPhone; however, it won't have the multi-touch feature - you can't pinch to zoom photos in/out. With a tilting 3.5-inch touchscreen having tactile feedback and 640x360 pixel resolution (16:9 aspect ratio), N97 has a full QWERTY keyboard and features a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics promising DVD quality videos; it also has a personalized home screen.

N97 can carry up to 48GB data (32GB internal memory and 16GB expandable memory via microSD), which almost makes it a multimedia phone with storage device functionality. Reportedly, one could comfortably operate the Symbian OS on the prototype shown at the conference.

Nokia has introduced the So-Lo (Social Location) concept in the phone, which helps the user to update their location on the basis of data from an integrated A-GPS sensor and an electronic compass. The digital compass is an unique feature, which is also present as an app in the App Store for the iPhone.

The home screen can be customized with social media widgets of popular social networking sites and services. Along with support for Nokia Music Store, Nokia has also introduced two new Ovi services - Mail on Ovi and Maps on Ovi.

Multimedia feature-rich N97 is already being compared to the Apple iPhone by Robert Scoble, a blogger.

Here are some N97 specs available thus far:

Size: 117.2 x 55.3 x 15.9 mm - 18.25 mm at the camera area
Weight: Approx. 150 g
Memory: Up to 48GB (32 GB on-board memory plus 16GB expansion via microSD memory card slot)
Display: 3.5-inch TFT with upto 16 million colors and a nHD 16:9 widescreen (640 x 360 pixels)
Battery: 1500mAh
Video playback: Up to 4.5 hours (offline mode)
Music playback: Up to 37 hours (offline mode)
Image capture: Up to 5 megapixels (2584 x 1938) JPEG/EXIF (16.7 million/24-bit color)
Talk time: Up to 320 min (3G), 400 min (GSM)
Standby time: Up to 400 hrs (3G), 430 hrs (GSM)

USER COMMENTS

I want full details about n97 mobile.

by thirunavukkaras, erode, on Nov 17, 2009 10:19 AM, Report abuse Reply

very good phone

by amit, mumbai, on Aug 19, 2009 07:42 PM, Report abuse Reply

NOKIANS its the time to foray into 5 MP+ category...no wonder ur fones r d best bt u gt to beat the oder game players too...sony is coming up wd 12 mp cam fone....rest NOKIA is NOKIA n nothing to beat it...

by ali, melbourne, on Mar 29, 2009 12:02 PM, Report abuse Reply

hi This is Nisar Ahmad i want to buy Nokia N97 Can you please send me your address and Mobile no we want to buy ASAP Thank n regards Nisar Ahmad

by Nisar, Arusha, on Jan 07, 2009 11:03 PM, Report abuse Reply

the meg pix and screen million colors nee more

by s.v.m, chennai 94., on Dec 30, 2008 04:06 PM, Report abuse Reply

5meg more i is nessary.. to improve sale in nokia

by s.v.mokan, chennai 94., on Dec 30, 2008 03:53 PM, Report abuse Reply

THE NOKIA N 97 IS THE BEST CELL PHONE EVER PRODUCED BY ANY MANUFACTURER,48GB ,MY GOD -HATS OFF TO NOKIA,BETTER THAN THE I-PHONE AT THE NEARABOUT SAME PRICE.THANK YOU NOKIA,U R THE BEST.

by SIDDHARTHA SHAN, ROURKELA,ORISSA,INDIA, on Dec 18, 2008 05:41 PM, Report abuse Reply

too much heavy on multimedia features

by john, delhi, on Dec 17, 2008 12:01 PM, Report abuse Reply

which is the best nokia phone as on date ? pl advise. I want to buy.

by elavia, Mumbai, on Dec 04, 2008 06:42 PM, Report abuse Reply

I will go for nokia5800, which is the best available Nokia phone upto date.and it cost around 35k, N97 really a good chioce bu it cost around 50k, when it comes to India it will cost even more, that we should wait and see.

by Raymonds, Riyadh, on Dec 04, 2008 07:01 PM, Report abuse

N82

by RAJESH, KERALA, on Dec 09, 2008 10:24 AM, Report abuse

ooooppss.... An error there...... the phone will be costing 550 euros & not dollors..... kindly correct it.... BTW the phone is nice but nothing much more to offer than the 5800xm.... despite the killer looks & more storage & good camara... & mechanical qwerty....

by amit, ahmedabad, on Dec 02, 2008 05:47 PM, Report abuse Reply

COPY OF SONY XPERIA?

by APPU, COCHIN, on Dec 09, 2008 10:23 AM, Report abuse

the mobile is really cool

by Sumit, Delhi, on Dec 06, 2008 04:12 PM, Report abuse Reply

This is surely one of the best phones Nokia has come up with.

by Salil Gupta, Delhi, on Dec 04, 2008 06:15 PM, Report abuse Reply

which?

by elavia, Mumbai, on Dec 04, 2008 06:47 PM, Report abuse

Looks like Nokia did an XPERIA?

by Karthik, Mumbai, on Dec 02, 2008 07:59 PM, Report abuse Reply