I cant decide which one to get. I need it a lot at work but I have some free time too ;-)
Any hints, suggestions to help me here? Thanks
/J
Discussion about
N97 or iPhone3GS??
Based on specs, the iPhone is the way to go. The iPhone has a 600 MHz processor, and 256 MB of RAM. The N97 has a 434 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM. Both have 32 GB of Storage. Although, the N97 has a micro SD card slot. The N97 has a full QWERTY keyboard built into the hardware, the iPhone's keyboard is software based. But, the iPhone has a huge app catelog, and the N97 doesn't have one that I know of. The N97 also has a better camera. N97: 5 MP's, autofocus, LED flash, video, and video light. iPhone: 3 MP's, autofocus, video. Both have HSDPA.
Right now, I would go for the iPhone(although I may be biased) because of the better processor, RAM, and graphics, but you have to be able to compromise because the N97 has better camera support, a hardware keyboard, and a micro SD slot. The iPhone has much better software support in the App Store with over 50,000 apps. Both have a digital compass, and the iPhone has an accelerometer. The N97 doesn't, I believe. Both have GPS.
Edit: The N97 also has a built in radio.
Right now, I would go for the iPhone(although I may be biased) because of the better processor, RAM, and graphics, but you have to be able to compromise because the N97 has better camera support, a hardware keyboard, and a micro SD slot. The iPhone has much better software support in the App Store with over 50,000 apps. Both have a digital compass, and the iPhone has an accelerometer. The N97 doesn't, I believe. Both have GPS.
Edit: The N97 also has a built in radio.
Yep, Nokia is part of Adobe's Open Screen Project which means when Flash 10 for Mobile Devices is released it *should* make an appearance on the N97... of course, that's not *guaranteed*, but it's a damn good bet.
I owned the N97 for a week (ordered for $454 + tax + shipping from NokiaUSA) and decided to trade it for the iPhone 3G S. It's not just on the hardware.. the iPhone 3G S has much better software as well. Granted, I no longer have the N97 to try the July firmware but what I had was a very buggy phone that was a pain to use.
My facebook widget just BROKE, for example, and after uninstalling it was impossible to recover from the (painfully immature) Ovi Store, phone hard resets, or firmware resets. Many of the widgets ran slowly and the phone was a chore to use. Nokia clearly chose to laud the right specifications.. only informed consumers read into the internals like CPU/GPU/RAM. Sure, it has a 5MP Carl Zeiss camera, 32GB flash memory, FM radio transmitter, and all those other fancy extras.. but its outdated core components just make it a poor performer.
I had heard someone call the N97 a refresh of the 5800XpressMusic with a larger, better screen, 5MP camera, 32GB on-board, and a keyboard. That's probably the case.. all-in-all it's a disappointing flagship that's not quite as disappointing as the N96 was.
Symbian S60v5 is just plain outdated.. all of the lukewarm reviews for the N97 out there are pretty much in concert with this assessment. The iPhone 3G S on the other hand has received pretty positive feedback. The 3G S is also a much more future-proof option.
I think there's only 3 big players in this game to go with: iPhone OS, Pre OS, and Android OS. I'd pass on Symbian S60v5 as it is a dying and ancient smartphone platform just hemorrhaging away.
My facebook widget just BROKE, for example, and after uninstalling it was impossible to recover from the (painfully immature) Ovi Store, phone hard resets, or firmware resets. Many of the widgets ran slowly and the phone was a chore to use. Nokia clearly chose to laud the right specifications.. only informed consumers read into the internals like CPU/GPU/RAM. Sure, it has a 5MP Carl Zeiss camera, 32GB flash memory, FM radio transmitter, and all those other fancy extras.. but its outdated core components just make it a poor performer.
I had heard someone call the N97 a refresh of the 5800XpressMusic with a larger, better screen, 5MP camera, 32GB on-board, and a keyboard. That's probably the case.. all-in-all it's a disappointing flagship that's not quite as disappointing as the N96 was.
Symbian S60v5 is just plain outdated.. all of the lukewarm reviews for the N97 out there are pretty much in concert with this assessment. The iPhone 3G S on the other hand has received pretty positive feedback. The 3G S is also a much more future-proof option.
I think there's only 3 big players in this game to go with: iPhone OS, Pre OS, and Android OS. I'd pass on Symbian S60v5 as it is a dying and ancient smartphone platform just hemorrhaging away.
Totally agree, I'm using N97 11.x.2 firmware, software and OS still sucks. No multi-language support, no innovative UI. my iPhone 2.2.1 beat that.
N97 runs symbian and has a huge free open source app library as well as run java apps.
it also has a built in accelerometer and built in handwriting recognition.
you can buy an unlocked N97 and not be tied down by a contract.
you can tether the N97 as part of your unlimited media plan without paying an additional fee
you also can update the firmware and software at will.
it also has a built in accelerometer and built in handwriting recognition.
you can buy an unlocked N97 and not be tied down by a contract.
you can tether the N97 as part of your unlimited media plan without paying an additional fee
you also can update the firmware and software at will.
go with the N97....do you want to be locked into Apple's world, or be able to what you want, whenever you want to do it, and however you wanna do it? True, S60v5 may seem antiquated, but the HUGE amount of free (and paid) apps that can be thrown on the N97 from many sources is a great plus.
Too many people bash this phone without giving it a chance. Personally, I'd try at least both before making a decision
Too many people bash this phone without giving it a chance. Personally, I'd try at least both before making a decision
I tried both (see my earlier post) and the clear winner is the iPhone. I really wanted the N97 to be a great phone, but it just isn't. In fact, it's not even a good phone. It's a clunky piece of junk that is simply a pain to use. Everything about it was difficult to us, especially compared to the iPhone, which is absolutely simple. There is simply no comparison between these devices. And I don't get the argument that Apple ties you down while you are supposedly free with the N97. That was not my experience at all. Free to do what? Is there anything you can do to the phone to make it run like a $700 smartphone should? Where is the update for that? And there are WAAAYYYYY more apps for the iPhone than there are for the N97.
@helvispresley: In the iPhone OS 3.0 revision, there are over 1,000 new API's available to developers to easier develop for the iPhone. Currently, the App Store is growing at a great speed. The iPhone has an accelerometer also. You can buy an unlocked iPhone. Soon(end of summer), you will also be able to tether the iPhone, and have MMS.
@darkangel9685: If you don't "want to be locked into Apple's world", jailbreak your iPhone. It's not that hard to do and Apple won't know if you restore it. Also, in the App Store there is 50,000 Apps from one place. No need to search for apps.
Also, I'd also agree with darkangel. At least try the phone in the store before making a decision. Maybe the N97 is for you.
@darkangel9685: If you don't "want to be locked into Apple's world", jailbreak your iPhone. It's not that hard to do and Apple won't know if you restore it. Also, in the App Store there is 50,000 Apps from one place. No need to search for apps.
Also, I'd also agree with darkangel. At least try the phone in the store before making a decision. Maybe the N97 is for you.
Actually the N97 doesn't have such a huge library. Many developers lost interest in S60v5.. look at the N97's Ovi Store apps! No one wants to code for this thing anymore.. plus many important apps like DiVX Mobile and CorePlayer are totally incompatible with the N97. Apple's App Store is a much slicker solution.
As for the lockdown, you're only really locked into $30/mo data and only if you're on AT&T. I've gotten my iPhone 3G and 3G S both off-contract and fully unlocked for around $400-500. Dollar-for-dollar the 3G S is also a better value than the N97. If you're miffed at Apple's App Store policies, redsn0w and Cydia will come to save the day soon enough.
The N97's just not a good performer. As an S60v5 phone, the Samsung i8910 OmniaHD is presently the ONLY way to go, and the Sony Ericsson Satio will enjoy the highest echelon of S60v5 performance as well. The N97 was an underpowered, middling, overpriced gadget right out of the gate.
As for the lockdown, you're only really locked into $30/mo data and only if you're on AT&T. I've gotten my iPhone 3G and 3G S both off-contract and fully unlocked for around $400-500. Dollar-for-dollar the 3G S is also a better value than the N97. If you're miffed at Apple's App Store policies, redsn0w and Cydia will come to save the day soon enough.
The N97's just not a good performer. As an S60v5 phone, the Samsung i8910 OmniaHD is presently the ONLY way to go, and the Sony Ericsson Satio will enjoy the highest echelon of S60v5 performance as well. The N97 was an underpowered, middling, overpriced gadget right out of the gate.
I too am in the same boat and wondering what new smart phone to get.
Have been hankering after the N97 for months and having spent the last year happily with my N95 8GB I was expecting the top N series to be stonking phone, but after reading all the press and reviews I'm not so certain.
As mentioned above the spec isn't always the best. On the plus side I like the download support for the BBC Iplayer, the keyboard and the camera/video which the Iphone doesn't have.
That said I'm having real trouble considering an Iphone or Pre as both on on O2 over here and I've had very bad experience with them. Also don't want to be one of the masses buying into the 'Apple hype'. The S seems like an incremental upgrade over the 3G and still everyone is now nuts over it!
I did tried the Iphone for some work related website testing and I wasn't that impressed to tell the truth. Maybe the S will be an improvement however I was surprisingly impressed with the Android G1. The browser was spot on and a nice phone to use, but it doesn't seem to have all the bells and whistles the N97 or 3GS.
I agree that S60 needs an update but I do like the fact that I can play 'Monkey Island 2' on the ScummVM emulator and I don't need to jailbreak it for an app that St Ste of Jobs doesn't approve of!
So concluding my rant I'm wondering if Nokia will do what they did with the original N95 and the 8GB version by bring one out later as a refinement of the original? More Mhz, RAM and firmware fixes.
I know there's rumor of an N97 'mini' but does anyone think that an upgrade is likely anytime soon and will it fix the problems you guys mention?
Have been hankering after the N97 for months and having spent the last year happily with my N95 8GB I was expecting the top N series to be stonking phone, but after reading all the press and reviews I'm not so certain.
As mentioned above the spec isn't always the best. On the plus side I like the download support for the BBC Iplayer, the keyboard and the camera/video which the Iphone doesn't have.
That said I'm having real trouble considering an Iphone or Pre as both on on O2 over here and I've had very bad experience with them. Also don't want to be one of the masses buying into the 'Apple hype'. The S seems like an incremental upgrade over the 3G and still everyone is now nuts over it!
I did tried the Iphone for some work related website testing and I wasn't that impressed to tell the truth. Maybe the S will be an improvement however I was surprisingly impressed with the Android G1. The browser was spot on and a nice phone to use, but it doesn't seem to have all the bells and whistles the N97 or 3GS.
I agree that S60 needs an update but I do like the fact that I can play 'Monkey Island 2' on the ScummVM emulator and I don't need to jailbreak it for an app that St Ste of Jobs doesn't approve of!
So concluding my rant I'm wondering if Nokia will do what they did with the original N95 and the 8GB version by bring one out later as a refinement of the original? More Mhz, RAM and firmware fixes.
I know there's rumor of an N97 'mini' but does anyone think that an upgrade is likely anytime soon and will it fix the problems you guys mention?
The iphone 3gs is the same thing as the iphone 3g, the only difference is the slightly bumped up cpu and video recording... Thats all. So if you weren't impressed with the iphone 3g, am afraid the 3gs won't be any different.
By the way, the N97 is great, if you were a previous s60 user, You'll definitely enjoy the N97... I had a Nokia N78 and an N95, but I wanted an S60v5 phone, the 5800 xpressmusic didn't cut it for me, so I got a shiny white N97 and am one happy N97 owner. It does everything you want it to do and much more.
I suggest you don't buy into all the iphone hype and buzz, choose what suites you best. If you want the iphone apps and games get an ipod touch, I have one myself. But when it comes to the best all round phone out there. i think the iphone just doesn't cut it for me, I just can't downgrade to an iphone considering the fact that I have been an avid user of full featured Nokia phones from day one. I mean you can't share files, images or mp3 files via bluetooth with the iphone. Thats alone is a deal breaker for me.
The N97 on the other hand is a pleasure, especially for those of us who are previous symbian users. It does everything I want and you can always trust Nokia in delivering constant updates and support. As a matter of fact, I updated my N97's firmware yesterday and Its gotten even better. Thanks, Just my 2 cents.
By the way, the N97 is great, if you were a previous s60 user, You'll definitely enjoy the N97... I had a Nokia N78 and an N95, but I wanted an S60v5 phone, the 5800 xpressmusic didn't cut it for me, so I got a shiny white N97 and am one happy N97 owner. It does everything you want it to do and much more.
I suggest you don't buy into all the iphone hype and buzz, choose what suites you best. If you want the iphone apps and games get an ipod touch, I have one myself. But when it comes to the best all round phone out there. i think the iphone just doesn't cut it for me, I just can't downgrade to an iphone considering the fact that I have been an avid user of full featured Nokia phones from day one. I mean you can't share files, images or mp3 files via bluetooth with the iphone. Thats alone is a deal breaker for me.
The N97 on the other hand is a pleasure, especially for those of us who are previous symbian users. It does everything I want and you can always trust Nokia in delivering constant updates and support. As a matter of fact, I updated my N97's firmware yesterday and Its gotten even better. Thanks, Just my 2 cents.
FYI, you should do some research on the 3GS. You say the only difference between it and the 3G is a slightly bumped up CPU and video. That is simply not true. There are lots of other improvements including more RAM, voice commands, built in compass, oil resistant glass, etc. It's an extraordinary device. I know a lot of people want to hate it simply because it gets so much attention or because it's from Apple, but the fact is, it's the best phone out there - period.
This should tell you how horrible I think the N97 is: I was forced to use a Windows Mobile phone for the past two years for my job, yet compared to the N97, Windows Mobile is a joy to use! S60 is incredibly difficult and needlessly complicated. I know a lot of people like it, but I think they have simply gotten used to it and they don't know how much better a phone OS can be. I returned the N97 after the most frustrating week of my life and bought the iPhone 3GS. There is simply no comparison. The iPhone is the future and the N97 is the distant, dying past.
This should tell you how horrible I think the N97 is: I was forced to use a Windows Mobile phone for the past two years for my job, yet compared to the N97, Windows Mobile is a joy to use! S60 is incredibly difficult and needlessly complicated. I know a lot of people like it, but I think they have simply gotten used to it and they don't know how much better a phone OS can be. I returned the N97 after the most frustrating week of my life and bought the iPhone 3GS. There is simply no comparison. The iPhone is the future and the N97 is the distant, dying past.
its a common misconception about s60 that it is dated. though the visuals have not been revamped enough to offer the eye candy of the iphone os, it is still one of the most advanced if not the most advanced mobile os in how it offers an underlying real time operating system. however, i can also see how people say that the UI is not that intuitive. when using the n97 i can see that they had the past users of s60 in mind. i was able to pick it up immediately because of my prior experience. and after some use with both the iphone and s60 5th, i feel that i can get things done alot faster with the n97.
it happens to be my personal preference though, i would suggest anyone wondering which phone to get to actually go and use them for a while. iphone is great for games although keys would improve it. apple's insanely good marketing also helped out by making connections with different companies and making it the to go phone in america. and they do this by making it seem like they have the most advanced phones with the most advanced features.
however as a relatively message heavy user, i prefer the n97's keyboard which has proven really good to me. and overall i feel it is a much better fit for my needs. also the difference in processor speed is not that noticeable due to its optimization. so unless there are many applications open at once, everything goes off without a hitch. nokia just does not do as good with transition graphics. iphone uses the rule of always keeping things moving to make it seem slick.
also the n97 has additional features such as a built in fm transmitter for broadcasting any audio from the phone into radio stations. also, unlike the iphone, tethering has been sorted out for some time now. in fact the n97 can broadcast its data through creating its own hot spot.
my type of daily use and the fact that it is not limited as the iphone os is would make me recommend the n97
it happens to be my personal preference though, i would suggest anyone wondering which phone to get to actually go and use them for a while. iphone is great for games although keys would improve it. apple's insanely good marketing also helped out by making connections with different companies and making it the to go phone in america. and they do this by making it seem like they have the most advanced phones with the most advanced features.
however as a relatively message heavy user, i prefer the n97's keyboard which has proven really good to me. and overall i feel it is a much better fit for my needs. also the difference in processor speed is not that noticeable due to its optimization. so unless there are many applications open at once, everything goes off without a hitch. nokia just does not do as good with transition graphics. iphone uses the rule of always keeping things moving to make it seem slick.
also the n97 has additional features such as a built in fm transmitter for broadcasting any audio from the phone into radio stations. also, unlike the iphone, tethering has been sorted out for some time now. in fact the n97 can broadcast its data through creating its own hot spot.
my type of daily use and the fact that it is not limited as the iphone os is would make me recommend the n97
Well, it's not like Cocoa Touch for the 3G S isn't optimized! I think that's a weak argument for the N97 when in the end the N97 will always have a last-generation 424MHz ARM11, weak 128MB of RAM, and not even a dedicated GPU and the iPhone 3G S will always run circles around it for performance.
I mean, the extras that the N97 offers over the 5800XpressMusic are arguably just as (if not more) incremental and superficial as(/than) the features the 3G S adds.. a 5MP camera, slightly bigger screen (same resolution), keyboard, FM transmitter and 32GB onboard.
Nokia knew how to push the right specifications. No one brags about built-in graphics, CPU, or RAM on the box. Everyone cares about high-megapixel cameras, storage, GPS, keyboard, et cetera. It's all about having fancy numbers in the right places and the right features people seem to associate with high-end. In the end, the end-user is shortchanged for their money with a lukewarm product.
Personally I probably would have kept my own N97 if it just had the OMAP3430 and 256MB of RAM. I would even consider keeping it for just the 256MB of RAM. When I used it it had only 40MB free on boot!
I mean, the extras that the N97 offers over the 5800XpressMusic are arguably just as (if not more) incremental and superficial as(/than) the features the 3G S adds.. a 5MP camera, slightly bigger screen (same resolution), keyboard, FM transmitter and 32GB onboard.
Nokia knew how to push the right specifications. No one brags about built-in graphics, CPU, or RAM on the box. Everyone cares about high-megapixel cameras, storage, GPS, keyboard, et cetera. It's all about having fancy numbers in the right places and the right features people seem to associate with high-end. In the end, the end-user is shortchanged for their money with a lukewarm product.
Personally I probably would have kept my own N97 if it just had the OMAP3430 and 256MB of RAM. I would even consider keeping it for just the 256MB of RAM. When I used it it had only 40MB free on boot!
no your right. i was sorely disappointed when i found out that nokia would skimp on the insides like they have been of late. cutting costs all around their portfolio really. im guessin they stated that there would be better battery life which is a decent trade off for me but i doubt thats the actual reason.
and i wasnt saying that the 3gs isnt optimized or anything. i was just pointing out that it is not as bad as everyone is saying
also i was thinking about returning my phone before i updated it as well. nokia really did rush an unfinished product out. but the firmware really did straighten it out.
and also its not like everyone just brags about these specs. its things that are actually used and are welcome additions to the overall experience. im sure if apple added these you wouldn't say that these things just don't matter. though I would say for nokia, these are indeed incremental additions. but thats business for you. cant make one product absolute in its own portfolio
and i wasnt saying that the 3gs isnt optimized or anything. i was just pointing out that it is not as bad as everyone is saying
also i was thinking about returning my phone before i updated it as well. nokia really did rush an unfinished product out. but the firmware really did straighten it out.
and also its not like everyone just brags about these specs. its things that are actually used and are welcome additions to the overall experience. im sure if apple added these you wouldn't say that these things just don't matter. though I would say for nokia, these are indeed incremental additions. but thats business for you. cant make one product absolute in its own portfolio
If you have used an iPhone before, stay clear of the N97. The N97 does not come close to touching the iPhone. It might look good on paper, it doesn't perform.
You'd have to re-learn how to type on the N97's QWERTY keyboard and then un-learn it to be able to type on other keyboards. So there goes the argument that the N97 has a keyboard but the iPhone does not.
The user interface seems dated and cannot compete with the slick iPhone UI. I reckon, close your eyes and get the iPhone.
You'd have to re-learn how to type on the N97's QWERTY keyboard and then un-learn it to be able to type on other keyboards. So there goes the argument that the N97 has a keyboard but the iPhone does not.
The user interface seems dated and cannot compete with the slick iPhone UI. I reckon, close your eyes and get the iPhone.
I think you're exaggerating about the keyboard just a little. It's not like they stamped a Dvorak keyboard onto it. :)
The N97 keyboard is actually a surprisingly good compromise for creating one with only 3 rows of keys... the real question has been was that compromise necessary, given the industrial design of the phone. Nokia says yes, a lot of people looking at HTC phones say no. Who's right? *shrug*
The N97 keyboard is actually a surprisingly good compromise for creating one with only 3 rows of keys... the real question has been was that compromise necessary, given the industrial design of the phone. Nokia says yes, a lot of people looking at HTC phones say no. Who's right? *shrug*
Intressanta svar.
Tror att det få bli en N97a för min del. Är inte van vid Iphone och tror att jag kommer behöva ett tangentbord som inte är touchscreen. Kameran är också viktig för min del. Är den inte lika snabb så kan jag leva med det, kan inte röra sig om många sekunders skillnad mellan produkterna. Ska vi gå till killen på Odengatan och kolla vad han kan ge för pris för en N97?
Tror att det få bli en N97a för min del. Är inte van vid Iphone och tror att jag kommer behöva ett tangentbord som inte är touchscreen. Kameran är också viktig för min del. Är den inte lika snabb så kan jag leva med det, kan inte röra sig om många sekunders skillnad mellan produkterna. Ska vi gå till killen på Odengatan och kolla vad han kan ge för pris för en N97?
I am probably one of the few people around who has actually owned both phones (N97 and 3GS) and I can unequivocally say... GET THE 3GS!!! Ever since I first heard about the N97 last year I was super excited to get my hands on one. I pre-ordered one from Nokia (the worst customer service experience of my life, but that's another story) and received it in mid June. I was extremely disappointed from the moment I turned it on. The screen is dusty, discolored and unresponsive. The keyboard is virtually impossible to type on. The OS is so clunky and old-fashioned. The N97 can barely play video - it's all jerky and fuzzy - and I'm talking about video that you load onto it, not video from the web (which is even worse). And I don't know why they bother giving you 32GB of storage since it's a terrible media player and an even worse media organizer. But the worst thing, and the reason I ultimately returned it to Nokia, is that it crashed 4 times in the one week I owned it and each time it lost EVERYTHING. When it came back up it had been completely wiped clean and I had to set it up all over again. So I boxed it up and sent it back then bought an iPhone 3GS. I have been absolutely thrilled. There is simply no comparison between the two devices. The 3GS does everything well. I don't know why I waited so long to get an iPhone but I am so glad I finally did. You won't regret it. Don't waste your time and money on the pathetic N97.
SO TRUE... I am the biggest fan of nokia cell phones and waited for the N97 like the craziest guy on earth, but i would say buy the iphone if you want either the iphone or the n97..
I hate the iphone because: it doesn't support flashplayer, it doesn't have a good camera... but it can't be the answer... iphone's software makes it million times better then nokia's symbian ...
By the 3gs... but remember the att plan will fuck you all the time loooooooooool.. i wish i could get it on verizon or unlocked :( in a good price.. but i can't.. so um gonna wait more....
I hate the iphone because: it doesn't support flashplayer, it doesn't have a good camera... but it can't be the answer... iphone's software makes it million times better then nokia's symbian ...
By the 3gs... but remember the att plan will fuck you all the time loooooooooool.. i wish i could get it on verizon or unlocked :( in a good price.. but i can't.. so um gonna wait more....
I just played around for a while with my new N97 and decided almost immediately that Nokia still has not got it together. The UI sucks and the screen is not on par with competition. Just returned it and put in my order for a HTC Hero, the UI looks great and still open source (unlike my iPhone 2G that i still use as my secondary phone).
Good try Nokia, but you still have quite a few steps left to take when it comes to user experience. I'll concentrate my future expectations on the Maemo 5 platform that obviously is going to be Nokia's answer to Android...
Good try Nokia, but you still have quite a few steps left to take when it comes to user experience. I'll concentrate my future expectations on the Maemo 5 platform that obviously is going to be Nokia's answer to Android...
The iPhone is probably the best choice for most. However the N97 does have these clear benefits right out of the box:
1. Unlocked
2. Multitasking / background apps (stream internet radio while simultaneously using sportstracker for instance)
3. Nokia doesn't care to control the what applications you can install. Yeah, seriously
4. Bluetooth (or USB) DUN tethering with a cheaper data plan
5. Somewhat better screen resolution - albeit with the cr4ppy resistive situation
6. Real keyboard
Even after the July firmware upgrade it continues to have bugs and ridiculous usability problems. Nokia COULD do a lot of improvements with firmware upgrades but probably will choose only plug most of the big remaining defects and consider anything else diminishing returns.
1. Unlocked
2. Multitasking / background apps (stream internet radio while simultaneously using sportstracker for instance)
3. Nokia doesn't care to control the what applications you can install. Yeah, seriously
4. Bluetooth (or USB) DUN tethering with a cheaper data plan
5. Somewhat better screen resolution - albeit with the cr4ppy resistive situation
6. Real keyboard
Even after the July firmware upgrade it continues to have bugs and ridiculous usability problems. Nokia COULD do a lot of improvements with firmware upgrades but probably will choose only plug most of the big remaining defects and consider anything else diminishing returns.
The N97 and the IPhone 3G S both are flagship phones but with their own negatives,
IPhone 3GS
- For a 3rd gen device having a 3 mp camera is a big negative
- Having 32 GB of on board memory but no USB data transfer option is plain stupid
- No Multitasking support
- Blue tooth can only be used for headphones and speaker systems but how about data transfer, there isn't any support for that, i can transfer data to and from my PC with an entry level Nokia phone but not with the IPhone 3G S
- If you send an SMS to multiple recipients, it gets flagged as an MMS. Cannot be sent as an SMS unless MMS is turned off.
- There is no way to mark all e-mails as read (you can only delete or move multiple e-mails). Also the new search function only searches e-mail headers, not the actual e-mail content.
- Almost every iPhone user I've encountered has the same message tone — tri-tone. It's the least annoying tone out of the six pre-loaded tones, Why can't we upload custom message tones?
- App store boasts of 50,000 apps but theres a lot of duplication plus more than half are something you wouldn't use the second time.
Nokia N97
- Processor needs updating, its a shame to be running a 430 Hz when others have bumped up to 600.
- S60 5th edition needs to go,,, nokia needs to introduce a new UI as this current one is slow, hangs and is unresponsive at times.
- The widgets are a plus but slows downs the boot up process.
- Nokia's OVI store has 20,000 apps so far but more than half are duplicates
- The OVI store is not very user friendly, installing apps can be a bit tough at times.
- Firmware updates don't address all the bugs in the phone and need improvement
- The touch interface is not as bad as some other phones but still needs improvement.
Overall they are both good phones but also have their negatives, I guess in the end its what the user wants out of a phone decides which is better for them.
Hope this was helpful for those who are still battling on which phone to go with.
IPhone 3GS
- For a 3rd gen device having a 3 mp camera is a big negative
- Having 32 GB of on board memory but no USB data transfer option is plain stupid
- No Multitasking support
- Blue tooth can only be used for headphones and speaker systems but how about data transfer, there isn't any support for that, i can transfer data to and from my PC with an entry level Nokia phone but not with the IPhone 3G S
- If you send an SMS to multiple recipients, it gets flagged as an MMS. Cannot be sent as an SMS unless MMS is turned off.
- There is no way to mark all e-mails as read (you can only delete or move multiple e-mails). Also the new search function only searches e-mail headers, not the actual e-mail content.
- Almost every iPhone user I've encountered has the same message tone — tri-tone. It's the least annoying tone out of the six pre-loaded tones, Why can't we upload custom message tones?
- App store boasts of 50,000 apps but theres a lot of duplication plus more than half are something you wouldn't use the second time.
Nokia N97
- Processor needs updating, its a shame to be running a 430 Hz when others have bumped up to 600.
- S60 5th edition needs to go,,, nokia needs to introduce a new UI as this current one is slow, hangs and is unresponsive at times.
- The widgets are a plus but slows downs the boot up process.
- Nokia's OVI store has 20,000 apps so far but more than half are duplicates
- The OVI store is not very user friendly, installing apps can be a bit tough at times.
- Firmware updates don't address all the bugs in the phone and need improvement
- The touch interface is not as bad as some other phones but still needs improvement.
Overall they are both good phones but also have their negatives, I guess in the end its what the user wants out of a phone decides which is better for them.
Hope this was helpful for those who are still battling on which phone to go with.
It's actually a myth that there is no multitasking on the iPhone. It does allow for a number of apps to run in the background, for example, iPod can run in the background while you do almost anything else on the phone, and the Phone app can run in the background while you do many other tasks. But more importantly, you can switch between apps so quickly, and many apps pick up exactly where they left off, so from a usability standpoint it is virtually indistinguishable from switching between apps running in the background. For instance, say you want to toggle between an event in Calendar, a web page and an email. It takes just two clicks to switch between these apps, they open in nanoseconds, and they remember exactly where you left off. How is this any different from switching between apps that are running in the background? My Windows Mobile phone and my Nokia N97 both allowed background apps but I couldn't switch between tasks nearly as quickly as I can on my iPhone 3GS. Granted, many third party apps don't have this capability, but for most of us that isn't a huge issue. I too was quite concerned about the lack of multitasking before I got my iPhone but since I've gotten it I can honestly say that it is almost never an issue.
I've had the N97 for bout 3 weeks now and it still hasn't crashed on me or given any problems whatsoever.. It is really easy to use and the styling of the phone is brilliant.. I personally think it's the best loooking phone in the market today and has the iphone 3gs beat in terms of design.. I just wanted an upgrade to my N96(which was pathetic) and decided to go with n97.. I'd recommend to get the nokia n97 coz it's a package that includes everything you need.. It's got good games, amazing screen size, fast connectivity (no lags), and an amazing memory.. Also, the video clarity, which was one of the issues on many forums, has not been a problem for me.. Im a frequent youtube-er and Im pretty satisfied with its performance..
So, Im gonna say give it a shot!
So, Im gonna say give it a shot!
I agree that the N97 is a looker, only in white though. The black (the one I had) looks a bit too much like a typical LG phone from a distance. I do believe the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 beats everything in looks, though.. that phone just oozed class.
I had nightmares on my N97 with widgets being removed permanently, particularly the AccuWeather and Facebook widgets. They crashed with script errors on a battery-removal-reset after a lockup, and I figured I could just reinstall them later so I uninstalled them. Alas, no AccuWeather nor Facebook in the Ovi Store, and firmware restores through Nokia Software Updater didn't do anything; I lost these two widgets forever!
I found the screen to be quite alright, but nothing special. The HD aspect ratio makes it quite narrow, and thus its 3.5" diagonal actually means less area for the screen than on the iPhone's. Since Cocoa Touch is anti-aliased the qHD vs. HVGA resolution wasn't as meaningful of a difference as I expected, either.
N-Gage doesn't put much up much of a fight against the iPhone since it's designed to be compatible with a wide variety of hardware configurations across different N-series devices.. many of which have no GPU to speak of (like the N97). Thus the gems of the iPhone (Assassin's Creed, Hero of Sparta, Rolando, among others..) are much better and of much higher quality than any game available on the N-Gage platform.
I found the N97 to be only reasonably snappy over WiFi.. 3G and EDGE made it lag and churn! The 3GS on the other hand is just plain fast.. it doesn't feel like its speed is affected at all by the connection you're on (except loading times, of course). For example, the N97's S60v5 browser slows down like crazy and becomes unresponsive on EDGE; the iPhone 3GS's Safari still moves along nicely and allows you to scroll and pan on sections of a page that haven't even loaded yet effortlessly.
I never could quite find a reasonable video player for the N97 (CorePlayer doesn't work, neither does DiVX Mobile), and thus I was stuck with the YouTube "application" (really just a bookmark for the mobile YouTube web page). I found the video quality over WiFi to pale in comparison to the 3GS's, and also to the Sony XPERIA X1a (the latter using HTC's YouTube client).
I'm sorry if I'm coming off as overwhelmingly negative.. I tried really hard to like the N97 for the two weeks I owned it, I really did. I just can't help but feel that Nokia dropped the ball further with this one (though not as big of a drop as they did with the N96, that's for sure!).
I had nightmares on my N97 with widgets being removed permanently, particularly the AccuWeather and Facebook widgets. They crashed with script errors on a battery-removal-reset after a lockup, and I figured I could just reinstall them later so I uninstalled them. Alas, no AccuWeather nor Facebook in the Ovi Store, and firmware restores through Nokia Software Updater didn't do anything; I lost these two widgets forever!
I found the screen to be quite alright, but nothing special. The HD aspect ratio makes it quite narrow, and thus its 3.5" diagonal actually means less area for the screen than on the iPhone's. Since Cocoa Touch is anti-aliased the qHD vs. HVGA resolution wasn't as meaningful of a difference as I expected, either.
N-Gage doesn't put much up much of a fight against the iPhone since it's designed to be compatible with a wide variety of hardware configurations across different N-series devices.. many of which have no GPU to speak of (like the N97). Thus the gems of the iPhone (Assassin's Creed, Hero of Sparta, Rolando, among others..) are much better and of much higher quality than any game available on the N-Gage platform.
I found the N97 to be only reasonably snappy over WiFi.. 3G and EDGE made it lag and churn! The 3GS on the other hand is just plain fast.. it doesn't feel like its speed is affected at all by the connection you're on (except loading times, of course). For example, the N97's S60v5 browser slows down like crazy and becomes unresponsive on EDGE; the iPhone 3GS's Safari still moves along nicely and allows you to scroll and pan on sections of a page that haven't even loaded yet effortlessly.
I never could quite find a reasonable video player for the N97 (CorePlayer doesn't work, neither does DiVX Mobile), and thus I was stuck with the YouTube "application" (really just a bookmark for the mobile YouTube web page). I found the video quality over WiFi to pale in comparison to the 3GS's, and also to the Sony XPERIA X1a (the latter using HTC's YouTube client).
I'm sorry if I'm coming off as overwhelmingly negative.. I tried really hard to like the N97 for the two weeks I owned it, I really did. I just can't help but feel that Nokia dropped the ball further with this one (though not as big of a drop as they did with the N96, that's for sure!).
Integration and usability make the iPhone 3GS the clear winner. Nokia always has the top of the line hardware, but the features are too clunky and too hard to get to, even for geeks. It shouldn't be that cumbersome and it isn't on the iPhone. The 3GS is worth the speed bump from the 3G as well.
apple sucks go nokia if only the n97 ran andriod would it be the best phone in the world
I have a iphone 3gs and the propriatory aspect of the device is the most frustrating aspect of it. I just want to interface with it as an external USB drive. Throw on allmy MP3's and AVI's and JPG and get it to go. Working through Itunes is its bigest downfall from my perspective. Plus no Flash WTF? this is a massive oversight. what page on the net does not have some kind of flash animation. (Granted mostly advertising).
There's a ton of comments, so I'm passing up reading them all for now and responding as such.
I have an N97 and an iPhone. I can safely say that the N97 is much closer to a brick than a cellphone in comparison to the iPhone. There is really no comparison. The N97s OS is old and isn't made for the touchscreen, it's not capacitive and therefore doesn't work as well as the iPhone's, it's got an underpowered CPU and is slow...the problems are endless.
The only two benefits are the incredulously large battery life (it never dies. Ever.), and the good cell reception. Compared to the iPhone in these two qualities, there is no competition. Likewise, in every other way, there is no comparison between the iPhone and N97. iPhone wins hands down.
I have an N97 and an iPhone. I can safely say that the N97 is much closer to a brick than a cellphone in comparison to the iPhone. There is really no comparison. The N97s OS is old and isn't made for the touchscreen, it's not capacitive and therefore doesn't work as well as the iPhone's, it's got an underpowered CPU and is slow...the problems are endless.
The only two benefits are the incredulously large battery life (it never dies. Ever.), and the good cell reception. Compared to the iPhone in these two qualities, there is no competition. Likewise, in every other way, there is no comparison between the iPhone and N97. iPhone wins hands down.
Based on speed alone, I'd get the 3GS (I own one, and its very fast). The N97 does have some nice features not found on the iPhone, but its not as easy to use and its fairly sluggish. I suppose that if you can stand S60 and you need everything AND the kitchen sink, the N97 is the way to go. Otherwise, the iPhone 3GS is the way to go.
