I have owned sliding/folding qwerty phones in the past. Both the HTC TyTN 2 and Touch Pro were feature-packed and reliable to a point, and my short trial with the Nokia E75 was also on the same level. Also, I can honestly take into account the memorable Nokia E90 Communicator and E70 in the midst of this issue. What took away from overall usage efficiency for each of these devices was gaining access to the keypad. Whether there was unfolding or sliding to be done, it did take away from having the fast qwerty access of the E71/BlackBerry form factor. Being able to spend what seemed to be mere seconds in pulling out the E71 from a pocket, typing a response, and putting it back was a huge benefit for me no matter where I was throughout the day or night. The non-qwerty bars couldn't offer this fast method of response unless I was willing to use the stylus on the HTCs or T9 on the Nokias. Since I had become accustomed to the qwerty, these alternate methods were out of the question and I began shunning keypad sliders and folders altogether.
I am now ready to look into replacing my E71 that I have had the pleasure of using for the longest time, and the N97 may be the most promising. There is an excitement that comes at the thought of owning such a brand new product on the NSeries line up that has never been seen before. This isn't another N95 wannabe or a forgettable XpressMusic model, it is a TOUCH enabled Nokia with a SLIDING qwerty keypad! Just when I think that it can't get any better, the 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers, 32GB storage, and 30fps camera are included in the package! The closer the release date comes for this model, I am getting all the more excited to see what is in store for all of the new adopters....and wondering if I will be one myself. In a sense, the N97 is what the iPhone and HTC TyTN/Touch Pro isn't: a mobile smartphone offering the same reliable Symbian OS functionality and features with a tactile qwerty and touchscreen. It seems to flawlessly blend all of the worthwhile aspects of the iPhone, E90, TyTN 2, and N95 into one entity that is sleek, desirable, and attainable. While it may not possess the portability benefits of the E71 at first sight, there may be other gains to consider such as the touch interface, stereo sound, advanced video quality and 3.5mm jack. I will take a risk and think it's safe to assume that the call quality and reception will be top notch as always.
The only possible concerns remaining involve compatibility with specific applications: Missing Sync for Symbian, Nokia Sport Tracker, Google Maps, Quickoffice and Nokia Mail. While I can live without these apps, Missing Sync is the most important and involves the synchronization of my PIM data between my E71 and Mac. Sport Tracker is not essential since I can continue using the Nike Sport Kit with my iPod Touch during my runs. Google Maps would be especially hard to do without, but its potential absence could give me time to become familiar with Nokia Maps and the Nokia Search function. I am almost 100 percent sure that Quickoffice and Nokia Mail will indeed be supported, so I currently have no plan B in the case of them being unavailable. The touch interface of the Symbian S60 version 5 does cause some concern from me as well, for the initial reviews from its presence on the XpressMusic 5800 model didn't really appear to be a landslide one way or the other. With the additional features of the N97, I am hoping that getting used to the new OS proves to be worth it. I will not lie to myself and expect it to be as fluid as the iPod Touch or iPhone, but I do expect adequate reliability for my personal use.
The Omnia HD is definitely a more advanced choice with superior graphics and a breathtaking screen, but watching videos will not be my main purpose and accepting the lack of a tactile qwerty is not feasible for me. No matter how much more accurate an on-screen touch keypad tries to be, I doubt that it can ever match the reliability of actual buttons. I prefer to not have the screen space dominated by character rows with only a small text box to see what's being typed. Having a separate qwerty allows me to have an undisturbed main screen for this kind of text entry. Watching videos would be fantastic on the Samsung, but I have been satisfied with the screen quality of past NSeries devices and the N97 seems suitable for me. Stereo speakers on the E90 and N95 were amazing for music playback, and I believe the N97 will be no different. There is a chance that the Omnia HD may surpass it, but this really isn't an issue for my personal taste. I admit that there is caution with relying on another Samsung product after my horrible experience with the Epix from AT&T (this could have been due to Windows Mobile). Despite its slimmer dimensions, the Omnia will never satisfy my needs without a tactile qwerty.
Palm seems to have come back from near death with the upcoming release of the Pre, but I have yet to be impressed until I read online reviews and play with a demo unit. From a previous encounter with the terrible qwerty on the Treo Pro, I am guessing that the Pre will not exhibit much of any difference in the user experience. Another potential turn-off about the Pre is the screen size in comparison to the N97. However, I am a bit curious to see how the WebOS turns out in the upcoming reviews from a number of users. The touch navigation looks to be just as impressive as the iPhone if not better. On the other hand, even mentioning the Pre at this point seems to be a lost cause since there is no GSM variant available at this time.
Overall, I am hopeful that the N97 will be a great release and a suitable E71 replacement...and the white looks pretty amazing. It's not that I dislike the black version, it's just that the white looks cleaner and has more of a pure aesthetic quality to it with the chrome accents. Black is much more common amidst mobile devices anyway, so why not mix up my arsenal a bit with a color alternative that's not tacky or gaudy? I will be sure to keep notice of how well it can be used with one hand and the sliding qwerty. I do figure that I may not be storing it in my pocket like the E71, but instead resurrect the black belt clip holder that I use for my backup Treo 750. I am not going to expect much from the beginning once I start to use it, but hope that it can match what the E71 can do for me in emails, messaging, calls, and PIM data management. I am certainly looking forward to a much better multimedia experience with the video capture on the camera, for the E71 has been lacking with its 15 frames-per-second quality. The music will no doubt be a pleasure to listen to from my current 16GB microSD card once I install it, and the included 32GB of storage will be a great addition for more media. On the Howardforums.com site, there are those who criticize Nokia for not fostering innovation and I have indeed been one of them. However, it has been a long time since a promising gadget appeared to be a cure-all for the tech toy addiction in me. Once I settled down and looked at the N97 for its benefits versus its potential pitfalls, there was definitely a chance to consider this as a worthy upgrade to the E90 Communicator (more so than the E75). There is some apprehension of slow OS performance from the prototype devices, but I am hopeful that this is not the case with the final production units. As for the rumor of an E71i model with a 5 megapixel camera, I think that I would have to wait and see.
TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com
youtube.com/absolon3
9 comments:
As excited as I am Trent. the 97 does seem to have all the boxes ticked. Can't wait to have a play with one. Still not buying anything though until I try out the keyboard on the E55
Trent,
you cannot replace you e71. think of all your other devices. you been through lots of device and the e71 has been the most reliable. the n97 may seem nice but eventually there will be a lag time between you sliding out the keyboard and the screen rotating. the palm pre is the best choice if you can find the keyboard comfortable. it would be the dream team. the Nokia E71 and the Palm Pre. If it is popular, Palm will surely make it into a GSM model like Samsung did with Verizon's Omnia.
Jay:
You are definitely right, however, I have always wanted to have the convergence of a NSeries model and an ESeries model all in one. What better way to have this than with an NSeries device with a qwerty keypad? Dealing with the lag time of sliding that qwerty may have to be a sacrifice worth making, but I shall find out once I get the phone.
As for the ESeries, the E71 is truly the most perfect right now. Even if a more advanced ESeries gadget were released, I don't think that it could match the same intrigue as the multimedia-centric NSeries. I cannot be certain that the E71 is the absolute device that can never be surpassed by any other ESeries release, but it appears to be that way. Even if the rumored E71i were to come out, I would be hard pressed to justify buying it over my original E71 model.
Jay:
The Palm Pre just does not seem to be suitable with it's qwerty keypad offering. Those small buttons immediately remind me of the Treo Pro fiasco I dealt with a while back. Even though using the Windows Mobile OS may have been a factor in my displeasure, I have yet to see if the new OS from Palm will be an improvement.
Even if the Pre does turn out to be an improvement over the Treo Pro, there are other potential faults to consider. Unlike the Nokias, my previous Palm devices were not reliable for a decent multimedia experience whether watching videos or listening to music. I am skeptical of the Pre going that much further in potential than the past Treo models, but maybe I will be pleasantly surprised. While both the N97 and Pre must prove themselves with a new touch OS, Nokia at least has a great track record of reliability and functionality with previous phones I had owned.
Even still, there seems to be a preference I have for the Nokia N97's additional bulk and what appears to be a solid construction. Not to imply that the Pre looks cheap, it just comes off as a toy in some respects when viewed in the pictures. I certainly like the 32GB storage on the N97 in comparison to the Pre's limited capacity.
Gerard:
I would be interested to see the E55 in person to get a first-hand experience of the qwerty. While I tend to be old-fashioned in my need for a full qwerty layout, the E55 could possibly work. However, I think that there would have to be a certain amount of reliance placed on software that's related to the SureType of the BlackBerry Pearl. I don't know if I am willing to give up more control than relying on a predictive text feature.
On the other hand, if it weren't for the different qwerty and the thin profile, it may not have been able to get noticed next to the E71.
Maybe this review of n97 will be useful:
http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=uk&js=n&u=http://mobile-review.com/review/nokia-n97.shtml&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0=
The N97 has so much riding on it. The first device with true E and N series convergence. I think it's a device that really needs to take off for Nokia, it will be their flagship afterall. One downfall does seem to be the fact that its been so long since we first saw the leak that the phone already feels familiar and the specs dont feel so high end no more. The touchscreen is another factor. The N97 was surely well into development when the 5800 hit the market. My worry there is how much Nokia were able to take from the 5800 learning curve and how they were able to impliment these observations into a device already well into it's development (N97). 5th edition on the 5800 still has annoying issues (double tap here but noth there eg) so will these still be present in the N97?
The N97 will either fly or flop. I'm not too optomistic. I think it needed a custom OS built specifically built for the device (ala iPhone and the Pre). Instead, we might end up with an OS thats been cropped and cut for the N97. We shall see. . . .
Hey Trent,
Can you believe the Nokia E90 made PCWorld's 12 top phones we love to hate. Here is the condensed article at phonedog.com
http://www.phonedog.com/cell-phone-research/blog/manic-tuesday-the-lamest-ugliest-phones.aspx
I know how you feel Trent, I really do.! I have pre-ordered my N97, a white variant, which as time gets closer to release, the more excited I am about finally getting my hands on it. The N97, for me personally, is the ideal device for my needs. Of course, the N97 is not for everyone, but as said, it does exactly what I need, and more.!
Can't wait.!
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