1. The new phone has been ergonomically designed and it's definitely smoother than many previous Nokia mobiles – a clear iPhone influence.
2. Like Apple's OS X-powered version, the Nokia's home screen is fully customisable and you can move widget icons around with your finger. You can also flick though your photos, like on the iPhone. Even old people can do that.
3. The 3.5-inch widescreen is fully touch compatible, though isn't multi-touch like the iPhone's. It's a bit of a shame, but Apple really patented up the iPhone, so it's no wonder. The N97 will also impressively shoot 16:9 video. If you really need to...
4. There's a whopping 32GB of internal storage for music, photos, video and more. There's also space for another 16GB via the Micro SD slot. 48GB on a mobile (expect 64GB to come next from Apple, then).
5. Nokia is also making the most from the N97's battery life. It promises the new handset will "kick out up to 37 hours of music and 4.5 hours of video." The batteries are also fully interchangeable.
6. The N97 has a 5 megapixel camera phone with a Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Compared to the iPhone's paltry 2 megapixel, that's a whole lot more impressive, though not peerless. And there's a dual LED flash, too – you really will be able to take proper pictures with this thing.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Using the FM Transmitter on the Nokia N97
he Nokia N97 has one little awesome feature that doesnt seem to be getting as much attention as it should be. Oh yes, I’m talking about the Built-in FM Transmitter on this baby.
Personally, I love this little feature, and more Nokia devices should have it. Seriously. First of all, there’s no wires, no mess. Secondly this means if you or a friend are traveling in my car, and have music on your FM-Transmitter-equipped devices (like the N79, N97, etc), you can basically listen to tunes from both devices, easily, on the Car stereo. How cool is that ? And you dont need an expensive car stereo system to get it going.
Wait, so what DO you need to get this going ?
Well, first you’ll need an N97, or any Nokia device with the FM-Transmitter built in (like the N79).
Second, you’ll need a radio that can be tuned to different frequencies. In my case I’ve used my Car Radio.
Remember, the FM Transmitter can only broadcast a signal so far, so make sure your device is inside the car, not lying back on your desk at home ;-) . It goes without saying that you should probably extend your car Radio antenna for best reception.
And that’s it ! You’re now equipped to use that FM Transmitter on your N97 properly.
To start broadcasting a signal, head on over to the FM Transmitter App and start it up.
When it loads up, you’ll see that you can set your FM Broadcast Signal.
I’ve used the default 90.00Mhz on my device, because no other radio station in my town uses that particular frequency. Of course if you want, you can change it from anything between 88.1 – 108 MHz.
The App keeps a record of any previous frequencies you’ve used, so you dont have to worry about forgetting.
Once you’ve got the frequency set, go ahead and start up the FM Transmitter by activating it.
As soon as its turned on, you’ll get a small quick reminder about which frequency you’re broadcasting on, and what you have to tune your radio to, to listen in. Like we mentioned earlier, we were using 90.00Mhz here.
Remember, if you want to deactivate it at any time, just click the FM Transmitter button and select “Off”.
Personally, I love this little feature, and more Nokia devices should have it. Seriously. First of all, there’s no wires, no mess. Secondly this means if you or a friend are traveling in my car, and have music on your FM-Transmitter-equipped devices (like the N79, N97, etc), you can basically listen to tunes from both devices, easily, on the Car stereo. How cool is that ? And you dont need an expensive car stereo system to get it going.
Wait, so what DO you need to get this going ?
Well, first you’ll need an N97, or any Nokia device with the FM-Transmitter built in (like the N79).
Second, you’ll need a radio that can be tuned to different frequencies. In my case I’ve used my Car Radio.
Remember, the FM Transmitter can only broadcast a signal so far, so make sure your device is inside the car, not lying back on your desk at home ;-) . It goes without saying that you should probably extend your car Radio antenna for best reception.
And that’s it ! You’re now equipped to use that FM Transmitter on your N97 properly.
To start broadcasting a signal, head on over to the FM Transmitter App and start it up.
When it loads up, you’ll see that you can set your FM Broadcast Signal.
I’ve used the default 90.00Mhz on my device, because no other radio station in my town uses that particular frequency. Of course if you want, you can change it from anything between 88.1 – 108 MHz.
The App keeps a record of any previous frequencies you’ve used, so you dont have to worry about forgetting.
Once you’ve got the frequency set, go ahead and start up the FM Transmitter by activating it.
As soon as its turned on, you’ll get a small quick reminder about which frequency you’re broadcasting on, and what you have to tune your radio to, to listen in. Like we mentioned earlier, we were using 90.00Mhz here.
Remember, if you want to deactivate it at any time, just click the FM Transmitter button and select “Off”.
Facebook application for Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 is finally here
Great news for our Facebook lovers! The Facebook Symbian S60v5 application for the Nokia 5800 and the Nokia N97 is available for free on Ovi Store. So what are you waiting for? Download it now!
Facebook for Nokia S60 Touch lets you keep up with your friends right at your fingertips. Update your status, see what your friends are up to, upload photos, check messages and lookup phone numbers when you need them anytime and anywhere. Facebook allows you to comment on your friend’s statuses, RSVP to event invites and confirm or deny friend requests. The Facebook for Nokia S60 brings Facebook directly to your phone If Facebook is not available for your device, please check Ovi Store.
Facebook for Nokia S60 Touch lets you keep up with your friends right at your fingertips. Update your status, see what your friends are up to, upload photos, check messages and lookup phone numbers when you need them anytime and anywhere. Facebook allows you to comment on your friend’s statuses, RSVP to event invites and confirm or deny friend requests. The Facebook for Nokia S60 brings Facebook directly to your phone If Facebook is not available for your device, please check Ovi Store.
Symbian Application: Nokia email service beta 3.0 is finally out!
The new beta 3.0 of the Nokia email service is available for download from here. Nokia Email service automatically delivers email from your current email addresses to your Nokia mobile phone (Push Email). You do not have to change the email addresses you already have.
With Nokia Email service, you can do the following on your Nokia phone:
* View, answer, forward, compose, and delete email messages.
* Manage your email inbox, outbox, drafts, and sent folders.
Whats new:
* Localization. We’re now localized into six different languages, including full support for international characters, which has been a very popular request from our beta testers from all around the world. This release localized in English, Finnish, German, Dutch, Latin American Spanish and Iberian Spanish.
* More email addresses. Now Nokia Email lets you get mail from up to 6 email addresses, each in its own mailbox yet all in one place, and makes composing from any account seamless.
* More phones. Nokia Email service is available on more of the most popular Nokia S60 devices, including many of the latest S60 3.2 devices like the N96 and the N78.
* Better mailbox management. When you delete an email on your Nokia phone, it will be deleted from your email account. We’ve enabled this for both IMAP and POP accounts.
With Nokia Email service, you can do the following on your Nokia phone:
* View, answer, forward, compose, and delete email messages.
* Manage your email inbox, outbox, drafts, and sent folders.
Whats new:
* Localization. We’re now localized into six different languages, including full support for international characters, which has been a very popular request from our beta testers from all around the world. This release localized in English, Finnish, German, Dutch, Latin American Spanish and Iberian Spanish.
* More email addresses. Now Nokia Email lets you get mail from up to 6 email addresses, each in its own mailbox yet all in one place, and makes composing from any account seamless.
* More phones. Nokia Email service is available on more of the most popular Nokia S60 devices, including many of the latest S60 3.2 devices like the N96 and the N78.
* Better mailbox management. When you delete an email on your Nokia phone, it will be deleted from your email account. We’ve enabled this for both IMAP and POP accounts.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Windows Live Messenger for N97 released
icrosoft has finally released Windows Live Messenger for phones equipped with Symbian S60 5th edition which are the 5800 XpressMusic and the N97. Now, users can install this IM app to chat with their MSN buddies and to obtain access to Windows Live Hotmail accounts, which is a major advantage if you use Hotmail or MSN mail as your preferred inbox since Nokia e-mail doesn’t allow to connect to Hotmail accounts.
Even though there hasn’t been any recent news about the N97 release date, many companies are already releasing apps and themes for the upcoming flagship and for the 5800 as well.
Having this app installed on your device means that you can have access to this community, however, I consider a greater advantage to have an app such as Fring or Nimbuzz that allows the user to connect to other communities using only one application. These communities include AIM, GTalk, MSN, Skype (including VoIP calls), among others.
Even though there hasn’t been any recent news about the N97 release date, many companies are already releasing apps and themes for the upcoming flagship and for the 5800 as well.
Having this app installed on your device means that you can have access to this community, however, I consider a greater advantage to have an app such as Fring or Nimbuzz that allows the user to connect to other communities using only one application. These communities include AIM, GTalk, MSN, Skype (including VoIP calls), among others.
5 Tips to Increase Battery Life on the Nokia N97
Nokia N97 comes with a good battery life, it leasts more than 1 day in the majority of the cases, even using a bit of every applications and remaining some of them open. Nokia N97 is indeed a pocket computer, fast and with a very high battery life. However you have some ways to increase the battery life of your Nokia N97:
1) Fully charge the phone’s battery – This is very important and obvious. When you charge your phone you must left it charging until the bars got the top and stopped moving. Removing it earlier would make damages to the battery. However you don’t need to wait untilthe phone gets without battery to start charging it. You can charge the battery even if it is almost full and it won’t make any damages, because the Nokia N97 has modern lithium batteries.
2)Do not switch the phone off - SmartPhones like Nokia N97 are like computers, by turning on them they use a lot of energy, so, we opt to suspend the PC’s. With smartphones the same thing applies, switching it off and then turning on will consume a lot ofbattery, you can just block the keyboard (suspend in the computer language), and this way you can even save Nokia N97 battery.
3)Turn down the Nokia N97’s screen brightness to a lower level, and also set your light-time out to 10 seconds
4)Use headphones instead of speakers – This way you will consume less battery on the Nokia N97
5) Exit unnecessary applications - The only application that I may let turned on during the day is the Nokia E-mail, it runs 24 by 24 hours and this Nokia application consumes a lot of memory if you left the synchronization turned on, or if the intervals between synchronizations are little. If you want to save memory on your Nokia N97 close unnecessary applications and reduce the e-mail synchronization of your device. Also, don’t use the red button to turn off the application, because it can always run on background, use the “exit” option in the “options” menu.
1) Fully charge the phone’s battery – This is very important and obvious. When you charge your phone you must left it charging until the bars got the top and stopped moving. Removing it earlier would make damages to the battery. However you don’t need to wait untilthe phone gets without battery to start charging it. You can charge the battery even if it is almost full and it won’t make any damages, because the Nokia N97 has modern lithium batteries.
2)Do not switch the phone off - SmartPhones like Nokia N97 are like computers, by turning on them they use a lot of energy, so, we opt to suspend the PC’s. With smartphones the same thing applies, switching it off and then turning on will consume a lot ofbattery, you can just block the keyboard (suspend in the computer language), and this way you can even save Nokia N97 battery.
3)Turn down the Nokia N97’s screen brightness to a lower level, and also set your light-time out to 10 seconds
4)Use headphones instead of speakers – This way you will consume less battery on the Nokia N97
5) Exit unnecessary applications - The only application that I may let turned on during the day is the Nokia E-mail, it runs 24 by 24 hours and this Nokia application consumes a lot of memory if you left the synchronization turned on, or if the intervals between synchronizations are little. If you want to save memory on your Nokia N97 close unnecessary applications and reduce the e-mail synchronization of your device. Also, don’t use the red button to turn off the application, because it can always run on background, use the “exit” option in the “options” menu.
Nokia N97 Data Connection
These numbers can vary depending on your location and quality of signal. I wish that I had more time to run around San Francisco, but this is what I got at the office:
* 3.5G: 630Kbps
* WIFI: 1.4Mbps
Note that it is technically possible to use the Nokia N97 as a 3.5G modem. It works only via Bluetooth, which tends to deplete the battery faster. I think that a USB tethering option would come in handy in the future. The modem drivers are in the Nokia PC Suite or can be downloaded separately if you don't want to install all the software package.
* 3.5G: 630Kbps
* WIFI: 1.4Mbps
Note that it is technically possible to use the Nokia N97 as a 3.5G modem. It works only via Bluetooth, which tends to deplete the battery faster. I think that a USB tethering option would come in handy in the future. The modem drivers are in the Nokia PC Suite or can be downloaded separately if you don't want to install all the software package.
Nokia Maps/Mapping
The N97 comes loaded with Nokia Maps, and I can say that it is my best "out of the box" experience with a default navigation app. Unlike Google maps, the Nokia maps are cached on the device itself, so once they are onboard, they are not downloaded (over the air) again. Better yet: you can pre-load an entire city, country or the whole world (4GB) so that Nokia maps doesn't load the maps while you're traveling. That cuts down on roaming charges, waiting time and frustration.
Nokia Maps is fast and lets you scroll the map smoothly. Upon a zoom in/out it will take a second readjust the level of details (see video). I found the compass be not very useful in pedestrian mode. Using it makes the map rotate left and right -all the time- which doesn't help the overall map readability. Nokia should also improve the search and use a single text field like Google Maps does. It is also not possible to select an origin/destination directly on the map. That would be easy to add.
Nokia Maps is fast and lets you scroll the map smoothly. Upon a zoom in/out it will take a second readjust the level of details (see video). I found the compass be not very useful in pedestrian mode. Using it makes the map rotate left and right -all the time- which doesn't help the overall map readability. Nokia should also improve the search and use a single text field like Google Maps does. It is also not possible to select an origin/destination directly on the map. That would be easy to add.
Nokia N 97 browsing Quality
Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5" touch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an ‘always open’ window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia’s flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their ‘social location.’
The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of ‘social location’. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their ‘status’ and share their ‘social location’ as well as related pictures or videos.
The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.
The Nokia N97 has a good browser, it worked with pretty much all the sites that went to, including Yahoo Finance and Google Docs. Y! Finance is usually an interesting site to try on a phone because it's hard to render on small displays. The N97's resolution is high enough to display it correctly, so that's a win. It is possible to log into Google Docs and view text documents, but sheets did not work, even in read-only mode. Adobe Flash Lite is supported. You can go on YouTube, follow links to YouTube and do things that you would normally do on a computer, without going through a YouTube "app"
The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of ‘social location’. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their ‘status’ and share their ‘social location’ as well as related pictures or videos.
The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.
The Nokia N97 has a good browser, it worked with pretty much all the sites that went to, including Yahoo Finance and Google Docs. Y! Finance is usually an interesting site to try on a phone because it's hard to render on small displays. The N97's resolution is high enough to display it correctly, so that's a win. It is possible to log into Google Docs and view text documents, but sheets did not work, even in read-only mode. Adobe Flash Lite is supported. You can go on YouTube, follow links to YouTube and do things that you would normally do on a computer, without going through a YouTube "app"
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