Overview:
The Nokia N900 is, to be honest, a little bit fiddly, which instantly positions it as a Marmite of handsets- you’re either going to love it or hate it. Behind the potential navigation confusion though, Nokia has pushed the boat out in creating a fantastically feature-packed handset. Will this still make-up for the fact that it may take you awhile to gel with your new phone? Let’s find out.
Review:
The Nokia N900 may look like a mobile phone at first glance, and yes it is in our phone reviews section, so we’re obviously under that impression too. Get in a bit closer though, and you’ll find it’s actually something of a phone / tablet hybrid.
This is Nokia’s first device with the new Maemo 5 OS, which is designed around the internet and brings the best of computers to mobile devices. Nokia already has it out on previous tablet devices including the N810.
Maemo 5 brings an ultra fast Firefox web browser to the N900 that supports Flash and double-tap zoom.
You can also personalise multiple desktops to include various widgets and apps to your home screen for easy access.
To keep your social life in order, Maemo 5 lets you see pictures of your contacts on your homescreen long with your friends’ availability and status updates. Tapping on their little smiling faces brings up different options for you to get in touch.
Its not just the computer-esque feel of the N900 under the bonnet that gives this handset a tablet complex though. Just look at the size of it.
Weighing in at 181g, the N900 takes the feeling of solid to a whole new level. At 18mm thick, it also feels a bit like a phone from 1992, but that’s where the age comparison ends.
Nokia has designed a brilliant looking phone with a huge 3.5 inch touchscreen that takes-up the full face of the handset, pushing aside the need for aesthetically displeasing buttons. It also boasts a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
Unfortunately the lack of front buttons means that Nokia has done away with a “home” button, which is where this phone starts to get a wee bit tricky.
To get back to your desktop, you need to touch and hold the “Task Switch” icon which may not be clear when you first play with the phone. Once you’ve found it though (and kept your thumb on it for a couple of seconds), moving around your phone suddenly gets a whole lot easier.
The range of buttons are found on the sides and at the top of the phone along with the headphone jack, keeping the appearance of the handset all very minimalist.
The back of the phone sports a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual-LED flash. Nokia has even included a lens cover, which is something more mobile manufacturers should invest in if they’re going to supply you with a decent camera.
Photos taken by the N900 are good, but the auto-focus software isn’t as sharp as we’d like, which is a shame after all of the effort with the camera hardware.
There is also a kick-out stand at the back of the phone, but for some reason Nokia hasn’t centred it, which makes the phone slightly easier to knock over. Being such a solid, sturdy device though, this shouldn’t pose any trouble to this Terminator of handsets.
The included music player is refreshingly simple to use, letting you browse by artist, songs, genres or playlists. There is no dedicated music search function, but you can find your favourite tunes by starting to type in the song’s name- this does mean you have to remember the first word in its title.
Nokia has furnished the N900 with facilities to make it a developer’s pet project. It has even included infrared, which isn’t hooked up to any pre-installed apps, but can be developed into something like a universal remote.
Overall Nokia has created a truly different phone with a lot of power under a sleek-looking chassis. If you’re curious about getting your hands on one, take a look at some N900 deals over at MobileShop.com.
The Gaj-It Verdict:
Design: 8/10
Usability: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Value: 8/10
We Say:
The Nokia N900 packs the power of a small computer into your jeans pocket. It’s big, bold and buttonless (on the front), and is a great device for anyone serious about watching movies on its lush 3.5 inch screen.
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