I buddy of mine bought an N97 and wants to trade me for my 16G, but the N97 seems to have alot of software bugs.... although Nokia released a new firmware version for it Jul. 1st.....
opinions please
opinions please
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Should I trade my 3G S for a Nokia N97?
- Thread starter pablo7
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Keep the 3GS. Stephen Fry said the N97 was crap, and whatever the Fryminator says, goes.
It distresses me more than I can say therefore to announce that the N97 is a crushing disappointment. The candybar design is handsome enough (not dissimilar to the iPhone and also available in white or piano black) and offers the best slidey-outy keyboard I’ve yet come across. Nokia’s Ovi Marketplace (their equivalent of the iPhone App Store) allows the simple OTA downloading of apps (including live-streaming Facebook and news widgets) which is all good. But the Symbian S60 operating system that drives the device is achingly old-fashioned, sluggish and unfriendly. Setting up ‘access points’ is fiddly and horribly yesterday. I am aware that Nokia want to position this as a kind of ‘My First Smartphone’ for users who might be put off by the radical nature of the iPhone or the businesslike qualities of the BlackBerry, but a resistive touchscreen (another way of saying a touchscreen you have to keep tapping until it decides to obey you – damn it, they even include a stylus) that displays blocky icons that remind you of the ugly horror of their E63 unit is no way to inspire confidence in the Finnish giant’s commitment to modern smartphones.
It distresses me more than I can say therefore to announce that the N97 is a crushing disappointment. The candybar design is handsome enough (not dissimilar to the iPhone and also available in white or piano black) and offers the best slidey-outy keyboard I’ve yet come across. Nokia’s Ovi Marketplace (their equivalent of the iPhone App Store) allows the simple OTA downloading of apps (including live-streaming Facebook and news widgets) which is all good. But the Symbian S60 operating system that drives the device is achingly old-fashioned, sluggish and unfriendly. Setting up ‘access points’ is fiddly and horribly yesterday. I am aware that Nokia want to position this as a kind of ‘My First Smartphone’ for users who might be put off by the radical nature of the iPhone or the businesslike qualities of the BlackBerry, but a resistive touchscreen (another way of saying a touchscreen you have to keep tapping until it decides to obey you – damn it, they even include a stylus) that displays blocky icons that remind you of the ugly horror of their E63 unit is no way to inspire confidence in the Finnish giant’s commitment to modern smartphones.
Stay away...i played with one at the Nokia store. The OS is a dinosaur...unintuitive unless you're a symbian veteran. I'd used symbian before and still found it challenging. Also that resistive touch screen is glitchy and is more like a poke screen than a touch screen as in you have to poke it for a response
The phone has great hardware overall but is crippled by its OS and the archaic touch screen
If anything get an E71 or something...much better phone
The phone has great hardware overall but is crippled by its OS and the archaic touch screen
If anything get an E71 or something...much better phone
Nokia's advantages: bluetooth for file transfers, higher resolution if I'm not mistaking, Adobe Flash and Flash for the camera.. unless you need these things IMO the iPhone is overall better.. oh, I forgot the keyboard, but that's subjective
here are some comparative pictures I didn't shoot.
the first ones are the Nokia's
and some crops
here are some comparative pictures I didn't shoot.
the first ones are the Nokia's
and some crops
I wouldn't do it. The N97 has gotten some pretty scathing reviews. Definitely nice hardware but it is just crippled by the OS.
If you want to go Nokia, I'd recommend going with an E-series. Those are some great phones.
If you want to go Nokia, I'd recommend going with an E-series. Those are some great phones.
Your'e kidding, right.
Don't eve think about it.
Did you see that engadget review.
Scathing to the core.
No in a few months time Nokia will be onto the next model and trying something else so forget about long term support, updates and any continuity.
Nokia are desperately trying everything and ending up with nothing.
Don't eve think about it.
Did you see that engadget review.
Scathing to the core.
No in a few months time Nokia will be onto the next model and trying something else so forget about long term support, updates and any continuity.
Nokia are desperately trying everything and ending up with nothing.
There a guy here where I work who wants to trade his N97 for my 3G 16gb!
I tried the Nokia and found it like everyone else is saying, the hardware to be pretty good but the OS really is frustratingly bad and the touchscreen needs two or three attempts each time to get it to do anything. Swipes just don't work at all either.
If I don't swap then he's taking it back - it was a contract upgrade and only cost him £25 anyway when he chopped in his viewty.
Probably will swap though 'cause I should be able to sell on eBay for a goodly amount more than I could sell my 3G for - then use that to get a PAYG 3GS on O2.
But no way would I swap a N97 for a 3GS!
I tried the Nokia and found it like everyone else is saying, the hardware to be pretty good but the OS really is frustratingly bad and the touchscreen needs two or three attempts each time to get it to do anything. Swipes just don't work at all either.
If I don't swap then he's taking it back - it was a contract upgrade and only cost him £25 anyway when he chopped in his viewty.
Probably will swap though 'cause I should be able to sell on eBay for a goodly amount more than I could sell my 3G for - then use that to get a PAYG 3GS on O2.
But no way would I swap a N97 for a 3GS!
I buddy of mine bought an N97 and wants to trade me for my 16G, but the N97 seems to have alot of software bugs.... although Nokia released a new firmware version for it Jul. 1st.....
Depends what you need more. If you like to play games on a hand held device then the iPhone is the better one.
If you want to use GPS or write long texts (lots of emails, twitter, documents) then the N97 is the better device. Also the camera and lens seems to be the better ones on the N97.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
(BTW; If you don't need a touch screen i'd go probably with the E52.)
I currently own both the N97 & iPhone 3G S 32GB
I am one of those nut cases that gets a new phone ever few weeks. Just can't seem to find the phone that has everything I want. With that being said, I some how always end up back having an iPhone.
My Phone use:
85% business and 15% personal use.
I currently own both the N97 & the iPhone 3G S 32GB(aren't credit cards great). I have until Monday, tomorrow, to decide which one to keep and which to return. I keep going back & forth over and over and over again which one will live in my pocket. These phones really are similar yet totally different.
Lets start talking about the Nokia.
I have installed the latest firmware software update on the Nokia & can say that they have resolved a lot of the issues people are complaining about on the reviews. Not all of the issues, but a lot.
As an iPhone user, the bar has now been set. Everything it does out of the box I now come to expect from any other contender.
These are just things I need:
#1) It just works seamlessly with my Mac. This is a must!
This can't be said about the N97, currently requires 3rd party application to sync contact, calendar, iPhoto, iTunes... etc.
#2) Actually works great as a phone which is something most smart phones dont usually do.
The Nokia N97 too works great as a phone. The very best in RF Reception. Not complicated at all. Speed dials are right on the desktop which is great.
#3) in the Business world, I rely on my email so Im not tied to an office. This allows me to work on the road. I love the email application on this phone. It is simple to use and everything is right at your fingertips.
Nokias email application works, but just not as friendly to use. I'm sure 10 different people would have 10 different opinions on this one. Well at least with Nokia you have alternative 3rd party apps to choose from. Some of which I consider just as good.
#4) in my personal world off work, I love being able to sync photos, music, contacts etc with my Mac. Again, no other phones really work this well with a Mac Computer. I may be in the minority here, but there are a lot of us Mac users out there.
The Nokia does offer a solution, but not a very good one. It takes twice as long to transfer the same amount of data. It works well for the music but not the photos. I can't even get the photos to open. Again, at least there are lots of 3rd part apps available to make up the slack that do work fine.
#5) Predictive text is just amazing on the iPhone. Sorry Nokia, I haven't seen anyone come close yet.
I still have yet to try the new Pre & Google on this to compare.
As the above statements show, I love the iPhone! No doubt about it. I have been a faithful Mac User for for over 16 years and personally believe it is the best Computer OS overall for what I do!
So now for the iPhone negatives:
#1) Poor quality Camera
Obviously better than the last generation iPhone.
But come on. Apple is known as being a platform leader for video & imaging.
You can't tell me they are not capable of putting in a high-end camera.
Let's face it, this is a carrier subsidized phone. I cant help but think that Apple keeps the Camera resolution down so they can save on the Bandwidth that will be sent over their Carriers networks. AT&T can't handle the load it already carries. Even at 3.2MP, the iPhone then lowers the image resolution even more when emailing from the phone. Give me a break! Amd don't tell me to carry a real camera. I don't want to!! The Nokia N97 is a great camera & phone in one! Take a look at the following pictures. The Nokia N97 is without a doubt top notch in image quality between these two phones. Both Video recording and pictures are incredible on the N97. This is what I want on my iPhone. It is one the main reasons for considering the N97 over the iPhone.
You can tell which is which because the Nokia N97 has the higher resolution and amazing color:
#2) No MMS
I know, I know. It's not a big deal to send pics to other people, but trust me... your low-tech friends are not usually going to bother figuring out how to send you mms messages.
I'm certain it's AT&T. They say you will be able to soon, but why is it that the Beta 3.0 software is capable of MMS now? Every other smart phone i have ever used is capable of this. Some dumb dumb somewhere should have gotten fired for this one.
#3) Can't tether!!!!!!
As a salesman that works out of his car, I need to be able to tether my laptop to get online. No, I don't want to pay extra for a separate data plan and use the USB Modems. Why would I when with the Nokia, I can do this at no extra cost. In fact, with most phones I can do this on AT&T at no extra cost.
#4) Extra monthly cost.
Just for the privilege of using an iPhone it cost an extra $15.00 more a month than any other smartphone data plan with AT&T. That's just wrong!!! This alone makes me want to return the iPhone & keep the N97.
#5) Can't drag & drop files
Yes, there are 3rd party applications that allow this to be done. But none are free. On the n97 you have full access out of the box on a PC or a MAC.
Even with all of these complaints I will still probably keep the iPhone.
I've had sooo many phones.
At least several different HTC's
Blackberry Storm, Curve, Pearl(both Verizon & AT&T)
Nokias galore: N95, N95-8GB, N96, N97, 9300, 9500, 6682
All 3 iPhones
Verizon Samsung: i730 & i830
My first phone weighed close to 10 pounds
I am one of those nut cases that gets a new phone ever few weeks. Just can't seem to find the phone that has everything I want. With that being said, I some how always end up back having an iPhone.
My Phone use:
85% business and 15% personal use.
I currently own both the N97 & the iPhone 3G S 32GB(aren't credit cards great). I have until Monday, tomorrow, to decide which one to keep and which to return. I keep going back & forth over and over and over again which one will live in my pocket. These phones really are similar yet totally different.
Lets start talking about the Nokia.
I have installed the latest firmware software update on the Nokia & can say that they have resolved a lot of the issues people are complaining about on the reviews. Not all of the issues, but a lot.
As an iPhone user, the bar has now been set. Everything it does out of the box I now come to expect from any other contender.
These are just things I need:
#1) It just works seamlessly with my Mac. This is a must!
This can't be said about the N97, currently requires 3rd party application to sync contact, calendar, iPhoto, iTunes... etc.
#2) Actually works great as a phone which is something most smart phones dont usually do.
The Nokia N97 too works great as a phone. The very best in RF Reception. Not complicated at all. Speed dials are right on the desktop which is great.
#3) in the Business world, I rely on my email so Im not tied to an office. This allows me to work on the road. I love the email application on this phone. It is simple to use and everything is right at your fingertips.
Nokias email application works, but just not as friendly to use. I'm sure 10 different people would have 10 different opinions on this one. Well at least with Nokia you have alternative 3rd party apps to choose from. Some of which I consider just as good.
#4) in my personal world off work, I love being able to sync photos, music, contacts etc with my Mac. Again, no other phones really work this well with a Mac Computer. I may be in the minority here, but there are a lot of us Mac users out there.
The Nokia does offer a solution, but not a very good one. It takes twice as long to transfer the same amount of data. It works well for the music but not the photos. I can't even get the photos to open. Again, at least there are lots of 3rd part apps available to make up the slack that do work fine.
#5) Predictive text is just amazing on the iPhone. Sorry Nokia, I haven't seen anyone come close yet.
I still have yet to try the new Pre & Google on this to compare.
As the above statements show, I love the iPhone! No doubt about it. I have been a faithful Mac User for for over 16 years and personally believe it is the best Computer OS overall for what I do!
So now for the iPhone negatives:
#1) Poor quality Camera
Obviously better than the last generation iPhone.
But come on. Apple is known as being a platform leader for video & imaging.
You can't tell me they are not capable of putting in a high-end camera.
Let's face it, this is a carrier subsidized phone. I cant help but think that Apple keeps the Camera resolution down so they can save on the Bandwidth that will be sent over their Carriers networks. AT&T can't handle the load it already carries. Even at 3.2MP, the iPhone then lowers the image resolution even more when emailing from the phone. Give me a break! Amd don't tell me to carry a real camera. I don't want to!! The Nokia N97 is a great camera & phone in one! Take a look at the following pictures. The Nokia N97 is without a doubt top notch in image quality between these two phones. Both Video recording and pictures are incredible on the N97. This is what I want on my iPhone. It is one the main reasons for considering the N97 over the iPhone.
You can tell which is which because the Nokia N97 has the higher resolution and amazing color:
#2) No MMS
I know, I know. It's not a big deal to send pics to other people, but trust me... your low-tech friends are not usually going to bother figuring out how to send you mms messages.
I'm certain it's AT&T. They say you will be able to soon, but why is it that the Beta 3.0 software is capable of MMS now? Every other smart phone i have ever used is capable of this. Some dumb dumb somewhere should have gotten fired for this one.
#3) Can't tether!!!!!!
As a salesman that works out of his car, I need to be able to tether my laptop to get online. No, I don't want to pay extra for a separate data plan and use the USB Modems. Why would I when with the Nokia, I can do this at no extra cost. In fact, with most phones I can do this on AT&T at no extra cost.
#4) Extra monthly cost.
Just for the privilege of using an iPhone it cost an extra $15.00 more a month than any other smartphone data plan with AT&T. That's just wrong!!! This alone makes me want to return the iPhone & keep the N97.
#5) Can't drag & drop files
Yes, there are 3rd party applications that allow this to be done. But none are free. On the n97 you have full access out of the box on a PC or a MAC.
Even with all of these complaints I will still probably keep the iPhone.
I've had sooo many phones.
At least several different HTC's
Blackberry Storm, Curve, Pearl(both Verizon & AT&T)
Nokias galore: N95, N95-8GB, N96, N97, 9300, 9500, 6682
All 3 iPhones
Verizon Samsung: i730 & i830
My first phone weighed close to 10 pounds
Link to pictures with n97 & iPhone
Looks like the link to the pictures did not post.
Here is the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40127354@N07/
More things about comparisons:
iPhone lets you view and work with Excel documents much easier.
Viewing/Resizing pdf files is also much easier on the iPhone.
Looks like the link to the pictures did not post.
Here is the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40127354@N07/
More things about comparisons:
iPhone lets you view and work with Excel documents much easier.
Viewing/Resizing pdf files is also much easier on the iPhone.