Nokia N95 - It's what computers have become

The definition of optimal performance. 5 megapixels. DVD-like quality footage. Carl Zeiss Optics-the best u can get. Access your music, access your emails, plus advanced web browsing and GPS mapping. Upload instantly Flickr, download movies in a heartbeat. Whatever you need. Wherever you are.




Winner of the 2007 TIPA Award for the Best Mobile Imaging Device and EISA Best Product of the Year Award in the European Media Phone category.

Key features

• Two-way sliding construction
• Dedicated music keys
• Landscape screen mode
• Stereo speakers
• microSD memory card slot
• UMTS, Wi-Fi, USB, stereo Bluetooth and Infrared support
• miniUSB port
• FM radio
• 5 megapixel camera with auto focus
• Records video in VGA resolution
• GPS receiver with free basic navigation
• Symbian 9.2 OS with S60 3rd edition UI plus Feature Pack 1
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• TV-out port

The N95 runs on Symbian OS v9.2, with an S60 3rd Edition platform with Feature Pack 1. The phone uses a two-way slider to access either media playback buttons or a numeric keypad. Three newer versions have also been released: the upgraded N95 8GB (N95-2), the N95-3, which adds 3G support for North America, and the N95-4 which is an America-targeted version of the N95-2. The N95 is succeeded by the Nokia N96 smartphone.

In the hand the most impressive aspect of the device, given its feature set, is its size. At 99mm x 20mm x 53mm (90cc), the N93 packs an impressively amount into a small space. Nokia have managed to add two major technologies to the Nseries line (GPS and HSDPA) while significantly reducing the volume of the device. In length and width dimensions it is larger that the other Nseries slider - the N80, but it is considerably thinner.

HSPDA is the next generationin cellular connectivity. The N95 is a category 6 HSPDA device which means it is up to 10 times faster that WCDMA (3G). Clearly HSDPA support is required at a network level, but many networks have already begun their testing or roll out periods. The faster connection speeds make downloading media (such as podcasts via the in built Podcast application) more palatable and should also improve latency/round trip times. Wi-Fi, WCDMA (3G) connectivity, together with quad band GSM and EDGE are also supported. Bluetooth 2.0, IrDA and USB make up the local connectivity options.

The 5.0 megapixel camera uses Carl Zeiss Optics with autofocus and digital zoom with a dedicated 2 stage capture button on the side of the phone. Video capture at near DVD quality is also supported. On the side of the device there are several buttons dedicated to camera usage. This allows the device to be held in a similar way to a traditional camera with the screen, in landscape mode, used as the view finder and the shutter button on bottom right hand side of the device (top right when phone is held horizontally). On the rear of the device, next to the camera is the slide switch, which is used to open the lens aperture and activate camera mode. Although it is difficult to judge the image quality at this stage the evidence we saw suggest that the N95 will be on of the most capable camera phones available.

Music playback is also a major focus of the device. The dedicated multimedia keys on the top flip of the device are primarily designed for music playback (although can also be used in other multimedia contexts). Wireless stereo sound output (via the A2DP Bluetooth profile) is also supported, and stereo audio output is also supported by the TV output feature and the on board stereo speakers. The music formats supported include MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA. Video playback on the QVGA screen is excellent and supported video formats include 3GP, Real Video and MP4 with support for the latest AVC codec.

The multimedia key now leads to a revamped application and multimedia shorcut view which now supports both a greater number of shortcuts (applications, multimedia files and bookmarks) and more flexible personalisation. As a result it is now a more generic shortcut key mechansim and offers an alternative to the standard application launcher.

The N95 uses S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 (Symbian 9.2) and as such includes version 2.0 of the open source Nokia web browser (supporting WML, XHTML and HTML in one browser), Flash Lite 2.0, FOTA (firmware over the air updates) and more.

The N95 uses the same small power port as other S60 3rd Edition devices, but the in-box charger is considerably smaller than the existing models (up to 60% smaller). The N95 has a 950 mAh battery, it is likely that the N95 will require a daily charge with moderate to heavy use, although 3-6 days may be possible with lighter use (dependent on network strength, type and other factors).

Camera settings

It takes 6 seconds to get the camera application running. If you manage to focus immediately, then your first shot will probably take you about 8 seconds, which is rather slow, especially considering the frequent use of photo mobiles as opportunist cameras for taking instant shots.

To take a shot, first half-press the release button until the focusing frame becomes green, and then press the release button fully; just like you would do with a standard digital camera. Available are 4 different shutter sounds, each of which can be silenced completely should the phone has been set to silent mode.

Camera viewfinder

The camera application is very user-friendly and easy to manage. Function icons are displayed on the right and switched between by using the vertical ways of the navigation key. The horizontal ways duplicate the zoom function, also available on the phone side. When a function is selected, an additional menu pops out. The upper context key closes functions, while the bottom one opens the option menu.

Camera menu and setup options

Among other options here you will find camera resolution settings, automatic insertion of images into albums, shutter sound setup, or default storage. Once you have set up all above mentioned features, they remain saved even if the camera application has been restarted. However, the same does not hold true for the functions displayed in the right menu column, which load their default settings each time the camera is activated.

Main disadvantages

• Poor battery life
• Charging through USB is not possible
• No FM RDS
• Voice assisted GPS navigation is charged
• GPS chip doesn’t work with third party applications
• Cannot edit office documents

At this moment Nokia N95 represents the crown of the entire Nokia portfolio. It is the best equipped phone on the world market. It was brought to public attention in September 2006 at an imposing Nokia show in New York. Due to the high customer demand the price is yet rather higher than the initially announced expected retail price of 550 EUR.

Nokia N95

Nokia N95 is among first mobiles to have a built-in camera with a 5 megapixel resolution. Among its lures are also an integrated GPS module, HSDPA support, two-way sliding construction, and a very handy 3.5 mm jack connector for earphones. The phone runs on Symbian 9.2 OS with the S60 3rd edition UI plus Feature Pack 1. Some of the innovations gathered under the label Feature Pack 1 are, for example, a new user function menu and a repeated alarm clock.

Unpacking