Nokia N95 Cell Phone Review
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Alfredo Padilla Published on May 08, 2007 Comment on this |
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The Nokia N95 is the latest flagship for Nokia's consumer oriented N-Series smart phones. Running an updated version of Symbian Series 60, the Nokian N95 offers all of the flexibility and power that people have come to expect from Series 60 phones. Nokia's approach with the N95 seems to be to pack every feature imaginable. As such the N95 is one of the first phones with a 5 megapixel camera, has built in GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and supports high speed data via HSDPA, albeit not in the U.S. Of course all this doesn't come free as the Nokia N95 retails for $750 and is currently only available in the U.S. from Nokia's flagship stores in New York and Chicago. Despite its incredible specs, the N95 doesn't address some of our biggest beefs with the Series 60 platform, including a sub par video player in Realplayer and limited RAM. Still, there are some nice updates on board, for example the web browser now supports WAP pages, and to be fair Realplayer was now able to playback H.264 encoded files. Battery life on the N95 was average, and we won't vouch for how long it will last if you use all of its advanced features intensly. We also found the controls, especially the D-Pad and keypad to be difficult to use and prone to errors.
Despite the drawbacks theres a lot to like on the N95. The camera on the N95 is outstanding for a phone, despite being slow to load, the photos you take with it will rival some low end point and shoot cameras. As always we are fans of Nokia's music software, and we like the updates to the controls and the inclusion of dedicated music buttons. We also like the inclusion of GPS and built in software for navigating, although you will need to shell out a little more to get turn by turn directions. Overall the N95 is a worthy flagship for Nokia's N-Series lineup.
[page title="Tour & Design"]
Front Closed
Left
Top
Bottom
Right
Back
Open
Battery Out
When you remove the battery cover you expose the 950 mAh battery. Below the battery is a slot for your SIM card.
In the Box (6.0)
The Nokia N95 ships with a good selection of accessories. In addition to manuals and a software CD you get a charger, stereo headset, USB cable and and video cable to connect the device to your television set.
Handling (5.0)
When closed the Nokia N95 fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, but the positioning of the control keys near the bottom of the device makes them a little awkward to access. When opened up to reveal the keypad the control keys are in a more comfortable position, but the keypad is slightly awkward to access. The phone is made of slick plastic, which leads us to worry that it may slip out of our hand. You will also find that the plethora of buttons and ports mean that you fingers are always touching them when holding the device, which can lead to mistaken presses. The device is lighter than we expected, and should fit comfortably on your head when speaking on the phone. Overall we found the Nokia N95 a little awkward to handle.
Portability (5.0)
The Nokia N95 measures 3.89" x 2.09" x 0.83" and weighs in at 4.23 oz. It is slightly smaller than a Treo or the Cingular 8525, and weighs significantly less than these larger smart phones. Still, it is a large phone and will fill up your pocket. It should fit comfortably into most purses or bags.
Aesthetics (4.0)
From the front the Nokia N95 looks like a typical Nokia smart phone, with a matte silver finish. The back of the phone is a dark purple that many will mistake for grey or black. The phone definitely resembles a brick, and it seems that very little effort went into styling. This is not a phone for those looking for a fashion piece, but it does look professional for business users.
Durability (5.0)
The Nokia N95 felt solid with no creaks evident during use. We are concerned about the dual slider design, as we are always concerned about moving parts. The slider on our review unit felt a little loose, and we can't vouch for its long term durability. The keys on the N95 felt a little plasticky, and the large screen is a magnet for finger prints and scratches. We were happy to see the cover on the camera lens, as this protects this important piece of hardware.
[page title="Audio Quality"]
Nokia likes to think of the N95 as a miniature computer, but at the end of the day, it’s still a phone. So how good do the calls that it makes sound? To find out, we use the same professional testing equipment that the manufacturers themselves use; a HATS (Head and Torso Simulator) that simulates the human head and ear, and a professional sound analysis program called SoundCheck. This combination allows us to analyze the performance of the phones in depth, analyzing the quality of the sound that the phones send and receive. For more information on how we conduct our tests using this professonal equipment, see here.
Sound Receive Frequency Response (6.46)
Sound Send Frequency Response (6.81)
Handset Side Tone (8.39)
[page title="Imaging"]
Resolution (8.32)
To test resolution we take photos of an industry standard resolution chart and run them through our Imatest software. Imatest measures how many black and white lines the camera can discern before they start blurring together, a measure called line widths per picture height or LW/PH.
The Nokia N95 posted the best resolution score of any phone we have tested thus far, able to discern 1368 LW/PH horizontally and 1223 LW/PH vertically. This is significantly better than the Nokia N73's 720.6 LW/PH horizontal and 1135 LW/PH veritcal. It compares poorly to even a cheap digital camera, though; the $180 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W350 captured 1573 horizontal and 1548 vertical lines. It did beat some older still cameras, though, and the relatively high scores of the N95 show how cell phone cameras are improving; they are getting better, but are some way from catching up with dedicated still cameras. We score resolution slightly differently than our sister site DigitalCameraInfo. If we had scored the N95 according to their scale it would have scored a 2.5.
Color (6.95)
To test color we take photos of the industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart, which displays 24 different colors. We then run the photos through the Imatest software, which compares the camera's produced colors to the chart's colors.
Imatest produces the chart above that shows the original colors in the small vertical rectangle, the adjusted colors in the middle rectangle and the original capture colors in the outer square. Imatest also produces the color analysis chart below. This chart indicates captures colors with a circle and ideal colors with squares. The longer the line between those two points the more innacurate the colors are.
As you can see from the charts above the Nokia N95 did a very good job reproducing colors. The biggest error is in the reds and purples, with some in the greens, but this is relatively minor, especially when compared to phones like the Motorola Krzr K1m. The Treo 700p still does slightly better than the N95 in this test, but both phones handles color reproduction well.
Noise (1.42)
To test noise we take a series of photos at different lighting levels and run them through our Imatest software to measure noise. The Nokia N95 did a good job in our noise test, posting average or above average scores at all lighting levels. Like most phones we measured the most noise at the lowest light levels. The N95 posted a significantly better noise score than the Nokia N73, and a similar score to the Sprint Upstage, which has our highest noise score to date.
Live Preview (8.5)
The live preview on the Nokia N95 is excellent, with a very little pixelation and colors that are very close to the photo you take. This is a significant step up over the Nokia N73, which seems to display washed out colors. We were very pleased with the N95's live preview. Unlocked Standby to First Shot (3.08)
To test how long it takes to go from the home screen until we can take a shot we time this process until we achieve a repeatable best time. The Nokia N95 took 6.5 seconds to complete this process. This is a very slow time for a camera phone, significantly slower than the N73's 5.3 seconds. Although the presence of an auto focus lens slows the N95 down, the majority of the time is taken up launching the camera application. The Sanyo M1, another camera with an auto focus lens, took only 4.9 seconds to go from the home screen to taking a photo.
Shutter to Shot (1.96)
In this test, we measure how long time time between pressing the shutter and the phone taking the image is. The N95 had a pretty poor time of 1 second; significantly slower than most phones and much slower than most dedicated still cameras. Part of this is due to the auto focus; it takes at least half a second to reach the right focus point. You can cut this time down a little by lightly pressing the shutter; the N95 then focusses ready for you to press it down the rest of the way and take the shot. In this, case, it only takes around half a second to take the shot; a much more acceptable time.
Shot to Shot Time (1.26)
Shot to shot time is a measure of how quickly you can take photos in succession. To complete this test we used the Nokia N95's burst mode to take six photos in quick succession. The Nokia N95 took 14.3 seconds to take this sequence. This works out to .42 frames per second. This is significantly slower than the Nokia N73's .52 frames per second. The Pentax Optio M20, a stand along digital camera, took .7 frames per second.
Interface (9.0)
The camera interface on the Nokia N95 is very similar to other high end N-Series devices like the N73. At the top left is an indicator for what camera mode you are in, at the bottom left is a counter for the number of photos you can still take. The soft keys are placed along the left side of the screen, with the top one assigned to exit and the bottom one opening the options menu.
There is also a line of icons along the right side that you can control with the directional pad. These give you quick access to the most settings, including: camera mode, scene mode, flash, timer, sequence mode, exposure compensation, white balance, color, ISO, contrast and sharpness. This is an incredible number of settings for a camera phone and we like that the N95 makes it easy and quick to access them. We very much like what Nokia has done with their camera interface.
Photo Album Software Internal (7.0)
The Nokia N95 album software is the standard gallery found on all Series 60 devices. This presents all of your pictures and videos in a carousel format, with the currently selected item in the center and other items surrounding it. This software is slow to load and is also slow to create thumbnails, however it does offer a good range of functionality. You can easily create slide shows, and even add custom effects and music to them. Although it is slow, it is intuitive and easy to learn. You can also create folders for your images and videos to better organize them. We may have wished for more simplicity from a processing standpoint, but we can't fault Nokia for the features included.
Manual Control (2.0)
Despite the plethora of features the N95 still lacks the manual controls that are found on many modern camera. There are scene modes present including sport, night mode and landscape. Manual white balance, aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode are not present. We expect it will be awhile before cameras on phones begin offering the range of manual controls that are found on regular cameras.
Zoom (1.0)
The Nokia N95 does not have an optical zoom like its high end brethren the Nokia N93 and N93i. There is a 20x digital zoom available, but digital zoom is of limited utility.
Focus (5.0)
The Nokia N95 sports an auto focus lens, but without the range of stops and the manual focus found on regular cameras. An auto focus camera is a major step up from most cameras on phones like the Treo 750, which use fixed focus lenses.
Flash (3.0)
The Nokia N95 includes an LED flash that is only useful out to range of a couple of feet. This is similar to the flash found on the Nokia N73.
Metering (2.0)
etering allows you to control how light is judged in your photo. As with most camera phones the N95 lacks most metering options like spot metering, center weighted metering and evaluative metering. There are however exposure compensation controls that function similarly to the brightness settings found on other camera phones.
White Balance (2.0)
Like the N73, the N95 has preset white balance modes. These include sunny, cloudy, incandescent and florescent. Evaluative white balance, which uses a white card to judge true white, is not present.
Image Handling (8.0)
The Nokia N95, like all modern Series 60 phones, has a good set of image handling options. You can crop, resize, rename and rotate images as well as adjust things like brightness, sharpness and contrast. There is also a red eye reduction tool as well as some fun effects. Most phones only allow you to rename an image, and perhaps crop it, so we were very happy to see the range of options available on the N95.
Video
Overall Video Score (8.5)
The N95 captures video at full VGA (640 x 480) resolution and 30 frames per second. This is a huge step above other phones like the N73 that do 352 x 288 at 15fps. We were very impressed with the quality of the video taken by the N95. There was very little pixelation and colors were very true. We did have some trouble with scenes that had bright light coming into a darker room, but this is a minor issue. The video you take on the N95 is almost good enough to show on a regular TV, but it still doesn't stand up to even entry level camcorders.
Video Resolution (14.41)
We measure video resolution by taking video of the standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and run stills from it through the Imatest imaging software. The Nokia N95 did extremely well in our video resolution test, posting a score near double that of the next highest score to date, that of the Sanyo M1. It blew away the Nokia N73, which takes video at a maximum resolution of 352 x 288.
Video Compression (4.0)
The Nokia N95 takes video in .MP4 format using an mpeg-4 decompressor. There is a preset to capture video for MMS, which captures in 3GP format, however these are the only two compression options available.
Interface (8.0)
The video recording interface on the Nokia N95 is the same as other modern N-Series phones and is very similar to the still camera interface. Video is taken in landscape orientation with soft keys at the top and bottom right of the screen. The top soft key is assigned to exit while the bottom one opens the options menu. Between these two labels are icons that give you quick access to common settings. At the bottom left is an indicator that shows you how long you can take video or how long the current recording has been running. In the top left is an indicator that shows you what camera mode you are in. As with the still camera interface we found the camcorder interface on the N95 intuitive and easy to use. Manual Control (0.0)
As with the Nokia N73, the Nokia N95 does not provide any manual controls for video recording.
Zoom (1.0)
The Nokia N95 has a digital zoom for video, which is of limited utility. There is no optical zoom as found on the N93 or N93i.
Editing (6.0)
Like the N73 the N95 offers a good selection of video editing options. You can cut sections out and add an audio track as well as special affects and introductory screens. This is significantly better than what most phones offer.
Modes (4.0)
The Nokia N95 offers a night mode as well as a specific mode for capturing MMS video. We would have liked to see more modes available, but I guess you can't have everything.
[page title="Making/Receiving Calls"]
Dialing Speed (4.33)
Talk and End Buttons (3.0)
Call Management (8.0)
Call management features on the Nokia N95 are the same as those found on other Nokia Series 60 smart phones. The send button will take you to simplified view that allows you to see dialed, received and missed called. For more detailed call history information you can go to the log in the applications folder and get call and data timers. During a call you can turn on the speakerphone using the left soft key. The right soft key gives you access to a menu that provides additional functions like muting the call. As is to be expected with a smart phone you can access programs while in a call, for example you could be taking a note during a call. There is no support for recording calls, however there is full support for conference calling. We were also pleased to see support for SIP and VOIP calling, which allow you to make calls using Wi-Fi.
Startup to Call (2.75)
To test startup to call we time how long it takes to turn the phone on and then make a phone call. We repeat this test with our five different test phone numbers and then take the average for our score. The Nokia N95 took an average of 36.4 seconds to complete this process. This is almost exactly the same as the Nokia N73, which took 36.7 seconds, and is fairly reasonable for a smart phone. It is faster than the Treo 750's 42.26 seconds, and much faster than the T-Mobile Dash's lengthy 76 seconds. It is however much worse than the Blackberry 8703e, which took only 10.8 seconds on this test.
Ring Volume (10.53)
To test ring volume we set the phone to maximum volume and choose the loudest ring tone on the device. We then use a sound pressure meter to measure the ring volume in decibels. The Nokia N95 scored an incredible 105.3 decibels in this test. This is by far the loudest ring volume we have measured to date, far louder the LG Chocolate's 88.7 decibels. You won't be missing any calls if you turn the ring volume on the N95 to its maximum level, although you may want to turn it down a tad for the sake of those poor souls that are nearby when it goes off.
Ringtone Customizability (8.0)
We were pleased to see that the Nokia N95 provided us with every music file on the phone in the list of possible ring tones. This includes AAC, WMA and MP3 files. Compared to Windows Mobile devices that require you to drop music files into a specific folder the Nokia N95's approach is refreshing. We were also pleased to see that your own recordings from the voice recorder are available to use as ring tones as well. The N95 did not include software to edit ring tones on the device.
Non Audio Alerts (10.0)
The Nokia N95 vibrate alert is a little softer than we would normally like, but you can feel it in a pants pocket. In a jacket pocket you may have some more trouble. In addition to the vibration alert the screen displays the incoming number and flashes to indicate that there is a call. This is a very nice feature that we like better than a simple flashing LED because it is much more noticeable.
[page title="Messaging"]
Supported Email Services (6.0)
As with other Series 60 phones the Nokia N95 support POP3 and IMAP4 email services. There is no support for automatic configuration of popular email systems like Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail, so you will need to pick up the specific server information in order to use these with the N95. Push Email (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not support push email out of the box. You may be able to add this functionality in using the software Nokia provides for its E-Series devices that allow you to use Blackberry or Exchange server, amongst other push email services. Because we only review devices out of the box the N95 does not receive any points in this area.
Multiple Email Accounts (10.0)
The Nokia N95 is able to support multiple email accounts, up to at least the five that we test. Each email account is given its own box in the messaging application.
HTML and Attachments (5.0)
As with all Series 60 devices the N95 does not support html email. It does however support attachments. The view only version of Quickoffice is on board that allows you to view Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. An Adobe reader is available to view PDF files, while a zip manager allows you to open zip files. We were particularly pleased to see support for zip files as this was missing from the Nokia N73.
Email Customizations (2.0)
The email customization options available on the Nokia N95 are limited. You cannot change font, size or color. You can add signatures to outgoing emails but this is about it. E-Series devices allow you to change how many lines are used to display emails, an option not found on N-Series devices.
Time to a New Message (4.55)
Email Usability (6.0)
The email interface on the Nokia N95 is the same that is found on all Series 60 devices. The messaging application gives you list of folders. Each email account gets it own folder. Once in the folder you see a list of the messages in your inbox. You can move to other folders using left/right and move amongst messages using up/down. The right soft key is assigned to exit, while the left one opens the options menu. When creating a new message the interface is simple, with To: and Cc: fields at the top and the body where you enter text below. You move between fields using up/down. There is are single folders where drafts and sent items are stored. We found the interface fairly easy to use, although we liked the interface on the Treo 750 and Blackberry 8703e slightly better organized.
Supported IM Services (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not support any instant messaging services out of the box. You can install third party software to add this functionality in, check out Agile Messenger for one example of such an app.
MMS Support (7.0)
The Nokia N95 handles MMS messaging just as other Series 60 devices do. The main MMS interface is built into the messaging application, with a single inbox for both SMS and MMS messages. Unfortunatlely this integration doesn't extend to creating new messages as you cannot turn an SMS into an MMS. The interface also doesn't make it obvious that you can insert multimedia, which you do via the left soft key menu. Other phones like the Treo 700p have a helpful field for pictures or video in the interface that makes it plain and easy to insert such items. MMS is well integrated with other applications on the phone. You can send an MMS directly from the voice recorder, camera or gallery. Overall we found integration and usability to be solid, with just a few small drawbacks.
SMS Smiley Face Interpretation (0.0)
To test whether a phone properly interprets smileys as graphic representations we send four sample smileys to the phone. We were disappointed to see that the Nokia N95, like other Symbian Series 60 phones, fails to properly interpret the smileys, instead leaving them in text format.
SMS/MMS Ease of Use (6.0)
As we've mentioned SMS and MMS are integrated into the messaging application with all such messages going into a single inbox. The interface for creating both messages is fairly simple, with a To: field and an area to enter text. With MMS messages you can insert media using the left soft key menu. We found creating both SMS and MMS messages straightforward, and found the interfaces to be fairly well organized and easy to use.
Time to a New SMS Message (11.11)
[page title="Organizer"]
Synchronization Ease of Use (6.67)
The Nokia N95 ships with Nokia PC Suite software for synchronization. This software is simple to install and connections to the device are quick and easy via USB or Bluetooth. You can manage not only your PIM synchronization with Outlook from PC Suite, but also synchronize media like photos, music and video. On a Mac you can synchronize PIM information using the Mac's iSync utility, however only via bluetooth, not USB.
PC Suite allows you to synchronize you calendar, contacts, notes and tasks with Outlook. Contact photos are synchronized over as well. Synchronization is supported via USB or Bluetooth. On the Mac you can synchronize via /Bluetooth only with iSync. PC Suite allows you to synchronize information with Outlook on a PC via USB or Bluetooth. It also works with Lotus Notes, but does not work with Eudora. As we have mentioned, on a Mac Bluetooth synchronization via iSync is supported.
Alerts (5.0)
As with all Series 60 devices the N95 allows you to create PIM alerts for calendar appointments and tasks. You can set the alert to go off at any time that you wish, a nice feature that most phones don't support. Unfortunately you can't choose the sound the alert will use. When an alert goes off the screen flashes and you will see an indicator on screen with the item name and time. You can dismiss the item or snooze it. If you choose snooze it will sound again in five minutes. An alert will sound for 1 minute and then automatically snooze itself.
Over the Air PIM Sync (0.0)
Over the air synchronization of your personal information is not supported by the Nokia N95 out of the box. You may be able to install software meant for Nokia's E-Series lineup that adds this functionality via Blackberry or Exchange server, however we only score phones on software that is pre-installed.
Personal information Management Cross Connections (2.0)
The Nokia N95 offers few cross connections between PIM applications. In the calendar you see both your tasks and calendar appointments on the day they are due. There is no support however for integration of contacts into calendar appointments or tasks. This is the same as other Series 60 phones like the N73.
Address Book
Adding Contacts (3.93)
Looking/Sorting/Search (3.5)
As is standard with Series 60 phones the Nokia N95 allows you to view your contacts by first name, last name or group. You can search through your contacts using multi-tap, but no predictive search as found on many Windows Mobile devices.
Fields (13.6)
Speed Dial/Voice tags/Voice command (4.33)
As with other Series 60 phones the N95 allows you to assign a contact to one of 8 speed dials. This is disappointing considering that even regular phones often offer up to 99 different speed dial slots. The N95 includes the standard Series 60 voice recognition software and did slightly better than the N73 by recognizing three of our five test contacts. This is still sub par and exacerbates the fact that you can't program your own voice tags.
Calendar
Adding Calendar Items (5.36)
Calendar Views (4.22)
The daily view shows a simple chronological list of the day's appointments. Start and end times are shown, along with title and indicators for things like alarms and recurrence. There are no options to filter your appointments in any of the views. We were generally pleased with the views, especially the detailed tool tip that make the monthly and weekly views much more useful. We were disappointed by the inability to filter you views, this is related to the fact that the Series 60 calendar does not support categories.
Fields (6.0)
When creating a new calendar appointment on the Nokia N95 you can fill in title, start and end times and location. We were pleased to see features like recurrence and the ability to set an alarm for any time we want. We were disappointed that there was no support for categories, notes or all day appointments, all of which are supported by Windows Mobile devices. We were also disappointed at the recurrence options as you are not able to customize recurrence, instead you are limited to one of five preset options. Missing were options for weekdays and weekends.
ToDo/Tasks
Adding ToDo/Task (8.08)
ToDo/Task Sorting and Prioritizing (3.5)
As with all Series 60 devices the Nokia N95 has a tasks view built into its calendar application. You can prioritize your tasks, however you cannot sort them by priority; instead you are stuck with the simple chronological list. You cannot filter your tasks either as Series 60 does not support categories.
Fields (5.0)
When creating a new task on the Nokia N95 you can enter a title, due date, priority and alarm. The alarm can be set for any time and date that you choose, which is a nice feature. More advanced fields like categories and recurrence are missing, which is a shame as we would consider the N95 an advanced device.
Notes
Adding Notes (2.82)
To test how easy it is to add a note we start at the home screen with the phone unlocked and time how long it takes to add a note reminding us about lunch tomorrow. We repeat this test five times and take the average for our score. The Nokia N95 took an average of 17.7 seconds to add our sample note. This is slower than the N73's 15.12 seconds, which we attributed to the additional time it takes to open the slide and get our bearings on the keypad. It is much faster than the Sprint Upstages, which took 29.72 seconds, but slower than the Treo 750's 11.65 seconds.
Note Interface (2.0)
The notes application on the N95 is the same one that is found on all Series 60 devices. The right soft key is assigned to exit, while the left soft key opens an options menu that allows you to manage your notes. Notes are organized in a simple list with the newest note at the top of the list. You see the first 15 characters of the note's text in this list. There are no options to categorize, filter or search through your notes.
Note Formatting (0.0)
As with other Series 60 devices the Nokia N95 offers not options to format your notes. This includes changing the font, size, color or adding hand drawn items to the note.
Voice Memo (3.0)
The Nokia N95's voice memo program is found in the Office folder. It is the same as that found on other Series 60 devices, meaning that you are limited to 1 minute in length and you need to switch to the gallery via the left soft key menu to manage older notes. You can change the name and delete the last voice note recorded. You can also send it via MMS, Bluetooth, infrared or upload it to the web. The voice notes application is very simple and no better than what you would find on many regular phones.
[page title="Multimedia"]
Accessing Music Software (1.69)
Dedicated Music Controls (8.0)
The Nokia N73 has four dedicated music controls that can be accessed by pushing the screen down. This immediately launches the multimedia menu and reveals play/pause, stop, next and previous track buttons. The nice thing about these buttons is that they allow you to control the music in the background no matter what program you are. This means that when music is actually playing revealing the buttons will not switch you to the multimedia menu if you are in another application. This may be a bit confusing at first, but is actually very handy in use. When you do use the music controls a small pop up window will appear showing you what the new track is if you switched tracks, or what the current one is if you hit the play/pause button. You cannot reassign the keys.
Music Software Functionality and Organization (8.8)
Online Song Downloading (0.0)
Another new feature found on the N95 that we did not see on the N73 is the addition of a music shop to the music software. Unfortunately there is no partnering service in the United States so we were unable to use this service. As such we awarded no points for this section.
Streaming (0.0)
We were disappointed to see that one item the N95 did not update over previous Series 60 devices was the ability to play streaming music. As with the N73, it was unable to play streaming Mp3, WMA or Real audio from our test web site. We continue to be disappointed by this lack of functionality as Windows Mobile devices easily allow you to stream WMA content over the network.
Podcast Support (0.0)
Although the N95 does not include Nokia's excellent podcasting client pre-installed they do include a link to the client in the Download! application on the phone. We do not award points for software that is not installed on the phone by default, but we do encourage users that enjoy podcasts to try the application out as it is one of the best we have seen on a mobile device. Music Sync with PC (7.0)
The Nokia N95 ships with PC Suite, which allows you to synchronize music on your phone with Windows Media Player on your PC, much as you would with any other Windows Media Player compliant device. You can choose to connect the N95 via PC Suite and use the built in synchronization client or you can connect as a mass storage device and use Windows Media Player to synchronize your music. There is no support for direct synchronization with iTunes or any other media management software.
Music Formats and DRM (4.0)
The Nokia N95 supports AAC, MP3 and WMA music. It also supports the AAC variants AAC+ and eAAC+. The N95 supports Windows Media DRM as well as the OMA DRM 1.0 and 2.0 standards. This is an upgrade over the N73, which did not support Windows Media DRM. This means that you can use the N95 with Windows Mobile DRM compliant services like Rhapsody or Napster.
Music Interruption (10.0)
As with all Series 60 devices the N95 does a good job of pausing your music when a call comes in. When your call is complete the music starts playing again automatically from the point at which it was paused.
Video
Video Software Access (1.96)
Like all Series 60 devices the Nokia N95 uses Real Player for video playback. To test how easy this software is to access we time how long it takes to go from the home screen until we get a video clip playing in Real Player. On the Nokia N95 this took an average of 10.22 seconds. This is slightly slower than the Nokia N73's 9.74 seconds, and is a poor score for a phone. The T-Mobile Dash by contrast took an average of 4.83 seconds, while the Treo 700p took 5 seconds. As with all the Series 60 phones that use Realplayer the Nokia N95 is hurt by the fact that the software is buried in the menu system and that you then have to navigate your folder system to get to your video file as there is no library support. Some might argue that you could use the gallery to access the video file instead, as perhaps Nokia intended, but this takes even longer, up to 20 seconds in our tests. However you cut it, getting to a video file on the Nokia N95 is not quick.
Video Controls (4.0)
The interface of Real Player on the Nokia N95 is no different from that on any Series 60 device. The center select key on the device acts as a play/pause button. For some strange reason pause is also assigned to the left soft key, while the right soft key is assigned to stop. Up on the directional pad will fast forward your clip, while down will rewind it. The volume rocker keys on the right side of the device will of course control volume. Because there are no library management features you cannot skip to the next or previous track. These controls are not customizable.
Video Software & Organization (1.0)
Real Player on the Nokia N95 has no library support and does not allow you to rate your videos. You can view videos in full screen, however to access this option you will need to first pause the clip and then choose the continue in full screen option from the left soft key menu. Frankly Real Player on the Series 60 platform is a poor excuse for a video player on a modern smart phone and we recommend that you look at alternatives if you want to use the N95 as a mobile video playback device.
As with previous Series 60 devices there is no support in Real Player for library management. This means you can't organize video clips by type, series (for tv), or any other feature. You can create folders either on the device or in gallery to organize your video, but these are not nearly as handy. Given that the N95 is supposed to be an advanced smart phone this is unfortunate.
Video Sync with PC (7.0)
PC Suite does not support synchronization of video to your phone from within the application, however you can connect the N95 to your computer as a USB mass storage device and use Windows Media Player to move video files back and forth. There is no support for synchronization with iTunes.
Video Formats (5.0)
We were pleased to see that the Nokia N95 did better than the N73 in terms of video formats. It was able to handle all three of our 3GP encoded video files, including the one encoded with the mpeg-4. It was also able to handle our sample .mp4 file encoded in H264. This file caused the N73 to crash. Of course we were also able to play our test Real Media file. There was no support for Windows Media, Flash or Quicktime. We were happy that Nokia did a better job handling video codecs in the N95 than it has in previous Series 60 devices.
Video DRM (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not support any video DRM standards.
Video Playback Smoothness (10.0)
To test video playback smoothness we play back five 3GP video files at increasing bit rates. The Nokia N95 was able to play back each of our test files without problems, which we expected given the N95 has dedicated video processing, a feature that most phones do not.
Online Video Downloading (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not support video download services with premium content. It does allow you to download a few small clips from Nokia, but we did not award any points for this services as it is extremely limited.
Video Streaming unscored
Because online streaming video is not standardized we do not award points for this section. We do however test a couple of web sites to see if the phone supports them. Unfortunately this is one place where the N95 seems to take a step back when compared to the N73 as it was unable to play streaming 3GP video from www.zoovision.com, something the N73 was able to. Like the N73 we were unable to stream Windows Media video from windowsmedia.com.
[page title="Software"]
OS (8.0)
Apart from these minor changes the N95 will be familiar to anyone who has used a Series 60 device. The active standby screen is still here, as is the familiar menu button, which takes you to a menu of applications. You can easily reorganize these to meet your needs. The pencil button is used to manage your text input options and to make use of the clip board functions. As with previous Series 60 phones we found that it can take awhile to launch applications, but once launched they are very responsive.
The only fly in the ointment is that for some reason Nokia has chosen not to upgrade the RAM on the Nokia N95 over previous Series 60 handsets. This means that when running RAM intensive programs like the web browser, camera and gallery you may find that other applications are shut down in the background, and occasionally everything will be shut down. We wish that Nokia would stop penny pinching with their RAM and up it to a more reasonable 64 MB as found on Windows Mobile devices.
Home Screen Score (7.0)
The home screen on the Nokia N95 is the familiar Active Standby screen found on all modern Series 60 devices. This screen provides indicators at the top of the screen for things like time/date, battery life and signal. Below these is a line of six application shortcuts that are user customizable. Below the shortcuts are plugins for various programs, including the calendar, music (when playing) and Wi-Fi. At the bottom of the screen are two soft keys that are assigned to messaging and clock by default, but can be changed by the user. Overall we found the active standby screen a very well organized, customizable and useful home screen. Extensibility (8.0)
As a Symbian Series 60 handset you can install any of literally hundreds of native software program on the Nokia N95. In addition the N95 can handle java applications, which run transparently as an application rather than through a java emulator as in Windows Mobile devices. This is one of the major selling points for any smart phone as any deficiencies in the built in software can usually be addressed by installing an alternative third party application. Regular phones like the Sprint Upstage or Sanyo M1 are not capable of this.
Customizability (7.0)
The Symbian Series 60 platform that the Nokia N95 runs is very customizable. In addition to changing the shortcuts on the home screen and media menu, you can also reorganize the applications menu to meet your specific needs. You can change the background image on the home screen to any that you choose, and there are themes available to change the overall look and feel of the device. Font size can also be set to small, medium or large from the settings. We were very pleased with the options to customize the look and feel of the N95.
OS Responsiveness (5.0)
Despite the software and hardware updates on the Nokia N95 compared to the N73 we still found the interface to be a little slow when launching programs. We also still have an ongoing concern about the limited amount of RAM loaded onto this incredibly powerful phone. Especially when running several RAM hungry applications in parallel you will find that applications are shut down in the background. We wish that Nokia would bump the RAM from 48 MB to a more reasonable 64 MB, as found in Windows Mobile devices. Apart from these issues we found the interface to be fairly responsive.
Gaming (6.67)
The Nokia N95 comes loaded with two very good games. Snakes is the standard game found on most Series 60 devices, and is a 3-D version of the classic Snakes game. System Rush Evolution is a more advanced racing game that takes advantage of the Nokia N95's GPU, which is not found on lower end Series 60 devices like the N73. We wish that the controls on the N95 were better for gaming, we especially found the directional pad small and pront to mistaken presses due to the overly prominent central select button. We liked playing games in landscape orientation, as this places the controls on the right side of the device and makes the N95 feel more like a dedicated game play device. We also liked the TV out feature that allowed us to play games using the TV as a big screen. You can add both native games to the N95 or java based games. Overall we were very pleased with the N95's gaming capability, we just wish the controls were better.
Browser Features (11)
Browsing Interface (9.5)
Browser Access (5.71)
To test how easy it is to access the web browser we count the number of steps it takes to go from the home screen to our website. We use steps instead of a timed test here to take network issues out of the equation. We count entering the web address as a single step. The Nokia N95 took 7 steps to complete this process. This is two steps more than the N73, which is due to an additional step to open the device for text entry and the fact that the web shortcut on the home screen is placed differently.
Calculator (5.0)
The calculator on the Nokia N95 is the same as that found on other Series 60 devices. The functions available are basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There are also commands for +/-, percentages and square roots. The commands are listed on the right side of the screen and you use the directional pad to move to the item you want and select it. The number keys of course enter the numbers you want. Sufficient for calculating tips, if you want a more powerful calculator you will need to install a third party one.
Alarm (1.0)
Unfortunately Nokia has not updated alarms on the Nokia N95, which are part of the clock application. You can still only set a single alarm to go off at the same time every day. Even regular phones have better alarm clocks than this, and it is unfortunate that Nokia doesn't provide a more fully featured tool for users.
Document Software (4.0)
The Nokia N95 ships with a read only version of Quickoffice for viewing Word, Excel and Powerpoint. You will need to pay for the full version in order to edit such files. It also includes a viewer for PDF files from Adobe.
Other Software (2.0)
In addition to the software we have discussed above the Nokia N95 ships with a wide range of additional software. Items that we felt were significant include a file browser and the lifeblog program for blogging from your handset.
[page title="Battery Life"]
Call Time (6.86)
To test battery life when making calls we make a test call to the phone using Skype. We then play an audio book over the connection to simulate conversation and time how long it takes for the battery to die. The Nokia N95 lasted 5 hours and 43 minutes in our test. This is a middling score, significantly better than poor performers like the Treo 700p (4 hours 15 minutes) or Treo 750 (3 hours 58 minutes), but lagging far behind our best performers like the T-Mobile Dash's 8 hours and 20 minutes. It is also significantly worse than the Nokia N73, which lasted 7 hours and 48 minutes. This test was performed on Cingular's GSM network. As of the date this review was published our median score on this test is 5 hours and 23 minutes.
Music Playback (4.08)
To test battery life when playing back music we set an album to loop continuously at full volume and time how long it takes for the phone battery to run out. The Nokia N95 lasted 5 hours and 40 minutes in this test. This is a poor score, falling behind the T-Mobile Dash's 7 hours and 24 minutes and the Treo 700p's 8 hours and 8 minutes. It falls well short of the Nokia N73's 9 hours and 51 minutes. As of the date this review was published our median score on this test is 7 hours and 37 minutes.
Web Browsing (6.8)
We had some trouble running this test; we test by setting the web browser to browse a constantly refreshing series of web pages, but the web browser on the N95 repeatedly crashed after an hour or so of browsing. In the end, we managed to run the test by restarting the phone every hour. The battery life of the N95 in this test was acceptable, but far from outstanding; the small 950 mAh battery kept the phone browsing for 6 hours and 8 minutes. That's pretty good, but part of this is because in the USA, the N95 uses the lower EDGE connection, which uses less power than the faster HSDPA or EVDO ones that other phones use. We would expect the battery life to be much less when using a HSDPA connection.
Idle Time
We don't test the idle time, but Nokia's stated standby time for the Nokia N95 is 215 hours.
[page title="Connectivity"]
Cellular Bands (8.0)
The Nokia N95 is a quad-band (850/900/1900/1800) GSM phone. This means that it will work on Cingular and T-Mobile's networks in the U.S. as well as any GSM network worldwide. It will not function on CDMA networks like those run by Sprint and Verizon. Our score for cellular bands is standardized based on how many bands are supported.
Data Support Score (6.0)
The Nokia N95 supports both GPRS and EDGE on all four of its GSM bands. It also supports both UMTS and HSDPA on the 2100 Mhz band, which is used in Europe and Asia. Unfortunatley for those who live in North America, it does not support 3G data on our bands. This is a serious dissapointment, especially considering that other high end phones like the Treo 750 and Cingular 8525 have provided global 3G data support for several months now. We would have liked to see this feature on Nokia's flagship device, especially considering the $750 price tag. Our score for data support is standardized.
Bluetooth (9.0)
The Nokia N95 supports Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR (Enhanced Data Rate). It includes the following profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, DUN, hands free, headset, imaging, PC Suite, OBEX file transfer, SDP server, SynchML. We were able to easily pair it with a bluetooth headset, and it also supports stereo bluetooth headphones for listening to music wirelessly. We were very pleased to see the Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) support, as this is not found on many phones, even ones that suppport Bluetooth 2.0. EDR allows for data transfer rates of up to 3 Mbps.
Wi-Fi (7.0)
The Nokia N95 suppors Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g. Wi-Fi is well implemented with a plugin on the active standby screen that allows you to easily turn Wi-Fi scanning on and off. You can also create Wi-Fi access points that can be used for specific applications, for example you can tell the web browser to always use a single access point. Use of Wi-Fi has a major detrimental effect on battery life though, so be careful. The Nokia N95 also support UPNP, a protocal that allows easy sharing of multimedia over Wi-Fi networks. For example you could stream the music on your N95 to a UPNP enabled stereo. Support for UPNP is still not widespread so this is of limited utility, however we like to see it on board. Overall we were very pleased both with the presence of Wi-Fi on the N95 and its implementation.
Infrared (7.0)
The Nokia N95 does support infrared for short range line of sight connectivity. Although most modern devices will use Bluetooth for short range connectivity, infrared is useful when dealing with older devices.
[page title="Hardware"]
Keypad
Text Words Per Minute (5.86)
To test how easy it is to type on the Nokia N95 we used the notes application to enter a short sentence using predictive text entry and two hands. We repeat this test five times and then take the average for our score. The Nokia N95 took an average of 32.78 seconds to enter this text, for a words per minute (WPM) score of 29.28. This is significantly slower than the Nokia N73's 34.9 words per minute, and lags behind the Sanyo M1's 36.4 WPM and the Sprint Upstage's 37.5 WPM. The Nokia N95 was hurt by the poor design of its keypad. Although it is larger than the N73, the keys are raised in the center and slippery, leading to an inordinate number of errors. We usually type for quite a bit with the keypad before we attempt this test, but even after familiarizing ourselves with it we found ourselves making constant mistakes. T9 and Auto Complete (5.0)
Like other Series 60 handsets the Nokia N95 has T9 predictive text entry. You cannot use this feature in all places, for example when entering a web address it is not available. Word completion is not available on the Nokia N95, an unfortunate omission.
One Hand Usability (6.48)
We also run our typing test using a single hand. We use the same sample sentence and again use predictive text, repeating the test five times and taking the average for our score. The N95 actually did better in our one handed test than it did when we used two hands, a rarity. We were able to enter o ur sample text in an average of 29.64 seconds, for a words per minute (WPM) score of 32.4. This puts it more in line with the Nokia N73, which scored 32.85 WPM in our one handed test. We did find that holding the phone one handed was slightly unbalanced, and made our hand ache after awhile.
Keypad Backlighting (8.0)
The Nokia N95 has a light blue backlight for its keypad. This backlight does a good job of illuminating both the numbers and the symbols on the keys. As with other Series 60 handsets the duration control is the same as that used for the screen. The phone uses a light sensor to tell when the keypad backlight needs to be used, thus saving on battery power.
Controls
D-Pad/Joystick (3.0)
The directional pad on the Nokia N95 is not good. Not only is it very small, but the center select key is raised very high, which means that we often made mistaken presses when trying to move in one direction or another. Although not as bad as the touch controls on phones like the LG Chocolate or Sprint Upstage, it is significantly worse than the directional pad on the Treo 750 or the joystick on the N73. We wish that Nokia had taken advantage of the empty real estate around the control keys to create a larger and more usable directional pad. Touch Screen (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not have a touch screen.
Jog Dial (0.0)
The Nokia N95 does not have a jog dial.
Soft Buttons (3.0)
The soft keys on the Nokia N95 are located on the upper part of the slim silver band that runs around the control keys. This band is raised slightly above the keys that it surrounds, but is still a litle difficult to find by feel. The soft keys are very narrow, and provide very little tactile feedback when pressed. Although we had issues with them, we found the soft keys on the Nokia N73 to be better. The soft keys on the T-Mobile Dash and Treo 750 were significantly better.
Volume Control (4.0)
The volume keys on the Nokia N95 are located on the right side of the phone near the top. They double as zoom keys when using the camera. We were a little dissapointed that the volume keys were only functional when audio is actually playing or when you are actually in a call. This means you cannot use them to change ringer volume as you would on a regular phone. The keys themselves are small and plasticky, feel squishy and have very little tactile feedback when pressed. We were not very impressed with them.
Power and Standby (7.0)
The power key on the Nokia N95 is a single round key located on the top of the device. A long press on this button will turn the phone on or off, while a short press when the phone is on will bring up a quick menu where you can change your profile. The key is slightly recessed to avoid mistaken presses, a feature we appreciated. Although it is a little out of the way, this is not as big a deal for a power key that you won't use too often, and it is a boon to have it in a place where you won't hit it accidentally.
Other Buttons (6.0)
In addition to the keys we discussed above the Nokia N95 has several other buttons. To the left and right of the directional pad respectively are a menu key and a multimedia key. The menu key takes you to the main applications menu, while a long key brings up a menu of all the currently running applications. Two quick presses on this key will take you to the active standby screen. The multimedia key takes you to a carousel menu of "multimedia" applications, or directly to the music player with a long press. As we've discussed, the multimedia menu is user configurable. We found that the multimedia key is a little redundant, and also found it surprising that these keys were made so large, especially when compared to the very small keys on the silver ridge around them.
Speaking of that silver ridge, there are two additional keys on it below the directional pad. These keys are the Series 60 standard pencil and "C" keys. The pencil key is used to change input method and gives you access to clipboard functionality. The "C" key functions as a backspace. You will also find some extra keys on the right side of the device near the bottom. These are a dedicated shutter button and a key that launches the gallery for viewing photos and videos. We found the additional keys on the Nokia N95 to be generally useful with the exception of the multimedia key, which we found redundant. Unfortunately none of these buttons can be reassigned by the user.
Display
Primary Screen Gross Resolution (8.0)
The Nokia N95 sports a QVGA (240 x 320) resolution display. This has become standard for mid to high end handsets and provides a good resolution for viewing video or photos, although we can't say we wouldn mind seeing VGA screens on some consumer handsets soon. Our score for screen resolution is standardized based on the total number of pixels the display supports.
Primary Screen Pixels per Inch (7.69)
Pixels Per Inch (PPI) is a measure of how densly pixels are packed into the screen. Higher pixel density leads to richer colors and clearer displays. The Nokia N95's screen packs 153.8 pixels per inch. This is an average score, slightly lower than the Nokia N73 due to the N95's larger screen size at the same resolution. It is significantly lower than the Sanyo M1 or LG Chocolate, which both have pixel densities over 200 PPI.
Screen Physical Size (6.5)
The Nokia N95's screen measure 2.6" diagonal. This is larger than the N73's 2.4" screen and is significantly larger than the 2.1" standard that has emerged for many handsets. The larger screen size provides more real estate for viewing documents or surfing the web, although as you saw above it does slightly reduce the N95's pixel density.
Screen Brightness (4.85)
To measure screen brightness we point the phone's browser at a white web page and set the screen backlight to maximu. We then measure how bright the screen is using a lux meter from two inches away. The Nokia N95 scored 72 lux in our test. This is not as bright as the Nokia N73's excellent score of 95 lux, but is better than the Treo 750's 60 lux or the Sprint Upstage's 44 lux. Desipite the fact that the N95 has a sensor for ambient light the screen brightness did not adjust automatically. You do have the option of 5 settings for screen brightness. 72
Screen Bright Light Performance (10.0)
did very well, the best I have ever seen a phone do, was able to read everything clearly and easily.
Color Depth (10.0)
Color depth is a measure of how many colors the screen can display. The more colors it is able to display the more true colors will appear on the screen. The Nokia N95's screen is able to display an impressive 16 million colors. This is significantly more than the 65,000 color standard that we see on Windows Mobile phones, and even blows away the Nokia N72, which was able to display 262,144 colors. Our score for color depth is standardized depending on how many colors the screen can display.
Ports & Storage
Power & Data Ports (5.0)
The Nokia N95 departs from previous Nokia N-Series phones in that it exchanges the proprietary Pop-Port for a much more standard Mini-USB port. This is a move we appluad as it allows users who have several Mini-USB devices to use a single cable to connect their devices to their computers. We were dissapointed however that Nokia did not take this opportunity to use the Mini-USB port for power as well, instead they stuck with their "slim" design Nokia charging port, as seen on the Nokia N73 and other modern Nokia phones. You also can't use the Mini-USB port for USB charging. We hope that in the future Nokia moves away from their poprietary charging port and uses the Mini-USB for both data and power. Headphone & Jack Compatibility (8.0)
The Nokia N95 has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you can use standard headphones without the need of an adaptor. We applaud Nokia for making this transition. We were also happy to see support for A2DP and AVRCP, which are used for wireless bluetooth headphones.
Internal Storage (1.0)
The Nokia N95 has 160MB of internal storage. This is significantly more than most phones, for example the N73 included only 42MB of internal memory, while most modern Windows Mobile devices include 128MB. Of course not all of this memory is available as some is used by the operating system, and of course if you want to store many of those 5 megapixel photos or music and video you will find that 160MB fills up quick. Still, we are glad to see that the N95 provides users with a bit more breathing room than standard.
Expansion Slot & Format (5.5)
As with most modern cell phones that have expansion slots (at least those not manufactured by Sony) the Nokia N95 uses Micro SD for adding memory. Micro SD cards are currently available up to a maximum of 2GB, which lags behind Mini SD and full sized SD cards, but you should start seeing larger cards later this year. The Micro SD slot on the N95 is located on the bottom left part of the phone and is protected by a hard plastic cover that is connected to the body. We found that the it was a bit fiddly to hold the cover back while inserting/removing the card, but we were happy to see that the slot was spring assisted.
[page title="Other Features"]
Tethered Modem (6.5)
The Nokia N95 can be used as a modem for your PC either via USB or bluetooth. You can use the included PC Sync software to manage all of your connections, although you may need the dial in number for your carrier. We found setup fairly easy, and dialing out once we were set up was extremely simple.
GPS (8.0)
Radio (5.0)
As with most N-Series devices from Nokia the N95 includes an FM radio. In order to use the radio you will need to have the headset plugged in to act as an antenna. The radio application on the device allows you to easily set favorites and search through stations. If your local stations support it you can also get information about the currently playing track via a data connection. Receptionw as a mixed bag, with a lot of fuzzyness at times. It was no worse or better than the Nokia N73.
[page title="Value & Comparisons"]
Value (3.0)
The Nokia N95 is currently only available for sale in the United States from Nokia's flagship stores in Chicago and New York. If you're close enough to be able to visit one of these stores you'll be shelling out a cool $750 for one unlocked. The question you should ask yourself now is what you want more, a brand new laptop or an N95. Kidding aside, the N95's high price is probably a little much for a phone, regardless of the feature set. Of course when you start adding up all the stand alone devices you will pay for to get the N95's functionality ($300 for a smart phone, $100 for a bluetooth receiver, $150 for a point and shoot camera), well it still doesn't add up. The current price is a reflection of the fact that the N95 is the cool new thing to have, smart shoppers will wait a few months for the price to come down or pick one up second hand on Ebay or Craigslist.
Comparisons
Nokia N73 - The Nokia N95 could be described as the Nokia N73 on steriods. The collection of upgrades over the N73 is long, including updated software, GPS, Wi-Fi, bigger screen, video out. Mini-USB and better camera. Still the N73 is not without its own tricks, we found the keypad on the N73 to be better than the N95's and it is much more pocketable. It also did much better in our battery tests than the N95 did, and we would be remiss if we didn't mention the over $300 price difference. Those looking for the ultimate all in one will gravitate toward the N95, while those who want a solid feature set for a somewhat more reasonable price will choose the N73.
Treo 750 - The Treo 750 is a high end Windows Mobile smart phone. It is a much more capable enterprise device than the N95, with better PIM applications, support for Exchange Server and the ability to edit office documents. The N95 though leaves the Treo 750 in the dust when it comes to multimedia, with the best camera we have ever seen on a mobile phone, TV out and excellent music software. Still, you have to give the Treo 750 props for global 3G support. Obviously the N95 also sports GPS, a feture the 750 lacks, howeve the Treo comes equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard, while the N95's keypad is painful to use. As you can see it's pretty close between these two devices, and it really comes down to what matters to you.
T-Mobile Dash - The T-Mobile Dash is a great little phone, but on paper it doesn't compare well to the N95. Still, features aren't everything and the Dash beats out the N95 with a full QWERTY keyboard and blows it away in our battery life tests. As a Windows Mobile smart phone it also integrates better with enterprise environments than the Nokia N95. If those things are important to you you'll want to go with the Dash, but if you're willing to sacrifice those things in exchange for the Nokia N95's almost endless feature set, well I guess you should get the N95 then.
[page title="Conclusion"]
Who's It For
Business User
The Nokia N95 provides solid PIM and email functionality for business users, however they may not need its advanced imaging and multimedia features and will miss the presence of a QWERTY keyboard if they do a lot of messaging. There also isn't support for any push email solutions out of the box. We recommend business users looking for a high end Series 60 device wait for the Nokia E90, which is better featured for enterprise environments.
Budget Callers
The Nokia N95 is not a good choice for budget users. You can find a phone from most carriers for under $50 that will do the basics, and if you want a little more we recommend you look at some of the lower end smart phones like the T-Mobile Dash or Samsung Blackjack that are available for under $200.
Chatty Teenager
Chatty teenagers may like the great camera and multimedia features on the Nokia N95, but we suspect their parents will be put off by the price tag. Not to mention the keypad does not lend itself well to texting, a feature much in demand amongst teenagers today. The battery life is only average at best, and significantly worse when you use features like GPS and Wi-Fi. The N95 is probably too much phone for most chatty teenagers.
Media Maven
The Nokia N95 is a media mavens dream. Not only is there an excellent (for a phone) 5 megapixel camera on board, but it also takes very good video and has an excellent music player with dedicated music keys. The only place it really falls down is in the video department, where Realplayer is again a sub standard piece of software. This can be addressed with third party software however, so the only real question is whether you're willing to shell out the $750 the N95 will set you back.
Conclusion
As the flagship of Nokia's N-Series lineup you would expect the N95 to pack quite a punch, and it does. We were very impressed with the N95's imaging capabilities: it easily stood out as the best camera phone we have reviewed. However, that is perhaps damning it with faint praise; even a cheap dedicated still camera like the $179.99 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35 beats the N95 on every score. The images the N95 captures aren't bad, but it is a little frustrating that a $180 camera beats the $750 N95.
We also like the web browser built into all Series 60 devices, and appreciate the updates in the N95 that add support for landscape browsing and WAP pages. The music player is typical Series 60 goodness, but as always Real Player is not up to snuff for playing and organizing videos. As a multimedia powerhouse the Nokia N95 has a lot to recommend it.
Of course the N95 gives you more than just a multimedia oriented phone. Series 60 is a smart phone platform that allows you to install any of hundreds of native third party applications. The N95's email and PIM applications are a little behind those found in Windows Mobile, but should be sufficient for most users and we like the flexibility the Series 60 platform gives you to customize your interface. What we didn't like about the N95 were the controls. We found many of the buttons small with limited tactile feedback when pressed. The directional pad is badly designed and the keypad is prone to errors. We also had concerns with battery life, the N95 did about average in our tests but with everything that's packed in there we worry that the 950 mAh battery will drain quickly when using things like Wi-Fi and GPS.
With everything that the Nokia N95 does ther is the worry that it is just feature overload, however we found that the device was generally intuitive and easy to use. Most applications do their job well, and from a usability perspective the N95 does a solid job of integrating all its features. We can definitely recommend the N95 to those looking for a solid all in one device, whether its worth the $750 it will take to buy the phone is another question. You may be better off buying a less expensive smart phone and purchasing a stand alone GPS unit and camera, of course you won't have the cool factor of being able to fit all those devices into a single pocket.
[page title="Ratings & Specs"]
| Dimension | |
| Height | 3.90 |
| Carrier | Unlocked |
| Type | Slider |
| Low Price | 750.00 |
| Width | 2.10 |
| Depth | 0.80 |
| Weight (including battery) | 4.20 |
| Physical | |
| Number of Screens | 1 |
| Main Screen Dimensions | 2.6 |
| Main Screen Resolution | 240 x 320 |
| Main Screen Colors | 16000000 |
| Main Screen Type | TFT |
| Secondary Screen Dimensions | |
| Secondary Screen Resolution | |
| Secondary Screen Colors | 0 |
| Secondary Screen Type | |
| Keys | |
| Number Keys Type | Keypad |
| QWERTY |  |
| QWERTY Keyboard Type | |
| Other Control Keys | |
| Internal Components | |
| Processor | |
| RAM Memory | 48 |
| Flash ROM Memory | 160 |
| Memory Card Slot | Micro SD |
| Jacks & Ports | |
| Microphone Jack | |
| Headphone/Mic Jack | 3.5mm |
| USB Port |  |
| Dock Port | Mini USB |
| Radios | |
| Bands | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 |
| Bluetooth 1.2 | |
| 802.11 b wifi | |
| GSM 850 | |
| GSM 900 | |
| GSM 1800 | |
| GSM 1900 | |
| CDMA 800 | |
| CDMA 1900 | |
| Bluetooth 1.1 | |
| Bluetooth 2.0 | |
| 802.11g WiFi | |
| External Antenna Port | |
| SAR at Ear | 0 |
| SAR on Body | 0 |
| Flight Mode</ | |