Nokia N95 Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design

Alfredo Padilla
Published on May 08, 2007 Comment on this

Front Closed

From the front the Nokia N95 is dominated by a large 2.6 inch QVGA (240 x 320) display. Above the display is a slit for the phone speaker, an LED and the VGA camera for video calls where they are supported. Below the screen are the main controls, with a smallish directional pad surrounded by control keys.

Left

The left side of the N95 has a speaker near the top, the 3.5mm port that is used for headsets or video out. Below this is an infrared window, and near the bottom a Micro SD slot with a hard plastic cover.

Top

The top of the device houses the power button.

Bottom

The bottom of the N95 has Nokia's charging port and a standard Mini USB port for data transfers.

Right

The right side of the device has a second speaker near the top. Below this is a rocker key that controls volume or zooming when in the camera. Near the bottom is a dedicated shutter key with a gallery key just above it.

Back

The back of the device houses the camera lens, with an LED flash and a switch that opens the plastic that protects the camera lens. Below this is the cover for the battery with a switch at the bottom that releases the cover.

Open

The Nokia N95 is a slider design that opens in two directions. When you push the screen up you reveal a standard 12 button keypad. Sliding it in the other direction reveals dedicated music keys. When you reveal the music keys the screen turns to landscape orientation. When you reveal the keypad it turns back to portrait orientation.

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.

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