Nokia N97 First Impressions & Closeup Photos

by Timi Cantisano on June 13, 2009

It has finally arrived, the Nokia N97!  After six months of waiting, Ive finally obtained a production unit and can start sharing all the details of this beautiful unit with N97fanatics!  I wont even bother with an unboxing as I’m sure most readers have been keeping up with all if not most of the news surrounding this device.  Let me just dive in and get to the meat of the product.  Since this is a first impression post Ill be going over the physical aspects of the unit and save the OS, multimedia functions, etc. until a later time.  Hopefully my thoughts/descriptions will help you get a better idea on what to expect when you are holding the N97.

So how exactly does the N97 feel?  It feels like a mash up of an E-series and the N-series.  Overall the device is beautiful, the front has a huge screen at 3.5″ and only one physical button (S60 Menu key) which is angled (as the trend has been for most recent N-series devices).  The button is the standard S60 menu key which allows users to access the S60 menu, close out windows, and switch screens (it also has a breathing effect).  The front face also has two touch sensitive buttons which are the call and end buttons.  The top portion of the phone has an earpiece (small slit) and is accompanied by a proximity sensor (which turns off/deactivates the screen while the face is pressed against it) and the front facing camera.  Both are blended well into the handset and do not detract from the overall look of the device. The bezel around the front face is a silver metal which is a nice accent.

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The back is made up of a single piece of rubberized/hard plastic.  Although the back has a matte finish it blends well with the rest of the device.  The rubberized plastic feels good in hand and provides the user with a sense of security.  The back of the phone also houses the 5MP Carl Zeiss Lens which has a protective lens cover.  When the cover is slid down the camera lens and dual LED flash are revealed.  An interesting thing to note is that the inner lip of the lens has a blue accent.  I’m not to sure if this is a protective plastic that is meant to taken off or part of the design but I think its an interesting color addition to an otherwise colorless mobile.

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Moving on to the sides of the device we are able to see the right side houses the volume rocker and camera button.  Both of these are gilded in silver and are firm and nicely designed.  The left houses the speakers, microusb port for charging and data transfer (there is also a small LED that acts as a charging indicator), and lock switch.

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The top of the device has a power button and 3.5mm headset jack.

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The bottom of the device has a lanyard hole and small space to remove the back cover.

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Last but not least the keyboard.  The keyboard and hinge mechanism are one of the most surprising things on the device.  The hinge system is unique and provides the unit with an excellent system to raise and lower the screen.  The support based on this hinge is unwavering.  I toyed with it for a bit and this system is meant to last.  The keyboard is surprisingly nice.  The spacing of all the keys and dpad are great.  The space bar being in new position to the right took about a day to get used to and I have no problems with it.  The back lighting is even and is pure quality.  The only thing I have noticed is that the the keyboard is flat.  The keys do not have too much depth to them but there is tactile feedback.  Although Im not too sure on how I feel about this I know that initially I was having a lot of trouble typing.  The second day I decided to turn on key press tones to assist me with assuring me that I had pressed the key.  Over time and in the full review later on I will have a more in depth on this.   One interesting thing to note is that my buddy who uses a BlackJack 2 absolutely loves the keyboard!  Which I found strange since I think the keyboard on the BJ2 is good.  But again, I will dive further into this later on.

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So how do both of these parts work together?  They work perfectly.  Unlike previous N-series devices plagued with manufacturing defects this device (at least mine) doesn’t seem to have any.  A major contributing factor to the sturdiness of this device is credited to the simplicity of the design (with the exception of the hinge), the reduced amount of parts need to construct the external case, and essentially having n0 room between the top and bottom section when the device is closed.  Nokia went to great lengths to create a device that didn’t have the past flaws of past N-series devices and it shows.  Kudos to the designers, the N97 is something special.

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    very nice review Mike

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  • http://twitter.com/HookahGuru David Puffer

    I've had mine since Thursday and it's terrific except for a few hiccups. One example was taking photos. It would take the image but not save it. If I tried to create a folder for said photo to be save to, it would “General System Error” out. The screen would also dim out but not come back on, even if I unlocked the phone. I had to reboot the phone. Eventually, I just did a firmware reinstall and all is well. Might have been buggy coming from Espoo. Other than a few oddities, the phone is great and everyone in the office no longer interested in the iPhone 3GS!. Their sheep anyway… :)

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  • http://www.symbian-addict.com Mike Macias

    Don't thank me – Timi was the one who wrote up this great N97 review. Thanks Timi!

  • soldierblade

    Excellent review Timi. Those photos almost have me preferring the black model to the white. But coming from a white E71, it would be hard for me to give up the “stands out” factor. Also, I'm kinda tripped out to see Cingular as the network ID. Old sim card?

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    Yes, I used to use a Sharp SH-01A that required a SIM Unlock card, the current ATT SIMs werent compatible.

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  • http://www.symbian-addict.com Mike Macias

    What do you mean by not being able to add video to the phone? It just doesn't let you? I'm hoping to load up mine with tons of movies!

  • http://twitter.com/beyrouti Nourhan N. Beyrouti

    My N97 is Stuck at customs, they said it will be out on the 17th or 18th … My luck .. :( … It got here on the 15th ….

  • http://www.symbian-addict.com Mike Macias

    My N97 is shipping tomorrow from NokiaUSA. Final price was $606 out the door. Not too bad! Now it's gonna be a long 2 days.

  • http://www.twitter.com/MHlongwane MHlongwane

    I have since asked my co. to upgrade my contract and get me the N97, so, still waiting. Hopefully I can get it before end of June.

  • Timi

    WOOHOO!!!! Cant for you to get yours~! What color did you order?

  • http://www.symbian-addict.com Mike Macias

    I'm sure they are probably getting a ton of requests for the n97. Have your co-workers request this also so they might get it quicker.

  • http://www.symbian-addict.com Mike Macias

    I picked up the black n97. It's in the air with fedex and should arrive today! I can't wait to load it up and use it as my main phone for a few weeks. Let's see how much I'll miss the E71. I'm not selling it cuz I want to switch back and forth from time to time.

  • http://www.n97fanatics.com Mike Macias

    I'm sure they are probably getting a ton of requests for the n97. Have your co-workers request this also so they might get it quicker.

  • http://www.n97fanatics.com Mike Macias

    I picked up the black n97. It's in the air with fedex and should arrive today! I can't wait to load it up and use it as my main phone for a few weeks. Let's see how much I'll miss the E71. I'm not selling it cuz I want to switch back and forth from time to time.

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  • atishnis

    Dear, are you talking about the Samsung i900? if so according to mobileinindia http://mobileinindia.in that phone only supports single 3G band 2100mhz, Omnia HD supports Tri-band 3G (900/1900/2100mhz)….I'm not sure but it might work with AT&T's 3G (850/1900mhz), that's why it would be awesome if someone who resides in the US and buy the Omnia HD and post some review…maybe Tristan?…lol…if it does work then I won't have a second thought to buy this phone and if it doesn't then I guess I have no choice but to buy the N97

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