Nokia N97 vs iPhone... Fight!

by Thomas Ricker, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 3:51AM

Now this is a fight worth waiting for.

[Photo courtesy of Robert Scoble]

Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Apple

Tags: fight, iphone, n97, nokia

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

civilian @ Dec 2nd 2008 7:33AM

no one reads engadgetmobile anymore. it is freakin early though.

pretty sweet looking nokia too! is it a capacative touch screen?????? if not that might be a deal breaker, or it better be responsive as hell.

Neutral

Christian @ Dec 2nd 2008 7:38AM

no, it's resistive but quite similar to that htc/samsung biotouch screens - if it's like the screen of the touch hd - it would be great!

Neutral

Dralite @ Dec 2nd 2008 8:46AM

@chistian

The screen doesn't look that impressive, though it may be just the pictures. But pictures of the touch HD's screen always blew me away... this doesn't. What impresses me is what's under the hood. With this phone, nokia is living up to their own big headyness

Neutral

Kevin @ Dec 2nd 2008 8:43AM

This is like comparing a smartphone to a dumbphone, oh wait...

Neutral

Student Driver @ Dec 2nd 2008 8:48AM

Well, I would take Android over either. However, I like the idea of Symbian (never used it, but seen tons of apps for it) so I'd go for the Nokia. And yeah, it's worth the price premium to me. Strange that it doesn't have much in the way of RAM on it. I read that it doesn't "need" it, and that 32MB of RAM is quite a lot for Symbian, but still...

Neutral

Fernando @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:37AM

Standard for nowadays is 128mb of ram, dunno if they increased it for the N97 (I'm betting no)

putting that matter aside: GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!

Highest Ranked

Chris @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:19AM

To make things fair you should have smeared the Nokia phone with the same greasy teenagers face that was used on the iphone...

Neutral

KidMobile @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:36PM

Until Nokia devices like this are availabile in mass distribution in North America, the iPhone wins.

Highly Ranked

Observer @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:35AM

Knock out. Rip iPhone....

Highest Ranked

christexaport @ Dec 3rd 2008 12:18PM

@ civilian,
All the hands on videos are of prototypes running early firmware, yet the screen responsiveness looks like it is a capacitive touchscreen even though its not. All the reviews say its VERY responsive. Looks like the 5800 XM was a great testbed, and touchscreen responsiveness and sensitivity are expected to get even better by the time it hits production. So Nokia proved you can do it, and you'll be pleased to know this screen doesn't REQUIRE a finger, like the iPhone, but can be used with a stylus, finger, plenum, toothpicks and nearly everything else. Versatility is everything for a power device.

@ Kevin,
I don't consider device a smartphone if the manufacturer controls what apps can go on it, it lacks multitasking. But I do respect Apple's hustle, so I now call it the smartest featurephone ever. Its two steps from being fully smart. I'm done hating on their high priced deception device. I'm now rooting for them to join the party and turn the iPhone OS loose, and really make Nokia step up, even to the Japanese and Korean superphones. But the iPhone is good. It introduces simpletons to smart features, and makes devices like the similarly priced N97 attractive to those seeking an upgrade and power and function.

@ Student Driver,
Before you decide on Android, you should know a few things...

Nokia's S60 was mostly unavailable in America until recently, allowing the iPhone to blossom with little competition. Outside America, where it competes directly with S60, S60 devices outsell the iPhone 5 to 1, and Nokia holds a 44%marketshare to Apple's 8%! So it looks like when given the choice, people choose S60. Without the American incubation of the iPhone, combined with Nokia's lack of significant American marketing or carrier agreements, the iPhone may not have been so successful. America is 48% of the iPhone's sales, I've heard. S60 devices from 2006 outspec the current iPhone, by the way! Its considered the Swiss Army Knife of mobile OS's. Nothing matches its features, multitasking power, content consumption AND creation (the iPhone and G1 suck at content creation) skills, or functionaliy.

And you're right. Unlike the iPhone's list of mostly games (which it does better than most, though Nokia's Ngage online gaming is better in my opinion), S60 apps are considered tools, making our devices close to our desktop PCs. And we don't need an app store, though I'd like one, since we have apps all over the web. Google is our app store! Lol! Just imagine an app, and Google will find it for S60, or the Symbian Freak team will make one for you, usually for free!

Android was designed to have the flashy looks of the iPhone with the function of S60 and agility of open source. They've done so successfully, though not perfectly. They are close to S60 2nd Edition in terms of features and polish, but are far behind the 10 year legacy of Symbian culminated in 5th Edition. They may even be behind Nokia's version of Mobile Linux, Maemo, rumored to one day be the high end alternative for Nokia smartphones in the future. Time will tell. I love Android too, and hope it and Symbian coexist.

I doubti will be a RAM weakling. The last flagship, the N95 8gb, had plenty RAM at 128. I think this is the sweet spot for S60, and the N97 would probably around 256. The 32 refers to gigabytes, as in built in storage. That "32 megabytes is alot for..." refers to Android, and not everyone agrees, though it is pretty efficient as a form of Linux.

And by the way, Chris, those aren't grease marks, but scratches from its flush screen. Notice the slightly raised bezel on the Nokia touchscreens? I bet a replacement iPhone housing costs a grip! Nokia housings are traditionally $20-40.

And devices like this have been available for years in America via unlocked models. See N90, N80, N73, N93, N95w, N82, E71, E66, E90, and soon the 5800. Since carriers don't usually run them, Nokia doesn't market much in America. Just ignore your carrier and start looking at what they use in Germany, the UK, India, the Middle East, Africa, and anywhere else where people that have always been smartphone users only buy the best and get healt subsidies like Apple in America.

Neutral

Jake Hobson @ Dec 14th 2008 2:58AM

"S60 devices outsell the iPhone 5 to 1"

Hello. Though I did read your entire comment, this particular piece of information sums it all up pretty nicely I think and people would be forgiven if they didn't read past it.

In my experience, Nokia's S60 platform is unpleasant to use. It's slow, often buggy, confusing and prone to the occasional virus or malware attack.

When you say iPhone is outsold 5 to 1 by S60, I'd say good on Apple. The iPhone platform is brilliant. S60 has been around for 7 years and has spanned about a billion different phones. Apple introduced its single phone line less than two years ago and most of that momentum has been gained in the past 6 months. It won't be long before Symbian is in real trouble in the phone market

Neutral

Danielle Danica @ Jan 5th 2009 5:33PM

Now this is what I'm talking about! Nokia 5800 is not what Nokia was trying to compete with the famous iPhone.. it's the N97! Although I'm stuck with the 5800 because it's taking them forever to release N97. Ahhhhhh. GO NOKIA!!!