The Nokia N90

Next up from Nokia is the N90, a tri-band GSM/EDGE/WCDMA two megapixel cameraphone with a rotating camera barrel that sports a Carl Zeiss lens, auto focus, and integrated flash (no optical zoom?). Should be out sometime in the 2nd quarter of this year.

[slobby @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

no optical zoom? come on... it's got a zeiss lens, is 2 megapixel, and had a flash. This isn't a CAMERA with phone capabilities.

Ok, so next year they come out with a 3x optical zoom... then what will you geeks whine about, no spot metering?... no AE-Lock?... no white-balance?
Give me a break

The phone looks phenomenal... and Nokia has the best UI period

[semi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

one of these phones has 20X digital focus..

not that digital focuses are of any real value

[Rasmus Norgaard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Just got this of www.GSMarena.com :

The Nokia N90 boasts a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and 20x digital zoom, integrated flash, macro mode for sharp close-ups, and high quality video capture with on-phone editing capabilities.

[mike s. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

plenty of new cameraphones are coming with optical zoom, I don't see how pointing out how this one doesn't have it is somehow whining? are you simply a nokia apologist?

[met @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Oh, I didn't know there were that many phones with optical zoom.
What are the major ones mike s. ?

I love nokia phones. Even though they've been reluctant to come out with good flip phones. I don't like flipping fones that much - but that just me.

[slobby @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

umm, no, mike s.

simply pointing out the fact that it's ALL about the camera's features these days, when nokia has been lacking PHONE features for years (hence the decline in their usage)
we don't hear about the features the phone has anymore (except that it flips and you can take some crummy pictures with it)

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

"are you simply a nokia apologist?"

Maybe he's a guy that wants a phone to be a phone and doesn't particularly care how good its camera is. I sympathize with him. Complaining about the quality of a camera on a phone is akin to complaining about the quality of the handwriting recognition of a dishwasher. The two functions really have nothing to do with each other, and the fact that the public seems to have accepted the way cel manufacturers have shoehorned one feature onto a basically incompatible device doesn't change that.

I say that as someone who now owns a cameraphone, and who's not even averse to having things like video or music if they threw them in. But the point is these are *additional* features. They're fluff. They're not what you judge a phone by. You judge a phone by the quality of the calls, by the interface, by how well its built, by its size... and then oh! look! there's a camera. See? It's extra. You can't complain about how limited it is or it isn't.

Cameraphones are made for the sake of convenience and fun. Anyone who buys one expecting good quality from either function is going to be in for a rude awakening. It will *always* be that way, because there are physical rules to the way lenses work and you can't break the laws of physics (not even if you're Albert Einstein, and none of us here are anyway). There are reasons why SLR's and even high quality point and shoot cameras still have those big honking lenses and that's never going to change.

If you want a good camera, buy a good camera. If you're looking to find a good camera and a good phone in one, you will end up with the worst of both. And you will deserve it.

[mike s. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

again, I fail to see how simply wondering why this phone, which has a huge camera barrel but doesn't have optical zoom, is somehow offensive to all of you. Nokia is positioning this as a high-end cameraphone, so it's not out of line to wonder when they'll offer a cameraphone with optical zoom.

[Jon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

this phone has a big arse.... fugly!

[Finishing.Law.School @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

what is with the design?! I still prefer Nokia phones over others but my preference is waning. I miss my old 7210...

[paul s @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

hmmm.... i have to say the 7210 is the ugliest phone they've ever made. aesthetics is a very opinionated thing, obviously. however, in terms of functionality, if you want just a phone, then just by a phone. nokia has many models that are purely basic phones, and are exceptionally functional (the reason they have a good reputation). i'd like to know what phone feautres slobby think are missing?

if you want a camcorder, hires image viewer, phone, music player and calender sync on a platform that takes custom applications, and all of it in one pocket to go, i'd have to say this fits the bill. if you just want a phone, this is not the device for you.

[E S @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

What I *REALLY* wanna know is this: is there a mode for taking 30 frame-per-second video recording?

[GriLLo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

What OS does the N series use ?
Any info about this ?

[sherlock @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

There is no need for optical zoom in this camera, if the harware was done in the right way.

If you have a 2 megapixel (1600 x 1200) sensor and only record 288 lines of video you can have 17.3x zoom without the loss of input data.

[Arex @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I think the phone looks pretty sharp. But it IS kinda chunky, particularly for a flip phone. From the nokiausa.com website:

Volume: 126cc
Weight: 173g
Length: 112mm
Width (max): 51mm
Thickness (max): 24mm

But I guess it kind of doubles as a VGA camcorder so maybe that's okay.

[New Phone Boy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Do Nokia like annoying people by announcing these phones after you have just bought there latest handset? I have just bought the Nokia 6680 from http://www.phones2udirect.co.uk and now Nokia have announced the N70 which is almost identical not a happy chappy :(

[sivextien @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Guys, we all agreed that the most important functions of a phone is make and accept the calls,send and receive SMS/MMS and quality of these functions. Some other functions like dig cam or music / video player just only add-on features so you all can not complaint about their quality. Of course , if you want a good picture / video quality so take a good dig cam / camcorder.It's the same with music/video player. But you can not take all of these things ( a good dig cam, a camcorder , a music player...etc ) together with you in the same time just for an outgoing with your gf / friends
Then, this case is for a phone have a dig cam for picture/video capture with acceptable quality and also music player for a hour of waiting ( esp. when go out with a gf :D )...
The only thing to care is about the mfg price - around 900USD . Is it too expensive to compare with Samsung or SE 2megs one ?
( This just for me ) ...I couldn't find any infos about N90 FM Radio feature.Does N90 has this feature ?

[Jake @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

How much will the nokia n90 cost?

[le AlMiGhTy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

i fink dat dis fone is AMAZING
it has all the great features of a good fone l8r dudez

[marposa @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Do you know when this phone will be on the market ? And in Europe ?
Thanxs a lot inadvance !

[Luca Max @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

The phone will cost around 600 euro in europe (no brand version) .
The demo pictures are good, hope that compression algorithm will be smarter than 6630.

[le AlMiGhTy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

600 euro is roughly arond �360 pounds wooow now dats a little bit dear i think
but well worth it

[cheehong @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

its only will come to singapore next mth. Hw 2get a good price? Still very xpensive I think

[Daza @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

This phone is the dog's,i dont like flip phones but this one is diferent it is 3G,20x zoom,Mp3,Mp4,easy removal of mmc card at last no more removing the bloody battery yes!,2 two megapixel cameras yes thats wright! that was not a type-o it's got 2 two megapixel cameras,more colour pixels than most on the second screen can have tom-tom software for GPS and the bit that i like the best for all you film makers out there a two hour recording time for video! Yep 2 hours video time and with the trick screen it makes panning around and viewing what you are panning easy. Way to pull it out of the bag nokia!

[jinane saliba @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

do you know when the n90 will be in dubai's market?

[aya saliba @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

do you know when the n90 will be in dubai's market?

[Daza @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Yeh Carphone warehouse has a release date of july 24th but i think Voda,O2,Orange will prob have the phones at an earlier date, Oh and before i go a buddy of mine sent me a web site that gives you an indeph view of the N90 and lots of picks of it,enjoy! http://www.mobile-review.com/review/nokia-n90-en.shtml

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I hope Nokia stop copying design and features from Samsung phones. This phone totally copied from Samsung V4400 series. V4400 already was released in Korea 2 years ago. Nokia is now all copying from Samsung. Nokia totally sucks.

[Tom @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Samsung already released optical zoom real mega pixel phone. Nokia is totally way behind design and features from Samsung and LG. Also Nokia phones are cheap and too heavy nothing special. Also one of my friends is working in Nokia company, she told me they're basically copying design and features from Samsung phone. what a shame.

[Daza @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Hi i think you will find that every manufacture is copying each other, two of those such things are bluetooth & the means of expandable memory this is just because every phone has something that is so good that makes it sell it's called brakeing technology!

[ben @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

ok sick phone definitely gonna buy it but really you guys need to get lives like you know do something there is more to life than optical zooms and whether or not it has this or a fat ass blah blah blah blah blah why not find a nice spot in the sun drink a beer/babycham and comment about how slim the woman walking past you is wow shes got a 2 magapixel d cup guys/girls whats the point on having a cool phone without having someone to text on it, buy a phone you like and then concentrate your energies on maybe someone to impress with it

[cmsJustin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Why don't you try adding punctuation to your messages?

This phone is awesome. Yes, it is still a phone and yes, a camera has nothing to do with a phone. But it is a logical progression. People want to have a phone with them, and they want to have a camera also. It makes sense to combine the two. Imagine if they never put radios into cars. You'd be driving around with a boombox in the passenger seat.

Optical zoom would be nice, but you have to remember that any moving part diminishes the quality of the phone. The only thing motorized in a cell phone right now is the vibrate function.

Eventually camera phones will have the quality of a professional SLR camera. I'd personally like to see less phones with more quality put into them. You have these companys releasing 30 or 40 models a year. That's ridiculous. I'd much rather see a company put out a single model for each target group, and provide more support and upgrades for the devices down the line. People would pay more for a phone that won't be outdated in a year.

Hopefully with the new Symbian OS's this will be the case. Instead of buying a new phone so I can do unlimited video with sound instead of 15 seconds of BS video, I could just go to a website and upgrade my software. I expect Windows Mobile to sweep the market because of this simple capability.

[Spam @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

Anyone heard a release date yet? Or found ANYWHERE that has some in stock?

Great phone, will buy no question

[dp360 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

how much will this phone cost in the USA? and what is the USA release date?

[Richard @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

speaking with a t-mobile rep today he said t-mobile WILL be carrying this phone, and that the price point is going to be in the low to mid 300 dollar range!!!

When he said that I did a double-take and asked him if he was sure he was talking about the n90, since it retails for much more in the EU (twice as much)...He said he was POSITIVE. He also said their planned release date is sometime mid-august, he actually said August 20th but that can obviously change.

Take that for what it's worth...

[bob @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

half the people that wrote reviews about this phone have a really sad life. i mean come on. what the heck is a CCD and a CMOS? and why do we need some genius to prove to us that this phone has at least 17x zoom by doin some weird equation in his head???

[sherlock @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I dont know if noticed bu this one has 2.1 " dispalay with 352 x 416 pixels that 4x current nokias

[rc51 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

The big question is it a CCD or CMOS, because a CCD is so much superior to a CMOS.

[Shin @ Dec 19th 2005 12:13AM]

I'm drooling over this one...