Hands-on with the Nokia N95 8GB for North America!

All signs pointed to this sucker existing, and sure enough, here it is. The N95 8GB for North America is pretty much exactly what you'd expect it to be -- an exact replica of the European version with the 2100MHz WCDMA radio surgically removed and replaced with an 850 / 1900MHz counterpart for speedy data in these lands. The screen is up to 2.8 inches versus the original N95's 2.6, but the 8GB of internal storage comes at the cost of the microSD slot, so don't get all cocky on us about rocking 16GB of storage in your pocket, alright? Check it in stores this quarter for $749.

[Morgan @ Jan 7th 2008 3:29AM]

But will it Blend

[namtastic @ Jan 7th 2008 2:50PM]

but will it survive a crossbow bolt?

[Johan S @ Jan 7th 2008 3:33AM]

Lame.

[Lord.Genome @ Jan 10th 2008 6:54PM]

It is very thick, ruins the cut of your suit.

[David W. @ Jan 7th 2008 3:49AM]

This phone is insane...Will any service providers be picking this up and offering discounts?

[Austin R. Range @ Jan 7th 2008 4:16AM]

sweet phone

[ddsfdsfsdf @ Jan 7th 2008 5:18AM]

Nice gadget, but why did Nokia have to make it so ugly? More generally speaking: Why are nearly all Nokia phones ugly?

[Tok @ Jan 7th 2008 9:01AM]

That might be why Nokia isnt intrested on USA if people are just looking jewelries, but the Nokia sells pretty much all of it's Vertu line up to USA(talk about good taste...).
Thought 6500 classic is prettiest looking normal priced phone that there is imo. Not to even talk about 8xxx series.

[Izzy @ Jan 7th 2008 10:59AM]

Como? No comprende Tok!

[Tor Slettnes @ Jan 15th 2008 4:56AM]

First, it's not that ugly when you actually see it in person. Even the "standard" N95 NAM with its silver front and brown (which I have) or black back plate is by no means a slouch - though in the looks department it obviously does not compare with those marketed to a younger audience (music phones, iPhone, ...).

Second, the most likely buyer (usually a techno-geek) is likely to not care, or even be slighly offended by a phone that tries to put it all in the looks. As Steve Litchfield of AllAboutSymbian.Com says, you want a phone that shows you are serious (did your research), not flashy (swayed by looks - and implicitly, ads; conveys no independent thought).

The N95 is still the best beast out there, IMO. While the N82 does have Xenon flash, and while this is important, its form factor is too large (long), and its screen is too small.

I so wish Nokia had some real competition out there though - especially for the US market. MOTO used to be decent, but it seems they ended mandatory drug screening for new employees a while back (THIR MKTG DEPT STRT SPEL FUNI, while engineering essentially ceased). Ericsson got eaten up by that SonyStyle thing. Samsung and LG are not really there in terms of quality or innovation...

[ddsfdsfsdf @ Jan 15th 2008 5:29AM]

Well, I agree with most of what you said, but I think that the N95 actually IS too flashy. Look at these terrible rounded pseudo-chrome buttons. Urgh.

Most beautiful phone I saw until now was the HTC Excalibur. That is classy, minimalistic etc. Too bad the brushed metal part is so easily scratched and that for my version of it there STILL is no WM6 upgrade.

[Alya @ Jan 7th 2008 6:58AM]

I have N95 (not 8GB). As for me,I think it's almost a perfect phone.

Alya
SuTree.com

[Jonathon @ Jan 7th 2008 10:16AM]

Same here, got mine for Christmas. I'm coming from the WinMo camp, and so far I'm impressed. For the most part, everything *just works.* My only small nit is having to jump through the self-signing hoops.

Check out this site.
rotateMe - Uses the accelerometer to change screen orientation like the iPhone
Nokmote - Uses the accelerometer to allow you to navigate menus by just tilting the device.

Personally, I think Nokia should roll both of those functionalities into the core s60 software (for compatible phones).

[namtastic @ Jan 7th 2008 2:52PM]

Yep, and the announcement of the SanDisk 12GB microSD card makes it all the sweeter. (Sorry, N95 8GB.)

[[e-mail] @ Jan 7th 2008 7:34AM]

super is there any world anvigation?map

[[e-mail] @ Jan 7th 2008 7:45AM]

super ,are there navigation Indonesia map GPS ,

[RS @ Jan 7th 2008 8:47AM]

For $750 (and all I heard were complaints about how expensive the iPhone was!!), this thing is an antiquated brick! The technology is terrific, but the end unit is 1980's mobile phones...heavy and bad battery times to run it all in real world usage. I had the unlocked version of the N95 for 3 weeks and I was charging it all the time, so much so, that there was little time to use it!!

[nikster @ Jan 7th 2008 10:12AM]

These supposedly have a bigger battery so that battery life should not be as much of an issue.

You'd have to pay me a lot of money to go back to Symbian after using an iPhone though...

[Pdexter @ Jan 7th 2008 11:08AM]

You get N95 8GB and classic free with contract.... Thought of course you dont have that option.

[To @ Jan 7th 2008 9:01AM]

Sweet finally! Thought it's a shame that it takes so long to release 3G phone for North America(from the 2 they have released?) i could just not to buy this to protest....but then it wouldnt probally make Nokia anymore intrested to USA as it's now ;)

[USGOVMT. @ Jan 7th 2008 9:19AM]

Its awesome... I kinda just wish that with the other features, like the camera and the media player, that the thing just had a touch screen! :P Im an iPhone fanatic.

[james @ Jan 7th 2008 9:20AM]

I'm to fix the common phone front. There's nothing that makes a phone look like a phone more than that stupid font.

[roole @ Jan 7th 2008 9:48AM]

Good observation. That generic font drives me up the wall too.

But not all phones use that font..... (I won't mention the name of the phone that doesn't).

[tamoghno @ Jan 7th 2008 12:19PM]

actually you can change any S60 phone's font very easily. just install fontrouter & copy fonts to a particular folder of mem card !

[huh @ Jan 7th 2008 9:37AM]

I have the n95-3, which has a microSD slot but is a North American version. It's a chunky device that packs a lot of functionality in. It's buggy though, I hope Nokia releases a major software update soon.

[aaron @ Jan 7th 2008 11:06AM]

I agree with you. I had a black n95-3 and it is a brick. Check that...a POWERFUL brick. I needed QWERTY though. So I traded it for a Moto Q9 Global and $200. Couldn't be happier!

[huh @ Jan 7th 2008 11:27AM]

Well, I should have mentioned in addition to packing a lot of functionality, that the camera is very good quality, comparable to a decent 5mpix p&s dedicated camera. Too many devices have checklist cameras that are just ... not good. It does a lot of other things well too, like not requiring a headphone adapter. So I couldn't trade it for a Q, though I'd surely like to have a qwerty keyboard (and the design could have accomodated a side qwerty slider instead of the near-useless dual slider) and a touchscreen. I'm in the awkward position now of wanting the perfect device to appear.. and not, cause I just got the n95. ;)

[aoi tsuki @ Jan 7th 2008 11:01AM]

Given the fact that Engadget just released info on a red N95 for $599 to be released by the end of the quarter, i think i'll hold off just a while longer.

[MacroEQ @ Jan 7th 2008 3:31PM]

And much nicer than the iBrick you'll find...

[Hashbrown_Hunter @ Jan 7th 2008 8:00PM]

:O
now that's a lot of moolah.

[Miles @ Jan 7th 2008 9:11PM]

My iPhone can do all the same stuff and it costs a ton less.

[Chris @ Jan 14th 2008 6:14PM]

Err... No your iPhone can't. Your iPhone doesn't have GPS. Your iPhone doesn't have 3G. Your iPhone has a crap 2MP camera. Your iPhone doesn't have video out, or video recording for that matter. Your iPhone doesn't support UPnP. Your iPhone is locked to the hilt and is prevented from using non-Proprietary software (unless you want to void the warranty). Your iPhone doesn't have stereo speakers comparable to a laptops.

Sorry, I really like the iPhone, but its just not in the same league. Stop comparing the N95 and the iPhone. They're not meant for the same thing. The iPhone is meant to replace your iPod and Phone. Great if thats all you use. The N95 is meant to replace everything!! Instead of carrying a phone, iPod, PDA and GPS I can just carry my N95 8GB.

End of.

[Robert S. @ Jan 8th 2008 4:02AM]

Ok so its one of the most expensive phones on the market and has a crap load of features but yet its missing a keyboard. Am I the only one puzzled here??? For $749 id like it to drive my car but id be happy with just a keyboard so I can text/email and navigate the internet with ease and not struggle with a standard cellphone keypad

[Pdexter @ Jan 8th 2008 9:44AM]

I think there's some different Europeans and Asians think how smartphone should look. Most Europeans would say that normal smartphone looks like N73 and business phone has qwerty. As Nokia sells 75% of smartphones most of people are using non qwertys. E90 is N95 with bigger screen and qwerty(3.2 and 5mpx camera). Thought of course it's rather big so might need to wait for the light versions.

[Andry @ Jan 14th 2008 8:50PM]

I am currently using this phone,and I have to say, this phone is a great phone with all the features that you want. Even though it can be slow at times, but this maybe caused by the amount of features packed into this mobile monster. The GPS can be annoying at times, it has to be fully slided and it has to be in a clear view of the sky.. can be hard at times when you're driving.

But, the 8Gig memory is just the right amount that you want inside a phone. I love this phone to bits :D

[palehorse @ Jan 15th 2008 3:09PM]

This Nokia brick just doesnt do it for me... especially for $750!! DOH!

I can wait for the Samsung F490, HTC Android (Dream), or the iPhone 2.0... whichever one brings to the table everything the original iPhone was missing, but still maintains its sexy look!

[quynhle2k01 @ Feb 12th 2008 1:30AM]

I try to get one online but I could not find anywhere. Can you please tell me where I can get one ? Thank you so much.

[zoran @ Mar 2nd 2008 6:25PM]

so whats the difference between the nokia n95 8gb US version and the one from finland and the one from asia. i live in canada and wich one sould i get all these vendors keep telling me to get the one from finland but i know the video calling doesnt work along with some other little things can some one pleas explain this to me. cheers

[ayoon @ Mar 6th 2008 11:35AM]

i have nokia n 95 8 gb and i think its one of the best smart phone ever to be made but can anybody please tell me why does it hang sometimesand how can i avoid this problem

[Rionero @ Apr 3rd 2008 4:17AM]

I sold my iPhone to get this new N95 8GB. It is thicker, but overall smaller and lighter. The dizzying array of 3rd party programs is amazing when compared to the iphone... so that's fun. But mainly, I made the switch for 3G and 3.5G... it SMOKES compared to the EDGE network. Like always being on wifi, just about. The GPS is finicky... but it works.... and I do miss a full keyboard for sure. Visual voice mail is another thing I'll miss... but I love my stereo speakers, great speakerphone, and amazing camera!!!

Eventually, iphone will (maybe) pull it all together... however it is a little questionable with their major nut-lock on software development. We'll see. Loving this phone in the meantime!