Details are in, Nokia has a new flagship phone. The N97 packs a 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 pixel (that's a 16:9 aspect ratio) resistive touchscreen display with tactile feedback and QWERTY keyboard into this sliding communicator with an "always open" window to favorite internet or social networking sites. Nokia calls it the "world's most advanced mobile computer." To back up the claim they've dropped in HSDPA, WiFi, and Bluetooth radios, A-GPS, a 3.5-mm headjack, 32GB of onboard memory with microSD expansion (for up to 48GB total capacity), and a battery capable of up to 1.5 days of continuous audio playback or 4.5-hours video. 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss glass and "DVD quality" video capture at 30fps, too. The specs are certainly impressive, let's see if the S60 5th Edition OS can support it. The N97 will launch with a retail price set at around €550 ($693) excluding subsidies and taxes, phone to ship in H1 2009.
Update: Hah, Nokia just boasted on stage at Nokia World that the N97 was the scoop "
Engadget didn't get." O RLY??? Sure looks like the device codenamed Eitri that
we broke to the world last month.
Update 2: Video demonstration after the break.
Update 3: Thanks for the widget love, Nokia (pic after the break, and thanks
Eric).
Read -- Press Release
Read -- A bit more detail
Read -- Even more detail
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 6)
redringofdeath @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:49AM
Until you realize it has an off-center space bar and resistive touch screen.
linuxamp @ Dec 2nd 2008 4:02AM
Lets just hope they don't pull a "storm". The specs are very nice but I'll wait for a review before putting in my pre-order.
loocas @ Dec 2nd 2008 5:33AM
My Kaiser shakes and it's not from an incoming call...
cWj @ Dec 2nd 2008 8:01AM
@redringofdeath
For thumb typing, an off center space bar can be more useful as it's easier for the thumbs to get to. You want the keys pushed most often the easiest to get to.
Resistive gives feedback, which some prefer. The advantage to capacitive is with gestures/swiping inputs, but this works fine with resistive with as long as the surface is smooth. That can be accomplished with a good screen protector.
I've sworn to move on from Nokia for my next phone, but this is certainly the sexy.
Mark Anderson @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:28AM
I wish people who harp on about resistive touchscreens not being as good as capacitive touchscreens would actually have the decency to understand what they're talking about because you can actually implement both really well or really badly and they both have their uses.
Capacitive touchscreens are generally a bit smoother but they're rubbish for character input, for example. For me a good resistive touchscreen is probably the better bet because you can do more with it.
YpoCaramel @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:20AM
Well!
My next phone might just have the same form factor as my Tilt / HTC Kaiser, only a Nokia with a nice camera. Who could have knew!
derX @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:23AM
...how do you know about the quality of the camera on this device?
andrew @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:25AM
Because flagship Nokia's have always had the best cameras?.......
YpoCaramel @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:29AM
More thoughts:
1) Nokia is very resourceful: basically copying a successful competitive form factor.
2) Thickness is great - same as iPhone, but it has a bloody QWERTY. Thank goodness.
3) I like what Nokia is doing - combining successful HTC-esque with Nokia multimedia.
4) Pricepoint is actual quite reasonable - 500EUR.
5) Battery is decent 1500mha.
On the camera, info from http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/news/item/8590_Nokia_N97-Nseries_with_QWERTY_.php
1) 5MP, Carl Zeiss lens
2) Nokia cameras generally better than HTC cameras.
This means a camera better than HTC, and the N96 already has something similar, I believe. I doubt they'll suddenly fuck it up with his phone.
derX @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:33AM
Ahh, you know about the camera because you have a link to the page with info on the device.
Thanks for link!
*nudges Engadget* Feel free to post the link YpoCaramel provided as the read link (crediting him, of course, but I know you know that). Also, while I'm making requests, if you'd turn off the light in the living room, that'd be much appreciated. kthnxbye
Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 4:20AM
this may also be my next phone!! Initially i thought that it will not be better than a XPERIA (which i was definately getting) BUT THAN I READ THE SPECS!! 5megapixel camera is excellent lets hope the lens is Carl Zeiss's best and 32gb of memory WTF? that sounds epic all I need now is DivX support.. anyone?
Aaron @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:23AM
There's (free) third party software for DivX, yes.
Johan S @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:21AM
Nokia countdown website fail. It just says "Discover more".
andrew @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:21AM
Thank you!
asg84 @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:22AM
simply awesome........................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eemi @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:26AM
I cant wait to get my hands on this phone, when my dad get me one for free
Dave Chappelle @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:07AM
Well you deserve it dude, after all you gave him 'it' for free.
RofLInMyMao
harsh @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:23AM
see you later iphone
Muhammad-Oli @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:39AM
Oh yes, we all forgot, any phone with a touch screen is automatically an iPhone rival because, obviously, the iPhone was the first device ever to have a touch screen. People, please high-rank this man.
derX @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:48AM
In complete seriousness, though I'm sure you meant to be completely sarcastic, your words are actually right. Saying the work iPhone around here is as serious an offense as a hate crime, but any finger-input driven device will be compared to the iPhone. This is what happens when you innovate as the iPhone did. I'm not saying the iPhone has cured cancer or can cure the economy, but let's all admit it, how many mainstream finger-input driven devices were there before the iPhone? (Also, TOUCHSCREEN DOES NOT EQUAL iPHONE, it's gotta be finger-input driven!) Seriously. I'm not even going to get into that debate again. But yeah.
Magallanes @ Dec 2nd 2008 7:45AM
I was able to use my former dell axim x51v with my finger two years before the arrive of iphone.
Touchscreen IS EQUAL to finger screen or whatever you want to call it.
The innovation in the Iphone is the multi touchscreen.
Orris @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:24AM
Looks pretty. Not a big fan of Nokia, so they'll have to make this phone a cut above everything else for me to be interested.
Topslob @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:25AM
Link from http://events.nokia.com/countdown/ aint working for me, anyone got a source link?
Ha @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:26AM
nokia website FAIL
The Police @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:26AM
Looks like a bag of win to me.
eggothewaffle @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:26AM
I love it. I want it.
I MUST HAVE IT.
ri @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:27AM
byebye aging iphoney.
Al @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:28AM
5mp camera with Dual LED. FAIL.
I wanted xenon.
Screen is same as 5800.
32 GB on board storage with 16GB card = 48GB total
Charles @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:28AM
Beautiful!
Rob S @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:28AM
They have a live streaming feed of the event at http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld/home.htm but since I found that page they haven't said a word about this new device... yet...
c3vzn @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:29AM
countdown site is screwed
Aaron @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:29AM
Isn't this exactly what people have been asking for from Nokia?
Will @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:35AM
Yes. I was eying the N95, but really wanted more than 8GB of space.
jake @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:29AM
@Thomas Ricker
Would have been nice if you included the links:
http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1274500
http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1274512
Yes the links above have more detail.
jake @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:33AM
Sorry had to double poste: Just read this:
"The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN."
Holy Cr*p! 32GB onboard, expandable to 48GB with 16GB microSD.
5MP Carl Zeiss and widescreen video capture (judging by other nokia phones the camera should be fairly good).
Looking forward to see more.
Tutti @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:30AM
OMG there is a facebook ad on it, fuck that site ..
drumdbeat @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:35AM
high Five Saad
Pdexter @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:31AM
Pure win. And those who are whining about the camera part it will be better than any HTC, Apple will ever have. Nokia, SE and Samsung are restling in different league with cameras than those i'm afraid. All N series phones got CZ optics so so will this.
Damn. Did i say amazing!
George @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:31AM
http://conversations.nokia.com/home/2008/12/nokia-n97-marks-evolutionary-milestone-for-nseries-and-mobilekind.html
revreddy @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:31AM
Right off the bat, I can say that keyboard layout isn't going to work for me. Let alone the navigation pad on the left side instead of the right. Form factor is too fat. Well, I guess we will have to wait until a video review comes out to get a verdict on how well the S60 UI holds up against the iPhone. Until then, I don't really see why this phone deserves the "flagship" designation.
breaklaw @ Dec 2nd 2008 7:05AM
What about the spacebar being off center and off to the left, that is craziness. That may be the worst keyboard layout I've ever seen.
Udayakiran @ Dec 13th 2008 2:12AM
The spacebar is off center because it'll be more easily accessible with the thumb... the device is meant to be held in your hands, not like a laptop...
G. I. @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:31AM
Probably good hardware but the touch layer is just piggy-backed on an 8 years old obsolete OS/UI, it's a mess. Nokia should have designed a new UI from the scratch, developers must update their old S60 apps anyways.
superhobo @ Dec 2nd 2008 4:32AM
How the hell do you know.
Ever used it?
Even the iphoney's OS is OSX squeezed down to fit on the thing. And OSX didn't have a touch layer, did it?
G. I. @ Dec 2nd 2008 5:14AM
The iPhone OS X has a new UI you cretin, or do you see the same global menubar, windows etc.? The S60 v5 has just a piggy-backed touch layer, moron, it's the same left/right softkey, Option menu crap like in 2000, dumbass.
arash @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:32AM
welcome back to the party nokia.
Johan S @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:35AM
What's the resolution of the screen?
eggothewaffle @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:37AM
640x360.
It's not a common one, but hey, at least it isn't QVGA.
rauhaa @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:39AM
Hmmmm.... perhaps reading the article that you are commenting on would help?
Jan I. @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:40AM
It's right there on the post: "640 x 360 pixel"