Our amateur sleuthing skills tell us there might be a tiny bit of excitement about this
N900 device. With the
Maemo 5 environment already
measured up, it's the turn of the hardware to get exhaustively previewed. The
My Symbian team took a look at a prototype unit and were immediately impressed by the 800 x 480 display and relatively compact dimensions for such a loaded phone. The resistive touchscreen was on par with the N97, though it picked up scratches too easily for their liking ( a screen protector is recommended), while the keyboard was deemed small but still a major improvement over the N97's. Internals rated well, with the 600MHz Cortex-A8 CPU and "superb" video recording grabbing plaudits. Perplexingly, there was only 256MB allocated to application installs (see image after the break), which
can be altered by those with Linux knowhow, but this may draw plenty of ire from mainstream, app-hungry consumers, considering the device is capable of holding 48GB of total memory. On the outside, the camera cover was found to scratch the case around the lens (but not the lens itself like on some N97 units) while sliding, and removing the stylus from its slot revealed some bare electronics, both of which rather undermined the overall feel of a well-built device. They did find connectivity on the device a pretty dreamy and trouble-free affair, but we're still only scratching the surface here -- hit up the read link for the whole enchilada.
[Via
MobileTechWorld]
Update: Nokia has
expressly stated that the retail phones will come with repartitioned memory, which will provide "plenty" of space for app installations and obviate the storage issue noted above. [Thanks, sockatume]
posted October 1st 2009 6:20AM
That 256mb thing is wrong information (or not wrong but the actual number in produt units is 2gb).
... And by produt units I mean production units with "final" firmware.
Engadget likes to give misleading information :) What would you expect from bloggers who have dropped out of high school?
But to the point, I have only heard 1GB will be for consumers, more of course by tuning.
@Eric, I hope you're right -- but the N900 spec page says 256MB (768MB for swap). Don't see why that will change this late in the game.
The 256+768 on the spec sheet refers to RAM, not the flash. There are several ways around the app storage space limitation, so it should not be an issue for ordinary users, either.
PS. What ? No resistive-screen bashing ? Who are you and what have you done to the engadget folks ?
As AchipA says, there's 256MB of RAM and 756MB of flash swap, that spec has nothing to do with app installation memory. Nokia have informed me that the amount in the preview units will change.
http://conversations.nokia.com/2009/08/27/finding-maemo-the-new-nokia-n900/#comment-10175
@Paulll:
"What would you expect from bloggers who have dropped out of high school?"
Those bloggers are way richer than you. Oh, and you're here reading what THEY wrote, not the other way around ;)
Is it just me, or does this article seem to contain some sort of subliminal "scratch-y" message? (dons tin foil hat)
Wow, Linux distro that looks cool.
Hopefully this will be available outside the U.S. in places like Japan and the U.K.
it is coming uk its already on one site where you put your email in and they will tell you when its ready
http://www.mobiles.co.uk/nokia-n900.html
Awwhh... Engadget... such a positive review by my-symbian.com, but you had to cling to the "only 256 mb for apps" thing, to the extent that your 2nd picture of the post was just to reinforce that idea.
It is well known that that 256 mb for apps thing is just for the pre-production model, but you seem to not be able to hear those facts.
Anyway, I don't care. I don'r really care that much about Nokia anymore. HTC and Android FTW!
Well, you have to admit it's not an iPhone.
Even the screen thing was dismissed already. The reviewed unit is an OLD prototype, and a Nokia employee already confirmed at maemo.org that the screen material changed a lot on the prototypes.
@Pies How incredibly insightful of you, you're absolutely right, this isn't an iPhone.
Looks pretty nice. :)
AAAHHH ik want een! Niet even able to zoeken for appropriate woorden... ME WANTEE
Dan moet jy engels praat sodat jy nie vir woorden hoef te soek nie!
Something THAT big should have a more comfortable keyboard to type on. With at least a dedicated number row.
The idea was that the keyboard should not be too tall to make simultaneous touch- and key-operation easier. If there were a fourth number of keys, you'd have to stretch your thumbs more to reach the screen than you do now. I'd say that's good thinking!
And the keyboard itself is very good to type on. I have quite big fingers and had no problem. It also has autocorrection (with two simultaneous languages, I believe), so writing is NOT a problem with this device :D
..is probably just me, but I think Nokia should press the reset button and go with Android. This Maemo looks as boring and dull as Symbian.
Oh FFS.
Android isn't all it's cracked up to be, sure. It's pretty and damn usable, but at the same time it's not even half as open as Maemo. Despite the 'openness' being one of android's main selling points.
There's no flash support, no multitasking, the App store is woefully inadequate (especially in Australia - no paid apps!), and the only way to really get experience promised is to root the damn thing.
Oh,and before you get on my case with cries of "nokia fanboi!!11": I'm typing this using my Australia-spec HTC Dream (G1). So I know what I'm taking about whrn it comes to thr Android OS
Android focuses way to more java which means it's limited. Maemo is miles better than Android. I just don't get it how people have been brainwashed by Android. It's nothing special, it's limited compared to Maemo. You obviously haven't seen Maemo in action.
Nothing you just said explains how android is "not even half as open as Maemo'
You did explain how android is not nearly as evolved as Maemo5. But I would like to here how android is not even half as open as maemo. and how is the app store inadequate?
@ CJ
No flash support - flash is in the pipeline, actually some builds have full flash support though not official, should be out by this month anyway.
No multi-tasking - are you sure about that? I normally have 3-5 apps open at any given time.
App store woefully inadequate - have you heard of market enabler? really at this point it's completely your fault if you didn't do a little research, you could have had complete access/ paid apps in your region since day one. With apps nearing the 10 000 range, you find that inadequate...you're a hard man to please.
and the only way to really get experience promised is to root the damn thing - really? unless by that you mean the ability to flash custom roms/ apps yes, but other than that, what else cant you do with a non-rooted phone? pls define what your promised experience is?
Android has been failing to meet the hype for me since the beginning. I have been and am a fan, but i was hoping for something more like a finely tuned linux distro, not a linux-kernel-with-app. Maemo is a much more open setup for hackers and power users who actually care about that kind of thing. For the vast majority of users who just want a smart phone they can use as they want, Android will do just as well, and probably better.
I am glad it has a resistive screen. I can use a stylus when i want and use it while it's behind a full waterproof case when i want to take it on the road (literally) as a bike computer, which is what i intend.
I'm a fan and user of Android, but Maemo is miles ahead in usability and scalability. It's just a bitch to develop for by comparison.
@edu3000
Maemo doesn't require an App store to load apps, and because it doesn't require a Java protocol for Apps (more like 'programs'), many more developers are prepared to adopt it as a platform. Plus, this is obviously the 5th version of Maemo, so it's already been well established.
That, and you can pretty much install any program the system can handle.
@originator:
Do you honestly think I don't know about enabler? I've tried it, it doesn't work. Do you think I'd have mentioned that I can't get paid Apps if I could?
What I was promised was a revolutionary, 100% open smartphone platform that would re-define the smartphone as the world knows it. What I got was a reasonably high-quality smartphone OS that was really just as closed as any other, with a half-way decent app store.
Oh, and I don't consider an IM sending me notifications in the top bar to be 'multitasking'.
For example: I'm typing out an email, and want to quote a youtube video in it. I have to close the email client (and it's a hit-or-miss if it deletes my half-finished email) open youtube, load the video I want, watch it, close youtube, re-open my email, type the quote. If I didn't catch the whole thing the first time, I have to repeat this ad nauseum.
For the record, I LIKE Android, and I've certainly used enough to write a detailed set of critisisms about it. And I wasn't actually saying maemo was better than android on the first place. If you'll take just ten seconds to read the OP I was replying to, you'll see that I was offering a counterpoint to "derp derp you should put android on everything". Despite Android a) not being mentioned in the article, and b) only vicariously related to the article (they're both smartphone OSs, that's about it).
But no, you see me dishing on your precious OS of choice, and you automatically assume that I'm a 'hater' and write a knee-jerk reply accordingly. Because apparently I'm too 'stupid' to know what I'm talking about, and am certainly not a member of XDA developers or Fandroid.
But hey, waht do I know? I've only been using the Android platform since the Dream was released in Australia in February. I should stop complaining about things I don't know about.
Nokia has really been letting me down a lot lately ever since my baby N80 3 years ago, the phones they're coming out with are just not up to the competition. With the N900, LOVE the OS, but why oh why do they still use resistive screens.
Because one of their biggest markets is Asia?
Not to mention, with a sceen that pixel-dense, and a full linux distro, wouldn't tou prefer a screen that you can use more like a mouse, and less like slamming a hand repeatedly on a keyboard?
I agree with you saying Nokia has been resting on its laurels, but after the N80, the N95 and E90 and E71 were the last really awesome phones. the rest is meh
As an owner of the E90, I agree, it's very good!
However, mine has become slower with time, to a point where it really bothers me.
I'm hoping my already-preordered N900 will remedy those problems! :D
I'm still using my N80 since every phone since then have been using crap QVGA screens and same features (and bit better camera plus GPS) isn't worth it.
Preorder plans already available with Voda and Tmobile (UK).
http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/Brands/Nokia/Nseries-Multimedia-Phones/sb489/n443/p26078.aspx?lpsrc=google&lpcat=NokiaN900l&lpgrp=N900&lptxt=N900v2&lpkey=n900&gclid=COGB7efjm50CFQeX2AodDxBBSQ
Looks decent. Do they have lots of apps and games for this model or is it just another fancy piece of hardware with nothing else? It looks a lot more useful than the N97 for sure. Hopefully Nokia will have some success in selling this. It's not very expensive (under $600 unlocked).
There already are apps or there will be as many apps will be ported over from the older N8xx devices
Not to mention regular Linux apps, which I hear are very easy to port over.
This should be a fun ride indeed!
It's funny, because the N97 has always been app-starved except outside of Hong Kong, where it has every program the local could want - local weather (with Typhoon warnings, something you won't get in America-centric Accuweather), newspapers (HK newspapers don't have central censorship) and food guides. Hopefully Noka spends as big an effort with the N900 to place useful apps from around the world.
Maemo is a custom build of Debian Linux. So think what runs on it, plus the versions of Maemo from the first three tablets, and you're golden. PLENTY of apps, and with the more powerful hardware and always on web access in the N900, it should only get MUCH better...
The UI on these Nokia smartphones looks put together from the remnants from someone's attempt at a "cool-looking" website from 1997.
What a horrible and misleading write up by Vlad. The review is overly very positive yet you do nothing but bash and almost completely fail to mention anything software related, which is the whole buzz about the N900 anyways. Yes the hardware is very nice but Maemo 5 being on a phone here is what makes the N900 noteworthy and stand out as it will be the only maemo 5 device out. Not to mention that the information you used to point out several of the negative features of the N900 are out of date and have been dismissed by Nokia as not being applicable to the retail version. This whole write up is just bad.
You're new here aren't you?
This is the Engadget way.*
*OK not all of them but a few. I'm looking at you Vlad and Paul.
Don't forget Mr. Patel too!! ;)
i think all smartphones get slow once you add like 400 contacts 1000 calendar entries, and have hository of like 100 txt messages.
normally when you see a demo of a phone it is being used clean.
load all that shit onto it and see how it works then.
y is the mobiletechworld site suspended, anybody have another link or a cached link?
So, how can one find out what the final specs of the N900 will be? Well, maybe specs is the wrong word, however, I would like to know what has changed from the pre-production model to the final model that will be shipped. I have pre-ordered the device and interested to know what I can expect to get.