Bandying itself as a “mobile computer” doesn’t really do the N97 any favors, given that we’ve already long known it’s running on a processor and guts that aren’t all that much different from your run-of-the-mill smartphone. More to that end, the S60 hardly inspires the thought of an ideal “mobile PC” OS.
Being the manufacturer’s second touchscreen phone, the interface has considerably matured compared to their first effort. They’ve also implemented a new widgetized home screen. Unfortunately, there are barely any widgets available (even at the Ovi Store), making it an exercise in futility (at least, for now).
Nokia gets design points for the style of the N97 – it’s an attractive piece of machine. For a flagship handset, though, it uses a little too much plastic (to keep the weight down, most likely), making me a little comfortable about calling it the manufacturer’s best device (sadly, I still think it’s the N71). Build does seem very sturdy, though, despite the plastic.
As Nokia has always done with their higher-end units, the screen is gorgeous, with crisp lines and bright colors. The 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen display on the N97 is probably one of the best you can find on handsets today, with very good accuracy and response. Pulling out the QWERTY keys immediately positions the screen at a 40-degree angle (which I like) that, unfortunately, is fixed (which I don’t like).
As a phone, I wasn’t too impressed with the call quality on the handset. I’ve tried cheap messaging phones that offered the same level of clarity during voice calls. Messaging, however, is pretty nifty, including the super-fast email interface.
Browsing is a great experience on the handset, with quick page loads and good support for a variety of Flash content. Multimedia is similarly high-end, although the interface leaves much to ask for It packs one of the best built-in speakers I’ve ever heard on handset. Other features include an aGPS, 5-megapixel optics and, of course, support for the Ovi Store.
Overall, I don’t find the N97 all too exciting a proposition. Until Nokia can come up with a way to get developers to flood the Ovi Store with apps, I doubt the handset can get any more interesting than the boring device that it is.
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