The Black Beauties Christmas Showdown - Nokia N95 8GB versus the Apple iPhone
With the Nokia N95 8GB now here and tried and tested, Steve Litchfield looks ahead to Christmas 2007 and the showdown between the two hottest smartphones in the world.
The original N95/iPhone battle may have moved onto new stomping grounds, but it's still a battle royal. Between strength and subtlety, between functions and form, between features and ease of use. Both devices are either aimed at totally different markets or aimed at the same market, depending on who you talk to. But the fact remains that the Nokia N95 8GB and Apple iPhone are the two most desirable smart devices anyone will be able to own this Christmas.
Let's put them head to head and try to be totally objective:
Apple iPhone | Nokia N95 8GB | |
|
| |
| Form factor | Glass-topped tablet, 3.5" touchscreen, reasonable outdoor contrast, four physical buttons/switches | Fairly robust slider phone, 2.8" screen, reasonable outdoor contrast, 25 buttons, including traditional phone keypad |
| Typical price on a £35 a month contract with 'unlimited' data | £270 (minimum contract with O2 = 18 months, total cost of ownership over period is £900) | £38 (on an 18 month contract with Vodafone, total cost of ownership is £668) |
| Runs | Version of Apple's desktop OS X | S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1, on Symbian OS. |
| Battery life | Good, but integral, non-removable battery, 1230mAh. | Good-ish, BL-6F battery can be removed and replaced quickly, 1200mAh. |
| Connectivity | EDGE, if available, otherwise GPRS. Plus Wi-Fi, also where available. | GPRS, EDGE, plus high speed 3G, and ultra-high speed HSDPA, plus Wi-Fi where available. |
| Performance and RAM | Full multitasking, but hidden from user, with all applications selected from home screen. Pretty quick. Exact RAM details unknown. | Pretty quick, and around 90MB of free RAM after booting, thanks to a demand paged version of Symbian OS, with full multitasking. |
| Built-in Applications | A restricted application set, but graphical and hyper-intuitive. | The usual S60 glut of apps and mini-apps, with something of a media/online bent. |
| Web browsing | A good touch-driven experience (rather limited by EDGE bandwidth though) using Safari. No Flash or Java support at all though. | A similarly good experience, this time limited by screen real estate and not bandwidth, with very similar browser code (both based on the same open source Web modules). Flash and Java support, though not yet working with Flash video. |
| Text entry | Text entry via fingers using an on-screen keyboard. Word prediction software helps to enlarge screen touch-sensitive hotspots for likely followup letters, improving typing accuracy a lot. No option for Bluetooth keyboard, at present, sadly. | With no touchscreen or keyboard, text entry is relatively inconvenient, using predictive text on the keypad, and mostly impossible when the N95 8GB is in 'landscape' mode (although a separate Bluetooth keyboard gets round this fairly easily) |
| Imaging/Video | Acceptable (for casual snaps) 2MP camera, fixed focus, no flash, no video recording. | Awesome 5MP camera with professional lens, auto-focus, multiple scene modes and settings, bright flash, VGA video recording at up to 30 fps. |
| Music and expansion | Very slick, as you'd expect, and with browsable cover art, MP3 and AAC formats supported. 8GB flash memory capacity, non-expandable. | Very slick, with dedicated hardware controls, although cover art is often hit and miss, depending on your music source. MP3, AAC and WMA formats supported. 8GB flash memory capacity, non-expandable. A2DP also supported, for wireless listening. |
|
| |
| Durability | Pouched/cased by necessity, to protect the touch-screen from damage. | Pretty durable, with a hard plastic covering over the screen. The camera is not mechanically protected (as on the original N95) but it's recessed and not too vulnerable. |
| Real world experience | In use, requires two hands to use most of the time. | Almost all operations are easy to accomplish one-handed. |
| Office work | Word/Excel/PDF viewers built into the email client. No editing options, although workarounds using Ajax applications on web sites are possible. | Quickoffice 3.8 viewers (upgradable to v4.5 round-trip-perfect editing), plus Adobe Reader LE 1.5. |
| Navigation | Native version of Google Maps, but no GPS support. | Built in GPS (assisted via data connection), native Nokia Maps with ad-hoc upgrades for voice guided navigation. Google Maps is free and a native GPS-aware S60 application, as an alternative. |
| Extra applications | Officially extensible using Widgets and Web applications in the Safari web browser - there's an active unlocking and hacking community, but Apple keeps raising the bar and locking third party native applications out. | Around 800 native S60 applications and games, plus thousands more Java apps/games and Widgets. Python, Ruby and Flash Lite applications are also supported. |
| Extra connectivity | Recessed 3.5mm headphone socket (only works with Apple headset and TV out accessory) | Standard 3.5mm headphone socket, also with integrated TV-out facility (sending screen feed or full res photos or videos to any TV or video equipment). |
| Desktop integration | Seamless integration with iTunes on Mac or Windows desktops | Full functioned but messy integration with PC Suite and other tools on PC, Nokia Multimedia Transfer, iCal/iSync on Mac, etc. |
Apple iPhone | Nokia N95 8GB |
Looking at the table above, it's clear that the iPhone is rather seriously outgunned by the N95 8GB, but there are wins for the high profile device from Apple. It's cleaner, more elegant, has a larger screen, great text input method and more foolproof desktop connectivity. And that shortlist of wins is probably enough for a lot of purchasers, especially those with lesser ambitions and sufficiently deep pockets.
But the Nokia N95 8GB is simply awesome as a piece of technology, winning by a landslide on data connectivity, camera, video camera, GPS and application openness. Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, the N95 8GB can, for short periods, replace phone, camera, camcorder, music player, navigation device, laptop, games console and Blackberry, among others. And, unlike the original N95, it can do all this without worrying too much about battery life or at all about running out of RAM.
Steve Litchfield, 28 October 2007
Published by Steve Litchfield at 16:52 UTC, October 28th 2007
Categories: Comment, Hardware
Platforms: General, S60 3rd Edition
Feature Discussion
Jay3gsm
Comment: Feature wise the N95 is streets ahead of the iPhone. As it stands, with the announcements on iPhone pricing today, I'd quite happily take the Sony Ericsson W960i over the iPhone too.
mvn
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Ratkat
Comment: On a Mac...using the Nokia Multimedia Transfer you can also sync music with iTunes and pictures with iPhoto.
And it works great too!!!!
And you forgot to mention the SIP VOIP Intergration as well
And it works great too!!!!
And you forgot to mention the SIP VOIP Intergration as well
jah
Comment: I've been using Core Player on my E90 and I love OGG format music. With the iPhone you are stuck with what Apple lets you do! In technology and flexibility the £900 iPhone really looks like a poor proposition. I suggest people wait 6 months for the 3G iPhone with 16GB of flash - but even this will not be worth nearly £900!
Tzer2
Comment: It's funny... considering how primitive its hardware is I bet Apple could afford to sell the iPhone at a real mass market price ($300 to $400 sim-free, nothing on contract), and they could really grab market share, but they're not doing that.
Apple seem to prefer very high profits from a relatively small share of the market, rather than low margins on mass market products.
"Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, the N95 8GB can, for short periods, replace phone, camera, camcorder, music player, navigation device, laptop, games console and Blackberry, among others."
...and paired with a TV too it's even better!
[url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bbU35ybA3Ow[/url]
[url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hWek4jmkYnQ[/url]
Apple seem to prefer very high profits from a relatively small share of the market, rather than low margins on mass market products.
"Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, the N95 8GB can, for short periods, replace phone, camera, camcorder, music player, navigation device, laptop, games console and Blackberry, among others."
...and paired with a TV too it's even better!
[url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bbU35ybA3Ow[/url]
[url]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hWek4jmkYnQ[/url]
Sergey Zak
Comment: Those are quite fair judgements by you, gentlemen.
Let's now consider how fast it took Apple to create a real contender for the 1st place in the smartphone arena.
Nokia was there 10 or more years or what?
Why did not think of usability real seriously :con?
Let's now consider how fast it took Apple to create a real contender for the 1st place in the smartphone arena.
Nokia was there 10 or more years or what?
Why did not think of usability real seriously :con?
mattrad
Comment: (not intending to troll or start a flame war BTW)
I've been using S60 since the 7560, but I'm still toying with getting an iPhone rather than an N95. Why? Well in most regards the N95 easily outclasses the iPhone, but not in terms of:
* being an iPod - the N95 isn't, and nor does it interact quite so cleanly with iTunes
* being a read/write web device. In my next <ahem> internet communicator, I want to be able to interact with the web, do my banking etc. and generally have more of a desktop experience. From all the reviews I can see, the N95 is a great web browser, but only if you're not looking to fully interact with web sites when mobile. If this is wrong and you can, for example, bank successfully using the N95 browser, please clue me in.
Cheers
Matt
I've been using S60 since the 7560, but I'm still toying with getting an iPhone rather than an N95. Why? Well in most regards the N95 easily outclasses the iPhone, but not in terms of:
* being an iPod - the N95 isn't, and nor does it interact quite so cleanly with iTunes
* being a read/write web device. In my next <ahem> internet communicator, I want to be able to interact with the web, do my banking etc. and generally have more of a desktop experience. From all the reviews I can see, the N95 is a great web browser, but only if you're not looking to fully interact with web sites when mobile. If this is wrong and you can, for example, bank successfully using the N95 browser, please clue me in.
Cheers
Matt
Ratkat
Comment: Matt
On my N95 I can logon to my HSBC bank account and make payments, transfer money etc etc with no problems.
Funnily enough the Nokia Web Browser is based on Apples Safari browser, but unlike the iPhone the Nokia browser also has limited flash support.
The N95 does give reasonable performance as a music player, but as you say it isn't an 'iPod', personally I prefer to have a seperate iPod anyway so I will get a iPod Touch instead of an iPhone.
On my N95 I can logon to my HSBC bank account and make payments, transfer money etc etc with no problems.
Funnily enough the Nokia Web Browser is based on Apples Safari browser, but unlike the iPhone the Nokia browser also has limited flash support.
The N95 does give reasonable performance as a music player, but as you say it isn't an 'iPod', personally I prefer to have a seperate iPod anyway so I will get a iPod Touch instead of an iPhone.
Tzer2
Comment: I've just realised what Steve's article photo reminds me of:
[url]http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/images/news/iphonenokia958gbtiny.jpg[/url]
[url]http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GTF7T3ZPL._AA280_.jpg[/url]
Which phone is which villain? :-)
[url]http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/images/news/iphonenokia958gbtiny.jpg[/url]
[url]http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GTF7T3ZPL._AA280_.jpg[/url]
Which phone is which villain? :-)
Guess Who
Comment: Music is very slick on the N95? Well, the Music Player is a p.o.s., there's no even gapless playback.
slitchfield
Comment: @mattrad: Yep, S60 Web is fine for online banking. Never had a problem, other than with screen size and having to scroll a lot. That's why I now have the E90... [smirk] 8-)
Tzer2
Comment: "Music is very slick on the N95? Well, the Music Player is a p.o.s., there's no even gapless playback."
Steady on now, apart from gapless playback there's not really any major problems with the N95's music player.
I don't think most people would notice gapless playback anyway, the vast majority of music tracks are mixed to end with some silence anyway. The N95 just extends that silence by a second or so.
Steady on now, apart from gapless playback there's not really any major problems with the N95's music player.
I don't think most people would notice gapless playback anyway, the vast majority of music tracks are mixed to end with some silence anyway. The N95 just extends that silence by a second or so.
jah
Comment: @Matt
the iPhone is an internet tablet without 3G or 3.5G! How can Apple claim this?
the iPhone is an internet tablet without 3G or 3.5G! How can Apple claim this?
Sam Stokes
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mattrad
Comment: at Ratkat
Yeah I know both browsers are Webkit-based, didn't know the N95's had limited flash, so thanks for that and the heads up that it's usable with HSBC.
I just find the iPod integration with iTunes to be seamless, and haven't had the same experience with Nokia Media Transfer, though I'm sure it will only improve.
I should probably just hold off on any new purchases for the next 4-5 years until the "perfect" solution comes along ;)
Yeah I know both browsers are Webkit-based, didn't know the N95's had limited flash, so thanks for that and the heads up that it's usable with HSBC.
I just find the iPod integration with iTunes to be seamless, and haven't had the same experience with Nokia Media Transfer, though I'm sure it will only improve.
I should probably just hold off on any new purchases for the next 4-5 years until the "perfect" solution comes along ;)
Guess Who
Comment: "don't think most people would notice gapless playback anyway, the vast majority of music tracks are mixed to end with some silence anyway. The N95 just extends that silence by a second or so."
I don't care that morons wouldn't notice it because they listen to some top ten crap in shuffle mode. Gapless playback is a basic function for a music player.
I don't care that morons wouldn't notice it because they listen to some top ten crap in shuffle mode. Gapless playback is a basic function for a music player.
Unregistered
Comment: I think one thing nokia needs to up pretty soon is the screen resolution (QVGA on 2.8" screen is lame) and the processor speed. Processor speed even more so than any thing else. I like browsing on an iphone because of the much faster browser (and the resolution helps). There is some thing totally intutive about the apple webbrowser alone that, i prefer it to my N80ie and N800 (even with a higher resolution?). That part really baffles me! And those nokia things have some huge learning curve. I unlocked an iphone (using the free thing with 20 different steps) and still have problem changing profiles on different nokia phones (say N93i vs N80ie) ... Nokia simply needs to get it's sh*t together and put some order!
MLP
Comment: Apple has deliberately left out Flash support in favor of the MPEG H.264 format. Both Goolge and YouTube have started to migrate their videos to the H.264 format (apparently the move was prompted by Apple). This is a major setback for Adobe.
For the matter, anything outside of JavaScript and even Apple's own QuickTime that requires a browser plugin will likely not work in iPhone. That includes Adobe Flash and Shockwave, Windows Media and Real embedded and streaming audio and video, any client side Java applets, and SVG. Apparently, Apple appears disinterested in ever suppling support for Flash, Java, and proprietary audio and video formats.
For the matter, anything outside of JavaScript and even Apple's own QuickTime that requires a browser plugin will likely not work in iPhone. That includes Adobe Flash and Shockwave, Windows Media and Real embedded and streaming audio and video, any client side Java applets, and SVG. Apparently, Apple appears disinterested in ever suppling support for Flash, Java, and proprietary audio and video formats.
ratza
Comment: [quote]I don't care that morons wouldn't notice it because they listen to some top ten crap in shuffle mode. Gapless playback is a basic function for a music player.[/quote]
I tend to agree on this one with Guess Who. It's not a problem when listening to normal albums, but if you want to listen a live concert it doesn't sound pretty good with pauses between tracks.
I tend to agree on this one with Guess Who. It's not a problem when listening to normal albums, but if you want to listen a live concert it doesn't sound pretty good with pauses between tracks.
puterman
Comment: It's not just the gapless playback, the music player just isn't very good. Like most other S60 apps, I believe it was "designed" and built by engineers who just lack the competence for designing user interfaces. Because of this, the music library is so hard to use that I just don't use it. Some things you can get used to, but this music player is crap.
(And I guess I should point out that I'm a long-time S60 user and not particularly enthusiastic about the iPhone.)
(And I guess I should point out that I'm a long-time S60 user and not particularly enthusiastic about the iPhone.)
slitchfield
Comment: >>and still have problem changing profiles on different nokia phones (say N93i vs N80ie)
Err...... just press the power button. Takes half a second. Seems easy enough to me.
Err...... just press the power button. Takes half a second. Seems easy enough to me.
Ratkat
Comment: On Gapless Playback
I agree that it should be in all music players, but I will point out that it is only in the last 12 months that the iTunes/iPod has supported it.
On Flash v H.264
You are talking about two different things really. S60 Browser has limited support for Flash, for example basic flash animations in webpages, not Flash Video as in YouTube etc.
I agree that it should be in all music players, but I will point out that it is only in the last 12 months that the iTunes/iPod has supported it.
On Flash v H.264
You are talking about two different things really. S60 Browser has limited support for Flash, for example basic flash animations in webpages, not Flash Video as in YouTube etc.
PaulyLaw
Comment: The thing I dont get is the long contract tie-in with the iphone, 18 months in the UK, 24 months in the US.
Technology is moving a such a pace that I cant help but wonder if iphone users delighting in having the newest thing right now wont be a little sick of it 12 months from now, when the novelty of the "pinch" has faded and they realise they still have months and months to go before they can upgrade to the new 25 Megapixel, mind reading, tea making iNokiaSE phone that has just come out.
Still I could be wrong, after all I always doubted the hype that video calling on 3G would change the way we use our phones and look how wrong I was there .. Ooops .. no, thats right, it bombed didnt it. Oh well ;-)
Technology is moving a such a pace that I cant help but wonder if iphone users delighting in having the newest thing right now wont be a little sick of it 12 months from now, when the novelty of the "pinch" has faded and they realise they still have months and months to go before they can upgrade to the new 25 Megapixel, mind reading, tea making iNokiaSE phone that has just come out.
Still I could be wrong, after all I always doubted the hype that video calling on 3G would change the way we use our phones and look how wrong I was there .. Ooops .. no, thats right, it bombed didnt it. Oh well ;-)
MLP
Comment: The way I see it, Nokia really has to catch up in the OS domain in order to compete with Apple. Nokia (as well as SE) is very strong in the hardware side but its software and integration are weak. Symbian, unlike OSX, is not a full computing environment. Nokia has to develop S60 to make symbian a complete platform for smartphones. In this regards, OSX can do more than what Symbian and S60 can provide. Thus, Nokia has to rethink of their software strategy or perhaps consider to use Linux to develop future smartphones. I think if N95 features can be provided for the N800 Internet Tablet, then a good new generation of Nokia smartphones can be realised.
Apple has raised the bar for future smartphone development and it seems to me that future smartphones will be based on touchscreen technology. Conventional keypad will continue to be used for the mass market phones.
Apple has raised the bar for future smartphone development and it seems to me that future smartphones will be based on touchscreen technology. Conventional keypad will continue to be used for the mass market phones.
puterman
Comment: MLP: I'd say OS X has a lot of catching up to do in the OS department, but I guess I don't quite understand what you're getting at. What you're saying is quite vague. Why isn't S60 a "full computing environment"?
I'd say Symbian/S60 is better than OS X in many ways. It obviously supports more hardware, and it doesn't seem to require as much memory and CPU power as OS X. I absolutely agree that OS X is way ahead in the UI department, of course.
I'd say Symbian/S60 is better than OS X in many ways. It obviously supports more hardware, and it doesn't seem to require as much memory and CPU power as OS X. I absolutely agree that OS X is way ahead in the UI department, of course.
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