So far with my Nokia N95 — I am sure glad I don’t have an iPhone!
Really.
I had a few issues with the phone at first. Some battery drain that bothered me, but I figured that out quick enough. User error. Turns out it is so easy to run multiple applications, and the unit has so much RAM to swap between them, I was just leaving a bunch of apps running all the time. Some of them (like a fully functional multi-protocol IM (slick) client that not just runs on the N95 but really any other modern phone that supports Java — But not the iPhone!) are Java, and not as nice on the system with this constant polling in the inet connection. Simple answer was to only run applications when I am using them. That’s what I get for using the device like a computer.
The apps out for it are multiple, mature, and easy to find. No complaints there at all. Built in GPS works great, and the turn by turn navigation is really easy to use. Screen is great, and the button access is good as well. I really don’t care for touch screens at all, and would never had considered the device it it had one.
Its also fun to have a good camera in a phone, complete with Geotagging. Video recording is not bad either. Both upload quick and easy to online services right from the device with no fuss.
And really, I am really impressed with how much I can do on the phone without turning to the computer. Like my iPod, I loaded it with content about a year ago, and have not put it in the computer from then on. Its sort of a pain, as I leave it in the car most of the time. So, podcasts on it is pretty much out. On the phone however, I can have it pull down the podcasts for me and delete them after I am done. (It always bothered me on the iPod that I could not manage the songs and play lists from the device. It should at least let me delete music.)
I think over all, what makes this stand out for me is this phone is not a consumer device like the iPhone. Its a tech device, a geeks device. I can see this phone would never work for a lot of people. Its UI is not as pretty as the iPhones, but at the same time I think in an effort to be pretty the iPhone’s UI limits its range by getting in the way of function.
Other cool thing is that the N75 I got for free and the N810 I use all the time too all share chargers with the N95. While I do wish you could just charge via USB, this is pretty cool as I can take care off all the devices with the same charger.
So, as much fun as it is to watch the web rumble on about the new iPhone and its pros and cons, I can’t help but laugh as Apple plays catch up.
Having this range of function in your pocket is just amazing.
(Oh yeah, and I have this amazing function called MMS. Or as some call it, picture messaging. I guess a number of free cell phones have this feature as well. Hopefully some day soon the iPhone might integrate this advanced feature.)
