Nokia N97

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Nokia N97
Nokian97.png
A Nokia N97 revealing its slide-out landscape keyboard
Manufacturer Nokia
Series Nseries
Compatible networks HSDPA (3.5G), Quad band GSM / GPRS / EDGE GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900
Availability by region9 June 2009
Predecessor Nokia N96
Nokia N79 (for N97 Mini)
Nokia 8600 Luna
Nokia E90 Communicator
Successor Nokia N8
Nokia C6-00 (for N97 Mini)
Nokia N900
Nokia E7-00
Nokia 808 PureView
Nokia Lumia 920/1020
Related Nokia N86 8MP
Nokia N79
Form factor Tilt slider
Dimensions117.2 × 55.3 × 15.9* mm
*18.25 mm at camera area for original (113 x 52.5 x 14.2 mm for mini)
Weight150 g for original (138 g for mini)
Operating system Symbian 9.4 with Nokia S60 Fifth Edition UI. Current firmware 22.0.110 (RM-505) / 22.1.112 (RM-506) / 22.2.110 (RM-507) / 12.0.110 (N97 mini)
CPU Single CPU, 434 MHz ARM11
Memory128 MB SDRAM
Storage32 GB on-board (about 29.8 GB user available) for original, (8 GB for mini)
Removable storage microSD 16 GB max (16 GB Max MicroSDHC available in 2009)
BatteryBP-4L (1500 mAh, Li-polymer) for original, (BL-4D 3.7 V 1200 mAh for mini)
Display640×360 px (16:9 aspect ratio), 3.5 in for original (3.2 in for mini), sliding tilt TFT LCD display, up to 16.7 million colours
Rear camera5.0 megapixels
f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens
Connectivity WLAN 802.11b/g, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0, TV-out  (PAL/NTSC), FM transmitter only for original
Data inputs QWERTY keyboard, resistive touchscreen, proximity and ambient light sensors, accelerometer, digital compass
Hearing aid compatibility M3 [1]

The Nokia N97 is a high-end smartphone introduced on 2 December 2008 by telecommunications manufacturer Nokia as part of its Nseries [2] [3] and released in June 2009 as the successor to the Nokia N96 phone. The N97 was Nokia's second S60-based touchscreen phone, after the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. [4] The device featured slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and ran on the Symbian v9.4 (Symbian^1/S60 5th Edition) operating system. Its design took cues from the Nokia N79. A smaller and lower-cost variant, the Nokia N97 mini, was later released. [5]

Contents

At the time, the phone was Nokia's flagship device [6] at a point where touchscreen devices were becoming increasingly prevalent, the N97 was highly anticipated. Despite respectable sales, in industry circles the phone was considered a hardware and software "disaster" that contributed to Nokia's decline. [7] In 2010, a Nokia executive called the N97 a "regrettable failure". [8] [9]

Release

The Nokia N97 was released in US flagship stores on 9 June 2009, [10] and worldwide on 26 June 2009. In September 2009, it was reported that some two million N97 handsets had been sold in the three months after its release. [11]

The N97 shipped with trial versions of Quick Office, Adobe Reader, Boingo, Joikuspot, Ovi Maps, and Ovi store software applications.[ citation needed ]

The device's initial software met a mixed reception, prompting the release of new firmware in October 2009. Nokia released the new firmware with kinetic scrolling for the N97 to address drawbacks in the initial firmware release.[ citation needed ]

In October 2009, the N97 Mini, a smaller version of the original N97, was introduced. The N97 Mini was regarded as an improvement over the original N97. [12] [13]

Operating times

Informal tests found that the N97's battery could hold a charge through nearly two days of the original N97's regular use. [14] Nokia claimed the following operating times:

Special applications

With the optional DVB-H Nokia Mobile TV receiver, SU-33W it became possible to watch television on the phone. This was compatible with Nokia's N-Gage platform, the only touchscreen with this capability at the time. [15] [16]

Reception

The N97 Nokia N97 - Closed.jpg
The N97

Criticism of the original N97 included its relative lack of RAM and available storage. With only 50MB of free RAM after boot, the phone could become sluggish and close applications to conserve memory. Many first-party applications would install only on the root partition and with around 50MB of free space, this was used quickly in competition with the needs of temporary OS files. The N97 Mini resolved this issue, often offering users over 250MB of free space in fixed storage. A memory mapping change from firmware version 20 enabled applications to use less RAM and to better disengage, which eased the strain of less free RAM to the end-user. [17]

Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's EVP of Markets admitted that quality control of the device's software was troublesome, saying "it has been a tremendous disappointment in terms of the experience quality for the consumers", though Vanjoki later claimed that the issue could be repaired by firmware updates. [18]

Steve Litchfield of "All About Symbian" wrote in a 2011 blog post: "The N97 really was the device that should have ruled the world - it had, almost literally, everything. And yet it became the one device that Nokia had to (literally) apologize for, publicly. The one device that became a millstone around its neck." [19]

Nokia acknowledged that on many units the covers and lenses were mounted too closely, resulting in scratches from dust and debris. [20] On later units, Nokia reportedly fixed this issue.

Other early adopters of the N97 encountered speed problems with the phone's built-in GPS lock. The phones lost track of their current locations, making Nokia's free turn-by-turn navigation software unusable. Users were offered under-warranty repairs for lens cover and GPS issues at official Nokia service centers.

Although Nokia phones traditionally had provided strong signal reception, the Nokia N97 fell short in this area, demonstrating poor signal strength, even when compared side by side to other phones connected to the same network.

The user interface of the S60 5th edition software platform, built on top of Symbian OS 9.4, was criticized by the TechRadar site as inconsistent, insofar as menu items required two taps to activate. [21] In 2010 Nokia apologized to customers who had experienced shortcomings with the N97 and its software.

Despite generally lukewarm reviews, the phone sold well. [22] However its marketing as an "iPhone killer" tarnished Nokia's smartphone reputation at the time. [23]

Nokia N97 Mini

The N97 Mini was a downsized version of the N97 introduced in October 2009. The N97 Mini reduced some features of the original N97, such as 8 GB of storage memory, 3.2-inch (81 mm) touchscreen, and a shorter battery life. [24] [25] It used the 2.0 Nokia N97 software by default. [26] The keypad was somewhat redesigned. The big D-pad on the left side was replaced by four arrow keys on the right side. There also was more space between each key, and keys were a bit higher, which offered better tactile sense when typing. [27] [28]

This table lists significant differences.

Original N97N97 mini
Device Size117.2 mm × 55.3 mm × 15.9 mm
4.61 in × 2.18 in × 0.63 in
113 mm × 52.5 mm × 14.2 mm
4.45 in × 2.07 in × 0.56 in
Volume88 cc (5.4 cu in)75 cc (4.6 cu in)
Weight150 g (5.3 oz)138 g (4.9 oz)
LCD size (640×360 px)3.5 inches (89 mm)3.2 inches (81 mm)
inbuilt mass Storage Memory32 GB8 GB
NAND Memory 256 MB (approx. 73 MB user available)512 MB (approx. 277 MB user available)
FM transmitter AvailableNot available
Battery modelBP-4L 3.7 V 1500 mAhBL-4D 3.7 V 1200 mAh
GSM Talk Time up to 9.5 hours7.1 hours
WCDMA Talk Time up to6.0 hours4.0 hours
GSM Standby Time up to18 days13 days
WCDMA Standby Time up to17 days13 days
Web Browser for S60 version after firmware updatelower than 7.37.3 [29]

A limited edition, the "N97 mini Raoul Limited Edition" was released in collaboration with fashion house FJ Benjamin and the Raoul brand. It also featured a Fashion Asia widget and became available in late October 2009 in Malaysia and Singapore. [30]

Reception

The user interface of the S60 5th edition software platform, built on top of Symbian OS 9.4, was criticized by the TechRadar site as being inconsistent, insofar as menu items required two taps to be activated. [21]

When compared to the original N97, the cheaper N97 mini was regarded in reviews as an improvement, especially its keyboard. [12] [13]

Successor

There are three phones considered as successors to the N97. Firstly is the N8, as it became the new multimedia flagship for 2010. Also is the C6, which had a similar sliding-out QWERTY keyboard - however since the C6 uses the same specifications, the Maemo-powered N900, also featuring the keyboard, yet considerably better specifications have been considered the successor.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S60 (software platform)</span> Smartphone software platform

The S60 Platform was a software platform for smartphones that runs on top of the Symbian operating system. It was created by Nokia based on the 'Pearl' user interface from Symbian Ltd. It was introduced at COMDEX in November 2001 and first shipped with the Nokia 7650 smartphone. The platform has since seen 5 updated editions. Series 60 was renamed to S60 in November 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N70</span> Mobile phone model

The Nokia N70 is a 3G mobile phone from Nokia. It was announced as part of the Nokia's new line of multimedia smartphones, the Nseries, on 27 April 2005. It started shipping in September 2005. It runs on the S60 2nd Edition, Feature Pack 3 on Symbian v8.1 operating system. It was succeeded by the Nokia N73. The N70 was popular and sold well.

Nokia Browser for Symbian was the default web browser for the S60 and Symbian mobile phone platform. The browser is based on a port of Apple Inc.'s open-source WebCore and JavaScriptCore frameworks which form the WebKit rendering engine that Apple uses in its Safari Web browser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N80</span> 3G slider mobile phone released by Nokia in 2005

The Nokia N80 is a 3G mobile phone from Nokia announced on November 2, 2005, part of the multimedia Nseries line. It runs on Symbian OS v9.1 and the S60 3rd Edition interface. It was first released in June 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N79</span>

The Nokia N79 is a Symbian OS v9.3 mobile phone and a member of the Nokia Nseries multimedia smartphone family running on S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2. It was officially announced by Nokia on 26 August 2008. The N79 is an advanced device with a 5 megapixel camera, dual LED flash, and GPS, with many improvements over the Nokia N78. It retailed for 350 euros upon release in October 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N81</span> Mobile phone

The Nokia N81 is a Symbian OS mobile phone announced by Nokia on 29 August 2007 and released the next month. It runs S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N78</span> Mobile phone

The Nokia N78 is a 3G mobile phone made by Nokia. It was first introduced at the Mobile World Congress on 11 February 2008, and was launched on 26 May 2008 for €350 before taxes and subsidies. It runs on Symbian 9.3 and was marketed as a more cheaper Nseries device inside a compact, light body. The phone is compatible with the N-Gage 2.0 mobile gaming service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia E71</span> Mobile phone model

The Nokia E71 is a mobile phone introduced on 8 May 2008 from the Eseries range with a QWERTY keyboard targeting business users worldwide. It runs on Symbian OS v9.2, with a Series 60 3rd Edition, second generation Feature Pack 1. The Nokia E71 succeeded the Nokia E61/61i models, building on the base design and form factor but enhancing on the feature set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia 5800 XpressMusic</span> 2008 smartphone by Nokia

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is a smartphone part of the XpressMusic line, announced by Nokia on 2 October 2008 in London and started shipping in November of that year. Code-named "Tube", it was the first touchscreen-equipped S60 device by Nokia – essentially it was the first device to run Symbian^1, also known as S60 5th Edition, the touch-specific S60-based platform created by the Symbian Foundation. The touchscreen features tactile feedback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Ericsson Satio</span> Smartphone model

The Sony Ericsson Satio (U1) is a smartphone, announced by Sony Ericsson at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on 15 February 2009 as the Idou. It was released on 7 October 2009 in the UK in 3 colour schemes: Black, Silver and Bordeaux (Red).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N86 8MP</span> High-end mobile phone released in 2009

The Nokia N86 8MP is a high-end mobile phone with emphasis on the camera. It was announced on 17 February 2009 and released in May 2009 as part of the Nseries. It runs on Symbian OS 9.3 and shares similar design features with the N97. Its name references the camera's megapixel count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung i8910 Omnia HD</span> Smartphone model

Samsung GT-i8910 Omnia HD is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung Electronics, first announced at MWC 2009 on February 18, 2009. The device was the first phone capable of playing and recording 720p HD video. It runs on the S60 5th Edition (Symbian^1) platform, the only Samsung device to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia X6-00</span> Smartphone and portable entertainment device by Nokia

The Nokia X6 is a music-oriented capacitive touchscreen smartphone and portable entertainment device by Nokia. It was announced in early September 2009 during Nokia World 2009 in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symbian</span> Discontinued mobile operating system

Symbian was a mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones. It was originally developed as a proprietary software OS for personal digital assistants in 1998 by the Symbian Ltd. consortium. Symbian OS is a descendant of Psion's EPOC, and was released exclusively on ARM processors, although an unreleased x86 port existed. Symbian was used by many major mobile phone brands, like Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and above all by Nokia. It was also prevalent in Japan by brands including Fujitsu, Sharp and Mitsubishi. As a pioneer that established the smartphone industry, it was the most popular smartphone OS on a worldwide average until the end of 2010, at a time when smartphones were in limited use, when it was overtaken by iOS and Android. It was notably less popular in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia C6-00</span> Smartphone made by Nokia Corporation

The Nokia C6-00 is a smartphone and portable entertainment handheld cellular device by Finnish communications company Nokia, running the Symbian S60v5 operating system. It was announced on April 13, 2010. It is the third Nokia Symbian^1 smartphone featuring a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Its software and hardware specifications resemble the N97 mini in most ways. One of the differences is that the sliding in this phone is flat, unlike the upward angled in the N97 mini, hence allowing a four row QWERTY keypad, bringing a slightly enhanced typing experience to the table. The phone has a 5-megapixel camera, though unlike the N97 mini, it does not have Carl Zeiss optics. It also has a secondary camera in front for video calls. The Nokia C6-01 is the successor to the C6-00 featuring a major step-up with the new Symbian^3 operating system, Ovi Maps 3.0 and such but losing the QWERTY keyboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia N8</span> 2010 smartphone model manufactured by Nokia

The Nokia N8 is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Nokia. Announced on 27 April 2010, the Nokia N8 was the first device to run on the Symbian^3 mobile operating system and it was the company's flagship device for the year. It was released on 30 September 2010 at the Nokia Online Store before being released in markets around the world on 1 October 2010. There were two versions made, the N8 and the N8-00. The N8 was made for Vodafone and locked to its networks, and the N8-00 was made by Microsoft and open network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia 5250</span> Cell phone model

The Nokia 5250 is a budget Nokia resistive touchscreen smartphone running on Symbian v9.4 operating system with a S60 5th Edition user interface. Its price before tax and subsidies is €115. It was announced in August 2010. It was available in China, Eurasia, Europe, India, Latin America, Middle East, and South-East Asia and the Pacific Region. It is very small and compact. It comes preloaded with Guitar Hero Mobile series 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia E7-00</span> Cell phone model

The Nokia E7-00, also known as Nokia E7, is a business-oriented QWERTY smartphone by Nokia from the Nokia Eseries. It was announced at Nokia World in September 2010 together with the Nokia C6-01 and Nokia C7 and started shipping in February 2011. It is the second phone after the Nokia N8 to be running the Symbian^3 operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nokia Nseries</span> Discontinued series of high-end phones by Nokia

The Nokia Nseries was a high-end lineup of feature phones, smartphones, and tablets marketed by Nokia Corporation from 2005 to 2011. The Nseries devices commonly supported multiple high-speed wireless technologies at the time, such as 3G, or Wireless LAN. Digital multimedia services, such as music playback, photo/video capture or viewing, gaming or internet services were the central focus of the lineup. The lineup was replaced in 2011 by the Nokia Lumia line as the company's primary smartphone lineup.

Nokia's strategic nomenclature can be traced back in 2005 when the Nseries line was launched, offering devices with flagship specifications and premium hardware at various price points. These devices were considered the "bread and butter" of the company and were often positioned to showcase their latest technologies. Thanks to the newfound consumer and enterprise interest in smartphones at the time, the company introduced four additional collections to diversify their product portfolio and meet demands in most market segments. These new phone series were named Eseries, targeting small business and enterprise customers; Xseries, providing consumer-grade multimedia-focused devices; Cseries, which Nokia used to target both the low-end and mid-range market segments; and Tseries, for devices exclusive to the Chinese market.

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