Possibly the most hyped mobile phone launch in the history of the device, Apple’s iPhone is available in the USA today. I’m eager to cast eyes on it myself but simultaneously can’t help but feel a huge pang of disappointment. Will a touch screen keyboard REALLY work? I want to whip my phone out and send a text quickly – I can’t imagine any touchscreen being so fast as to deliver the rapid-fire texting of my favourite Nokia hardware keys. The camera seems a huge letdown too – with cheap basic phones such as the superb Nokia N73 delivering such wonderful photos for both web AND print the iPhone’s device looks poor in comparison.
One of my most major gripes however is the lack of 3G in the iPhone for European markets. I am almost convinced the Apple will in fact implement this. I was expecting Apple to in fact chuck in the 3.5G spec that is now becomming almost standard in high end phones such as the Nokia N95. This is a big oversight from Apple. Not satnav either? Not a huge issue but it would have been a nice touch and would have placed the iPhone in direct competition with the best smartphone on the block, the Nokia N95.
Perhaps I’m being a little unfair but of late Apple’s products have failed to inspire me the way they used to. Look at the rollout of their MacBook Pro line for example – offerring very little in the way of technological differences from the cheaper and much more attractive and portable MacBook line I failed to be convinced enough to part with my cheaper MacBook. Where’s a new sexy casing for the MacBook Pro line? Come on Apple!
I think if Apple had addressed the following they’d have a winner – 3.2 Megapixel camera with Zeiss optics and autofocus. 3.5G for all markets. Built in MSN messenger or ‘general’ IM Client. Memory card option. But I’ll have to wait and see – perhaps the sheer draw of owning an Apple mobile phone will be too much for even this hardened cynic!
Recently I did spend some time with the Nokia N95 and was almost convinced I’d not be able to part with it as I had only seven days to examine it and take it back to the O2 shop on Oxford Street for a full refund and cancellation of my new contract.
I currently own a Nokia N73. It’s a brilliant phone. The screen resolution / display plays a major factor in influencing how I feel about the device. As does the camera which is the best I’ve used on any mobile phone – the images are beautiful and always draw ‘wows’ from people who view print outs of pictures taken with the N73.
I thought to myself, ‘Surely the N95 will be like the N73 only better with more features, faster browsing, a better and bigger screen and camera…’
Alas no. I returned the Nokia N95 yesterday and felt disappointed with it. How can Nokia get things so wrong?!
The main problem with the N95 is the screen. It has a poor resolution and I’m baffled as to why Nokia chose to do this. On my N73 I can view ten email headers at any one time on the screen – the font sizing and choice of only one line per email enables me to do this. On the N95 I could view only four! There is no way on the N95 to choose only ‘one line per message’. Useless.
Again this affects any menu item using font sizing on the N95. Calender entries seem massive and the active standby screen looks childlike in comparison to the Nokia N73.
I’m baffled by Nokia sometimes and wonder if they’ll ever succeed in marrying function with form. I look forward to the N95 successor.
