N900 - First Impression
0 comments
It's simple. I love this phone. Now a day I'm not easily excited or impressed by a phone. Couple of years back, you had a game changing new model every four to six months. But now, I bought the Xperia X1 last Dec and I don't find any drastic improvements in the last year or so.
And to start with N900 wasn't even on my radar a couple of months back. I was too busy drooling over the HD2 and X10. Since both are about 6 months away (at least states side). I turned my attention to N900 and I'm so impressed. I feel how I did 4-5 years back having a smartphone which could browse web and check mails.
One word of advice though, actually a couple. Don't approach this phone as a phone. Think of it as an internet tablet with phone capability. Next, don't think it would replace your iPhone or an Android mobile feature for feature.
Put it this way,
1. You are never going to get 10,000 or so apps on this.
2. You don't get the eye candy or the capacitive touch screen
3. Nothing is laid out to you. No entering your gmail id and see the phone set it itself
4. It's no iPod. Not a multimedia device per say
But,
1. The resistive touch screen is not bad. In fact its one of the best I have used. Take my word for it, this wont be a deal breaker. Just don't expect iPhoneish response
2. I love the display. One of the few with 16M colors and it shows. It has a 480x800 display. And it has 4 'desktops'. Love making the 480x3200 wallpaper.
3. Love the Skype and IM integration. First time the phone rang, it took me 5 mins to realize it's through Skype.
4. The browser and the legendary flash support. It's good, it's amazing. But be aware its not v10, its still v9
5. The keyboard is good and feels good too. But need time to get used to the right aligned space bar
6. Its not iPhone. Thank God for it.
7. Phone looks solid and built quality is top notch.
8. Has 32GB and a micro sd slot.
Few other things to know,
1.
2. BT is almost unsuitable. The phone shuts off the speakers (this incl calls and alarm) while connected to the headset. You have to wear the head set all the time or expect to miss calls and meetings.
2a. The phone frequently disconnects the headset after a call and need to restart the headset to connect again.
3. Setting up the exchange server is pain in all the wrong places
3a. Google exchange is not supported
3b. Works fine with Nuevasync but wont sync mail more than 2 weeks. Get an server not responding message if you set to anything more than 2 weeks.
4. Full fledge Skype app is still not ready
5. Ovi store for N900 is not ready
6. N900 is not added to the Ovi services (like contacts, calendar and others)
7. Not very impressed by the Ovi map
8. Nokia messaging is nice but I would prefer a native idle IMAP support (to get push mail from IMAP servers)
8a. Nokia messaging is very slow. When you open it only the local folder show up. Even the already downloaded mail don't show up instantly. It take a about 5 secs to get everything going.
9. Do not use the facebook widget, it drains the battery like there is no tomorrow. Actually like there in no today evening
10. Though the app list would grow; its still has only about 50 or so apps.
11. No native google voice support
11. Phone can't be used in portrait mode. Except for the dialer. For me this is no issue. In fact I love it can work only in landscape.
Conclusion:
This phone has great potential, but a lot of quirks. These are both software and hardware. Example, why no capacitive screen? why no bigger battery, why no IDLE support? Why can't it sync mails through google's exchange server? why is the Nokia messaging so slow? why can't I sync more than 2 weeks of mails from nuevasync?
These might be answered in a software update and the next models (they have already announced that 2010 will see an upgrade) will be much more refined.
I have a feeling this phone is not for the masses but if you are a gadget junky and need a new fix now and again, you can't do nothing wrong with this phone. Get it with eyes closed.
Folks looking for an iPhone replacement, please keep searching. This one is not for you.
Links to the points above:
BT Issue:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?p=410218
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=35756
Exchange Issue:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=35136
Nokia messaging issue:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=35648