The better iPhone: Nokia N95?

June 3, 2007 By

Mauricio Idarraga at Puremobile.com sent me a Nokia N95. He wrote in the letter that came with the phone:

My name is Mauricio Idarraga and I am the Ecommerce Manager at PureMobile. I read your blog almost every day, that’s how I found out that you wanted an N95.

We don’t expect anything in return, but if you could tell your friends we sent it to you, that would be really cool.

I’m in love already. No, not with Mauricio. Heheh. Of course PureMobile is now going to get all my cell phone business. But rather, I’m in love with the Nokia N95. The camera on this phone is unbelieveable. As soon as I get my Flickr account back up I’ll show you some pictures. It has a 5 megapixel camera in it. The picture quality is stunning.

It also has GPS. It also has 3G and all the other bands you’d want so you can travel the world with this phone. It’s also unlocked so you can use it with your favorite carrier.

Translation: it’s going to be lots of fun to compare this to the iPhone. We all know the iPhone will sell just cause it’s cool, but this phone will match up pretty darn well. More on that after I get an iPhone.

I just wanted to tell all my friends where I got the phone and that I love this phone.

Thank you Mauricio and appreciate the phone very much and have just shown it to a bunch of CEOs and VCs and they are all in awe and want to know where to buy one.

Keep in mind that this is a very expensive phone at about $750. But I know tons of people who are about to buy an Apple iPhone for $500 or $600. They really should check this phone out before buying an iPhone.

Anyway, it’s going to be fun to compare the Nokia N95 to the Apple iPhone in a video review. The iPhone only has a 2 megapixel camera, the Nokia has 5. The iPhone doesn’t have 3G. Doesn’t have GPS. Doesn’t have a regular keyboard that you can use without looking at it.

On the other hand, Apple’s software is better and sexier. And the Nokia doesn’t have the cool factor of the iPhone. The better product doesn’t always win in the marketplace unfortunately.

Hope you’re having a great weekend. I’m off to have BBQ with Shel Israel…

Oh, and if you want to buy a Nokia N95, I can’t think of a better place to do that then PureMobile.

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  • http://www.devicescape.com/ John

    Don, I think you’re out of luck for the moment. The 3G network that Cingular/AT&T installed doesn’t use the same frequency that the rest of the world uses for UMTS, and the N95 currently only supports the standard frequency, not the US-specific one. Mine worked fine all over Europe, but has never managed to get onto a 3G network here in the US.

    There is a rumour that there will be a version of the N95 that does support the AT&T special UMTS frequency, but I don’t know how reliable that is, nor was there a timeframe associated with it.

    Since there’s no chance of the standard frequency being available in the US, I’m just hoping that the radio in the N95 is software upgradeable to support the US frequency when they have that working!

  • http://www.devicescape.com/ John

    Don, I think you’re out of luck for the moment. The 3G network that Cingular/AT&T installed doesn’t use the same frequency that the rest of the world uses for UMTS, and the N95 currently only supports the standard frequency, not the US-specific one. Mine worked fine all over Europe, but has never managed to get onto a 3G network here in the US.

    There is a rumour that there will be a version of the N95 that does support the AT&T special UMTS frequency, but I don’t know how reliable that is, nor was there a timeframe associated with it.

    Since there’s no chance of the standard frequency being available in the US, I’m just hoping that the radio in the N95 is software upgradeable to support the US frequency when they have that working!

  • delvee

    Don,

    Sorry to hear that. I think John’s point is correct. We now need to get real world phone iPhoneWorld (My Trademark now on :) or N100 which works well regardless the region the phone is used.

    Any early experience sites on web about iPhone?

    BR,
    DV

  • delvee

    Don,

    Sorry to hear that. I think John’s point is correct. We now need to get real world phone iPhoneWorld (My Trademark now on :) or N100 which works well regardless the region the phone is used.

    Any early experience sites on web about iPhone?

    BR,
    DV

  • http://www.google.com/ Johnny Hill

    The Nokia n95 is such a good phone. I recently had trouble with using the GPS Navigation. However it turned out that i, 1. needed to be in a “3 mobile area” and 2. Needed to leave the phone on my dash for a few minutes before moving. This phone has so many features. I dont think the apple iphone will be as good. It might look cool, and have some great marketing, but apple have never made a mobile phone before, and i dont think they will get it right first time. Plus the specs show the nokia n95 would kick its a$$ anyway. I recommend the n95 to all.

  • http://www.google.com Johnny Hill

    The Nokia n95 is such a good phone. I recently had trouble with using the GPS Navigation. However it turned out that i, 1. needed to be in a “3 mobile area” and 2. Needed to leave the phone on my dash for a few minutes before moving. This phone has so many features. I dont think the apple iphone will be as good. It might look cool, and have some great marketing, but apple have never made a mobile phone before, and i dont think they will get it right first time. Plus the specs show the nokia n95 would kick its a$$ anyway. I recommend the n95 to all.

  • http://homepage.mac.com/rosscline/home Ross

    Give me a break. You can actually comare the iPhone to the Nokia? This just seems stupid. Regardless of another phone having 3G or this or that you seem to be forgetting something so basic and truely human. USING IT. Why do you think the iPod has the weight it does? Because FINALLY a device Humans can actually use! A device that actually makes sence. After just looking at the Nokia, and having Nokia’s all my life, and considering what a kick in the balls using their interface is. Please cut the crap. iPhone has been onsale and already kicks ass in every way that matters. These wayse being that people can actually use it. These are the things that matter. Having 3G is nice but if using it sucks it isn’t worth crap.

  • http://homepage.mac.com/rosscline/home Ross

    Give me a break. You can actually comare the iPhone to the Nokia? This just seems stupid. Regardless of another phone having 3G or this or that you seem to be forgetting something so basic and truely human. USING IT. Why do you think the iPod has the weight it does? Because FINALLY a device Humans can actually use! A device that actually makes sence. After just looking at the Nokia, and having Nokia’s all my life, and considering what a kick in the balls using their interface is. Please cut the crap. iPhone has been onsale and already kicks ass in every way that matters. These wayse being that people can actually use it. These are the things that matter. Having 3G is nice but if using it sucks it isn’t worth crap.

  • nag

    hiii,i bought a nokia n95 with all options in italy now i want to change that to english,what i have to do know to get options in english

  • nag

    hiii,i bought a nokia n95 with all options in italy now i want to change that to english,what i have to do know to get options in english

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  • Christian Orderud

    For those who want a qwerty-keyboard for the Nokia N95(or other S60-smartphones), Nokia sells a colapsable wireless qwerty-keyboard of a size that compares to the size of most laptop keyboards.

    Review here:
    http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=1489

  • Christian Orderud

    For those who want a qwerty-keyboard for the Nokia N95(or other S60-smartphones), Nokia sells a colapsable wireless qwerty-keyboard of a size that compares to the size of most laptop keyboards.

    Review here:
    http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=1489

  • Pingback: iPhone vs Nokia N95 | LucaFiligheddu.com

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  • http://web-strategist.com/blog Jeremiah Owyang

    Robert

    Who is your carrier for your N95 (Charlene just gave me one) and do you recommend them?

    You could respond on Twitter too

    http://twitter.com/jowyang/statuses/424416772

  • http://web-strategist.com/blog Jeremiah Owyang

    Robert

    Who is your carrier for your N95 (Charlene just gave me one) and do you recommend them?

    You could respond on Twitter too

    http://twitter.com/jowyang/statuses/424416772

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    I’m on AT&T with the 3G network. It works. Not sure it’s the best. But I have one bill with all my iPhones (three in the family right now) and my Nokia so it makes things easier.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    I’m on AT&T with the 3G network. It works. Not sure it’s the best. But I have one bill with all my iPhones (three in the family right now) and my Nokia so it makes things easier.

  • http://web-strategist.com/blog Jeremiah Owyang

    Thanks bud

  • http://web-strategist.com/blog Jeremiah Owyang

    Thanks bud

  • Kevin

    So, I’m back after nearly 6 months (Post 50 refers).
    The iPhone is out and available – I Like Apple products, but I’m just not interested.
    N95 wins hands down.
    I’ve heard too many features I’m now used to being unavailable in the iPhone.

  • Kevin

    So, I’m back after nearly 6 months (Post 50 refers).
    The iPhone is out and available – I Like Apple products, but I’m just not interested.
    N95 wins hands down.
    I’ve heard too many features I’m now used to being unavailable in the iPhone.

  • eMax

    Hahahahaha:

    “Your defence of the iPhone is ridiculous and fallacious. Firstly, you compare the phone to a BlackBerry Pearl, which is a second-rate mobile device. Even more second-rate than your ability to effectively argue your case for the iPhone.
    When you compare the phone to a Nokia enterprise mobile device, the iPhone is little more than a fashion accessory for every spoilt middle class twit, which is why Paris Hilton uses one. The Apple iPhone is all about the interface, just as Paris is all about the interface, and both lack what it takes to perform necessary office procedures. The Apple iPhone cannot even create and edit documents let alone support 3rd party applications like games or say an integrated library system.
    Secondly, you resort to rhetoric – i.e. intellectual cowardice – to dismiss the function of multiple SMS (for poker players and teenagers, apparently). If you want to generalise the demographics of mobile device users, look no further than your own applause for YouTube integration on the iPhone. YouTube is saturated with videos BY f—wits FOR f—wits. And while iTunes is a great database application, the iTunes Store is for imbeciles who “choose” to listen to what the store “chooses” to make available – it’s little more than socialised mediocrity. That countless idiotic schoolboys and sociopaths often argue that people only critique the phone if they can’t afford it, shows that despite your “…since I’m not 16…” argument is simply futile because, well, shall we say you’re in “good” company.
    Indeed, the iPhone is very user-friendly (if Paris can use one, I’m not in the least bit surprised your 3 year old can engage with the phone to some extent) but perhaps this is because Apple think Apple consumers are incapable of reading manuals. Perhaps it is because Apple think Apple consumers are too busy enjoying their inane videos on YouTube to care to read at all.
    Gmail, Google Maps, the internet and assorted applications work effortlessly on my mobile device. Anyone who bought the hype surrounding the Apple iPhone only demonstrates their own limited experience with smartphones and PDAs. I suggest you replace your Apple iPhone with a textbook showing you how to identify media hype and the discourse of marketing.”

  • eMax

    Hahahahaha:

    “Your defence of the iPhone is ridiculous and fallacious. Firstly, you compare the phone to a BlackBerry Pearl, which is a second-rate mobile device. Even more second-rate than your ability to effectively argue your case for the iPhone.
    When you compare the phone to a Nokia enterprise mobile device, the iPhone is little more than a fashion accessory for every spoilt middle class twit, which is why Paris Hilton uses one. The Apple iPhone is all about the interface, just as Paris is all about the interface, and both lack what it takes to perform necessary office procedures. The Apple iPhone cannot even create and edit documents let alone support 3rd party applications like games or say an integrated library system.
    Secondly, you resort to rhetoric – i.e. intellectual cowardice – to dismiss the function of multiple SMS (for poker players and teenagers, apparently). If you want to generalise the demographics of mobile device users, look no further than your own applause for YouTube integration on the iPhone. YouTube is saturated with videos BY f—wits FOR f—wits. And while iTunes is a great database application, the iTunes Store is for imbeciles who “choose” to listen to what the store “chooses” to make available – it’s little more than socialised mediocrity. That countless idiotic schoolboys and sociopaths often argue that people only critique the phone if they can’t afford it, shows that despite your “…since I’m not 16…” argument is simply futile because, well, shall we say you’re in “good” company.
    Indeed, the iPhone is very user-friendly (if Paris can use one, I’m not in the least bit surprised your 3 year old can engage with the phone to some extent) but perhaps this is because Apple think Apple consumers are incapable of reading manuals. Perhaps it is because Apple think Apple consumers are too busy enjoying their inane videos on YouTube to care to read at all.
    Gmail, Google Maps, the internet and assorted applications work effortlessly on my mobile device. Anyone who bought the hype surrounding the Apple iPhone only demonstrates their own limited experience with smartphones and PDAs. I suggest you replace your Apple iPhone with a textbook showing you how to identify media hype and the discourse of marketing.”

  • http://mobilezzone.blogspot.com/ minamito
  • http://mobilezzone.blogspot.com minamito

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  • 001101

    “Call me crazy, or wrong, or just plain stupid.”

    How about all of the above?

  • 001101

    “Call me crazy, or wrong, or just plain stupid.”

    How about all of the above?

  • venkat2009

    In My Point Of view Nokia N95 Model Mobile Is better than the I-Phone.I am Using the Mobile Since 6 months..Nice Mobile easily I was Unlocked It..So Nokia Mobile is Better.

  • venkat2009

    In My Point Of view Nokia N95 Model Mobile Is better than the I-Phone.I am Using the Mobile Since 6 months..Nice Mobile easily I was Unlocked It..So Nokia Mobile is Better.

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