It's no doubt that the Nokia N95 8gb is a very good looking phone. The sleek black finish I think is a lot better looking than the silver face on the original N95.But this post won't be about the looks of the phone, instead it is about some of the physical aspects. Since I'm a huge fan of the Nokia N82 you will see some comparisons with the N95-4.
Large Screen & Bright DisplayThe 2.8" inch screen is one of the best looking screens I've seen as on a mobile phone as far as clarity and size. Everything is so much more enhanced when viewing media and its so much easier on the eyes. Browsing the web on the large screen with blazing 3g speeds has been spectacular, making me feel like I have a laptop with me. Reading emails and text messages is also a breeze especially with the bright screen of the N95-4. Compared to the Nokia N82 this screen is at least twice as bright. Watching movies, Youtube videos, recording video is all so much more enjoyable.
Getting directions and viewing maps looks great especially using Google Maps which is the application I prefer. It's so much easier to take a quick glance at the huge screen when driving around just to make sure your going the right way or checking the traffic conditions.
Just because of the larger and brighter screen, I think the Nokia N95 8gb is better for consuming media than the N82. The louder volume levels which I will talk about next also make the N95 8GB perfect for consuming media. I would rather do all of the above on the N95 8gb. Don't get me wrong the N82 is great for doing those tasks as well, but the N95 8gb takes the cake.
Sound Quality & VolumeOh man.Remember those old Motorola Nextels that are louder than crap and super annoying everytime someone gets a chirp? Well the N95 8gb's speakerphone is almost that loud. I am so suprised at how much louder this thing is than any other Nseries phone and I hope that all other Nseries phones from here on out are this loud. Prior to this phone being released, I thought the N73's speakerphone was the loudest in the Nseries. Next is the N95 classic and then the N82. But the N95 8gb now the leader in terms of speaker sound and volume. I am comfortable leaving my N95 8gb in a cupholder and activating the speakerphone while talking. Its loud enough to hear the caller even if my windows are down. With any other phone I have to hold it closer to my face to be able to hear clearly.
At the office once in awhile I like listening to the music player through the stereo speakers instead of headphones. If I put it louder than 40% that would be too loud. Listening at home I can put the volume at 70% and still hear it from the living room to the nearby bedroom with the door closed. There is no crackling but there is a lack of bass with higher volumes. Listening to music through headphones is on par with the Nokia N82. The sound actually is a bit more full on the N95-4 making it a slightly better experience. Needless to say the call quality is great just like on all Nseries phones. RF is wonderful the calls are crystal clear.
The ButtonsThe Nokia N95 has a great keypad with large buttons making long texts and emails a breeze. People with large fingers shouldn't have a problem with this phone at all. The multimedia and menu buttons are large and stick out slightly so you can feel whats what if your not looking. Most people will find that the N95's buttons are better than the tiny keys on the N82. For me pounding out short texts is easier and faster on the N82. The smaller keys are spaced out a lot more and make it hard to make a mistake. But for the long detailed messages the N95 is much more comfortable and won't wear out your fingers as fast.
The buttons on the side stick out a little too much for my taste. On the side of the phone is the camera button, along with multimedia and volume buttons. I'd rather have them flush with the rest of the phone to help prevent accidentally pushes much like the side buttons on the N82.
A Few OdditiesThere is one thing that I noticed is extremely odd with the keypad of the N95-4. The back lights that show through the keys are not white but instead are a light pink color. It's not really a huge deal but I wonder why Nokia would want such nice masculine phone with a pink back light. I'm not sure if they did it on purpose or not, maybe it's just a defect with this specific phone I have. I'll try and get a picture posted for you to see what I'm talking about. Also another minor flaw is the dust collection on this N95. Of course it's because of the all black color being prone to showing dust. I guess this will come with most black phones. You'll notice in a few photos in the slideshow at the top of the article a few of the images have lots of dust particles on them. It's not really noticeable unless you have your phone in the sunlight.
All of these aspects of the phone have surpassed the N82 in my opinion. I can't really say which keypad is better on either phone, just that the N82 is better for fast and short messages and the N95 is better for long messages without tiring out your fingers. Keep checking back for more parts of my review of the Nokia N95-4.
If you have any questions you'd like answered about the North American Nokia N95 8GB feel welcome to leave a comment below.
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