Nokia N95

As most other reviews say, this is an excellent phone! However, most listings fail to mention which version is being sold - whether it is the original N95 (a.k.a. N95-1), or the newly released (Oct 2007) N95-3. (There is also the N95 8GB, which is can be clearly distinguished from the other two in that it has a black faceplate and larger screen). I won't even mention the "Nokla" ("enhanced", "touch-screen") knock-off.

To date, most N95s sold on eBay are the N95-1 model. This was originally released in Europe and Asia, and later sold in the USA, but without support for the U.S. specific 3G (UMTS/HSDPA over W-CDMA) frequencies. In other words, although it is a quad-band GSM phone (900/1800 and 850/1900 MHz), it supports only the 2100 MHz W-CDMA (3G) band used in Europe and Asia. Another couple of complaints with this original version is the short battery life and limited runtime memory (RAM), resulting in a sluggish application performance and/or out-of-memory errors.

On September 27th, Nokia released the N95-3 model in its flagship stores in New York and Chicago, and have since started selling this model online (http://www.nseries.com/) as well. This model increases the battery capacity from 900 to 1200 mAh (and adds some battery optimizations in software as well), increases RAM from 64 to 128 MB, and uses the 850/1900 MHz W-CDMA bands for use on AT&T's 3G network. (Because of the larger battery, though, the sliding cover for the camera lens had to be removed - this is the most visible change in its appearance). In addition, this new version supports the SDHC standard for TransFlash cards larger than 2GB (though adding support for this should be possible in the N95-1 too via a (fortcoming?) software update).

Also beware that most ads for the N95 say "US" or "North American" version, despite being the N95-1.

Aside from these differences, here are some pros and cons of the N95:

Pros:
- Large 2.6" QVGA screen makes it usable for simple web browsing and navigation
- Web browser (based on KHTML/Apple WebKit, same as Safari) supports "minimaps" - i.e. a thumbnail overview of the page/navigation.
- Connect to the internet over GSM (GPRS, EDGE), WCDMA (UTMS, HSDPA), or WiFi. Suppports both WEP, WPA/Personal, and WPA/802.1x encryption.
- Built-in GPS and Maps application (and Google Maps for the Symbian OS now supports GPS)
- Practically unlimited number of alarms, calendar events, etc (most other phones will allow a maximum of 2-5 alarms)
- All common bluetooth profiles (incl A2DP for stereo audio, DUN for internet access from a nearby computer, OBEX, FTP, etc. etc.)
- Good support for Mac OS X via Nokia Multimedia Transfer (for iTunes, iPhoto) and a downloadable iSync plugin.
- One of the best cameras in a mobile phone to date - see reviews at:
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Nokia-N95-Samsung-G600-and-Sony-Ericsson-K850-Camera-Comparison-review-r_1817.html
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_k850_vs_nokia_n95-review-162.php


Cons:
- Keys on keypad a bit too small/dense for comfortably typing without looking (not that you should be doing this while driving anyway.. :-)
- A little thick compared to its contemporaries (e.g. iPhone) - though I don't see how it could be any slimmer without sacrificing camera optics.
- Only available unlocked, i.e. not carrier subsidized.
- The removal of the lens cover in the N95-3 and N95 8GB models means the camera lens will absorb fingerprints, and worse, scratches.