A Closer Look at the Nokia N97 Mini

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Nokia N97 mini

The Nokia N97 Mini is a highly rated, multifunctional and sleek mobile phone that has taken the mobile phone industry by storm. It comes with a QWERTY keypad with a tilting touch display and a customizable touchscreen packed with tons of text messaging and multimedia functions. It’s also, as the name would suggest, really small and so perfectly portable.

Design (5 out of 5)

Nokia N97 Mini

The Nokia N97 Mini is a compact smartphone with dimensions of 11.3 cm, 5.25 cm and 1.4 cm. It hides a compact QWERTY keyboard and reduces the weight of its predecessor by about 12 grams. The reduced size and weight does not mean any reduction in quality, as the phone feels more sturdily built thanks to its metal back cover that is a considerable upgrade from the plastic cover of the original Nokia N97.

The design elements look the same as that of the Nokia N97. The front has a singular menu button located under the screen, and beside it are touch sensitive buttons for Call and Cancel. On the left side of the device is a micro USB port plus a lock switch. On top are the power button while on the left side is the camera shutter and the volume toggler.

The display is about 3.2 inches diagonally with a 640 x 360 pixel resolution, which happens to be the regular size of touchscreen phones from Nokia. This is, however, a downgrade from the 3.5 inch screen of its predecessor. However, users will not be disappointed when reading text as there is no significant difference in pixel resolution from the original N97.

Features (3 out of 5)

Since this phone is a high end model, it is packed with features, including advanced connectivity options like HSDPA that results in lightning speed data transfer, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and A-GPS.

The phone utilizes the 5th edition of the Symbian S60 operating system that is specifically designed for use in touchscreen devices. This operating system is almost the same as those used in a typical S60 user interface. In some instances, using the touchscreen can be a hassle as tapping on the icons only highlights them, and then the user has to tap it again in order to select.

Other features worth mentioning include the live widgets, an internal storage of 8GB, and a micro SD slot capable of expansion. This is a downgrade from the 32 GB that is found on the N97 but this is not much of an issue since there is still the ability to slide in a high-memory micro SD card.

The phone also comes with a 5 megapixel camera which features an LED flash, essential for lighting up dark areas. However, there is no cover that protects the lens unlike its predecessor. The good thing about this is that it reduces the size of the phone significantly. The picture quality is also impressive, just like in the N97.

User Interface (5 out of 5)

Nokia N97 Mini

Nokia also incorporated adjustments to the keyboard with the N97 Mini, in effect accommodating the smaller chassis. The most prominent part is the lack of a directional pad located on the left side of the device. Instead the phone has four arrow keys found on the right side. This is not much of an issue unless the user is fond of playing games via the directional pad. Likewise, the keyboard has more space, thus the size of the keys is not compromised or made smaller. Likewise the layout is pretty much the same as that of the original N97, the space bar is also noticeably longer and has been relocated closer to the central part of the keypad.

Performance (4 out of 5)

Audio quality during calls is impressive, without background or ambient noise, using the Nokia N97 Mini. However, the phone is criticized for having inconsistencies in its user interface, although as a whole, the performance of the N97 Mini software is responsive. There are some third party applications which take up a lot of memory but there should be no slowdowns on the device while using the said apps.

Its battery is 1,200mAh, and it lasts for about 2 days with its live widgets switched off. But when the phone is left with real time updates on, its widgets and its push email activated, the phone needs recharging every day.

Verdict (5 out of 5)

The Nokia N97 Mini is a good upgrade in terms of form factor from the original N97. The software improvements are applicable to the predecessor through updates, but the N97 mini gets a lot of attention for its great looks. The N97 mini feels a lot lighter and smaller and should comfortably fit in pockets or handbags. The reduced width and use of lighter materials make this phone highly impressive in terms of design. The keyboard is also a major upgrade from its predecessor, and users should have an easy time inputting their messages on this phone. Overall, the Nokia N97 mini is one highly recommended touchscreen phone.

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