[kamy100]

Nokia's N97 clearly aimed at taking on the Iphone:

Nokia unveils flagship N97 phone [updated with video] - Engadget

Looks good.

[BananaTiger]

Wow, that does look good. Better resolution that the N96 and a keyboard too.

[r2001uk]

Ooh, the big announcement "the Internet had no idea about".

It does look good, shame I'm not in the market for another 16 Months

[chrism_scotland]

It does look good, looks like Nokia are realizing that people like to have a physical keyboard too, will be nice to see what it is like in practice.

[Junglist]

My upgrade has been due for last 3months now, but I am happy with my N95 and will only upgrade if the new phone is miles better. This N97 has wowed me so now i am patiently awaiting release.

[prking]

It's great to see that a phone manufacturer realised people need a keyboard or pad. The interface looks easy to use, with better feedback when using the touchscreen.

[Uridium]

I think Nokia have finally made a phone that will prise my N95 8Gb out of my hands

Looks very good and hopefully a Q1 2009 release

[spiderman78]

My contract with 3 is up in February.....this looks very tempting

here's a link to Nokia N97 datasheet http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld/a...okia%20N97.pdf

[mhcq2002]

Looks amazing. Hope it will come out about the same time as my contract runs out.

[chrism_scotland]

It will be interesting to see what its like, if it can do everything well and have a good Nokia like battery life then it should be at least as good as similar devices like the G1, and HTC Touch Pro.
Although from an OS point of view I can't see i taking on the iPhone OS or Android, Symbian needs to be faster and easier to use because compared to the iPhone or G1 which are fairly simple to use Symbian can be a total nightmare at times.

[Uridium]

Originally Posted by chrism_scotland

It will be interesting to see what its like, if it can do everything well and have a good Nokia like battery life then it should be at least as good as similar devices like the G1, and HTC Touch Pro.
Although from an OS point of view I can't see i taking on the iPhone OS or Android, Symbian needs to be faster and easier to use because compared to the iPhone or G1 which are fairly simple to use Symbian can be a total nightmare at times.

I had a play with a 5800 a couple of weeks ago and was quite impressed; none of the S60 sluggishness you get with the S60v3 phones.

[chrism_scotland]

Originally Posted by Uridium

I had a play with a 5800 a couple of weeks ago and was quite impressed; none of the S60 sluggishness you get with the S60v3 phones.

Thats good, I've tried a variety of S60 devices and its the sluggishness which has always put me off buying a Nokia for the last few years.

Well by the time my contract is up I'm going to have a tough choice picking my next smartphone, iPhone 2, Android, Blackberry Bold 2 or by then the N97-2 probably!

[/////AMG]

Why don't any of the newer phones come with Xenon flash? I think this phone would be perfect if it had that feature, although I'm not to keen on touchscreen phones.

[Alonso14]

So it has a resistive touchscreen rather than capacitive. What are the advantages of capacitive screens? With it being Symbian, I take it there's no stylus?

Edit: A quick search shows that capacitive screens are more responsive - I saw a review of the HTC Touch HD, saying that although it had the best resistive screen they had seen, it still wasnt a match for the iphone's capacitive screen. If there is indeed no stylus with symbian, then what's the point of using a resistive screen?

[richard plumb]

I assume resistive screens are cheaper as they are more mature technology?

you get a stylus with the 5800, but the interface doesn't really need it - it has big buttons for fingers to use. Its also a lot less sluggish than you'd think. and when you type on its touchscreen keyboard, you get a tiny vibration as you 'press' each key which is nice.

Even if N97 was just a 5800 with a keyboard I'd be tempted, but that web 2.0 style homescreen looks excellent.

[Alonso14]

Yeah, I think it is cheaper. But having become bored of my N95 8gb, the thing I want most from my next phone is a good UI, and multi touch and super sensitive screens are high up on my list of wanted features. I read an article that suggests the google g1 (being a capacitive screen) is capable of multi-touch, but it is not yet enabled, and may be due to an apple patent pending on this feature.

I guess the x1 is the nearest thing to the N97 that's out at the moment, with the differences being a 3.5" screen compared to 3" on the x1 (although the latter has a higher resolution), a 5mp camera rather than 3mp, and Symbian vs Windows Mobile. Ill be very interested to see whether the new Symbian OS isnt sluggish as you say.

[Arthur Hucksake]

Gutted.... i'm stuck with this bloody N96 for the next 17 months, and this announcement happens so soon. Not happy.

[kamy100]

Hands on Video:

Nokia N97 video hands-on! - Engadget

[mhcq2002]

Another one here - YouTube - Nokia N97 touchscreen QWERTY smartphone - Live demo

The more I see this phone the more I want it..

[falconer42]

This does indeed look great - although the space bar/button looks a little odd (will probably need to try it out in a shop) but I wonder which networks will offer it?

[Pug72]

Ooooooo......had the N95 over a year now (best phone ever!) but am now itching for a change.
Um'd & ar'd over a Touch HD but poor camera comments put me off.
iPhone just has too many things missing though will be one to look at in the future whrn they feel generous to let us have a decent camera, mms, etc., etc.

Then I spy the G1. Excited by Android but the G1 itself looks so poorly made and plasticy, not sure it's for me.

Then.....the N97 appears on the radar!!!!!

Golla have me one o' deese!!!!!!!!!!



Seems I'll be waiting just a little longer, lol.

[Aidan.]

set for release sometime in the first half of next year. the earlier, the better :D

[r2001uk]

I'm far from an expert on touchscreens, but owning an iPod touch and had 2 Months with a HTC Diamond (as well as a number of PDAs in the past), I have to say I much prefer the iPod/iPhone version, it's so fluid and responsive - the best thing being that it only reacts to my fingers, so I don't accidentally start pressing things when it's in my pocket etc.

I've just gone back to a non-touchscreen phone for now as I have no desire for an iPhone and everything else uses the crappy version (does the G1?).

[Alonso14]

Originally Posted by r2001uk

I'm far from an expert on touchscreens, but owning an iPod touch and had 2 Months with a HTC Diamond (as well as a number of PDAs in the past), I have to say I much prefer the iPod/iPhone version, it's so fluid and responsive - the best thing being that it only reacts to my fingers, so I don't accidentally start pressing things when it's in my pocket etc.

I've just gone back to a non-touchscreen phone for now as I have no desire for an iPhone and everything else uses the crappy version (does the G1?).

G1 uses a capacitive (iphone-like) touchscreen, though doesnt support multi touch (ie. pinch to zoom etc) as yet

[r2001uk]

I heard someone had managed to get multitouch working, unofficially of course.

Still, despite really wanting one before it came out, I'm not too bothered that I don't have one now.

[justdoit]

Wow, I'm loving the look of this, strikes me as I finally have found my replacement for the N95 seeing as SE can't seem to beat it, X1 seems too flawed to me, that said no doubt this will be too for the 1st 6 months till Nokia sort the firmware out.

[SHATNERSTACTIC]

Originally Posted by justdoit

Wow, I'm loving the look of this, strikes me as I finally have found my replacement for the N95 seeing as SE can't seem to beat it, X1 seems too flawed to me, that said no doubt this will be too for the 1st 6 months till Nokia sort the firmware out.

Hopefully any glaring flaws with the OS will be resolved ahead of release as the 5800 tube (already available in some territories) is also running s60 v5.

[Gertrude]

That is exactly what I was thinking lee12. The N95 was a turkey when if first cam out with all of the little nigles it had. After they had spent some time with us testing it, I love it.

No sure whether I would jump at getting the N97 near the release date or wait for 6 months. Also depends on how much the networks want to rip you for this phone. It looks damn good though.

G

[menz83]

I peomised never to go back to a s60 phone again after ditching my N95 for an iphone then an HTC diamond, but this phone looks like a cracker. Gonna start saving up now because it aint gonna come cheap sim free!

[zZBigGZz]

Looks very nice!