Finally, Nokia gets something right in the way of a upscale phone. Not that some of the other high-end phones are bad, but this one is the first I've used which converges everything I'd like to have into one convenient device. The device in question? The Nokia N91.
Sure, there's the N90. It's a great device for capturing videos and still pictures. The photo quality is incredible with it's 2 megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics. The twist and fold capabilities of the handset allow for easy use as a digital camcorder. The memory isn't bad either with the ability to use a reduced size MMC, although I can't seem to find an aftermarket reduced size MMC card anywhere. The big down fall to the device is that I'm actually not a large fan of the "clam shell" design. I may be one of the few people in this world who thinks that, but there's just something about that particular design style that bothers me.
Then there's the 9500, the latest in Nokia's line of Communicator devices. Bluetooth, WLAN, a full suite of Office compatible software, and a large internal memory all make it a desirable device. Unfortunately it's just bulky, and if you want to slim down to the 9300, you lose some functionality with it. I'm also surprised that there is only a VGA camera on the phone. Such a capable device, and it can't take a decent picture. One thing it does do well is mobile e-mail, making it a good rival to the Blackberry devices. It's nice for business professionals who think that having a cell phone by itself is not being fully connected and available. For me though, I want none of that, it's overkill, but that's best left for another article.
I could go on and on comparing some of the other Nokia phones I've had the pleasure of using, but that's not the point here. The point is, that the Nokia N91 successfully converges an MP3 player, digital camera, organizational software, and of course, a mobile phone, into one sleek and convenient package.
I've always wanted to have an MP3 player, but could never justify the price to myself when they first came out. Besides, I'm already carrying a mobile with me at all times, why would I want to fill my pockets with more devices? Especially since if I did that I would need to start carrying around a digital camera with me as well (I like taking random pictures and not having to worry about the cost of wasting film). The N91 though, not only plays MP3s like some of Nokia's other devices do, but it plays AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, Real, WAV, WMA, and M4A as well, and allows you to put it all onto a 4 Gb hard drive. No more compressing your files way down to fit an entire album or workout mix into a 50 Mb space! To top it all off, they put a simple and intuitive interface right on the outside slide of the phone to allow you to control your music. The same interface is repeated again on the headset which comes packaged with the phone. Nokia was also wise and has put a normal headphone jack on the top of the phone allowing you to use whatever headphones you want. The Koss headphones I have at my desk at the office work wonderfully on it and you can really hear the full range of sound from what I've put on the phone. If you really want, Nokia also added an FM radio to the N91, just in case you miss hearing commercials...
The 2 megapixel camera that is on the N91 blows me away. Sure, I've seen some really good shots from some of the newer digital cameras with up to 6 megapixels, but all of that is just wasted on the types of pictures I like to take. I moblog, and moblog odd things at that. There's no point in having such high quality or those pictures, especially when the MMS protocol shrinks the size down even more. The close up focus of the camera isn't the greatest, but I've come to expect that from any camera phone. Besides, it just leaves room for more creativity in those "artsy" shots. As for the more reasonably focused photos (starting at about 6-12 inches out) the images come out even crisper than the 3.2 megapixel camera I have at home.
As for connectivity, the N91 has everything I could ask for and more. There's Bluetooth, which I use on a daily basis for both my hands-free and to transfer data back and forth from my computer. Also, if I think that Bluetooth is just going too slow, I can connect to my computer with the USB 2.0 connection. I've got GPRS/EDGE on the phone for all my MMS'ing excitement as well as to use as a modem if I have to (and I've done it quite a bit in the past). Nokia went so far as to even put 802.11 b/g wireless LAN connectivity capability in the device. Granted, surfing the Internet on a 176x208 pixel display is a little cumbersome, but I can do it. Just knowing I can is good enough for me because I know one day I will find a practical use for it and I'll be able to just go on ahead and start using it. I won't have to wait for another phone to come out with it.
Of course, one can't forget the call quality, as all the other wonderful goodies on the phone are useless if you can't use it as a phone in the first place. The quality is as good as it can be on any GSM network; as long as the carrier doesn't drop the call or garble the signal, the reception is crystal clear.
If you're looking for an all-in-one device to carry, the Nokia N91 is a good option to consider. That is, if you've got an extra six hundred dollars to spare.
