Is this the device? N97. MID, Smartphone, Computer! (Updated)

Posted on 02 December 2008, Last updated on 11 November 2019 by

Update: All information now being added to a new N97 reference page.

N97

Update: Nokia have now issued a news release..

Details also coming through at Atmasphere.net. Many others now posting, obviously pre-prepared, posts. All About Symbian have published hands-on: "Subjectively, the ‘feel’ and the design of the handset screams high end with materials that can not be fully appreciated in pictures (it has that caress-ability x-factor)"

The N97 has a 640-wide screen will cost 550 Euro (confirmed, unsubsidised) and will be available in Q2 2009.

More details will be updated below.

  • 640×360 resolution (announced by Nokia on-stage)
  • 5-megapixel-camera with Carl Zeiss-lens, dual-LED flash., video light
  • 16:9 video in DVD-quality.
  • GPS
  • 3.5" screen
  • 3G wireless radio
  • 802.11 b/g WiFi
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • GPS receiver with A-GPS support
  • Accelerometer. Digital compass.
  • 32GB onboard flash memory with microSD for adding 16GB more (Nokia are talking about 64GB of storage on-stage)
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • microUSB port used for both syncing and charging
  • Haptic feedback
  • 1500 mAh battery
  • S60 5th edition software

N97compare 

Unknown/To be confirmed.

  • CPU / Processing platform. Apparently Nokia aren’t saying at the moment.

N97-hands1

Questions raised:

  • Where does this leave the Nokia Tablets? I suspect that the tablet will remain, will move forward with a bigger screen and faster processor, will get cheaper.
  • How much space is left for a web-focused device?

Favourite quotes from keynote:

  • "Nothing replaces the feel of a real key on a QWERTY keyboard"
  • "That’s how a mobile computer should look"
  • "We believe the Internet is as it is, and we need to support it" (in reference to 640 screen size)

Resources:

All specifications and details have now been transferred into a new N97 product information page. We’ll be updating this as we get information. Feel free to comment and ask questions on the page too.

13 Comments For This Post

  1. Goodsspeed says:

    Well in search of the ultimate MID, I have to say no.

    1. Screen to small, required would be at least the double size of an iPhone.
    2. I has the typical 90´s Symbian UI, therefore no real wordprocessing and surf experience (just sold my E71 on ebay and went back to my iphone.

    As you already concluded, an Aigo with a sensible UI (Mac OS?) and 3G would be in my preference, would love an “touchpad” ala´ double sized Iphone Glass Finish with somekind of Xperia Qwerty solution.

    Yummy ;-)

  2. Blauhung says:

    looks like a very nice phone, but i have to echo the comment above in that I’m looking for more of a computer full fledged OS experience on a slightly larger pocketable device.

  3. Will says:

    HTC Kaiser with S60 5th edition… how exciting… not

    I hope they worked on the web browser and the email client as it sucks on S60 3rd edition FP2.

  4. Forgetabouttheworld says:

    Finally, I’ve been waiting for something to replace my iPhone. Now I have to wait no longer! Now, I just need a good UMPC!

  5. icura says:

    If it has a cortex-A8 inside, I’ll buy one.

  6. Kim Schulz says:

    How can this device play “dvd-quality” movies when the screen-res is less than the one used for DVD’s ?
    720×480 (NTSC)
    720×576 (PAL)
    It cannot even show SVCD quality

  7. yeye2 says:

    MM!!! screen res 640×360?¿?¿, bigger than iphone?,symbian touch !!, normal symbian is already slow!, “problaly” same price than htc pro, omnia?
    this phone makes the HTC HD even better!, thaks nokia for making me easy to choose the HTC HD.

  8. Sarig says:

    There is a lot of things I’ve seen Symbian being accused of, but slow is not one of them o.O

  9. Kim Schulz says:

    Symbian has always been known to be the slow as hell. Everyone with just the slightest knowledge about mobile phones would know that.

  10. yeye2 says:

    I’ve been using symbian since Nokia 7650 and Its always the same, well not really the same, every new version seems to be slower than the previus one!.

    by the way I owm a huge list of symbian devices, also with UIQ o.s which was the “touch version” of symbian long time ago

  11. icura says:

    it has tv out. You can play DVD movies from the phone onto the TV.

    I think it is just a way of saying 480P mpeg2 will be no problem.

  12. John says:

    As a Nokia NIT owner … I’d say it’s a nice step (I’ve been asking for a tilt screen version of the N810 for a while). But this device lacks 3 things it would take me to buy it:

    1) Maemo
    2) T-Mobile USA 3G
    3) Dalvik (for running android apps)

    (and, that assumes it preserves S60’s tethering capabilities, for using it with my netbook)

    I’m also not enticed by its keyboard layout. It looks like it might be fine for basic txt, but it doesn’t look great for using it as an SSH-to-my-desktop keyboard, for example. I hope it _feels_ better than the N810’s keyboard, as well.

    Good step, Nokia. But you’re not there yet.

  13. Michael says:

    I have N95 and it’ fabulouse:D

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