Darth N97: Build quality and physical aspects

Its been about 10 days of using Darth N97 now.

For this post, I'll highlight some of the physical aspects and build quality of the N97. In short, this is perhaps one of Nokia's best efforts in creating a solid all rounder flagship. Many people who have played with the N97 (under my very watchful eye needless to say) always comment about the solid slide feature, which opens and closes with a nice "snap". (Unless of course, you do it in s-l-o-w....m-o-t-i-o-n).

When I took these photos, it just so happened to be in the evening, very close to sun set. So the photos turned out almost very sephia-anituque looking. Not on purpose, but hey, I like how it turned out. Almost as if Darth N97 was born in the 1950's!

N97 Box

1. As you can see, the box is very simple. Totally unlike boxes of (nokia) old, where a photo of the model is splashed out on the front.
2. INSIDE, you will find the full-on accessories that accompany Darth N97; a USB wall charger (great move Nokia!), a USB cable for your PC (also charges!), a little adapter (in case you still refuse to part ways with your old Nokia chargers), a Nokia earpiece, a flat-ish sort of stylus (You probably wouldn't need it), a beautiful leather case and of course, Nokia N97 assorted manuals (Note: with the 3.5mm jack, you can now use ANY of your favourite ear buds in case you rather not use the standard Nokia ones)

1. From the many reviews I've read: Here are the main complaints:

• A TV cable not included? I personally am not fussed about this missing from my set. Even when I had my previous N95 / N95 8Gb, I don't recall even taking it out of the box... ever.
  
• How lousy is that leather case? Again, I personally don't think that this is a worthwhile niggle that should stop anyone from buying the powerful N97. As for the leather case, its fantastic. I bet people would complain even more if a case WASN'T included! Anyway, look at this picture below. 'Nuff said.
• A stylus? That's so 90's. Ok, maybe this applies to those who like to poke their screens, or maybe fancy a bit of writing here and there. The majority of people probably won't use it. I sure haven't, since taking Darth out of the box. But the stylus is sure nice and "stylish" (pun intended), so if you don't like it, don't use it. Simple.
  

Physical aspects

The N97 is very comfortable to hold in hand, big or small. The weight is even spread out and doesn't feel heavier on any side (like some older Nokia models).
Very quickly, to walk you through what you'd find with the N97 (I've not included any pictures here because you can find so many galleries elsewhere):

• On the top, you'll find the power button and a 3.5mm jack.
• On the right, you'll find the volume rocker keys and the dedicated camera button
• On the left, the USB slot (for charging and PC connectivity) and the "lock switch" (which Nokia 5800 users would recognise)
• On the front screen, the BEAUTIFUL 3.5" screen I must add, there are no physical buttons other than the "menu" button at the lower left of the screen. The green "call" and red "end call" buttons are touch sensitive are located next to the (only) menu button. (All three light up when you switch on the N97)
  
• At the back, you'll find the camera slide, which, when opened, reveals the double LED flash and of course, the 5 mp camera. Many have complained about Nokia's choice on the mega pixelcount, considering many competitors are sporting more poweful cameras these days. Its not ALL bad, given Nokia's experience with the N95 and N82. And, its still way better than any smartphone offering from competitors, Sony Ericsson or even with Apple's soon-to-be-released iPhone 3GS. Check out my previous post for the photo quality here. Its not all bad right?
  
• The keyboard. I could spend a whole post on this one feature alone. This is perhaps the deal breaker with many potential N97 buyers out there. Firstly, with only 3 rows of alphabet keys, so fully incorporated with numbers and symbols, the general feedback has been why not include another row? Secondly, why has the location of the spacebar being pushed to the right, instead of the standard centre location? Thirdly, the placement of the navi-pad on the left side. Why? Lastly, why is the "full-stop" not given its own button?? (You have to press the symbol shift key and press the "comma" key to get the "full-stop"). In short, in all this time using Darth N97, I've purposely made it a conscious choice to use the keyboard whenever and wherever I can, just to test the daily capabilities of the keyboard. Safe to say, it was very easy to familiarise with and took me only about a day or two just to be up to the typing speeds as my previous E71. I'm now blistering away on my SMS's and emails and (still) love snapping open good ol'Darth. So if you're an E71 or E90 user, or even a QWERTY device user, the N97 shouldn't be a problem for you to learn.
  
• Ok, finally, there's the ribbon-like component found between the slide which you can read about at allaboutsymbian here, I don't think it should stop you from owning one, unless you plan to (foolishly) shove a pencil in there to test how strong the ribbon is. Remember, the N97 is a powerful multimedia device that can probably replace your notebook, its not a shock/water proof construction site accessory.
  

Size comparison with the Nokia E71

• Size wise, as you can see, its not THAT much bigger than the E71. (Unfortunately, I didn't have an iPhone handy to compare with)
  
• There's definitely a thickness issue, but hey, the N97 slides up, the E71 doesn't.
• Someone's asked me once, whether the N97's "shirt-pocketable"? If I wanted to be generic about it, I'd say aren't all phones shirt-pocketable? But to be honest, with Darth in my shirt pocket, its a bit difficult to forget that there's a device weighing down your shirt. You won't forget its there basically! Not a big problem I'd say.
  

So, in conclusion, if I had to rate Darth N97 on the physical aspect on a 5 star scale, I'd give it 5 out of 5. Yes, I love it. Its well built, well designed and though I've not personally experienced how well it would hold up on a drop test (I don't plan to find out!), I'm sure Darth will hold up. Its Darth remember! (Ok, that was lame....)

In my next review, I'll possibly touch on some of the experiences of using Darth on a daily basis, and how my life has been taken over by this Nokia flagship. The Force is indeed strong....

My day out with Darth N97

Its been over a week spent with me Darth N97. Most of the time was spent tweaking it to perfection (to me at least) with widgets and apps testing.

I did manage to snap a few pics to test out the quality of the 5 mp camera though. Here are a few from a drive out to town, and one by the water village.

Then on Sunday, 28Jun09, as I had signed up for the charity cycleton for Heart of Borneo, I decided to take Darth out with me for the ride, all 110km of it. Here are some shots taken from our world renowned Empire Hotel & Country Club , one of the checkpoints for the ride. (Obviously, you won't expect me to shoot pics WHILE cycling... I doubt Darth would appreciate that sort of adventure). There were almost 400 cyclists taking part in the event.

This is a shot from the car

Resting at Empire. Scorching 40 degree Celsius heat

And we're off! Last leg back to the finish line.

This isn't my bike. Just thought I'd snap it.

My personal challenge for the ride was to bust the 100km mark, which I had never done before during training from months before. In the end, I was sun burnt, had a swollen behind, sweat drenched and faced extreme energy depletion. But it was all worth it. Its for charity afterall.

And what better way to reward myself? A quick carb load at my favourite Japanese shop, Kaizen Sushi.

Pretty good flash shot at night I'd say.

And that ends a day with good ol'Darth. Next challenge, take a video while riding? Nah, I don't think so....

PS: None of the shots have been edited. Pity the lighting was a bit "overbearing", having been taken at noon day mostly.

The Dark Side: Nokia N97

This is just a sneak preview...

For days, I have been pondering on whether to I should go with the masses and be a Storm Trooper, because as you know, Storm Troopers are just so uber cool... but the force was always strong within.

But then, as a friend said, there are many Storm Troopers, but only one Darth Vader...

So behold, my newly arrived Nokia N97 Black....

Over the next few days, I will be posting my thoughts and experiences with the N97. I absolutely love what I see so far... with the exception of a minor setback earlier... but, more on that later....

I'll be back, after the commercials.....

Nokia E63: Better to go economy or business class?

First of all, a very happy holiday to all Brunei readers, being our 25th Silver Jubilee National Day today.

I have received many queries from readers and friends on what its like to use the most recent and latest messaging device from Nokia, the Nokia E63. I've actually had the opportunity to use one for a good many weeks now, and of course, while I'm back to my trusty ol'Nokia E71, I do miss the E63 at times.... why you ask? Read on...

(Unlike my other reviews, I'm attempting to make this one slightly different basing my conclusion by doing more of a comparison between a E63 and her classier sibling, the E71)

We all know and love the E71 don't we? HSDPA, front facing video camera, 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus, wifi, email client support and a gorgeous QWERTY keyboard all enclosed in a very slim and metal clad body. Initially just launching the Grey steel and White steel variants, Nokia's thrown another curve ball at us with the new Black and Silver/Red editions. Even MORE of a reason to love it.

And then, almost out of nowhere, a reserved and quiet E63 appears, seemingly with the same looks, similar features, but also very different.

The Unboxing - the hardware

After opening up the box of the E63 (my unit was Ultramarine Blue)(Ruby Red being the other only colour so far), I half expected to pull out the same contents as the E71. To my surprise, there were no leather pouches or no wrist lanyards! All that it contained were the E63 unit, a battery, a travel charger and assorted manuals. Oh yes, there was a 1Gb microSD card thrown in too, fortunately. (Some other sites have reported that their E63's do NOT come with any memory cards).

Well, I guess we get what we pay for. The E63 is significantly cheaper than an E71 anyway. And from its weight (very light), this also give you an indication of the quality of materials used. There were plastics and rubber galore. It is noticably wider too, with the usual array of QWERTY buttons like the E71. Until I realised, upon closer inspection, that there are differences between the two. The E63 sports different characters and symbols at some different places, and, the space bar is smaller too (with a tiny flashlight symbol on it). A very neat and useful feature I have to add.


Moving on, taking the E63 out and switching it on (press and hold the Call End button), there wasn't a button at the top to switch on. There certainly wasn't a red button sticking out anywhere. Why was this an issue on the E71 I have no clue. I never did understand why people made such a fuss over a little red button. I always thought it provided some element of colour to a grey or white steel clad body.



Display / Call features / Connectivity - Software
I won't dwell too much into these areas as both the E63 and E71 are very similar. Both have the same landscape 2.36" 16M QVGA resolution screens, the same menu layout, the same call feature performances but, in the connectivity department however, the E63 does lack two main things which is present in the E71; HSDPA and a front facing camera for video calls. For the average person though, this might not be such a big deal. Besides, the E63 does have 3G at least, so you can still surf on the Web, chat on Fring or even download new apps from Nokia's Catalogue etc.
The E63 also has themes which the E71 does not curently own (the themes correspond to the matching Ultramarine Blue or Ruby Red editions). But otherwise, if you were just shown the menus for both the E63 and E71 without being told which was which, you'd probably not notice the difference anyway.

Camera performance / Multimedia
In a word, the camera performance for the E63 is "mediocre". Being a 2 megapixel (non-auto focus) camera, the E63 will simply do what you want it to do; take simple snaps. Forget about indoor shots though even though there is a flash to light up your shots. The E71's 3.2 megapixel snapper already has its own problems, in other words, it isn't quite a role model either, so in this department, there's not much to comment for both. I included a sample of the E63's outdoor shot, in an overcast day.

What I liked about the E63

• I actually enjoyed using it for a good number of weeks. It was surprising to me too. It was lighter, and its size was just nice for my big hands.
  
• The E63 could match everything my E71 could do too (minus any video calls of course). The Calendar's the same, the Contact's the same, the Messaging's the same...
  
• The QWERTY keyboard experience was different to use, compared to the E71's. Maybe because it was wider, it felt a bit better to use too. Don't get me wrong, the E71's keyboard is still one of the better ones out there.
  
• The battery life is commendable. Keeping in mind, both use the same battery, but minus a few features on the E63, this means that the battery life is longer than the lifespan of the E71. Any objections here?
  
• The 3.5mm jack. Many have argued that if the E71 had this in the first place, it would probably be THE best smartphone out there today (of course, personally it'd be even better if it was a touchscreen too). I'm not much of a music buff myself, but knowing I can use my own earphones was a good option to have.
  

What I didn't like about the E63
(Note: I have to be subjective here. Remember, there is a significant price difference between the E63 and the E71, so I approched this with a "you-get-what-you-pay-for" mindset)

• No front facing camera. I video call every so often, so missing this feature was a big deal to me.
• The camera qualities were disappointing. But then, if you want to just snap photos (not for printing obviously), then it should satisfy you.
  
• There's this little rubber cover protecting the 3.5mm jack at the top. Let's just say that if you ever lost this, just be prepared to have an exposed little jack hole. Its just not connected to the body in any way.
  

Overall, I really like the E63. I think its more of a successor to the E61i than the E71 is. I even contemplated owning my own unit, if it wasn't for the lack of the front facing camera. Sure the camera performance is lacking, sure its made of plastic and feels almost like a toy, sure it doesn't have 3.5G HSDPA but at the end of the day, it is still one serious business device very befitting of the Eseries range. If you currently own a E61i, and not too sure about upgrading to the more expensive E71, then give the E63 a consideration. You won't be disappointed.

I'd rate this 4 stars (out of 5).

Available at all Incomm branches throughout the country, its going for BND428-00.
Remember to use your DST privilege card for better discounts.

My LG X110 review

Ok, I know this is a mobile blog, and so far, I've limited myself to the (already vast) world of mobiles, but every so often, I do get asked to review the occasional gadget. Usually I'd decline, but for this one, I didn't refuse. Why? First, let me introduce to you, the LG X110 Netbook.

SimpurGadgets has nicely done a short write up on this here. I've also spent some time with it myself and it has to be said, I thoroughly enjoyed using the X110. I don't use alot of Netbooks, but I will say also, the X110 is very decent for its price.

On the physical aspects side of things, the build quality is truly impressive and as my review unit came in glossy white, the thing that struck me most was how compact it felt. Opening the lid reveals a white keyboard which is surrounded by a silver case around the keyboard and the screen. With my large hands, I did not have any problems using it at all.

On the display and hardware front, the X110 sports a 10-inch screen with 1024 x 600 pixels and weighs just a little over 1kg; 1.19kg to be exact. This is small enough to carry easily in any bag without knowing its even there. LG has thrown in Windows XP Home as standard and is coupled with a 160GB hard drive. There are also 3 USB ports, a VGA out port, Ethernet connector, flash card reader for SD and Memory Stick formats, and headphones and microphone connectors. For those who like to see who they are chatting with, the X110 also comes with a 1.3 megapixel webcam for video calling.

On the sound quality, the speakers simply blew me away. It is extremely loud for something this small. I compared it with my MacBook and it was quite obvious which was the winner here. But then, I realised, with the location of the speakers being on the underside of the casing, LG might have anticipated for this.

Ok, so what makes this Netbook stand out then?

It is the inclusion of a SIM card slot for your broadband surfing needs. Simply insert your 3G enabled SIM (you have to open up the battery cover first), and you're good to go, anytime and any place, without the need to rely too much on Wifi spots. (However, make sure that you subscribe to a broadband package to enjoy the benefits). I tested out the speeds on my 3G surfing compared with the built in Wifi, the results were unnoticable. Both were extremely fast and half the time, I had to check whether I was still on 3G or not. Bluetooth does comes as standard. Surfing with the broadband lasted me about 3 hours, which I think is quite reasonable for its battery life.

On the downside, there is a lack of an optical drive which might be a deal breaker for some.

Overall, I was really impressed with the size mostly of the X110. It is small. So small. I even managed to stuff it into my DSLR camera bag too. So, if anyone asks me about the X110, I'd recommend it instantly.

The LG X110 is available at Incomm at the Gadong Branch. It retails at a very reasonable price of BND1,099. Don't forget to use your DST privilege card for further discounts.

My Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 review

The long LONG awaited and highly publicised X1 has finally arrived on our shores! The much advertised marriage between Sony Ericsson and Windows Mobile. When it was first announced, everyone (especially Windows Mobile users) were captivated by the new fancy interface, with icons that zoom in and out, zipping left to right. Very iPhone-ish wouldn't you say?

I've spent a good few weeks with the X1.

It has been interesting.

So, what are my first impressions? Is it all its glammed up to be? Is this really the saviour flagship phone for Sony Ericsson? Should YOU get it? Read on..



Inbox
1 x Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 unit
1 x travel adapter with bundled miniport USB
1 x stereo headset with built-in microphone
1 x extra pen stylus
1 x setup CD
Sony Ericsson X1 manuals

First impressions
When I was first informed that the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 had (finally) arrived, I immediately arranged to pick one up. Arriving home, quickly opening up the box, I was pleasantly surprised with the packaging. Very classy. Taking it out and holding it, I thought "this is it, the X1 that everyone has been waiting for". Before switching it on, I opened up the slider to reveal the keyboard that I had often just seen in photos online. (Coming from using an iPhone with a virtual keyboard, this was refreshing I had to admit). Quickly popping in my sim card (the battery cover was a bit tight to open, which is a good thing really), I switched it on and was greeted with a cool Xperia logo followed by a Windows Mobile 6.1 green screen (windows lovers will find this familiar). There's even a "mirror finishing" display screen when on standby. Not bad, not bad... It was a good first impression.

Physical aspects

• The SE Xperia comes in two colour variants; Silver and Black. My review unit is the black one as you can see.
• On the top, you will find the 3.5mm jack (great inclusion by SE for the music buffs) and the power / standby key.
  
• On the left, you will only see the mini USB slot.
• On the right, the volume rocker key and the camera activation button.
• At the back, you'll see the "3.2 megapixel" camera with flash and the XPERIA logo. As my unit is black, it looks very classy.
  
• The real star of the X1 is the slide out keyboard. As you can see, its very well laid out . The number pad is quite different from these you would have seen from Nokia, Blackberry, Treo or even the P1. Because of the space constraints, SE decided to place the number pad at the far right, instead of label them on the top. Honestly, it took me a while (very short one) to get used to it. Once I got cracking, I found myself finding a reason to SMS / email someone... (anyone!!). (Note: The threaded chat is fantastic! As it should be since this is a WinMob 6.1 device. Anyone who has not experienced what threaded chat can do yet, you wouldn't understand). But, I have to say, for big thumbs like mine, you will need to press the keys with a "little bit" more effort. I guess the design of the keyboard, being placed on a "slope" or "curve", whichever you want to call it, has sacrificed some usability. Not a major problem in my opinion.
• There is an optical sensor in the middle of the 4-way d-pad which is kinda cool at the beginning, but tends to get a little bit annoying and sometimes awkward after a while because its so sensitive! I mean, there's already a 4-way d-pad, so why include a optical sensor again?
  
• Overall, the build quality of the X1 is superb. It felt very solid and very classy . SE sure knocked this one out of the park. About time too SE!
  

Display

• When I first started up the X1, the full glory of the 800 x 400 VGA screen, I was blown away with the resolution. It is amazing. All packed into a nicely sized 2.8inch screen! I have to say its one of the best screen resolutions on a Windows device to date. But, the sacrifice will be the size of the fonts. If your eyesight isn't exactly 20-20, you might have to squint especially when reading under the sunlight. Also, maybe my fingernails weren't very sharp, so on some occasions I had to "angle" my "pokes" to make sure it hit the right areas. I suppose that's why they included a stylus. (But seriously, how many people really use those styluses anyway?)
  
• There's a key feature which SE included in the X1, not found in other windows devices, and its called "Panels". There are 7 loaded panels (hence the name) which are customisable and allows you to choose what you want as a home screen e.g. a clock interface, a weather interface, a media interface (where you can listen to music, select videos, view photos or even make a call), a Google interface and a few others. It doubles up as a shortcut/favourites sort of screen too. Quite handy. I found myself moving in between panels just for fun. But at the end of the day, I still liked my standard "Today screen" with info on my daily schedules and messages clearly laid out in front of me.

Photo courtesy of engadgetmobile.com

Call quality

• I tested the call quality both on the handset and on loudspeakers, both of which were clear and excellent. No major complaints here.
• Hitting the "call" button will bring up the standard list of recent calls. It took a while before I could get used to identifying what were my missed calls, dialed calls or received calls though.
  

Connectivity

• As you would expect, the X1 is touted as the most complete device that SE has released into the market. Go on, think of any feature you want. You'd probably find it on the X1. HSDPA, WIFI, GPS, Bluetooth... the list goes on.
  
• I tested out Opera with Wifi on the X1 and suffice to say, I was impressed with it. I guess it works as well as I'd expect it to. Checking my emails, my blog and even logging onto Facebook. All brilliantly clear on the beautiful screen.
  

Camera / multimedia performance

• Camera wise, this is perhaps the most used feature I used out of the X1. 3.2 megapixels with autofocus, 30fps video recording (albeit in VGA). Finally, a decent camera on a smartphone. OK, don't compare it to the killer SE C905 with 8megapixels but it puts up a fight compared to others out there like the Nokia E71, the E90 or even the iPhone. You can select the whole array of camera features, scene modes, flash on/off and even touch-select your focus points. Of course, in low light conditions, its not perfect. But like I always say in my reviews, if you want a clear night shot, use a real camera. But overall, I really had fun messing with this feature. I've included some shots taken with various scene modes.
  

A shot of the Bulletin in a dimly lighted room, with flash.

A shot of the garden outside. Full daylight.
Another shot of the garden.
A shot of the skies. Full daylight shot.
A shot of my little Tomy in a lighted room. No flash.
A night mode shot.
A night shot of my little Tomy. With flash.
A indoor shot of a house deco.
A close up shot of a Vaja leather case box.
A flash shot of the X1 box. Dim lighted room.

• I would imagine the majority of (potential) buyers be wondering about the multimedia capabilities. SE did a great job including a 3.5mm headphone jack which means you can used just about any headphone as you wish, instead of being just limited to SE's included ones. Audio was loud, clear and crisp. Throw in the ease of the music player "panel", and you find a pretty enjoyable piece of Sony Ericsson (Walkman) tradition in your hands.

Things I loved about the X1

• The build quality. It felt very solid in hand and quite a pleasure to use, especially with the slide out keyboard. Granted, you will need to put in a "little bit" of pressure when typing, but this is a minor issue in my opinion. Slide the X1 closed, you still get access to the whole array of shortcuts (ok, you wont be able to sms while driving, which is dangerous, so this is a good thing!)

• The notification lights. Ok, maybe its just me, but there's something quite cool about a blinking phone on your desk. Kind of shows your phone is still alive I always thought. There are 4 independant notification lights on the four corners of the X1. These LED lights change with various colors. Ok, maybe you're not like me, then you can still switch them off under settings. But, the lights do offer a nice touch and weren’t too distracting or overly bright.
• The battery life. Coming from using an iPhone, this was a joy. Making calls, sending numerous SMS's, occasional surfing on Wifi, listening to music, snapping random shots of things around me... I didn't need to charge for about 2 days.I'm sure it would last longer with "normal" use.
  
• The multimedia capabilities. I just loved watching videos and viewing my photos on the screen. Granted, its not as savvy as an iPhone, but for a SE device, this is pretty revolutionary. Throw in the decent audio sound and you have a good multimedia device enough to satisfy the business user and the casual users out there.
• Being able to charge with the USB cable when plugged into my pc. You'd be surprised but this is a very useful requirement. How many of us spend hours in front of the pc at work, or even at home? So why not use that time to charge up your X1 while transferring data across or even using the X1 as your modem? (I did not test this function as I did not have the review unit long enough to do so, but I'm sure it will work)
  

Things I didn't like about the X1

• The sensitive optical button. Occasionally, I found myself "accidentally" brushing past the icon/application I wanted and/or activating it by mistake. I really think SE didn't need to include this on the X1.
• Being a Windows Device, albeit with a fast 528MHz Qualcomm MSM7200 processor coupled with 256MB of RAM, a Windows device is still a Windows device. Sometimes pressing the "OK" button did nothing for a few seconds, or switching between portrait and landscape modes took a second longer than I wanted. BUT, the hardcore Windows mobile users out there would probably insist that this is normal. Maybe it is, but for me, I like my phones to react instantly you know? I'm fussy that way.
  

d3xlabs recommendations
Having finally been able to get my hands on the SE X1, I really had mixed feelings at first, as I'm not an avid Windows Mobile device user. But having spent a few weeks with the X1, I come away mildly impressed with it. Putting it through its paces, with using it as my daily workhorse, running my schedules, making my usual calls, pushing the multimedia to its capacities, even toying with GPS (I didn't report much on this. C'mon, do we really need to use this extensively in Brunei?), surfing with HSDPA and wifi... its quite a stunner this Sony Ericsson. Fully loaded and spec-ed out.

Sure there are minor niggles I have with it, but overall, the X1 has been a pleasure to use. The only thing is, it doesn't come cheap. For those of you who can afford this device, it won't disappoint, but I will be honest here too; there are cheaper alternatives in the market today that offer you similar features.

So was the wait worth it? I think so.

My Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 rating - 4 stars
Available at all Incomm outlets now
Retail Price - BND1,198
(Remember to use your DST privilege cards for better discounts)