Nokia N95 - A Multimedia Powerhouse.

Introducing what I consider the most powerful cellphone to date. Nokia actually classifies it as a portable computer due to the vast features that are offered.

This sliders form factor is on the chubby side but that's not necessarily a bad thing. With all these RAZRs and Katanas on the market, I feel we've been exposed to sleek sheik long enough. Sure, they're stylish and concealable but they lack the power some multimedia fans crave. Enter the N95. At 99 x 53 x 21 mm and 120g all that functionality and feature can't be packed into a sliver of a phone (pardon the pun). This especially rings true if you like to drop your phone now and again.

So lets get down to it. The N95 boasts a 5.0 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens. Records video at DVD-like quality (640x280 at 30fps). Has integrated GPS mapping functionality that allows for a very intuitive user interface and also incorporates POI. A gorgeous 2.6" QVGA
(240 x 320 pixels) display. A micro SD slot that supports up to 2GB. An integrated video player (MPEG-4 , H.264/AVC , H.263/3GPP, RealVideo 8/9/10) along with music support (MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA) and FM radio openly welcome their dedicated keys that are hidden on the opposite slide position. Staying in concert with many of their recent models, WiFi (802.11b/g) is a must these days and the N95 is no exception. Unfortunately, I believe that is why Nokia and other WiFi enabled phones are not being adopted as eagerly by Canadian carriers.


Talk time is slated at 4.0hrs and 215hrs standby. So if you see yourself as a power user, be sure to keep that charger on you. And of course if you're going to be fiddling with all the features (How could you not) make sure to keep that charger handy, for you're going to want to give it some juice every 1.5 days.

The operating system is the new Symbian S60 that Nokia favours so much. Being open source, you can find just about any application you would ever need to make your life as easy or as difficult with the N95.

Here's where we get a glimpse of the genius that is Nokia. A video-out jack is located on the left side of the phone, enabling you to view your phone's screen onto a TV or projector. This becomes especially useful when you want to show off all those movies and pictures to family or friends, play your S60 games in a hotel, or even mystify colleagues with your .ppt presentations. With such heavy focus on multimedia, it is admirable to see the dedication that Nokia has put into their product.

Regarding Canadian availability, the N95 is available on the North American market, but it does not have any carriers backing it, so you will be paying a premium price of roughly $700. None the less I stick by my opening statement and look forward to more users who transition to devices that incorporate the many aspects of their day to day lives.