last100 » N97

Palm Pre to launch on O2 in the UK, just don’t mention the competition

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:45:34 +0000

It’s now official: The Palm Pre will launch exclusively on Telefonica-owned O2 here in the UK.

When?

“In time for the holidays”, say Palm and O2, with no word yet on pricing. My guess is that we’re talking early October, enough time to ramp up for Christmas spending.

Either way, it’s a pretty long time to wait, especially since O2 will have been busy pimping its other flagship exclusive. Apple’s newly launched iPhone 3GS.

And then there’s the rest of the competition.

Handsets already on the market in the UK that will/are to varying degrees going head-to-head with the Pre and iPhone include Nokia’s N97 (see my review), which is already getting its own TV and other advertising blitz, Vodafone’s Android debut, the HTC Magic (reviewed here), and Samsung’s HD video capable touch screen monster, the i8910 HD.

But perhaps more significant are the growing number of handsets, announced or known to exist, that will debut closer to the Palm Pre’s UK release.

First out of the gate is HTC’s newest Android phone, the Hero, with its Palm Pre-esque custom User Interface. We also know of Samsung’s Android-powered I7500 (another O2 offering), Sony Ericsson’s Satio (previously known as Idou), another touch screen device but one with a headline grabbing 12 megapixel camera. There’s also the expected BlackBerry Storm 2, Sony Ericsson’s own Android debut, and likely another flagship from Nokia.

That’s one crowded smartphone market, and knowing the competitive nature of the mobile phone space here in the UK, most, if not all of these Palm Pre competitors will come highly subsidized (or made to look that way), with pricing closer to “free” with a 18-24 month contract.

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More hands-on impressions of the Nokia N97 [full review]

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:15:16 +0000

Having only had around 10 minutes hands-on time with Nokia’s new flagship mobile phone, the N97, at a recent press event in London in which my initial impressions were largely positive, I was really keen to source a loan unit for some quality time with the device. Thanks to Nokia’s PR reps in the UK, I did just that, taking delivery of an N97 on Friday. There is of course a world of difference between living with a phone for any meaningful length of time and having a quick play at a press event or trade show. And after 3 days of ‘real world’ use, I’ll offer up the first mea culpa: the keyboard isn’t nearly as good as I’d first reported (see below). Read on for a more in-depth review of the Nokia N97…

The Nokia N97 looks great + There’s no doubt that Nokia’s design team have upped their game in the hardware looks department. Borrowing from the design cues we first saw in last year’s business focused E-series range — the E71, for example — gone is the bulky all-in-one heap of black plastic as epitomized by the N96, with the N97 featuring a sleek metal trim around its otherwise curvy but subtle plastic casing, with most of the physical buttons also utilizing metal. It’s not only solid in build with no obvious creaking but it looks classy too. And while the N97 isn’t the thinnest of devices, it’s not too chunky by any means, especially when you factor the slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

The Big Reveal + The hardware engineering that has gone into the slide-out keyboard is really impressive and provides an almost Steve Jobs-like Big Reveal when showing off the device. When the otherwise completely hidden QWERTY keyboard slides out, it’s that well concealed, the N97’s screen tilts up for a 35 degree viewing angle. Boom. This enables the device to sit perfectly on a surface when viewing videos, surfing the web or reading emails. No need for any kind of kick stand and it’s weighted as such that it also feels comfortable when held in both hands.

The resistive touch screen – It was one of my criticisms of the Nokia XpressMusic 5800 and it also applies to the N97. I’d much prefer a capacitive touch screen as found in the iPhone and other touch screen phones from Samsung and LG, for example. Rather than relying on pressure to register input, a capacitive screen uses the natural electric discharges from a person’s finger. The result is that they feel a lot more responsive, supported by good software of course. This is particularly noticeable when trying to swipe through photos or scroll through web pages where you don’t naturally push down on the screen but rather slide a finger across the surface. Having said that, as far as resistive screens go, the N97’s is one of the most responsive I’ve used and is certainly an improvement over the XpressMusic 5800.

The QWERTY keyboard – On paper, the inclusion of a QWERTY, a first for an N-series device, is a major plus. I’m a QWERTY kind of guy. However, after prolonged use, as impressive as the slide-out mechanism is, the keyboard itself isn’t as good as it could be. The keys are nicely spaced out but are far too flat and don’t provide nearly enough travel. I much prefer the E71’s keyboard and after a back to back test, even the E75 performs better (despite the keys being flatter than the N97, they have a much more pronounced click).

N97's QWERTY keyboard

The build quality of the keyboard on my review model also has to come into question. Not all the keys have the same amount of travel, with the middle and bottom rows performing better than the top row. Individual keys also vary. Possibly related, the back lighting of each key isn’t even either. The key markings are a poor choice of colour on the white version of the N97 too (I can’t speak of the black model) as in certain lighting conditions they are hard, though not impossible, to make out. The space bar’s odd positioning, however, I didn’t find to be much of an issue and like any phone’s QWERTY keyboard, just takes a bit of getting used to.

Overall, the QWERTY is better than not having one at all but coming from a Nokia E71, Blackberry, Palm Treo or some of HTC’s Windows Mobile devices, is a bit of a let down.

N97 home screen widgets

Home screen widgets + With the introduction of widgets, the N97’s home screen is my favorite of all the smartphones I’ve used. Available widgets fall into two camps: those that pull in data from the web, such as the Facebook widget, email or AcuWeather, and traditional home screen widgets that display locally stored data, such as appointments from the phone’s calendar app or shortcuts to your favorite applications. Best of all is it’s completely customizable. You can rearrange how your selected widgets are placed on the home screen (within a predefined grid that keeps things tidy), as well as decide which of the available widgets deserve space on the home screen in the first place. Any third-party app can offer, in theory, an associated widget, so we should see the list of available widgets grow in the future. Obviously, widgets that continually pull in data from the web could pose a problem for those without an unlimited data plan, as well as drain the phone’s battery, so Nokia have provided the option to take all widgets off-line when required. Swipe your finger across the widget home screen as a whole and the phone switches to a much plainer, alternative home screen devoid of any personal data.

Facebook app + The inclusion of a Facebook app is very welcome and it’s a pretty decent one too. It’s built using web standards utilizing Nokia’s Web Runtime (WRT) widget platform and mimics much of the functionality of other Facebook mobile clients, such as the iPhone’s. It’s not the speediest of apps, however, and perhaps because it’s a widget it doesn’t appear to cache content so that it needs to reload everything from scratch each time you shut down and relaunch the app. On a more positive note, the ability to upload photos taken with the N97’s camera directly to Facebook works really well, including the option to target a particular Facebook ‘album’ and to add tags etc., and it’s also possible to add an appointment to the N97’s calendar based on a Facebook event, although changes aren’t synced automatically between the two.

Third party apps – Considering the maturity of Symbian S60, it seems counter intuitive to discover that there aren’t very many third-party apps available for the Nokia N97 – yet. That’s because the device uses the new touch screen version of the OS, S60 5th edition, which only debuted recently on the 5800 XpressMusic. Many S60 third-party apps have yet to be rewritten for a touchscreen interface. Missing in action, for example, is YouTube’s newly released S60 client, instead the N97 features a short cut to the mobile web version of the site, along with the Skyfire web browser, another favorite app of mine. Third-party support should obviously improve going forward, and Nokia are certainly pitching the N97 as a device as in it for the long term with regular firmware updates and other software improvements promised, which should help to install confidence within the wider developer community that it’s worth committing to the platform.

Ovi Store + The Ovi Store, Nokia’s on-deck app store, may not have got off to the best of starts but it’s a valuable addition to the N97, especially since it comes pre-installed, making it a lot easier for users to discover and install third-party applications. The Ovi Store client on the N97 also feels a lot snappier than the version I installed on the E71.

The 5 megapixel camera + The N97’s camera won’t grab any headlines for megapixels alone – just 5 – but it’s a very capable offering nonetheless. As is standard in Nokia N-series devices, the optics are Carl Zeiss branded and not that this alone translates into nice looking photographs, I’ve been pretty impressed. Photos look sharp with vivid but natural looking colors, and mechanically, the shutter key isn’t too rigid, something that I had a slight issue with on the Nokia N85. The sliding and sturdy lens cover should also get a mention. One complaint that many will have though, especially those coming from the legendary N95 is the lack of a Xenon flash. Instead, Nokia provides a dual LED, which isn’t nearly as bright but has the advantage of using less power and can double up more efficiently as a video light. On that note, the N97 shoots decent enough video, better than most camera phones, offering so-called DVD quality (it’s nowhere near that in reality) at 30 frames-per-second, certainly good enough for YouTube etc. There’s also the option to shoot in sudo widescreen (i.e. zoomed in to fill a 16:9 screen), which is switched on by default. Interestingly, Nokia appears to be bundling a Qik client with the N97 to enable live streaming of video to the third-party video service.

Media playback + Along with excellent media production features, the N97 makes a very capable media player. Viewing video benefits greatly from the 3.5 inch 640×360 widescreen, along with the 35 degree viewing angle when the QWERTY keyboard is visible, and the fairly loud built-in stereo speakers. A whole bunch of video and audio codecs are supported, including Windows DRM so that paid-for content from many third-parties can be supported e.g. Amazon VOD in the U.S. On the music side, Nokia has bundled its own download store and podcast client, and there’s also a built-in FM tuner with RDS and an FM transmitter so that you can broadcast your music collection to a car stereo, for example. Nokia have also tidied up the way it presents all of this functionality. Gone is the generic ‘Gallery’ app that used to duplicate access to the music and sometimes video players, and instead there are just three clearly sign posted and discrete apps: photos, music, and video.

32GB of internal storage + With all of that media production and playback goodness, it’s good to know that storage won’t be a problem. On top of the whopping 32GB of built-in flash memory, you can add even more via the microSD card slot, potentially bringing the total to 48GB and 64GB sometime in the near future. I’m still getting a smile everytime I install an app on the N97 and see how much free storage is left!

No DLNA support – This is probably seen as a niche feature, not helped by Nokia’s poor marketing, but the loss of DLNA support is a backwards move. Previous N-series devices, such as the N85, were DLNA certified, meaning that they supported UPnP AV so that video, music and photos stored on the phone could be streamed over the same local network to a PlayStation 3, for example. Or any other DLNA client. Unless I’m mistaken, this feature has been omitted from the N97.

Web browser Web browsing on the N97 is a bit of a mixed bag. On the whole, web pages render really well — and I’m talking the full web here — which shouldn’t be surprising since Nokia’s web browser is based on WebKit, the same browser engine used by the iPhone, Android, Palm Pre, INQ1 and others. There’s also support for Flash Lite. However, while you can increase the overall font size displayed on pages you visit, if you simply zoom in, columns of text don’t seem to always reflow automatically, resulting in unnecessary horizontal scrolling. This is different from the experience I get on the E71 and other non-touch screen S60 3rd Edition devices or the iPhone for that matter. The other issue is speed. While pages load reasonably fast, it seems that you’re unable to reliably begin scrolling or pretty much do anything, until the whole page has finished loading. Trying to do so feels like you’re fighting the device. Not sure if this is a processor issue or poor software optimization. Hopefully it’s the latter and can be fixed in a future firmware update. To be clear though: the N97’s web browser is definitely usable but it’s an area where Nokia needs to up its game if it’s to compete with the browsing experience of the iPhone and Android.

Would I recommend this device?

Overall, I’d have no problem recommending the N97, with of course the usual caveats. A mobile phone (or mobile computer, as Nokia likes to call them) is a very personal choice and a lot will depend on what your priorities are. There’s much more to like about the N97 than to dislike. As already mentioned, the camera, build quality and built-in (and expandable) storage are major pluses. Along with the new widget-oriented home screen. As a media player, you also can’t really fault the N97, and the novel form factor (35 degree tilt) is something pretty special. On the other hand, the keyboard isn’t going to win you any prizes in the speed typing department, and the resistive screen maybe an issue for some, especially if you’re coming from an iPhone. Likewise, the web browser needs improvement, although I expect third-party browsers, such as SkyFire, Opera Mini and Bolt, to make their way over to S60 5th Edition fairly soon. As should many of the best S60 third-party apps.

One final word about the User Interface. If you’re a previous Nokia S60 user, you’ll have virtually no learning curve at all, despite the move to a touch screen. If you’re new to S60, there is a steeper learning curve than say the iPhone but Nokia are clearly aware of this and, compared to earlier versions of the OS, things have been tidied up a great deal. Lots of the phone’s settings and features have been streamlined and grouped together more intuitively, and the new home screen brings the most used apps and content right to the surface.

- Steve

P.S. Full N97 technical specs

Note: I have the device for another week or so. Please leave any questions in the comments and I’ll do my very best to answer them. With your help, consider this review a work in progress.

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Hands-on impressions of Nokia’s N97 [video]

Steve O'Hear — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:17:08 +0000

Nokia's N97 flagship phone

I’ve been pretty excited ever since Nokia announced it’s soon-to-be-released Nokia N97 all the way back in December. However, it wasn’t till earlier this week that I was actually able to get my hands-on the company’s new flagship device courtesy of Nokia Design Day, an all day press event held at Nokia’s design offices in London. I got to spend about ten minutes playing with the N97 and overall I was very pleased with the device, both hardware build and looks, along with the newly revamped touch UI based on Symbian S60 5th edition. Overall, Nokia appears to have provided exactly what I and many users have been calling for: a phone with the Nseries media production and playback features combined with an Eseries-style QWERTY keyboard and build quality.

The slide out QWERTY keyboard is a joy to use, with the keys protruding enough to give ample tactile feedback with each key press, and enough space between keys to rule out too many typos. Possibly as good as the E71’s fantastic keyboard, and certainly better than the slide-out found on the recently released E75. Another win for Nokia is the way the screen tilts at a 35 degree angle when the physical keyboard is on show, which proved to be the perfect viewing angle.

On the software side, the most notable improvement is the active homescreen with its array of customizable widgets that pull in the latest content from various web services (Facebook, weather, email etc.) and other (local) data from apps installed on the phone. On that note, the Facebook app itself is impressive, certainly on-par with the iPhone’s.

One area where I still think Nokia may have made a mistake, however, is in the choice to use a resistive rather than a more finger-friendly capacitive screen. They explained the decision based on the need to support handwriting recognition via a stylus for certain markets. If that’s the case, I’m not sure why they can’t offer two different versions. Having said that, the resistive screen is one of the most responsive of its kind that I’ve used, and the operating system’s overall responsiveness has definitely improved compared to earlier video demos that I’d seen.

One other observation: The N97 looks a lot smaller in real life (in a good way) than in the many pictures that have been published. This thing isn’t bulky considering what’s packed in. Oh and if I end up purchasing the device, I’ll certainly choose the white/silver version, which looks a lot more stylish than the one in black (pictured above).

Check out the hands-on video I and a friend shot after the jump (my fingers are the pale wobbly ones right at the end!)…

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A glimpse into the Nokia N97’s Facebook app (screen shots)

Steve O'Hear — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:05:12 +0000

Six months prior to its scheduled release, influential tech blogger Robert Scoble dubbed Nokia’s upcoming N97 the “ultimate Facebook phone“. And as impressive as the device promises to be, that seemed just a tad premature, especially as the handset maker was reportedly still working out how deeply it should integrate a rival’s web service into its flagship phone. The competition wasn’t going to stand still either.

New entrant INQ has since brought to market a low-cost handset that many have dubbed ‘the Facebook phone‘ as it tightly integrates the social network into the device’s messaging and contacts application. Similarly, Blackberry recently beefed ups its own Facebook application, while Palm’s betting much of its comeback on the Palm Pre’s “synergy” feature, which sees Facebook and other third-party web services become an integral part of the phone’s functionality.

On that note, with just a few weeks before the N97 is set to debut, Nokia have published an interactive demo of the phone’s User Interface, including a walk-through of some of the features of the included Facebook application. Screen shots and comments below.

Status updates

Nokia Facebook app: update your status

You can both update your status and view your friends’ status updates/news feed. Judging by the icons a the top of the screen, you can also see any messages in your Facebook Inbox, as well as friend requests and ‘pokes’.

Publish photos

Nokia Facebook app: publish photos

You can upload a photo to Facebook either via the N97’s camera or from a photo already stored in the phone’s image library. Additionally, you can give the photo tags, a title and choose which of your Facebook photo albums to publish it to. You can also view any of your friends’ photo albums.

Events

Nokia Facebook app: view events

You can view any upcoming events on Facebook that you’ve been invited to…

Nokia Facebook app: respond to invites

… and indicate if you’ll be attending …

Nokia Facebook app: add event to calendar

… including being able to add that event to the phone’s own calendar app

You can play with the interactive demo of the Nokia N97’s User Interface here.

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Palm Pre aiming to be THE Facebook phone – social networking still mobile’s killer app

Steve O'Hear — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:47:31 +0000

(Credit: Jamie Gonzalez via twitpic)

I’ve written many times before that social networking, and Facebook in particular, is the killer application for mobile phones. It’s what’s driving take up of mobile data and the adoption of higher end so-called smartphones. The mobile networks have taken notice and jumped on the social networking bandwagon, heavily promoting access to Facebook as a key feature, and handset makers are doing the same.

RIM has been targeting consumers with an ad campaign that features the Blackberry’s Facebook application.

Ditto Apple with the iPhone.

And there’s INQ, a new entrant whose first device, the INQ1, has been dubbed ‘the Facebook phone‘ based on its deep integration with the social networking site.

Heck, even Nokia, despite creating its own competing social networking offerings, is starting to embrace Facebook through a prominent widget on the home screen of its upcoming flagship device, the N97.

The Palm Pre, however, looks to have taken Facebook support to the next level with its ‘Synergy’ feature, which builds the phone’s address book and messaging functionality, in part, around the social networking site (along with other third-party web services).

On that note, a leaked photo taken of the set for an upcoming Facebook television ad campaign puts Facebook at center stage – literally – signaling that the handset maker is going to market the Pre as the Facebook phone, perhaps by claiming that it has out innovated its rivals in terms of support for the near-ubiquitous SNS.

(via CNet)

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Who has the most to fear from Palm’s “New-ness”?

Steve O'Hear — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:18:23 +0000

Pandora CTO Tom Conrad put it best: “I can’t think of much that’s harder in the world than building a modern, mobile operating system and integrating it with a fantastic piece of hardware”, he tells Palm Info Center.

“We see companies take a swing and miss at this time after time – I really think Palm has hit a home run on this one.”

And Conrad should know.

Not only has his company ported its music streaming and discovery service to over 40 different handsets, “everything from J2ME and Windows Mobile to the iPhone”, but Pandora was also chosen by Palm to get an early hands-on peak at the webOS and Pre and begin bringing their app over to the company’s new platform.

At the same time, Conrad rightfully reminds us that Palm is still very much the underdog. Of course, underdogs should rarely be underestimated.

On that note, who should have the most to fear from Palm’s “New-ness”?

Apple – not

There’s no doubt that Palm have taken many of the iPhone’s best features (finger-friendly UI and capacitive touchscreen) and, at the same time, innovated significantly on top. Here I’m thinking primarily of Palm’s “Synergy” feature, whereby contacts and other user data is pulled in and converged from multiple web sources, along with the webOS approach to multitasking and application alerts.

And yet, there is nothing stopping Apple from doing the same in return by copying Palm’s best innovations and, knowing Cupertino, adding improvements of their own. In the five months until the Pre is likely to hit the streets, I expect Apple to release at least one new device (iPhone nano?), and when the smartphone wars really heat up, Apple has an army strong developer community and marketing budget to match any of its competitors. Not least Palm.

Android – unlikely

Palm says that its aiming for the “fat middle” of the smartphone market, while the Google-led Android mobile OS will likely find its way on all manner of devices. From high end, such as the T-Mobile G1, to cheap entry level smartphones. That’s because Android is open-source and free for handset makers to license. At the same time, it has a heavyweight like Google backing it.

I don’t see Palm, in the short to mid term at least, hurting Android’s chances of success as the Pre will be pitched at a much higher price point than the plethora of Android handsets that should hit the market in 09.

Nokia – possibly

The Finnish giant is just that, a giant (outside of North America anyway). And yet, despite recent improvements, Nokia’s OS is looking a little long in the tooth. That said, the company’s recently announced N97 can’t be matched on hardware specs alone — aside from that old school resistive touchscreen — and it’s in hardware or sheer number of devices where Nokia looks strongest. The company’s strategy has always been to slice up the market and offer a handset or two for each. Palm simply won’t be able to keep up with Nokia’s hardware road map. Not that that stopped the iPhone.

One area where Palm will challenge Nokia is in the two companies’ different approach to web services. Nokia seems determined to build or acquire their own offerings — email, social networking, music and location-based services — while Palm’s Synergy integrates many of the best third-party offerings right into the handset. Admittedly, Nokia’s also doing a bit of this through widgets on the home screen but nowhere near to the level of Palm.

Blackberry – likely

Is Blackberry a one trick pony? It does corporate email brilliantly but is desperate to grab a chunk of the growing consumer smartphone market – just witness its advertising campaign that makes much out of the Blackberry Facebook app. Palm thinks the Pre can dance to the tune of work and social life, especially with its Synergy approach to user data and support for consumer and corporate email. Then there’s that slide out keyboard. Many users moved from a Palm Treo to a Blackberry, might they now return to Palm?

Microsoft – unknown

Microsoft is harder to judge and I’m not sure if they should fear Palm any more than they should fear Apple, Blackberry and, in particular, Android. The company’s strategy with Windows Mobile has always been to support and foster an ecosystem of third-party hardware manufacturers. The question is, as with HTC, will many of those device makers begin to move over to Android since it’s free to license? We also don’t yet know how much Windows Mobile version 7 will addresses the shortcomings of the company’s current mobile OS offering or what impact Microsoft’s purchase of Danger will have. There’s also continued talk of the company building its own device, possibly with a Zune-branded phone.

Who do you think has the most to fear from Palm’s “New-ness”? Let us know in the comments.

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Nokia N97 – I want one already

Steve O'Hear — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:39:41 +0000

Let me get this out of the way first. I want one of these things.

I’m talking about the upcoming Nokia N97, which the Finnish handset maker unveiled this morning at its annual shindig, Nokia World, in Barcelona. For a long time now Nokia has been telling consumers not to think of its Nseries line of smartphones as phones at all. Instead, they’re ‘multimedia computers’, says the company. With today’s introduction of the N97, a device that’s designed to not only compete hard against consumer-friendly smartphones from the likes of Apple, HTC and RIM but also has a bit of the Netbook appeal in its sights, that pitch is sounding a lot less lofty.

The new Nokia N97 combines a 3.5 inch widescreen touch display with a slide out QWERTY keyboard, a first for the consumer-targeted Nseries. But it’s the way in which the screen tilts up at a thirty five degree angle when the physical keyboard is exposed that has me smitten (see video below). Perfect for viewing videos or typing on the device while its resting flat on a table rather than being held in the hand, and much more like using a conventional laptop or ‘palmtop’ such as the old Psion 5. The only disappointment here, on paper at least, is that, as with the XpressMusic 5800, the N97’s touchscreen is resistive not capacitive, meaning that operating it with a finger won’t be as responsive as it could be, a decision that Nokia presumably took in order to cater for the Asian market’s need for handwriting recognition via a stylus. Why not release two versions, one resistive and one capacitive, for different markets?

As you’d expect for a flagship Nseries device, the N97 packs in lots of familiar Nokia goodness, and then takes it up a notch. In addition to the 3.5 inch (360 x 640 resolution) touchscreen with haptic feedback, there’s a 5 megapixel camera (Carl Zeiss optics and dual LED flash) that’s also capable of shooting 30 frames per second ‘DVD quality’ video, Assisted GPS and compass sensors, WiFi, tri-band HSDPA, Bluetooth and USB, and a wopping 32GB of internal memory that can be optionally expanded to 48GB with the addition of a 16GB microSD card — see All About Symbian’s breakdown of the specs.

The N97 is undoubtedly Nokia’s most social networking-friendly phone yet too, and brings the company’s ‘connecting people’ slogan into focus with something tangible and up to date. Building on the XpressMusic 5800’s ‘contacts bar’ feature, the N97’s home screen has been turned into a fully customizable social networking aggregator that offers dynamically updated widgets for popular sites such as Facebook and MySpace, along with Nokia’s own Ovi suite of web services, email, SMS, weather and more. Additional widgets will be offered through the bundled download app, and while not on the same level as the iPhone’s App Store or the Android Marketplace, could provide third-party developers with a much lower barrier to developing Internet-enabled applications for devices running S60.

All in all, and without actually getting my hands on the device, the N97 looks like it will deliver the Nokia phone I’ve been asking for. All of the Nseries’ media consumption and production features, combined with a physical QWERTY keyboard and the email efficiency of the business focused E71 and earlier Eseries lineup.

I hope to have a full hands-on preview as soon as possible — the N97 won’t hit the market until sometime in the first half of 09 — but for now, here’s a bunch of videos of the device in action…

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