Six weeks ago, I previewed the upcoming O2/Apple iPhone, putting it head to head with the upcoming Nokia N95 8GB. Now that I've had the latter for over a week, it's been time to revise my initial head to head. For completeness, if this is a comparison that you're interested in, here's the N95 8GB vs iPhone page to read/print/link to...
Read on in the full article.
Other relevant links:
My review of the Nokia N95 8GB
and
N95 8GB product advert (new)
And don't forget you can't even use a BT keyboard with the iPhone - very basic BT support. You really need to compromise a lot to make the iPhone a business tool.
The Gadget Show on Channel 5 just ran a head to head on the N95 vs the iPhone.
The N95 won on everything except looks ... but the iPhone got all the attention in the nightclub.
Yes, saw it too.
Summed it up perfectly I think. I'm surprised to be honest. For some reason, I started off thinking they would try and rig it somehow so the iPhone would not look too bad (best not to go againt the grain too much and upset everyone, stay wishy washy that kind of thing) but very pleasently surprised.
Can someone explain something to me though ?
Yes the iPhone looks quite nice (asthetics), but is it just mass hype/hysteria/bandwagoning etc. about it looking so amazing or am I missing something?
Shame they did not have the "sexy" black 8 gb model...
Bet N95 sales go up.
Zuber
I was surprised too, I expected the Gadget show to bull in favour of the iPhone, but I suppose there is no arguing for a 2G phone handicapped by a touchscreen.
I still don't get the comparison, the iPhone is a different beast from the N95, they are good at different things and it depends what you need from it. If you need a gadget to attract attention in a nightclub then.....
"If you need a gadget to attract attention in a nightclub then....."
Of course. Now it makes sense. I can see why the iPhone is so popular now 😊
Zuber
One thing missing from Steve's comparison in the music bit: Gapless playback. The iPhone has it, the N95 variants do not.
Mind you, if that's not a problem for you, then the 8GB N95 does look very tasty indeed...
If you want gapless playback on a Symbian then can't you just install an app that does it?
But how about the sound quality of the music player? I think that n95 8gb sound quality sucks just like my nokia 6290 (poor bass). Luckily there's LCG Jukebox and 10 bar equaliser =0
I can't comment on the N95 sound quality but my N70 sounds fine to me.
I don't think though that you should be missing gapless in a phone that's advertised with music as a major focus. Mind you, iPods didn't have gapless until, what, a couple of years ago(?) and they are far more music-focussed.
I wasn't aware that 3rd party apps allowed gapless, but I wouldn't want to install another app to provide what I consider basic functionality. Mind you, I use Profimail over the built in mail client and Papyrus over the built in calendar. Horses for courses...
Enough of the spec comparisons between iPhone and N95, let's look at this from a different perspective since they are the pinnacles of their phone product lines.
Mobile phone R&D experience: NOKIA: 40 years, APPLE: 0 years
Phones from the past: NOKIA: countless, APPLE: 0
And look at how many "new" features coming or shown from Nokia Lab AFTER iPhone is sold, from chat style text message to the latest iPhone-like screen auto-roate on n95. And not to forget the future "touch" version of Symbian, that somehow will make a Symbian hard to use in the winter with gloves on and requires two hands in use, sounds familiar? We love Symbian here, but the 800+ applications are not going to help much if Nokia can't put out some real solid phones straight out of box to compete against the future iPhones.
Perhaps look at it another way:
Small form-factor engineering experience: NOKIA - 40 years, Apple - 6 years (release of iPod, more if you consider the Newton)
GUI experience: NOKIA - 40 years, Apple - 24 years (since Lisa release)
So, there is not such a gulf I believe.
Shortcomings aside, the iPhone has at the least given other manufacturers pause for thought about mobile phone usability and interaction with the computer. I'll be buying an iPhone on Nov 9th but will eagerly await a touchscreen S60 device...
Quoting how long each company has been in the business is pointless. I doubt Nokia have many people who have been working on small form factor for 40 years. If Apple want experience then they can just go out to the market and recruit.
Err... how about the Psion 5 from ten years ago? There's nothing new about touchscreens, the IPhone has a nice software UI, but its under-powered rubbish at best, and Apple's anal behaviour regarding networks and 3rd party software means they deserve to fall flat on their faces with this one. Still, those fools who like paying for mp3 files will no doubt lap it up...
Unregistered wrote:I am feeling relieved now as I publicly broke my worst ever phone N95 equipped with lousy symbian OS with S60 interface.
Comparing Nokia with iPhone is like comparing old Fiat with Ferrari.
I bought my new iPhone with 1.1.1 software and after unlocking it, I thought I am doing some magics and I m seeing some dream. I am getting all attention in night clubs, office and also I can see the sad faces of HTC and Nokia N95 owners in my office. one of my college immediately threw his HTS and bought iPhone
I give open challenge to Nokia N95 by my iPhone in terms beauty, performance and speed and looks voice quality, MP3 player, Video player, Slide show, internet, ease of use.
Nokia>N95's battery dies in 2 hours when at coffie shop while browsing internet, page rendering in browser sucks it takes 4 time more time than iphone, navigation sucks. no accelorometer.
some idiots are talking about 3G, iPhone dliberatly removed to increase battery life. Also these idiots do not know that N95 has no poorly lit and no muti touch screen. Dust formation inside screen and so many flaws. But on paper it looks great phone but only on papers.
iPhone>iphone battery is last last for 6.5 hours(my own experience combined with internet surfing, watching movies on big screen(Nokia will take another 50 years to make such beautiful bright and crips sreen), Operating system is fatest among any other OS
>I pity Nokia and it will die like alcatel and Siemens(
mobile Devices) . prices of Nokia phones are criminal.Itake pride that me and my entire family has abondaned Nokia for it's 8 years of criminal loot and worst hand sets.
I hope that your iphone has a grammar and spelling option to help you dude!
I used to be a Nokia holder. I hated the way I used to actually have to press keys to operate it, and feel that medieval 'click' of the buttons. I was failing in my job, my parents were disappointed with me and I had absolutely no private life, all because of my phone. However, now I have an iPhone! Of course, I don't actually know much about Apple's history, or own any other Apple products, I just got caught up in the hype.. I don't mind that it doesn't have a very good camera, doesn't capture video and doesn't have GPS, and I will gladly (and incorrectly) tell anyone who will listen that it has an accelerometer unlike the N95 which doesn't (or does it?). The important thing is that most of the people I meet in clubs and flash my phone to are so superficially interested in it that they don't know it lacks these features either! All I have to do is flick through a couple of album covers, do the 90 degree phone turny thing and slide it back in to my pocket as if the rest of it's features are too complicated for them to understand (instead of the rest of the features just not existing). The great thing is that since I got the phone, I have slept with 2 gorgeous blonde ladies! Although one of them couldn't spell 'iPhone' and the other could barely spell her own name). Still, at least I don't have one of those dastardly Nokias where the battery life is average, the applications plentiful and easily installed and where I am limited to only ALL of the available service providers in my country..
im by no means an apple hater, i own 2 ipods and own �330 in ear phones shure se530's to go with them. but... i think the iphone is very very overratted, it has no features that have not been done alot better in the past and against modern competition like the n95 the iphone is embarrassed ( i may have spelt that wrong, oh well =) ).
i also own the n95 8gb and have also owned the origonal n95 and have been a huge fan of the n95 from day one. so yes maybe i am a little bias and swinging one way but i honestly dont think the iphone has one feature that makes it look down on the n95, the n95 is the daddy and slaps the iphone in its place
wow ! what a great fight
since when iPhone could even fight little brothers of nokia > the big brother should never get down to the arena against iphone simply becuase there's no right opponent to fight with!
features , features and features wether u use it or not ,it should be there when the need ask for it !
with nokia n95 8gb there is one thing for sure and that is Ur walking around with alot of features where with iphone u've got to buy what is short in ur list in the first place !
day to day use is another battle iphone would lose it with any cheapest symbian! touch screen as an extra feature could be more welcome but to be the main UI with the any device is crime itself in life [email][email protected][/email] !!!
hate nokia no problem but hate the products for no appearent reasons something that nobody would accept it no matter how loud your shouts are!
n95 8gb hold what it takes to be the real champion at the end of the day , the elegent shape ,features, build quality and above all the performance
i want to buy a new phone but i dont know wich 1 i should buy n95 8 gig or iphone?
i own various Apple products because they do what i need them to do. And they do them well. yeah they look pretty at the same time and the UI is just great on them and i guess most of that can be said for the iphone. but when you compare a fully loaded flagship handset against it, its flaws truly show.
the limitations of the iphone against the n95 8gb are too great. n95 does pretty much everything and when it doesnt excel at it, the level of the app feels only average, where as the iphone excels in only certain areas, and when it doesnt excel it can be badly let down. sometimes making me think, why the hell have i got this.
the iphone should really be compared to something like the samsung f490 or perhaps soon the f480 which offers similar features on paper. has the same kind of input and is the handset 02 rivals Voda chose to compete on spec. in this kind of level field comparison of touch UI driven devices, the iphone runs away with it. the samsung is fairly shit. you understand how the iphone is great.
i got to say, surprising to myself i prefer using the n95 instead of the iphone. but its all opinions and what preference you are after in a handset. the iphone is a joy to use and watch, but it needs to be developed....... and that is something Apple are very good at....... so maybe someday the iphone could be compared to any phone...... and win.
Sure my car drives like dog... but it's got a 12 litre supercharged engine!
lol!
i quote"But how about the sound quality of the music player? I think that n95 8gb sound quality sucks just like my nokia 6290 (poor bass). Luckily there's LCG Jukebox and 10 bar equaliser =0"
ok one thing, the sound quality of then n95 8gb and the Nokia 6290 has a gap as wide as the north and south pole. the sound quality of the 6290 doesn't even come close to the n95 or n95 8gb. i can tell you that. i've tried both, and i use my Shure Se530 earphones with the N95 8gb. i stil have my 6290, and when i plug it in, it's like throwing my Se530 down the drain. where are the n95 8gb superbly matches with the se530.
The sound quality exerted from the N95 8gb is also sublime to the iphone, ipod, or any mp3 player. As the DSP chip in the n81, n81 8gb, n82, n95, and n95 8gb are so detailed, and accurate that it surpass the competitors out there by just that much.
anyone thinking that the quoted part of the first comment a completely biased comment on the iphone and n95? cuz come to think of it and trying both...ok th eiphone maybe well be a better looking and thinner phone, better battery,and a nicer screen...but internet is only on par with the n95. then the n95 takes over everything, GPS is faster, Speakers are far superior than the iphone, 3.5mm headphone jack outputs more detail and isn't stupidly Recessed like the one on the iphone, the n95 has a dual slider-much more stylish, 5mp Carlzeiss optics autofocus led flash camera as compared to the iphones pathetic 2mp no flash camera...and now there's the n95-3 which has 4 times the ram, a 26% increase in battery hold (950MAh to 1200MAH), and the n95-3 uses less battery. Increasing the battery life by ALOT. and there's the n95-2 and n95-4 which are 8gb versions, all black, bigger screen, and even faster 😊 i wonder who wins now...
n95 is better cos iv got it. its detailed and a 5 mgapixel camera, it is a lot better. keep up the good work babe!!huhuhuhuhhu
i m still in fix that which is better 2 buy N95 or iphone.plz somebody help me.which iz better 4 muzic?
People are comparing Nokia to Apple with tinted lenses. Phones are not just for making calls anymore. Phones are personal devices, that run SOFTWARE, and interface with computers, and PEOPLE!
It's all about software these days, and Apple know a thing or two about software.
If you are still sure that Nokias experience with mobiles automatically means they make a better modern mobile, why not ask some questions......
_______
With all their experience, and selling about 500 million phones a year, WHY CAN'T NOKIA MAKE:
- a stable smartphone, with software that works well, without bugs?
My N95, running the latest firmware, crashes if I write a text message from the main menu. There are also a ton of bugs which you can read about online.
Most iPhone bugs were minor in the first place, and ironed out in a matter of weeks.
- an operating system that reacts immediatly to menu choices rather than with a second of delay?
The phone slows down to a standstill sometimes, but even during normal operation, the menu system is sluggish and frustrating.
- software update software, that works, without bugs, on all platforms?
The Nokia Software Update is Windows only, actually, its almost WXP only, as the software update crashes under Vista Ultimate. Well done Nokia, crap computer software to fix crap phone software.
- an operating system that has a nice look an feel?
Subjective? Perhaps. Whatever about the "feel" of the software, there is no denying that the iPhone OS looks much better than the N95s.
- an operating system that can be operated without a computer science degree?
Basic operation of the N95 takes a few days to get used to, and more advanced stuff is a real pain.
The N95 might be a geeks fantasy, but for everyone else, it's just plain fussy.
- a handset with less than 20 million buttons?
Nokia are losing the plot. Next we will have a dedicated button for different profiles. The N95 has all of 30 buttons. Crazy shit.
Less is more Nokia, you twats.
- an attracive, slim handset?
N95 is fat and ugly and already looks dated.
- a slider phone that doesn't slide open in ones pocket?
Yep. Often.
- a good support system and online community?
The official Nokia support system is awful.
- a camera that doesn't take 15 seconds to load up?
Yep
- a smartphone OS that doesn't need this, to load that, to install this in order to play that?
Seriously. Go to www.allaboutsymbian.com to find out more.
_________
I have an N95 about a month now, and have already replaced the fat little button infested disaster-bastard, - with an iPhone of course.
The N95 has the features, but the iPhone has the usability. It looks good, and it feels good to use.
Take a look at the websites:
Apple:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
Nokia:
http://www.nseries.com/index.html
Now you decide, which company is going to offer easy to use support and a vibrant community.
Look at this iPhone screenshot:
http://www.v1ru8.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/iphone_screenshot_113_1.png
Now look at this, from the N95:
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/2358/screenshot0033yg5.png
Feels like travelling back in time about 5 years.
Nokia have a LOT of catching up to do. I hope Apples entry to the market helps keep them on their toes.
Nokia are a fucking joke. Out of touch, stuck in the 80s.
Kids, unless you need a 5 mpx camera, fuck the N95, and fuck Nokia, especially their half baked software.
I have(had) both, also i had N96. I sent the iphone back, the iphone is a stunning piece of kit. but it lacks the functionality of the n95.
Also i sent the n96 back as it was an improvement over the n95, it was not a big enough improvement over the n95 to justify being tied in to an 18 month contract.
* pros for the iphone
* awesome user interface.
* good browser. saving links was cool.
* ipod application is slick, but limmiting.
* email client is nice, even though it is bit simple.
cons for iphone
* you cant multi task applications easily.
For example you cant listen to to the radio and surf the net and use instant messging.
this might seem trivail, but it is the main reason I sent my iphone back.
* Apple app store, when i was using the iphone first i thought this was a win for the iphone, but you realise that apple are being control freaks, for example try and finf out why you cant watch a slingbox from your iphone.
* bleutooth is crap taliking to other phones (including other iphones), if tou disagree try sending a contact to another phone via bluetooth.
* gps was not as good as n95.
* on screen keyboard seems a win at frist but drives you mad after a while
* camera is below average, and it has no video function
* syncing contacts
pros for n95
* reliable. it very rarely crahes!
* awesome apps, if you know where to look.(search for "n95 killer apps", such as opera mini, nimbuzz (crap on iphone), emoze, internet radio ,sports tracker, home media server, web server, )
* mp3 player, believe it or not it is you can transfer music manually or via nokia music app. It does not have apple control freak stamped through it.
* EVERTHING is configurable!
* Camera
* java and symbian apps. developers can get their apps out there instead of going through appstore bottleneck.
* there was NOTHING the iphone can do which n95/n96 cant do. However it was not the reverse.
* ALL apps are multitaking.
* TV out
*
cons for n95
* it is not as sleek as the iphone.
* crap browser, however use opera mini, is cool. But not as good as iphone browser.
* unless you you research the nokia/n95 forums, you dont know the capablities of the phone.
* download app (nokia's apps store) is rubbish.
* screen size
If you want simply want to carry one device instead of an average phone and ipod touch, then iphone is for you.
If you want a phone it is highly configurable phone with killer apps, then n95 (or n96) is for you, but do some research nokia let them selves down but not promoting all the features it has to offer. a good example is the home media/webserver apps.
if you can wait to summer 09, the n97 will be out, which is a touch screen n96 with larch screen.
youtube watch?v=2O2Li74EYew
peoplee who think iphones are better are simply wrong or easily pleasedd
if IphonE wasnT a Touch..........it was valUEd no More then a nokia 6300
