The Nokia N97 Q&A page (The sequel!)

Do the buttons on the keypad light up in low light conditions?

Can you use over the air software updates to update this phone's software? I had a unlocked N95 8GB a while back that I used with my current US tmobile account, and I couldn't do OTA software updates which I found extremely vexing. To update the software you had to connect the N95 to a PC, which sucked since I only own a Mac (and don't run Parallels or Boot Camp on). Nokia stil has no software support in this department for Mac users. Long story short, is the N97 capable of updating it's software OTA here in the states using only EDGE network connection?

I currently own a SE X1 and and am locked into a 2 year contract with Tmobile. I've been using my X1 for a little over 8 months now. In the time since purchasing my X1 I've run into some new software that I downloaded that would not work with Tmobile's EDGE since it uses a WAP internet connection. It needed either a compatible 3G (which isn't possible thanks to Tmobile's non-standard 3G frequencies) or Wi-Fi connection to function... Will the N97's widgets fully function and properly be able to access the internet using only Tmobile's EDGE through a WAP internet connection?

Thanks!

guys this is a weird question but here it goes, does any one know of a application for a s60v3 to just eat the available RAM... this is so i can try using my e90 with just 45mb of RAm an check its usability with it

Speed wise how does it compare to the Omnia HD & SE Satio both OMAP 3 devices unlike the N97? Recent videos of both these devices show them to have a very decent speed in the OS.

How does the physical keyboard compare to the E90's (or other devices, like the 9500)physical keyboard, size and usability wise?

Let me get this straight: internet telephony is not present on the N97?

And don't give me this c**p about Skype maybe coming via a firmware upgrade.

I want VOIP the way it's been on Nokia phones for the last few years. Please tell me Nokia could not have made such a colossal blunder.

Are all N-Gage games of the scaled-up S60v3 variety, or are there wide-screen, touch-based ones? If so, which ones?

considering Skype is coming in a future update, how about those mystery extra video chips being there to enable skype video chats on the N97. Is this too much to hope for.

will only 50MB of RAM cut it for heavy phone usage???

ok... 32GB of Internal Storage and 50MB of RAM.

You say "Every flavour of MP4 I flung at it worked ok though". OK, try a video from either one of these two video podcasts:
http://podcast.msnbc.com/audio/podcast/MSNBC-NN-NETCAST-M4V.xml
http://feeds.theonion.com/OnionNewsNetwork
My bet is that, like in every other Nokia I've tried, the video part won't play. It plays fine on the i8910 HD, though.

How does this compare against n95 in terms of graphical and processing power?
Is the internet significantly faster on n97?

Steve,

Enjoying the review,

1. Is Skype likely to be available on networks like Vodafone?
2. Will the N97 have the capability to save iPlayer programmes and watch them on, say, the bus?
3. Not sure if it's called a 'breathing light' - does it have a "blink at you if a text has arrived or you've had a missed call' light? If so - where?
4. Realistically, many of us won't be able to afford the �450 to buy a N97 outright, and we'll go to the networks. Are any better than others at delivering firmware updates and is it likely, say, Vodafone will block stuff like Skype/data heavy new features.

James

Hi,
How many SMS's and/or MMS's can the phone store?
Is this stores in the RAM, or in the main memory or memory card?

Thanks.

Can you please test the BBC Mobile Live TV channels to see if they work, it's adio only on my 5800?
Also, does the N97 scroll through long lists with more accuracy instead of jumping around e.g. 1000+ songs in music player?

As a matter of fact, areena.yle.fi uses windows media codec as of now. areena-beta.yle.fi is the address with flash content.

I know alot of people don't like the OVI suite, personally i do although I have no idea why, so I just wondered which version comes on the supplied disk? Is it the same as the latest version available to download on the internet or is it some new, never before seen version?
Thanks.

I have been using SMS Export from S60.com for years now.

It's one of the free exculsive utilities that members get. I use it to export SMSs from my Inbox to any destination folder in text format, so that I can easily transfer the exported SMS to PC, PDA or to another phone via Bluetooth/Cable. It is integral to my work.

Will it work on the Nokia N97?

Great first part to your review and looking forward to the rest!

A question on the browser - does it auto wrap the text of a web page when switching orientation and when zooming? ie, is the text justified to fit the screen or are we still forced to sideways scroll as with the 5800 due to text continuing past the edge of the screen?

Thanks!

My 5800 wraps text to fit the screen width in both landscape and portrait view. Its a set peeve of mine but it certainly does do this. Just remember it only does this for zoom level at 100%. I think people zoom in beyond 100% and then think the browser is not fitting the text properly. But it does indeed fit to the screen width.

I never see any auto-rotation clockwise (so that the Nokia logo is upside down). Could you confirm or deny that auto-rotation works that direction? A 360 would be nice, if not a 720 and back. Thanks!

How often do you have to recharge the phone with daily average use? (email, texts, calls, music, etc)

IT would of been amazing if it had the Omap3.

Another test: since they've made improvements to the web browser, can you tell me if you can access the ArsTechnica forum. Both my N82 and my 5800 show a blank page. Another of those things that work fine on the Samsung i8910, but not on any Nokia I've owned.

Edit: probably the answer is affirmative. Through a Google search, I found the User-Agent string of the N97, and it turns out the N97 uses version 525 of the webkit, like the i8910. All other Nokia phones released so far (N82, N95, N95 8GB, N96, N85, 5800, etc.) use version 413 or lower. Hopefully in time they'll update the browser on most other phones.

hi steve youre doing a wonderful job with the Q and A!!! well impressed so far

just as a matter of "fact"- the n97 DOES take better pics than the n95/n82/n96 and i (personally) think this is due to the algorithms being tweaked a bit....
take a look here for a comparison

http://thereallymobileproject.com/2009/06/n97-n82-htc-magic-camera-comparison/

another very reputable site (eldar) has stated that the n97 has 70mb free ram
any idea how he calculated this? (as you stated 46mb)
is it a matter that it is 70mb with the homescreen widgets deactivated(if possible)
or just a typo?

Is it possible to use an external antenna or signal amplifier with the n97 and how would you do this?
Thanks for answering all of these questions.

You mentioned some thing about video chips that are on board..Is it any 3D hardware accelerator...I want to know..How is it when you are ASPHALT 4 i mean the transitions is it smooth???

Please, i am desperately waiting for your reply...

Unregistered wrote:IT would of been amazing if it had the Omap3.

varunkumar wrote:Is it any 3D hardware accelerator

Steve, perhaps you could do a side by side web browser comparison between the n97 and the 5800. Use wifi for both phones and do some timed tests loading the same site. It could also show if the n97 is significantly smoother and renders sites faster.

This would be great and demonstrate the better hardware and faster cpu. Of course this isn't exactly a Q&A question, but please try to fit this in at some point. Thanks!