Will the N97 or Mini be better for me?

You can compare the two phones side-by-side at the following website:

http://mobilenews.omio.com/mobile-phone-news/nokia-n97-vs-nokia-n97-mini-comparison-mobile-phone-face-off/

This might help you decide which one to get. To further help, based on your average daily requirements, here are my thoughts:

• I have a classic (larger) N97 and have it set to check and receive emails every 5 minutes for a majority of the day (9am - 11pm). The battery holds well even if I haven't put it on charge for 48 hours. If you're likely to send a lot of emails, then I'd imagine you might find the mini more comfortable, as you won't have the directional pad pushing all the keys to one side. If you send the odd email then the classic N97 is certainly fine for that.

• The specifications show that the classic N97 has a longer standby time and longer talk time compared to the N97 mini, which would prove useful if you're going to use your phone fairly heavily each day.

• The screen resolution of both phones are exactly the same (360x640). For web browsing, you might benefit from the slightly larger screen on the classic N97.

• With regards to texts, if you're sending so many each day, again the mini might be a better option purely for comfort. However, if you have large hands then overall the classic might be more comfortable as it would sit in your hand better for general use.

• Both phones have an amazing ability that the iPhone simply doesn't have... but practically every other phone has too... the ability to swap batteries! Whichever phone you get, you can always get a second battery and take it with you. That way, if you find yourself using your phone more than you would normally (and you may have forgotten, or been unable, to put it on charge), you have the safety net of a second battery to get you through the day. If you think you'll need a second battery more often, then the mini may be the better of the two as the metal battery cover will be able to withstand frequent removal without warping/creaking.

• You say you may take the odd photograph. Getting a classic N97 means you have a lens slider to protect the camera lens from scratches. There used to be an issue where the slider itself was rubbing caught dirt and grit on the lens and hence scratching it, but Nokia have resolved this problem.

• If you're going to be taking your phone everywhere with you, you might want a phone that isn't too bulky. In which case, the reduced size and weight of the mini might make it the more obvious choice for placing in your pocket, compared to the slightly bulkier classic.

• You haven't stressed any requirement for an FM transmitter or larger internal storage, so I can only assume these aren't necessary. Since you won't need them, you could save money (or get a better contract) on a mini compared to the classic. Furthermore, there's nothing stopping you from putting a 16Gb microSD card in the mini to get a total of 24Gb storage.

Hope this helps.

I've posted a list of comparisons to help aid you in your choice, but it was caught by the damn spam thingie on this forum. Hopefully an admin will come along and approve it so you can benefit from it.

I had a look at the two side by side today and the mini does look a fair bit more pocketable but I a bit worried about the smaller battery.

My N97 goes through a lot more punishment than that... But i do use a spare battery... Be lost without 2 batteries... �19.99 off nokia website....

I have a mini and am very happy with it. I have about the same level of use that you have. I bought and charged a spare battery but have yet to need it.

If you don't have anything that opens a constant connection the battery is fine. I sync my mail every 15 min if its in wifi range it builds the connection and then shuts it down same with 3g if no wifi.

http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/software/applications.php?fldAuto=171&faq=1

Never had a classic n97 so I can't compare.

What network are you on?

Jeff

jmurch wrote:I have a mini and am very happy with it. I have about the same level of use that you have. I bought and charged a spare battery but have yet to need it.

If you don't have anything that opens a constant connection the battery is fine. I sync my mail every 15 min if its in wifi range it builds the connection and then shuts it down same with 3g if no wifi.

Never had a classic n97 so I can't compare.

What network are you on?

Jeff

I would run the N97 on my Vodafone sim from work but I will probably buy a second hand unlocked phone and debrand to Euro1 code.

Interestingly, when poking about the shops this morning, I heard separately from the T-mobile, 3, and Orange stores that the N97 is going to be end-of-lifer I the next few weeks. They are already running down their stocks. I don't know if that's just because of poor demand or because there is a real replacement due out soon.

It doesn't really matter to me as I never buy phones until they have been out for a few months and I have seen the second round of reviews which is where any problems are exposed. Then at least I know what to expect and whether I should wait for firmware updates.

xerxes wrote:I would run the N97 on my Vodafone sim from work but I will probably buy a second hand unlocked phone and debrand to Euro1 code.

Interestingly, when poking about the shops this morning, I heard separately from the T-mobile, 3, and Orange stores that the N97 is going to be end-of-lifer I the next few weeks. They are already running down their stocks. I don't know if that's just because of poor demand or because there is a real replacement due out soon.

It doesn't really matter to me as I never buy phones until they have been out for a few months and I have seen the second round of reviews which is where any problems are exposed. Then at least I know what to expect and whether I should wait for firmware updates.

that just could be a marketing ploy to make u buy one...

Its not even 12months old

I don't think it was a sales ploy. Both the salesguys in Orange and T-Mobile told me their stores had run out of stock and wouldn't be getting anymore and that I'd have to order from the website.

The guy in the 3 shop did have a couple in stock but seemed much more intent on selling me a SE X10.

Has anyone else got any pointers about which unit to go for or about automating Podcasting?

just bad sales, methinks

for the podcast thingy, you can use smartphoneware's Best Profiles, it's highly recommended

also instead of getting a spare battery, you can look at getting the power packs, where you can charge the phone by plugging it in instead of getting a spare battery. your phone wont last the whole day with your kind of usage

Ok so I bought a mini on eBay.

Thanks for all the comments and the Best Profiles idea. I'll let you guys know how I progress.

xerxes wrote:Ok so I bought a mini on eBay.

Thanks for all the comments and the Best Profiles idea. I'll let you guys know how I progress.

So as I said, I got the Mini, debranded it, updated to v11 and hard reset to get a clean starting point. I then tried it out for a week. I found that the battery was about the same as my 3gs and that the signal strength and gps were both much better. Unfortunately I could not get used to the laggy touchscreen and general slow execution when starting programs.

Thanks for all the suggestions and pointers but I think I'm going to have to wait for the N8 to be released before I can finally retire the iPhone. Fortunately I was able to sell it Envirofone with only a �15 loss on what I paid on eBay.

Regarding the N97 - I've been looking around several phone shops in the last couple of days, and the classic N97 is not in any of the main high street shops - the n97 Mini is however - so the comments re 'end of life' may well be correct.

I've been looking at alternatives to my N97 Classic, and one of the reasons is the slow and sluggish response of the OS, but would have thought the Mini would have run a little better / faster than the classic. But at least you gave it a try, and good luck with your next phone.

If you are a girl with slender finger,i think N97 mini may fit you.otherwise i choose N97,more comfortable.

nottmbantam wrote:I've been looking at alternatives to my N97 Classic, and one of the reasons is the slow and sluggish response of the OS, but would have thought the Mini would have run a little better / faster than the classic.

Apart from the smaller mass memory, are there any hardware differences? (faster CPU etc)
If not, then I don't think the N97 mini would be any faster or slower to the N97 classic.

dez_borders wrote:Apart from the smaller mass memory, are there any hardware differences? (faster CPU etc)
If not, then I don't think the N97 mini would be any faster or slower to the N97 classic.

Not as far as I know. The Mini does not have the FM Transmitter, but all other hardware is the same ( apart form the stated and obvious - built in mass memory, smaller screen, weight etc )

The CPU is exactly the same, but for some reason, I just thought it woiuld run a little better than the Classic. Maybe just a lazy assumption on my behalf.

nottmbantam wrote:Not as far as I know. The Mini does not have the FM Transmitter, but all other hardware is the same ( apart form the stated and obvious - built in mass memory, smaller screen, weight etc )

The CPU is exactly the same, but for some reason, I just thought it woiuld run a little better than the Classic. Maybe just a lazy assumption on my behalf.

The funny thing is that I bought my wife a 5800 for Christmas and that seems to be a lot more responsive than the N97s. I had assumed that the N97 would be at least as fast but with the addition of a hard keyboard. Also a lazy assumption I suppose.

xerxes wrote:The funny thing is that I bought my wife a 5800 for Christmas and that seems to be a lot more responsive than the N97s. I had assumed that the N97 would be at least as fast but with the addition of a hard keyboard. Also a lazy assumption I suppose.

Well.. its depends on how tech savvy your wife is� some ppl are happy with ph basic features and some are thrives to run a web server on it� 😊

nottmbantam wrote:Not as far as I know. The Mini does not have the FM Transmitter, but all other hardware is the same ( apart form the stated and obvious - built in mass memory, smaller screen, weight etc )

The CPU is exactly the same, but for some reason, I just thought it woiuld run a little better than the Classic. Maybe just a lazy assumption on my behalf.

Thanks for the feedback. I had forgotten about the lack of FM transmitter in the mini, although if I am honest I have tested but never used that function for real.

The HTC desire does sound interesting/tempting - but at the moment, everything's fine with my N97 classic and I could not justify an upgrade to another �400+ handset.
...maybe by summer 2011, I will be ready for a change. 😉

xerxes wrote:The funny thing is that I bought my wife a 5800 for Christmas and that seems to be a lot more responsive than the N97s. I had assumed that the N97 would be at least as fast but with the addition of a hard keyboard. Also a lazy assumption I suppose.

Ditto. Well almost.

My wife bought herself a 5800 about a year ago, and a few weeks after, I bought the N97. I do think her 5800 runs better than my N97 for basic stuff. EG - when you touch the screen, you get a really solid 'vibrate' feedback. On the N97 even when I had touch screen vibrate set to the highest level, it was nowhere as good, browsing photo's seesm quicker, browsing messages also seems quicker.

dez_borders wrote:Thanks for the feedback. I had forgotten about the lack of FM transmitter in the mini, although if I am honest I have tested but never used that function for real.

The HTC desire does sound interesting/tempting - but at the moment, everything's fine with my N97 classic and I could not justify an upgrade to another �400+ handset.
...maybe by summer 2011, I will be ready for a change. 😉

I do use the FM Transmitter all the time in my car, the sound quality is pretty good, and with the N97 mass storage, I have got most of my music on the phone.

Likewise, I do feel now that I made a error of judgement with the N97, so not going to rush out any buy another handset, want to take my time over the decision, and happy to carry on with the N95 for now.