Sad day

Yes, I done the same about a month ago, expect I opted for the Nexus One. Still trying to decides what to do with my N97.

Just viewing the Nokia support forum for N devices is depressing, it looks like peoples interest in the N97 has just died (I'm sure as Nokia hoped it would) as there are very few post about the N97 anymore. I wonder if Nokia thinks that is because all N97 owners are happy bunnies now.

8Ball wrote:Well ladies and gents tis a sad day as I write this post from my new HTC Desire. I finally took the plunge and replaced my N97 and sorry to say no regrets whatsoever. Android is the way forward now. Everything is so much more usable. I've had all the N series flagship and nothing compares. Come on Nokia get back in the game with a decent OS we know you can do it!

Yes, I have the same impression that Android at the moment, looks a better bet then either Symbian or WinMo. Even with the forthcoming N8, I know it's Symbian ^3, but just the thought of another Symbian device puts me off.

Teece wrote:Yes, I done the same about a month ago, expect I opted for the Nexus One. Still trying to decides what to do with my N97.

Just viewing the Nokia support forum for N devices is depressing, it looks like peoples interest in the N97 has just died (I'm sure as Nokia hoped it would) as there are very few post about the N97 anymore. I wonder if Nokia thinks that is because all N97 owners are happy bunnies now.

I suspect that it's a bit of both - existing N97 owners who are happy with their phones, but have probably been happy since Day One. I think the ones that are unhappy with the N97 have been unhappy since Day One but have probably moved onto a different device by now - or at least contemplating changing ( like me! ) . It's just the overall impression from reading various forums re the N97 -
it's seems a pretty devisive device!

nottmbantam wrote:Yes, I have the same impression that Android at the moment, looks a better bet then either Symbian or WinMo. Even with the forthcoming N8, I know it's Symbian ^3, but just the thought of another Symbian device puts me off.

I suspect that it's a bit of both - existing N97 owners who are happy with their phones, but have probably been happy since Day One. I think the ones that are unhappy with the N97 have been unhappy since Day One but have probably moved onto a different device by now - or at least contemplating changing ( like me! ) . It's just the overall impression from reading various forums re the N97 -
it's seems a pretty devisive device!

Yes, I would agree, and the N97 certainly did provoke a lot of emotion, and some anger.

I am not one of those people who change phones to keep up with new developments.

But.................

I am so fed up with my N97 being so sluggish and buggy, that I am looking at moving to something newer and better.

dog-man

dog-man wrote:I am not one of those people who change phones to keep up with new developments.

But.................

I am so fed up with my N97 being so sluggish and buggy, that I am looking at moving to something newer and better.

dog-man

Generally, I'm not either. I had my N95 for over two years, I ignored the N95 8GB as it wasn't that much of an improvement, didn't go for the N96 either. Prior to the N95 , I bought a 6680 which had probably been out for a year by that time.

I'm in a similar situation - looking for something that performs better. Although I declared I wasn't going to get a Desire, just looking through video's of the phone in operation - it does look rather slick.

i loved the n97 and have nothing to complain for time being. i complained when it was on firmware v12 but with v20 its ok. however i ordered a n900 and waiting for it. according to reviews its better than android

I had the N97 right from the start, on v10, and then to v11, but v12 was the worst. Eventually, am now on v21, but just find it so slow. For example, navigating to my Photos folder, the thumbnails just seem to take a long time to load up, and when replying to a text message, the reply screen also takes a while to load - this is after deleting all my messages in the hope it will run quicker.

I do like the look of the N900, but in terms of applications, seemingly Android has a lot more to offer at the moment than Maemo, and more and more phones are coming out on an Android platform, so choice and variety are apparently wider at the moment than for Maemo.

The N97 is just about usable enough for me. The hardware (GPS) has been fixed and the firmware is stable enough. The features in the OS are second to none, and the hardware capabilities are second to none IMHO too - excluding the constantly low quality cameras despite ever increasing megapixels.

But come on, Qwerty keyboard, 32 Gig memory, 1hr 30 min of video recording, USB Mass Storage mode, addable SIP module.

Put all this with or without a Qwerty keyboard on an android phone, and I'll buy it.

sjdean wrote:The N97 is just about usable enough for me. The hardware (GPS) has been fixed and the firmware is stable enough. The features in the OS are second to none, and the hardware capabilities are second to none IMHO too - excluding the constantly low quality cameras despite ever increasing megapixels.

But come on, Qwerty keyboard, 32 Gig memory, 1hr 30 min of video recording, USB Mass Storage mode, addable SIP module.

Put all this with or without a Qwerty keyboard on an android phone, and I'll buy it.

Absolutely. Add to that, a built in FM Transmitter and it's a list of features that only the N97 and N900 can offer.

But, the other side of the coin, is that the phone is cumbersome to use, slow and I have the worry it's always going to crash / freeze whenever I need it most

I agree bantam. It's such an enigma the N97, such great features all in one package that you don't see on virtually any other phone, yet the GUI and OS is a dated pile of rubbish.

But what good is the OS if it doesn't have the features to back it up.

Yes - I keep looking at other phones and umm-ing and ahh-ing over them, and I know my hesitancy is because the other phones are lacking the features that the N97 ( or even the N900 ) can offer. In day to day use, these are the features that I enjoy and I really would want on my next phone.

If I go out and buy an Android device, I know it wil be slick, reliable, nice to use, good range of apps available, fast etc. But I will be losing out on the real features ( the ones we have already listed ) so I'm in real dilemma. I do want a 'nice to use ' phone, but feel that I'd be losing out at the moment, so I'm kind of reluctantly stuck with the N97 really.

If I could get an Android phone with all the N97 features, I'd buy it today.

to be honest guys the n97 feature list was what drew me in

32gb , fm transmitter , qwerty/touch , gps , 5mp carl zeis , 30fps video , functinal o/s , nothing could touch it in terms of a convergance device that covered all the bases

but things didnt go great with me and the n97 , i tryed , i had 4 replacements and then enough was enough

i eventually ended up witha i8910 which was a super device and then i got a n900

to me the n900 is everything the n97 should have been in the 1st place , its a n97 that just works , loads of ram decent processor functinal ui but a nice looking one designed for touch , 100s of apps there is allready at least 250 in extras and easily another 250 in testing and another load in devil

i havent had so much fun owning a phone since the n95 , the evolving process is immense , there is new things popping up everyday and with qt support and talks of meego running on it the future is looking quite exciting

i would recomend trying the n900 before jumping to android , the n900 isnt perfect for some people due to lack of portrait mode throughout the phone and mms having to be done via the fmms application but its well worth checking out and if the n97 got you excited when announced then the n900 should defently be considered you may just find its everything you wanted and a litlle bit more

It is a good device, just let down by sluggishness for me. Its getting to the point where its annoying. Sometimes takes a while to open/send text messages. By a while I mean 10-15 seconds. Sure it doesn't sound a lot but if you are like me and send loads then its very annoying. The web browser isn't fluid enough, sometimes I have had it hang and crash.

I am sure for a normal person the N97 is fine. For those of us who really put any device through their paces and use it the way its meant to be used, are probably annoyed with it.

If the Desire was on O2 I probably would have upgraded by now.

I am happy with what the N97 has but feel very let down by the sluggishness and frequent lockups when taking a call.

If a call comes in when I am doing something else on the phone, it will frequently lock up during the call and the only way out is to remove the battery.

This phone just winds me up, but it does have everything I want. If only a new firmware would make this phone responsive and stop the lockups.

I have around 35 to 38 mb free on the C drive, so it's not a shortage of available memory issue.

I too have my eyes on the Desire as a replacement, but it will cost me as I am locked into a long contract still with Vodafone. 😞 So I am not sure what I will do.

dog-man

there is no doubt about it, in terms of features nothing comes close to the N97, its a cracking device..............on paper

but reality for me was that i could never trust it to work when i wanted, when you pick it up you just don't know which combination of features are actually available at that moment in time- the rest will crash it.

I really wish my desire had 32GB on board. My N97 did- but it couldn't deal with 4500 photos I had on there (which only amounted to circa 2GB). i've have more than that on the Desire and it hasn't crashed once. Not once. on My N97 when i went into photos about 50% of the time it would freeze and i would have to pull the battery. No point having 32GB if i can't use it.

The main difference for me is that the Desire is actually a joy to use, i want to play with it, do stuff on it etc. In the last few weeks i just couldn't be bothered with the N97, i was tired of the resistive screen and crashes and man it was slow, so slow.

But you guys are right, if you are willing to live with its 'issues', then features wise it is top, and its still top in my opinion, nothing touches it.

stringent wrote:It is a good device, just let down by sluggishness for me. Its getting to the point where its annoying. Sometimes takes a while to open/send text messages. By a while I mean 10-15 seconds. Sure it doesn't sound a lot but if you are like me and send loads then its very annoying. The web browser isn't fluid enough, sometimes I have had it hang and crash.

I am sure for a normal person the N97 is fine. For those of us who really put any device through their paces and use it the way its meant to be used, are probably annoyed with it.

If the Desire was on O2 I probably would have upgraded by now.

Was in the O2 shop today, looking through their 'catalogue' and the Desire is 'coming soon' so you may be able to get it hold of it in the next few weeks.

So, the dilemma is: buy a phone with fewer features but which is much nicer and easier to use, or stick with the N97 which is a pain. ( That proposition sounds like the marketing ploy that Apple use when pushing the iPhone - simple phone, easy to use and thousands of apps. ).

When I was looking at the Desire in CPW, I asked if I could bring in my Macbook and see how the two devices can sync with each other, so might try that tomorrow and see if I can reach a level of satisfaction.

spirit44 wrote:there is no doubt about it, in terms of features nothing comes close to the N97, its a cracking device..............on paper

but reality for me was that i could never trust it to work when i wanted, when you pick it up you just don't know which combination of features are actually available at that moment in time- the rest will crash it.

I really wish my desire had 32GB on board. My N97 did- but it couldn't deal with 4500 photos I had on there (which only amounted to circa 2GB). i've have more than that on the Desire and it hasn't crashed once. Not once. on My N97 when i went into photos about 50% of the time it would freeze and i would have to pull the battery. No point having 32GB if i can't use it.

The main difference for me is that the Desire is actually a joy to use, i want to play with it, do stuff on it etc. In the last few weeks i just couldn't be bothered with the N97, i was tired of the resistive screen and crashes and man it was slow, so slow.

But you guys are right, if you are willing to live with its 'issues', then features wise it is top, and its still top in my opinion, nothing touches it.

It's just the inevitable trade off.

Do I take style, performance and quality over what is some pretty good (if basic) features that no other phone is doing yet!

I mean come on, integrated SIP module, 32 Gig onboard memory, and act as USB Mass Storage drive. It's not too much to ask is it? iPhone comes closest, but still you can't hook it up in mass storage mode unless you jailbreak it.

What a swizz.

go Go... Nexus One... as super, long time Nokian... gave up my N97...

Use my 97 as a music hard drive in my BMW 550GT... good for music storage, but actually bloody slow since USB2 = USB0.1... will dump it shortly.

P

Yeah the Desire has been coming soon on O2 for a while. "End Of April" according to their site. Then we have the iPhone 4G with a micro SIM instead ... Hmmm.

Plus I KNOW the Desire links up fine to my BMW Bluetooth. The N97 doesn't, despite numerous tries and attempts.

Sadly, my BMW doesn't have Bluetooth ( is this a BMW Owners Club? 😃 ) as it's an older model now, so have to rely on the FM Transmitter with the N97 - but I am impressed with the sound quality. Previously had a Pajero ( Shogun ) and had fitted an aftermarket head unit into that, but the reception with the FMT was terrible. For some reason, the N97 and the car's stereo just seem to work really well together.

stringent wrote:Yeah the Desire has been coming soon on O2 for a while. "End Of April" according to their site. Then we have the iPhone 4G with a micro SIM instead ... Hmmm.

Plus I KNOW the Desire links up fine to my BMW Bluetooth. The N97 doesn't, despite numerous tries and attempts.

That's good news! My Nokia didn't work with the car either. I've not been able to try the desire with the car though because the blue tooth module is broken. It's in the garage today getting fixed, but I'm not getting it back this evening as planned because they've managed to brick the I drive and now the car won't start!

So, its not just phone firmware installs that can go wrong!

Sad to say but I, too, switched to a nexus one a month ago. My first non Nokia symbian phone in almost 4 years. For now android is just a whole new world for me compared to symbian. At least that's my opinion. I just finally sold my n97 mini this week. I'm truly sad cause I want to stay with Nokia. But to be quite honest HTC has really impressed me with this nexus hardware. Android is treating me very well so far.

Is the lack of onboard memory a problem? How about the single speaker in the back? How comparable is it to the N97? I really want to get a Nexus One and just hoping for some favourable reviews.

sjdean wrote:Is the lack of onboard memory a problem? How about the single speaker in the back? How comparable is it to the N97? I really want to get a Nexus One and just hoping for some favourable reviews.

The memory hasn't been a problem yet. You can install a good amount of apps before running out. But it will eventually be a problem, but the next update is supposed to allow using the memory card. The speaker is a little low, but still live with it. Compared to my n97 mini its a big difference all around so no matter what its totally worth it.

Remember all those issues are solved if you root the phone. The loudspeaker and ear piece volume are increased a lot. And you can then also install apps to the memory card. So considering how easy it is to root, plus all the benefits you get from rooting, seems like no big deal to me.

Rooting seems to be a bit of an issue with android phones, at least that's the impression I got when reading through the various forums. Many folk seems to be a bit wary of it, and as usual, the main caveat being taht it void any warranty on the device. However, the benefits are not that clear to me - the biggest and perhaps the most important, is being allowed to store apps on the SD card instead of the device memory.

Is it a bit like debranding a Nokia device? Not the process or the mechanics of it, but rather the attitude of being happy to tackle a task like that, which I suspect many 'average' phone users won't be too confident about.

I have to admit, rooting/debranding does make me a bit frightened when i read the instructions.

Luckily, T-mobile haven't really done much to my phone apart from a splash screen and a "W&W" writen over the internet shortcut so for the time being I'm leaving it.

App memory also hasn't been an issue, and to be honest, if it runs out of space there are plenty that I don't use that I could remove.

After 3 weeks with the HTC Desire I'm going to get rid of it. It's a great phone, really fast, but several things dissappoint me, some of which I have no solution for.

1. When connected to my Audi, the phone rings, I answer, but the stereo stays on playing music and I can't hear anyone or the call drops itself. The second time they call back it works. No other phone have tried does this with the Audi 3G MMI system.

2. No rSAP support, so signal very poor in the car. I knew about this, but half the time I can't even receive a call in the car, loss of signal for long periods of time in an A6 with normal glass and an S8 with athermic glass.

3. When taking the phone out of my top pocket to answer it cuts the caller off because for some reason I touch the power button when reaching for the phone. I have started putting the phone in my pocket upside down just to make sure I don't touch anything before I use the screen slider.

4. The SD card corrupted on me after 2 weeks and I lost all the pics I had taken and all the data I had stored on the 16GB card. This is a known fault with Android OS.

5. The phone is far too sensitive for it's own good. Picking it up or putting it down changes the screen it's on. Quite annoying. Volume buttons too sensitive too.

Sorry for being so negative as for the first few weeks I loved this phone, but now it's a pain in the backside.

I fit Audi OEM phone kits as part of my business and the quality of calls to my own cars over the past 3 weeks has been terrible, not exactly a good advert for my work.

dog-man wrote:I too have my eyes on the Desire as a replacement, but it will cost me as I am locked into a long contract still with Vodafone. 😞 So I am not sure what I will do.

You could always find out about Desire rooting/unlocking, buy a handset and just use it with your current sim. That's what I did when I got rid of my Hero after about 3 months of use to use my iPhone 3G on the same T-Mobile contract. Solves all problems.

My HTC Desire is coming today, ordered it offline. Stop gap till either the N8 shows totally different, or Dell's Lightning looks like it will fit the bill for me!