First things first, a Massive thanks to Nokia for sending me this trial N97 Mini, because if they hadn’t I would never of discovered it’s true colours, and appeal. Yes, I had briefly handled one at Nokia World back in September, but back then being a little dismissive due to the larger N97, and its initial problems, you could say that I tarred the N97 Mini with the same brush as the bigger N97. Big mistake! Let me explain why.
The N97 Mini, is without a doubt a much better handset that the original N97, in fact, you could say they are completely different breeds, yes, I know you are probably thinking, it’s just a smaller version of the original, and in part you would be right, but the N97 Mini feels so much more refined, better finished, higher quality, feels better in the hand, even the qwerty keyboard feels better, with the keys feeling rubberized, and more depth to them. The key presses feel so much more positive, and it’s not really possible to accidently make any accidental key presses any more.
Let’s take a look at the various aspects of this smaller version of the N97, and point out my key point areas that have been improved on over the larger N97.
Size, feel, weight
Obviously the N97 Mini is smaller than its bigger brother, measuring in at just 4.45 x 2.07 x 0.56 inches and 4.87 ounces. It also feels just right in the hand too, being of similar size to many other Nokia handsets out there, like the 5800 for example.
Staying with the feel of the device, the N97 Mini has a stainless steel battery cover, which of course adds to the solid feel, and form factor of the device, but the solidness doesn’t stop there, the hinge mechanism is very similar to the larger version, but with the Mini it feels very solid, with no play at all.
Keyboard
When you open the N97 Mini, and start to use the QWERTY keyboard, this is when you realize you are not just dealing with a smaller version of its bigger brother, but a more refined handset. The individual keys on the D-Pad-less QWERTY have more travel, deeper key-presses, which in turn result in more accurate text input, eliminating the accidental key-press factor which is present with the larger model. The keys feel more rubberized too, similar to the feel of that non slip compound/covering you find at your local swimming baths.
As mentioned above, the Mini has no D-Pad, this, tied in with the deeper key-presses took a little getting used to, but in a good way. The directional keys are now found to the lower right of the keyboard, where you will find just above that, dedicated keys for both the comma, and full stop too. The spacebar is still offset to the right as per larger N97, but again, this becomes a very natural position during usage.
Physical Buttons
The Mini has a similar array of external buttons, just like its predecessor, one single hardware button on the front, the menu key, but on the Mini this differs slightly, as now, the button itself is perforated, with tiny little holes, which let the illumination through, (see photo above).
The screen lock spring loaded switch is in the same place, but feeling more secure, and doesn’t give the impression that it’s going to fall off anytime soon, although up close, its not quite square on. This maybe just with my early unit however.
The MicroUSB charge and data port can be found to the left of the screen lock switch, and while it’s similar to the bigger version of N97 in the way of having a small led to indicate charging, that’s where the similarity ends, (See above photo).
When charging or using the data lead with the N97 Mini, the MicroUSB lead fits into position upside down, yes, that’s right, for some reason, probably internal space restrictions it was fitted 180 degrees differently, this actually caught me out when first putting the Mini on charge, and im glad I took a closer inspection instead of trying extra physical pressure to push the plug in.
Touch Screen
This is slightly smaller than the N97, measuring in at just 3.2 inch, with 640×360 pixel resolution, which to me produces a much crisp, and clearer display, and does not look washed out like the 3.5 inch N97 Screen.
Speakers
The two stereo speakers are located on each corner, the same position as the N97, and by the sound of them, they’re the same poor quality speakers too, resulting in a somewhat tinny sound compared to say the N95, and 5800 handsets. Given the small size of the Mini, I guess this comes as no surprise to many, but with the bigger N97, well, you decide.
On the top of the Mini you have the power button, and 3.5mm headphone jack. Again, you can use the 3.5mm jack socket for the TV Out function, but as with the N97, the Mini also does not come with its own TV Out Connectivity Cable.
On the right hand side of the device we have the familiar volume rocker switches, and camera capture button, which I must add has more travel too. You will noticed when taking a photo, the initial press to gain focus on your subject is minor, but then to capture your shot, the button does seem to go into the device more that the larger N97. This is in no hinders your experience.
Sensors
The Mini is packed full of sensors, Magnetometer (Compass), Accelerometer (used for screen orientation, games, and other measurement applications), Proximity sensor, this is on the front of the device, and basically lets the device know when it’s up against your face during a call, so to disable the screen whilst taking a call. There is an Ambient light sensor too, this controls the brightness of the screen, adjusting it to suit your given surroundings. There is a front facing camera too (secondary camera) used for video calls.
The front of the device has two touch sensitive buttons like the N97, call, and end call, but some pressure is needed to activate these, similar to the way the resistive touch screen is used.
Main Camera
On the back of the Mini you will find the familiar 5MP Carl Zeiss optics camera, with dual led flash, but unlike the N97, the Mini’s main camera has no protection, that is in the way of a sliding cover like the N97, and the dual led’s are actually housed with a clear gap in-between the lens and the led’s themselves.
This placement of led’s actually removed the risk of the all too familiar flash flood that many N97 owners experienced due to either scratches on the lens clear cover, caused by the very protection which was supposed to prevent scratches, to smudges, and fingerprints on the lens clear cover itself.
The Mini’s main camera glass is slightly recessed, (see photo above) offering some protection. The body around the camera is also raised, and bulged slightly from the handsets main body, and like the N97, there is a raised area to the bottom of the handset so it sits flat on a desk, flat surface.
Battery Cover
As mentioned earlier, the battery cover on the Mini is Stainless Steel, added to the quality, and feel of the Mini. The metal battery cover is fitted very differently to the plastic, flimsy battery cover found on the N97. On the Mini, it’s fitted sideways, placing the covers clips in place volume key side first, and then clipping into place like a car/auto hood.
Battery
The battery in the Mini is the Nokia BL-4D 1200mAh, which has performed quite well so far with my medium to heavy usage.
Expandable memory
With the battery cover removed, this exposes the slot for your MicroSD card, its right next to your main camera, and there is a small indentation image showing you which way the card fits.
Sim card
Fitting a sim card in the Mini, you have to remove the battery (If fitted of course), then pull out a small removable tray, which you place your card in, then slide back into place. This is a little cumbersome, but functional. You have to appreciate the space limitations that Nokia had building such a small QWERTY, so this area can be forgiven. I will be shooting a short video showing this process very soon.
That concludes my physical overview of the N97 Mini. I’m currently working on the Mini’s Operating System software, and functionality overview, putting the installed V10 firmware (equal to N97 V20) through its paces, and will have something for you all in good time. I have also recently obtained an E72, which will be getting the same treatment, and reporting. Thanks for reading; I hope this has been of some use to you.
