As many of you have probably heard, Jon, the Phoneage show host; has left our good friends at Tehkseven.net. With his leaving, the Phoneage show and is thousands of subscribers will no doubt miss his fun humor on the daily mobile news. Paul, the owner of Tehkseven, has posted an open letter inviting anyone who thinks they take over as the new host to send their videos in. The new host will have big shoes to fill, so get those creativity juices flowing. We will all miss you Jon!
I’ve been looking back though my list of Nokia devices. All the NSeries I have owned over the years.
Then a strange thought hit me. With Nokia’s current portfolio of Nseries devices could this be the “N” of
the Nseries?
Let’s take a look back.
The year was 2005, I was on my way back to Barbados from London. It was THAT morning.
What morning? It was the morning of the release of the much coveted and sought after N90.
There I was standing in front of the Nokia store (No, it wasn’t the Flagship store back then, as we now know it now).
There was a hype of activity in the store. Registers were ringing and bags were exiting. The N90 was here.
(ADD N90 PHOTO HERE)
I too joined this procession of “ringers and baggers” as I gleefully walked away with, not one but two N90′s.
(Ok one was mine the other for my better half)
My point here was that this device packed an awful lot of features which were unheard of before.
A 2MP camera, Carl Zeiss optics, Video recording, a swivelling flip, memory card, TFT display (65K colours)…..
Now you may laugh at me here saying to yourself those arent features to jump about. Alas, it was 2005,
and no other devices I can remember packed it all in like the N90.
Most devices then had a 1.3MP camera, which at best, was nowhere near a quality to do anything but look at on your device.
Here comes the N90 with a 2MP camera, Flash AND on top of that added Carl Zeiss optics. Unheard of back then.
Yes, it was the device we had been waiting on amidst delays and release dates changing. Nokia had outdone itself.
And the first Nseries device was mouth watering and everyone wanted it.
A few months later, Nokia dealt another blow to the market. Nokia introduced the N70.
It seemed many people galked at the size of the N90 or maybe with its swivelling ability some thought it was
“a bit too much”. The N70 entered the race as a candybar option.
(PHOTO OF N70 HERE)
Ironically, its only competion was; yes, the N90. I don’t have figures to hand, but I do believe the N70 was the most
sold smartphone on the planet. Not sure if that record still stands, but MILLIONS upon millions of N70′s were being boxed and leaving outlets.
It was even rumoured that the N70 produced better photos than the N90 which seemed to be photo-centered.
The Nseries became a bit quiet. With nothing happening. But we all waited anxiously for the next iteration of the N.
Then it happened. A new Nseries device was upon us. Rumours spread. “What will it look like? What are the specs?
“I heard it will be able to turn your car on!” The rumours were fast and to the extreme. Nokia kept this device in the dark.
Much to the excitement of everyone. What next will Nokia add to their Nseries? What new feature will make us go in a frenzy?
What new feature will make us not believe it was possible to add that into a mobile device?
Finally, Nokia let the cat out of the bag. Nokia introduced the N80.
Websites around the world baited every little piece of information they could get on the device.
The year was 2006. The N80 had it all. A 3.2MP camera, quad band, 64MB ram, 256k TFT display (which was one of the best screens
on a mobile device for a long time), Home network, connectivity unlike anything we had seen; Bluetooth IrDA, Wifi. Wifi? Yes.
Again Nokia stepped up and hit other manufacturers with the “left hook” of features. Wifi. Again, Nokia added something which other
manufacturers didn’t.
Again, other manufacturers were playing “catch up” to Nokia.
(ADD PHOTO OF N80 HERE)
It is here where I will take a break. This is where I believe the “N” of the Nseries began.
The N80 was fantastic….on paper. Truth be told, I remember forums abuzz with software issues of the N80.
Crashing, random reboots and all the other mess that we still see today.
Nokia had to do something, and they did.
Enter the Nokia Software Updater. The what? Here Nokia took a stance and allowed users to freely update their devices.
Fixing all bugs and small or large issues in the comfort of your home. Genius. And so the N80 lived to fight another day and what
a battle it fought. Like the phoenix, the N80 rose from the ashes of crashes and reboots to a powerhouse of a device.
Even with this minor hiccup, we all still waited for the next iteration of the N. We kept the faith in Nokia.
Remember, I said this is where it all began to fall apart? From the initial Nseries device, there was always anxiousness
and the “what will Nokia add next?” factor. Each year, Nokia introduced a new Nseries device that we all waited for.
Nokia added something that we had no idea was possible before. Something new. A fresh feature.
The Nseries was exclusive. It was high-end. It was feature rich. It blew all competition away. It was the techs joy and
the regular mans pride. Owning an Nseries placed you into a niche catergory.
Then without a word of warning, Nokia introduced a plethora of Nseries branded devices.
It was still 2006 but instead of having one powerhouse Nseries, they were many. The N71, N72, N73, N91, N75, N93, N92.
(PHOTOS OF LISTED PHONES HERE)
Some were announced and just waiting to be released, others were already on the shelf by the end of 2006.
At this point half of you are reminicing about the devices I just listed and the other half are saying “There is an NXX????”
Thus, the Nseries was no longer exclusive or niche. It was just another line in the portfolio.
Why do I say this?
For example, the N72 brought nothing new to the table. Actually, it regressed. No Carl Zeiss optics, 2MP camera, moving
from the standard set by the N80, no secondary video call camera; it seemed to be a step in the backward direction.
The N71, much of the same. No Carl Zeiss, No wifi. To be honest, I cannot count 20 people I know who owned an N71.
The N92 boasted about its ability to watch live TV via Digital TV reception. It never took off. To this day.
Nokia had spread itself too wide and too thin. Maybe Nokia thought it was a good idea to broaden the amount of people
who carried an N. I honestly think this idea backfired. So, the Nseries lost its “touch, its magic and its appeal of exclusivity.”
However, there were some good to this. The N91 touted an inbuilt audio system which competed with the popular Ipod.
The quality was fantastic and listening to your music was, well, “music to your ears”. However, it was still an Nseries. With
that, it lacked many others features that we came to love about the Nseries. The N91, while still a fantastic device, was
off the mark as an Nseries device in my opinion. It is quite ironic that to this day, the system used by Nokia in relation to
the N91′s music ability hasn’t been replicated. I would have thought by now that the audio quality would have been inherited
by another Nseries device, plus all the other tid bits of the N which the N91 lacked.
Still on the N91, and actually on the N80 as well, Nokia again shot themselves in the foot.
The N91 was “revisited” in the same year, and lo and behold, out came the N91 Music edition. Any differences in audio quality?
No. The difference? Nokia increased the mass memory from 4gb to 8gb. Apart from that, it was your previous N91.
Now to the N80. It too was “revisited”. The N80 Internet Edition was born. Differences? A few applications which ironically
could have been downloaded from Nokia!
Amidst all these numerous devices, a jewel was found. That jewel was the N93. It had superb optics. Both in video and in still
images. It added innovation both in features and in design. It was an Nseries. Not like the rest who just mimicked the name;
but pure hardcore Nseries. It featured optical zoom, which to this day has not been replicated in another Nseries or maybe
not in another device (as far as I know.) It brought DVD-like video quality with stereo audio recording. I remember being
fantastically amazed when, by pure luck “someone” walked into my store with an N93. Way before release date. I had about
10 minutes to salvage with the device. I took photos, recorded a video and was truly amazed by the quality I had seen.
Then it all came crumbling down.
Nokia was running out of feet to shoot themselves in. Yet they did it again. Bad sofware hindered this device from becoming
a legend. This is the point that I think Nokia lost alot of “die hards”. It wasn’t only the bad software, nor the constant crashes.
Not even the cheap build quality. It was Nokia’s responses to the customers that really put a bad taste in alot of people’s mouth.
The N93 was focussed on photo and video. And when it performed, it performed well. Yet, many had issues with the N93 not
performing at all. Thus an update was emminent. What did it bring? A “new feature” in the shape of night mode “Black and white”
video recording. Yes, Nokia calmly told its followers “Black and White” video recording was a feature. (Yet no other devices had this
feature) The second aspect of the N93′s failure was the introduction of the “younger” model, the N93i.
The crowds went ballistic! Most people were not happy about the fact that only a few months prior, they purchased the N93,
only to find that their £500 N93 was replaced. Some people thought Nokia pulled a fast one. Some people wondered why the
N93 had the “Black and White video feature” while its younger iteration seemed to “lack this feature”. Tres Bizzare?
What really did it for most people and myself included, was that it seemed as though Nokia left us right there to figure
out what will happen for the N93. To this day I don’t know if the “Black and White feature” was ever rectified.
The last I heard of the N93 was it was as was running on V21; some 3-4 years ago, and was never heard of since.
The other downdfall to the N93 was the N93i. It was stunning. It looked better, was built better, lacked the “Black and
White” feature and overall responded better. Some Nokia fans felt “robbed” as they had already parted ways with £500
only a few months prior. To bring a better built, better looking and better performing device was a “slap in the face” most
people thought. Some people even felt that Nokia used them as “testers” with the N93, when the N93i was what was actually
supposed to be released and marketed as the finished product.
The N93i could not become a classic. Even with its style and dimensions, advanced technology; (which we expected from an Nseries)
superb video, still photos and optical zoom the N93i was bound to fail (somewhat) from its release. Why? It had all the elegance and
technology as its lineage of true Nseries devices. Why would it fail? Answer: The N93 was out there.
Again Nokia sliced their own cake too thin and adverently stopped themselves from having a true bestseller in the N93i. Should Nokia
have released just the “i” version as the original; rather than an original and an “i” version; the N93(i) would have raced to the top of
the charts like a new pop superstar.
Here at Nokiausers, we try our best to be connected wherever we can when it comes to all things Mobile, be it QIK, for instantly sharing those videos caught on your Nokia device, ShoZu for uploading your photos to multiple sites all in one go, to share with friends, and family, to Facebook, Hi5, FlickR, Youtube, and PhotoBucket.
Nokiausers loves to get connected with as many Nokia enthusiasts as possible, while in the process offering help, advice, HOW2′s, guides relating to your devices, and even one-2-one help via our Twitter account, which now has almost 700 followers, which is a great achievement for us in the short time we have been registered there. We have also seen a sharp increase in our Feedburner numbers too, which is a sure sign we are doing something right for you guys.!
If you have any questions, ideas for articles, videos and alike, please don’t be shy, and let us know within our forums. We have a great community here at Nokiausers, with all levels of experience available at your fingertips.
On behalf of the Nokiausers Team, I wish to thank each and every one of you who have continued to subscribe to our RSS feeds, and Twitter, its really appreciated.! Micky.
NokiaUsers.net was started in late 2007 as a bigger brother to the successful N95Users.com forum. Since then, we have grown into a blog and software portal; reaching nearly 20,000 visitors daily across our network.
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If you would like one of our bloggers to trial or review your product, feel free to contact me here. We do not allow paid reviews or link exchanges.
Age Demographic
Nokia Users attracts a audience that is generally in the age bracket of 18-49. This younger audience is tech savvy and often carries multiple mobile devices.
Education Demographic
Nokia Users has a well educated audience, with a large percentage of visitors having attended College or Grad School. Our readers are well-informed and generally review products before making a purchase.
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Banner creation also available on request, which is included in monthly price.
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To start an advertising campaign, please contact me directly here. We reserve the right to decline any advertisement that we feel may not fit with the culture of the site, or any banners that may be misleading to our users.
All of us here at Nokiausers want to wish all our readers, a Very Happy New Year.!
Be sure to Bookmark, or add the RSS Feed of this page, as 2009 is going to be an amazing year. N95users.com, and EverythingN82.com, our sister sites will be joining Nokiausers.net in a Merge to create an all-in.one Nokia Resource Site, and Forums.! Here you will be able to find all things Nokia, from News, Reviews, Articles, and of course, not forgetting our Shop where you will be able to purchase all the latest Software, Applications, and Games for your Nokia handset, be it a top of the line device, or lower spec device, its all covered.!
So what’s going on in the world of Nokia? The brand new Nokia N85 S60 and its Symbian OS 9.3. Early reviews are indicating that Nokia’s new smartphone is a great replacement to the Nokia N95. Lets check out the details.
Highlights
- Stable operating system ensures superb performance
- Improved display very distinguished from the Nokia N95, crisp and brighter with more colors
- Exceptional sound quality with built-in stereo speakers that rival the Nokia N82
- One of the best 5 megapixel camera phones of the N-series
The Nokia N85 comes equipped with 10 N-Gage titles that bring your
mobile gaming environment to life on the dazzling OLED screen.
Illuminated gaming keys light up the phone when in landscape gaming
mode, ensuring an action-packed experience in various conditions.
Although it offers great functionality right out of the box, Nokia has
also made a downloadable application available that enables easy
customization with a wide range of content. This pre-loaded package
includes a selection of branding options and themes that give users the
power to completely personalize their mobile phone.
Brandon - Administrator/Director
I’m Brandon, owner and administrator of NokiaUsers.net. I started Nokia Users in late 2007 as an extension of N95Users, to allow discussion to continue users upgraded their N95. I currently live in Michigan, USA; dealing with short summers and long snowy winters.
When not reading mobile news you can typically find me SCUBA diving, watching movies, or playing a game or two. I am currently using a E90, which has proved the best mobile for my needs to date.
Sp00k - Administrator/Moderator
Hi Folks! I was born in the UK at a very early age and decided as a teenager to stay here as english was the only language I could mumble fluently, became a licensed radio-amateur some years ago but now the entire sum of my knowledge of electronics could be written on the back of a postage stamp, with ample room left over for The Lord’s Prayer.
Had a few varied occupations, repo-man, steel analyst, rep, quality-controller, driver, progress-chaser, etc., but now able to indulge in my hobby of hedgehog-sexing and concentrate on my anti-social work. I’ve had an N95-1 for far too long but can’t find anything much better that’s worth the expense of upgrading to.
Became a G.B.A. (AKA a mod) more by accident than design, at a time when Pseudo and the erstwhile Salada2K were felt by Brandon to be in dire need of guidance.
Micky - Editor/Moderator
I’m 38 years young, originally from the United Kingdom, but now reside in Finland, home of Nokia, where I’m married to my beautiful Finnish wife. I’m no stranger to the Telecommunications Industry, having worked around the Globe for Nokia, and several other major Telecom companies, planning, and building new Mobile Phone Networks over a several year period.
Professional experience are in Microwave, and RF Transmission planning, LOS (Line Of Sight), Installation, and Commissioning, including Rigging, climbing, in some cases, Radio Masts of up to 200 meters high.
I now trial devices, accessories, software, and applications for Nokia and you will always find me here at Nokiausers.net, who I also write for, and review all kinds of interesting mobile related gadgets, and gizmos. I have also been part of the Moderating team of N95users.com, which has recently merged with Nokiausers, and everythingn82.
My hobbies are, yes, you guessed it, Nokia, as I’m a self confessed Nokia enthusiast, I love my gadgets also, love Diving, just like Brandon, the Admin of this site, and am also a bit of a film critic.
Mr G - Moderator/Theme Master
How ya doing, I’m Mr G and here’s a bit about me.
I’m not as Technology minded as some of the guy’s here so all that i know I’ve learnt or picked up from the net/web.
I got into the whole Mobile phone scene by accident really.I had a 3650 years ago and was searching the web for app’s and i came across ‘Themes’!
I was well into the way they could customise the whole look of the interface and i immediately got the best phone at that time, the 6600, and so from then on the theme addictions started as did the handset addiction.
After a while i joined many sites that catered for themes and after a while joined the team at Dakku Studios as a Moderator at first then admin.
The site then changed it’s name to 4urmobilephone and then to themes4urmobilephone, so you may know me from those sites…maybe ;o)
I then joined N95users in 2007 not long after i got my N95 and i offered my Mod services and was taken on by my surprise and i was also Super Moderator at one of our sister sites, everythingn82 which is now merged into Nokia Users with N95users…….so I’ll see you around most probably.
IJM - Moderator/Photo Competition Manager
IJM here, A complete Nokia enthusiast, and have a passion for all things technical and electric.
I spent two years studying Electrical installation and Commercial electronics. Main hobbies are indeed Nokia phones, and messing around with power, small and high voltage.
Also have a mad passion for Manchester United (yes I am local) travelling all over Europe and the UK with my team.
My phone history is pretty much as you’d expect, strictly Nokia’s. Had a vast range of Nokia phones, peaking around 25 in the early 2000′s. I own mostly N Series devices now which I am more than happy with.
I joined N95users over a year ago, October 2007 and became a regular ever since. Built up a good knowledge of N series devices and can be found most days (and nights) on N95users.com or Nokiausers.net as we now know it.
I became a moderator on the forum around 6 months ago, and I also run the monthly Nokia Users photo competition. More details on this can be found in the forum it’s self.
I won’t bore you any more, so thanks for stopping by and hopefully I’ll speak to you around the forum.
Dayene - Forum Moderator
Hello everyone. I was born in Philippines, finished high school in the US, went back to Philippines and got a degree in BS in Nursing. I became a Nokia enthusiast the day I found this forum and grew out from here and started making my own mini blogs, but I already love gadgets and cute little things to start with.
It is my pleasure helping out in this forum because I made new good friends and I am sure you’ll feel welcome and comfortable here. I’m also starting out on photography and hoping I get better at it everyday. 
JecktheHell - Forum Moderator
I am Jericho, 25 years young from Philippines. I am a typical Filipino who rides a “jeepney” on my way to work, can’t afford my own wheels.
I am working for an engineering company, and been busy lately looking for a job opportunity abroad to have some savings and hopefully start my own small business. I am fond of sports; basketball, billiards, boxing and running(but had to stop due to work, just don’t have much time).
A forum member since July ’07. I once ask tons of questions myself and I felt it would be just right to give back and offer any little help I can to the forum. I am just a PM away. I can say that my N95, family and work takes bulk of my time.
Bartmanekul - Forum Moderator
28 years old, and work in IT. Always liked mobile phones, but it really took off when I bought a 6110 Navigator. I bought it for the GPS, and discovered it could have applications installed on it.
Since then I have been heavily into GPS on mobiles, and found out a huge deal. I discovered this forum in that duration, and now help moderate. I review GPS programs for symbian when I have the time.