N97 - Disappointment from a user perspective

[spyda]

First off, just to be clear my intention is not to slate the n97, neither is this aimed as a review on which you should base any intended purchase. It's simply my view of the device after around 12 hours usage.

The anticipation was immense as my n97 made its way from the factory in Rotterdam tracked every step of the way through iship and dhl. As expected, it landed on my doorstep on release day in the UK (June 19th). Only yesterday did I get chance to unpack and use the device and I have to say, what an anti-climax! :(

There are of course many positive points such as the kinetic scrolling, the larger screen, improved touch sensitivity, prolonged battery life, astounding camera (and I mean astounding), FM transmitter, qwerty keyboard and more. OK, there are a lot of good points there but for me these are FAR outweighed by the bad.

Speakers:

How Nokia can produce this 'flagship' handset with such crummy speakers is beyond belief. OK, the volume is acceptable (at full level) but the quality of the sound is extremely harsh and has no depth whatsoever making listening to pretty much anything VERY uncomfortable indeed. This too has an undesirable effect on the operation of the speakerphone, which until now is an area Nokia have exelled in.

In call quality:

It wasn't until after after a few hours that I actually made a call on the n97, perhaps forgetting that it was in fact a phone as well as everything else for a while! When I did (incidentally, to another n97) I was amazed that the microphone was picking up every slight movement of the phone in my hand. The person on the other end was complaining that they were unable to hear me over the 'scraping and shuffling' noise as I adjusted the phone's position in my hand. Likewise, once the other person came off speakerphone and picked their n97 up I too suffered the same uncomfortable background noise. Deciding to both switch to speakerphone, after the initial noises of the slide mechanism in operation, background noise was decreased but unfortunately so was the volume of the call due to the aforementioned crummy speakers and we both found ourselves struggling to hold a conversation.

We suspect that this can only be down to an over-sensitive mic and/or very poor shielding of the microphone itself.

Keyboard:

Based on previous experiences, I am not a huge fan of qwerty keyboards in phones but I was hoping Nokia would have got it right where others had failed. Sadly, although with prolonged use I may well get used to the keyboard it just didn't live up the standard I had been expecting. Not all the keys are as positive as each other and even the backlight illumination of the keypad is slightly uneven. Keyboard usage and the unorthodox placement of the keys has ben well documented already so I won't go into that. Suffice to say, an on screen full qwerty would have been a much welcomed addition!

Build quality:

When first handling the device yes it feels solid, very solid. The slide action is brilliant and very satisfying. Great design but could have been executed better. I noticed after a little use that when opened there is play in the hinge mechanism to the right hand side of the device (when in landscape). Although this is very slight indeed, it's enough to make me question the designers' motivation to only put one support strut on the right of the phone whereas there are two on the left, making for a far more solid feel on that side of the device. To me, after the mistakes made with the n95 and the notoroiusly wobbly slide mechanism, this is totally unacceptable.

FM Transmitter:

Something I have never used in a phone before so I was a little unsure as to what to expect. A great idea and a means of playing my music library in the car without the need for additional kit, great. In practice though, the FM transmitter serves as little more than a gimmick. The FM band in the UK is crowded with stations and trying to find a frequency where the FM transmitter can work well and without interference from neighbouring stations is next to impossible. I assume that if I could retract my car aerial it would perform better but unfortunately it extends when the power is turned on at the head unit. A little more power in the transmitter may have resolved this but would obviously have come at the expense of battery life, so it's a catch-22 for Nokia. Don't get me wrong, it's listenable but it's unlikely you will get clear, crisp sound from your tracks.

Final thoughts:

For the astounding camera packed in the n97, I could perhaps forgive it's underperformance elsewhere, to an extent. Factor in all of the above however and I find that even the camera cannot make up for such shortcomings of Nokia's flagship - which is left with little to offer as an improvement over my 5800.

Some of the problems that have been well documented elsewhere will doubtless be fixed with a firmware upgrade and the n97 will evolve as has the N95. However, Nokia cannot fix any of my negative points without replacing hardware (with the exception of mic sensitivity maybe).

After packing the n97 away ready for return, I switched back to my 5800 and I have to say that the speakers and call quality completely blow it out of the water, there is absolutely no comparison. Sure it lacks a quality camera but I can live with that for now, at least until Nokia get it right.

Having said all of the above, there are many satisfied owners out there, some even stating that the sound quality from the speakers is 'phenomenal'. If you are one of these, enjoy your n97 and don't let me sway you! ;-)

edited to correct typos

[roberth]

take your phone back!
at least for the build quality "issue".....
get a new device......

***SPEAKER COMMENT BELOW****
(Should have just said that from the beginning huh?)

[Micky]

I would certainly be inclined to try a replacement device, as yours maybe defective, and have some kind of Mic fault. It has been known in another N97, and a replacement handset didn't suffer the same fault.

[Qualain]

If you get another handset you might not have all these problems!!!

[spyda]

I would completely and without hesitation send it back for a replacement but for the fact I have compared two side by side and both suffer from the same issues. Only explanation is that they are both faulty but somehow, I can't see it.

Originally Posted by roberth

the only problem i had was the speakers....and thats not even a problem
so as its just me loving to have my music blasting!!!!!

I'm not entirely sure what you are saying about the speakers, you agree they are harsh and tinny or you are happy with them? If that latter, I'm interested to know what you are comparing them against?

[demowayne]

afrer reading this i've realised that i havent made a call yet!

Hardware wise i'm dissapointed with the material of the back cover and unlock key, it feels cheap and like a 'fake' cover from ebay. If it'd been the same as an N95 it would have 'stuck' better to your hand and to surfaces it's sitting on.

Also the unlock slider feels like it might fall off in use and rattles slightly, how is everyone elses?

[fldude99]

@Spyda: Good thoughts there-duplicated many of mine. It's interesting what turns one on and off and proves that in the end, nobody can say this or that device sucks..or is better than another..it all depends on what is right for you. For the sake of illustrating that-I take the liberty of a couple quick responses to your takes:
1. Speakers: I didn't realize that anyone actually uses the built in speakers other than for activating during a call for the convenience of a hands free call when in a room and the BT is not there. 90% of my talking on the phone is through the BT headset. If I play the music on my device its always through BT headset or hooked up to real speakers
2. In call quality. I haven't experienced that "scratchy" mic..and is the first report of all the reviews I've read..so if that was the only issue, an exchange would be in order.
3. Kepad: I agree 100%. An onscreen qwerty would be much better...that would also eliminate the need for that slider mechanism.
4. Build quality. Altho my slide action seems to be fine with no issues as in your handset...see #3 reply.
5. FM transmitter. I agree 100%. A gimmick at best. Barely works with the radio in my BMW...if its like 3 inches away it gets it a little.

I have a few gripes of my own-overall my impression is that it doesn't do a whole lot more than my N95, and actually at this time a whole lot less..but I'm keeping mine for now.

EDIT: My biggest disappointment is the lack of being able to register the SIP settings (voipcheap, voipbuster, etc) for an internet call

[spyda]

Originally Posted by demowayne

Also the unlock slider feels like it might fall off in use and rattles slightly, how is everyone elses?

No issue there, my slide key is fine ...

Originally Posted by fldude99

1. Speakers: I didn't realize that anyone actually uses the built in speakers other than for activating during a call for the convenience of a hands free call when in a room and the BT is not there. 90% of my talking on the phone is through the BT headset. If I play the music on my device its always through BT headset or hooked up to real speakers

Until the N95 and 5800 came along I think this was indeed the case, but knowing what we do now about how capable the speakers can be I can't see why Nokia used obviously lesser quality speakers in the N97. I use my 5800 a lot for music playback and part of the appeal is that to get a pleasant listening experience I don't have to link up to external speakers. As mentioned also, the speakerpone itself is a whole lot better on both the N95 and 5800.

Originally Posted by fldude99

2. In call quality. I haven't experienced that "scratchy" mic..and is the first report of all the reviews I've read..so if that was the only issue, an exchange would be in order.

I would agree, but seeing the same 'fault' in two handsets makes me wonder ...

Originally Posted by fldude99

4. Build quality. Altho my slide action seems to be fine with no issues as in your handset...

It's interesting that you say there is no play in your slider, as it seems to be by design rather than a fault (only having the one strut). Are you sure there is no play at all on the right? I am being critical but it is there.

[roberth]

speakers could be better....
but im not sure if it IS the speakers or just me
as i like to have music blasting.....
even the 5800 i want more volume......

[spyda]

Originally Posted by roberth

speakers could be better....
but im not sure if it IS the speakers or just me
as i like to have music blasting.....
even the 5800 i want more volume......

Great, I was hoping someone would contribute who has a 5800 as well ...

Disregarding that fact that neither are loud enough for you roberth - as you obviously want blood ;-) How would you say the speakers of the N97 compare directly to the 5800?