Nokia N9 Review
The Nokia N9 is probably one of the smartphones this year that was on my “I-need-to-review-that-or-else-epic-fail-me” list. I remember getting really impressed after watching the live stream of the reveal of the N9 by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop several months ago. Everything about the phone, especially the hardware design, was just breathtaking. We unboxed the phone last week and I’m happy to report that we were still stunned when we saw the phone in the flesh!
Nokia N9 Unboxing
Here’s a quick video that lets you breeze through the unboxing process.
Now that we have that done let’s move on to the review! I’ve broken it down into three parts: hardware, software (Meego), and the final verdict.
Nokia N9 Hardware
Without a doubt the Nokia N9 is one of the most beautifully designed smartphones ever made. Truth be told there’s nothing like it in terms of hardware design today. It’s not a copycat of the iPhone like what you see with most Android devices. If you want to understand this statement better try putting a Samsung Galaxy Ace beside an iPhone. Everything from the curve screen (no buttons!) and the push-to-pop compartments for the micro-USB port and SIM tray is a feat of modern day industrial design.
Here are some photos for you guys to better appreciate it. Please don’t forget to read the captions!
The Nokia N9 comes with a 8MP Carl Zeiss camera. As long as you’re not in a low light environment your photos will look great. 🙂
Nokia N9 Meego Software
The biggest “drawback” of the Nokia N9 is the operating software, Meego. I put the word in quotation marks because the software is actually decent! The only major issue with it is that there’s a huge cloud of doubt over it due to Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft and the Windows Mobile OS.
I took some photos of the stuff I liked about Meego. Check them out below. Don’t forget to read the captions!
Other things about Meego worth mentioning:
- Two thumbs up for the integration with social media for contacts and media sharing/upload.
- Native Facebook and Twitter apps are good. The N9 also comes with a bunch of pre-loaded apps.
- The webkit browser is okay. Not at the same level as the iOS Safari yet.
- I’m a bit stumped as to why Meego doesn’t have a folder system to organize the apps, hehe.
- Music and video players are great. Love the user interface.
- NFC Technology enabled! Though there are only a few NFC accessories available, lol.
Verdict
So now we get to the big question: SHOULD YOU BUY A NOKIA N9? In all honesty it’s difficult to give it a solid recommendation. Don’t get me wrong though, the Nokia N9 is a great smartphone and it delivers well on both hardware and software. What’s holding me back from giving this a 5-star review is the fact that the Windows mobile powered Nokia Lumia 800 is literally just a few months away. The Lumia 800 will sport almost the same hardware (it will have a 3.7″ screen instead of 3.9″) and it will will carry Windows OS which we all now is more refined. It also has a clearer development roadmap. The Meego OS is nice and it delivers the core functions of a smartphone well but it’s really more of the future we’re looking at here.
My best advice would probably be for you to try the Nokia N9 out first and experience Meego for yourself. Try sending a few messages, browsing the web, Facebook, Twitter, and all the applications in the Ovi Store. If it’s compelling enough of an experience for you then you might want to get it. You can check out the Nokia N9 at the Jump Experience Center in SM Megamall (you can also buy it there).
The SRP of the prepaid unit is Php24,990.
