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Why I Now Own a Nokia N95
Yeah, you read right. I have a Nokia N95. Technically, it's a Nokia N95-3. That's the US 3G version that has a measly 160MB of internal storage and microSDHC card slot for expansion (it came with a 1GB card in it, too). The N95-4 with 8GB of internal storage and a large screen is nice, but it has no memory card slot which is substantially less useful.
Don't I have an Apple iPhone? Why yes, I do! It's a very sad iPhone now, too, but it's not nearly as lonely -- I'm carrying both around.
But isn't the iPhone the best phone out there? Yes, it absolutely is. There's no doubt about that. It's not a perfect phone, but it really is the best. And by best, I mean the easiest and most intuitive to use. Even the on-screen keyboard is typically easier to use than most physical keyboards (how many of those do you see with a ".com" button or single click access to just about every symbol?).
So, why is it that you now have a Nokia N95? First let me tell you about SIM cards...
For a dozen or so years, I had Verizon (formerly GTE Wireless) service. As you know (well, most of you), Verizon uses CDMA. Each phone has a unique ESN (or now, MEID), to identify the handset on the network and tell Verizon who you are and allow the network to route calls to your phone. If you changed a phone you either called Verizon or went online to change the ESN on your account. This is fast and simple.
However, it's no where near as fast or as simple and the Subscriber Identity Module, SIM, card. In order to get my new Nokia N95 working when I opened the box, I did the following:
- Found a paper clip
- Opened the door of the iPhone for the SIM card
- Placed the SIM card in the N95
- Put the battery in the N95
- Turned on the N95
That's it. It really just works. Prepaid plans all have a $20 option for unlimited data, whether an iPhone or not. So, the data just works, too, and it works with 3G and 3.5G (as the N95 likes to call HSDPA).
In any case, I spent years watching new phones come out on GSM carriers and looking at them with envy. Now that I have a SIM card, I can just plop it in to any unlocked or AT&T GSM phone that I want to try out. Pretty cool!
Alright, now that I've cleared that up, you might still want to know why I have an N95, especially since I still totally like my Apple iPhone.
It's simple, really. The following list is all of the things that the N95 has or can do that are either better than the iPhone or that the iPhone doesn't do or have at all. This list is not ordered (and if you find an order, you probably know too much about how my brain searches and retrieves things).
- Video support
- 5 megapixel camera
- An led flash for the camera
- Camera auto focus
- A front camera for video chat and calling
- Stereo speakers
- Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)
- Bluetooth keyboard (HID)
- Real GPS
- Flush mounted headset jack
- Infrared (IR)
- Removable memory card slot (microSDHC)
- SIP client
- Full 3G support (and 3.5G! Hah!)
- App support (alright, I've got my iPhone hacked, but still)
- Phone-wide search
- USB mass storage mode
- Bluetooth syncing
- DLNA/UPnP support
- Voice commands (via headset)
- FM Radio
- Flash Lite 2.0
- J2ME support
- Streaming support (audio and video, up and down)
- Standard removable battery
Alright, well, that's just the quick list off the top of my head. Now you know. It can basically do everything. It doesn't have a touch screen, though. It's browser renders the same as the iPhone (WebKit based, I'm told) but is definitely different -- more like Opera Mobile (which I can also install on it easily).
I've also gotten to using it more with Flickr, Picasa, Qik, and YouTube because of the applications that are available and the utility they provide for adding easy upload options.
So, with all that, I'm now carrying two phones and one SIM card. :)
Posted by Shane on April 29, 2008 1:26 AM | Permalink
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