nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_01

The Nokia N97 will be available in the Philippines in the second half of 2009.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the Nokia N97, dubbed by the Finns as their most advanced phone in their stable. And it’s here in the Philippines but sadly, not available publicly yet. I did ask, but Nokia still does not have a SRP for the Philippine market.

Let’s do this! Photo overload follows!

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_02

I spent about an hour with the phone over lunch and apart from the photos, I was given a sneak peek into the latest S60 interface. The phone being demoed is a prototype so my first impressions are really just that — impressions based on how the N97 feels in your hand, the basic UI and other experiences that make the N97 what it is.

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_03

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_06

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_07

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_08

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_09

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_10

nokia_n97_abuggedlife_photos_11

From the press photos, the Nokia N97 seems heavy, maybe because it resembles a lot of the Communicator series which were really big and bulky — fit for the total executive. Surprisingly, the N97 isn’t as big as I thought it was and it is amazingly light. If you’ve ever owned a Nokia N82, you’ll know what I mean. The front side of the screen has three buttons – two for calls and a slanted button which is used to access the newly animated menu with “Dissolve” and “Genie” effects. There’s a secondary camera located on the unit’s upper left hand side.

As you can see from the photos, the N97 is pretty much a minimalist when it comes to UI buttons. Using the phone with just the touch screen feels exactly like the 5800 experience. When you open up the phone to reveal the QWERTY keypad, you’re treated with a compact keyboard that still leaves you with space to move your fingers around. The D pad is now controlled by your left hand and the space bar, by no choice, is on the right side, not at the bottom of the keys.

Below is the size comparison of the N97 with my Nokia E71.

nokia_n97_5800_photos_1

In my next post, we will talk about the new home screen, camera functions and first impressions conclusion. Join me here for the second part.

You might also like ...

You have 17 Responses

  1. [...] 3: I have a review up of the new Nokia N97 — following the successful touch screen experience of the [...]

    2. Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Review in the Philippines | Jayvee Fernandez on Technology and New Media in the Philippines on March 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

  2. i like this one. i wonder when it will be available for my plan.

    3. arpee lazaro on March 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm

  3. [...] Welcome to Part II of the Nokia N97 hands on for the Philippine market. For the first part of the review covering the phone’s real estate, check this post. In this post we will look at the camera, [...]

    4. Nokia N97 Hands On II: Camera, Home Screen, Verdict | Jayvee Fernandez on Technology and New Media in the Philippines on March 26th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

  4. I think it’s the competitor of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1. But I’m really looking forward for the release of Sony Ericsson Idou.

    5. manwolf on March 26th, 2009 at 5:50 pm

  5. [...] but if you want an idea on how it actually looks beyond the press releases, Jayvee has posted a nice set of pictures for everyone to enjoy and a hands on review as [...]

    6. Nokia N97 Preview: Pinoy Style « Geek Eye for the Clueless Guy on March 28th, 2009 at 3:50 pm

  6. hi manwolf, the N97 doesn’t compete with the X1. The X1 runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 so it is a bit behind in terms of the N97′s Symbian usability.

    7. Jayvee on March 29th, 2009 at 8:33 pm

  7. [...] previewing the Nokia N97, I was given an extra treat with the new E75, Nokia’s latest enterprise phone. Let’s [...]

    8. Nokia E75 in the Philippines: Photos and Hands On | Jayvee Fernandez on Technology and New Media in the Philippines on March 29th, 2009 at 9:05 pm

  8. [...] was healthy to intend my safekeeping on the latest Nokia N97 — which the Suomi colossus claims as their most modern phone. True enough, this borrows hard from [...]

    9. Nokia N97 Hands On: Powerhouse Touch Screen : www.awesomeblogs.com on March 31st, 2009 at 5:59 pm

  9. [...] was able to get my hands on the latest Nokia N97 — which the Finnish giant claims as their most advanced phone. True enough, this borrows [...]

    10. High tech » Nokia N97 Hands On: Powerhouse Touch Screen on April 1st, 2009 at 10:52 am

  10. [...] was able to get my hands on the latest Nokia N97 — which the Finnish giant claims as their most advanced phone. True enough, this borrows [...]

    11. Read about gadgets » Blog Archive » Nokia N97 Hands On: Powerhouse Touch Screen on April 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 pm

  11. pls inform me about the price as soon as it is announced! please! its way too cool!!! thanks!!!

    12. tin on April 7th, 2009 at 10:11 pm

  12. When is the release of n97 here in the Philippines?…whoa ..for sure that’s pricey..

    13. marz on April 9th, 2009 at 2:54 am

  13. can you email me when nokia n95 will be released in the philippines? thanks…

    14. beck castillo on May 9th, 2009 at 10:10 am

  14. Newsflash: Now you can test the new Nokia N97 with an interactive interface on their homepage.

    15. N97 ohne Vertrag on May 13th, 2009 at 10:43 pm

  15. I like this, think I need to set up my own blog sometime.

    16. Free N97 on September 25th, 2009 at 6:21 am

  16. How much is the Philippine market price of N97?

    17. Chummed on January 21st, 2010 at 8:53 am

  17. Good review. I’m sick of all the apple fanboys shoving their iphones in my face. Maybe this will shut them up :)

    18. Katie Simpson on January 27th, 2010 at 2:21 am

Leave a Reply

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner