I recently purchased the new Nokia mobile device N95. Notice I didnt use the word phone.
The N95 is a multimedia origami device, Digital camera ( 5 mega pixel), computer, a GPS unit, photo, music and video player and oh yes you can also make phone calls via voice and video.
They (Nokia) claim is it is what computers have become. This is just the start of a trend in new multifunction devices that give our laptops and home computers a run for their money.
Smart phones are all the rage, from Nokia , Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Blackberry and others. Apple has also now entered the race with the much anticipated iPhone launching in the USA this month.
Its now all about the software and services on the device itself, widgets, gears, email, web, maps and more driven by higher network speeds and wireless bandwidth.
Managing your access across a variety of services when you are out and about, as our business and private lives become less about fixed locations tied to old copper networks.
After an initial day of a trial and learn process around the new interface and features, I found it to be a relatively easy device to use. My only complaint was the GPS Sat map service which is poorly documented both in the book and online. I even resorted to calling the help desk who were friendly but offered little more information than already gleamed from other sources. There tip was to take out the battery, restart the phone and go outside.
The wireless access is ideal for avoiding those high data charges from your 3G network operator. I had problems getting it to connect with my Apple airport using the wep password.
One other criticism is the storage capacity of the device itself, It comes with 1GB of memory which sounds like a lot, but when you start loading, music, taking photos at high res and loading map data, it dose not leave a lot of head room. After running a couple of applications at once I was getting memory low errors. I have now upgraded to 2GB. Will still use my iPod for music and podcasts.
Overall it is a great device that combines a good digital camera with some great PC like services and those friendly Nokia phone features we have come to expect. Well worth considering if you are a road warrior and can afford the $1000 (Aus) plus price tag.