Nokia has announced that the Nokia N900 is available through its flagship stores and will soon be available through retailers. It’s an important product for Nokia and the Maemo operating system. While Nokia is still the global leader in mobile phones, its Symbian S60 OS seems primitive compared to Apple’s iPhone OS, Google’s Android, and Palm’s WebOS. The company has been losing market share in the high-end smartphone market for years. Rumors indicate that Nokia will drop Symbian S60 for Maemo in all its high-end phones by 2012.
The N900 is an exciting product, but it’s definitely for tech enthusiasts and not for mainstream users. Maemo is extremely powerful and versatile, but it’s not (yet) as smooth as competing operating systems. I’m awfully tempted to pick this phone up. The web browsing experience, through the N900’s Mozilla browser, is purported to be the best one out there. The keyboard and screen are supposed to be excellent. Nokia has always had some of the best camera phones out there. There’s a lot I’m loving about this power-user phone.
The N900 costs $649 through Nokia, but Amazon currently has it for $559
- Fast 3G connectivity with broadband-like speeds via 900/1700/2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA.
- Integrated assisted GPS (A-GPS) receiver for navigation using the Ovi Maps application as well as for geotagging photos and accessing location services used by popular social networking sites. Switch between rich 3D, satellite and hybrid map views.
- 3.5-inch touchscreen display with built-in accelerometer and 800 x 480-pixel resolution. (Learn more)
- Slide-out full QWERTY keyboard as well as virtual onscreen keyboard. Speed your typing up further with smart on-screen features and word completion.
- Maemo 5 software and user interface with direct touch logic, 3D accelerated graphics, and multi-window multitasking menu logic. (Learn more)
- 5-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus camera with dual LED flash and sliding lens cover for protection and camera activation. (Learn more)
- Capture WVGA 16:9 video in higher than DVD resolution.
- Digital audio and video playback with multi-format compatibilities plus TV output (cable included) and FM radio.
- Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity with stereo music streaming (A2DP) capabilities as well as hands-free headsets and car kits. (Learn more)
- Wi-Fi networking for accessing the Internet from home, corporate and hotspot networks (802.11b/g); includes WEP, WPA, WPA2 security protocols.
- 32 GB internal memory expandable up to 48 GB via optional microSD cards (up to 16 GB in size).
- Full messaging capabilities including SMS, MMS, mobile instant messaging (with presence-enhanced contacts), personal and corporate email (with support for Exchange and viewing attachments).
- Easily set up multiple email accounts with support for popular email providers.
- Keep multiple SMS & IM conversations going and move easily between them.
- Mozilla-powered full HTML browser with support for Adobe Flash player and ability to keep multiple web windows open.
- Organizer tools including calendar, clock, notes, calculator, sketch
- Full range of applications including Ovi Maps, PDF reader, and RSS reader
- Airplane mode allows you to listen to music while the cellular connectivity is turned off.
Anyone else excited for the N900? Or is it just a geek toy that I’m fascinated with?
Definitely a cool geek toy. If it were cheaper, I'd consider it perhaps. I am a bit put off by the OS though. Might just have to wait for them to dump it.
@Smartguy What don't you like about Maemo? I enjoyed it on Nokia's Internet tablets.
Symbian seems quite dated and clunky really. I'd have to see Maemo in action before I could out right say it is a deal breaker though. This device looks really awesome though. Buy me one. Thankyou
"Mozilla-powered full HTML browser with support for Adobe Flash player and ability to keep multiple web windows open."
F Tegra. I might not wait now. Now I just need to play with one and see if I like the OS, which I most likely will.
@Ray
will this work on all carriers? Will it utilize 7.2 on AT&T? I might get this.
@Smartguy I will work on all GSM carriers. I'm pretty sure it uses T-Mobile's 3G band, oddly enough.
I'm really sold on this device. I need to see what T-Mobile has done with their network in my area. I could just get it and run on ATT for awhile, but T-Mobile has better options as far as data/voice/sms plans go.
@Smartguy Hope you don't mind, but I plugged in your address in T-Mobile's coverage locator. Looks like you're good for voice and 3G data.
@Ray
Yeah, my only concern is that the 3G coverage isn't very good directly west of me in Hammond.
err..forgot to mention that is where I am in school at.