Nokia N900 Review

The Nokia N900 is a touchscreen, full QWERTY slider phone that uses an Open Source Linux operating system that is known as Maemo 5. The N900 is a mobile computer with smartphone functions. The phone functions as a mobile internet device (access to online services, web browsing and email), a portable media player for both music and video, a 5 megapixel camera and even as mobile telephony by using a mobile network or VoIP via Wi-Fi.

BODY DESIGN
At a physical dimension of 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches and weighing a hefty 6.4 oz, the Nokia N900 is a clunky smartphone. The phone is certainly big when you compare it with other devices such as the Nokia E72 or the Iphone4. Although it is not the most pocket friendly phone, it still has a very comfortable grip and there was no problem in holding the phone. A 3.5 inch resistive touchscreen display occupies the front of the phone. The front of the screen does not have a single physical button. The earpiece, video calling camera and the proximity sensor are present on the top. The microUSB port which is used both for PC connectivity and charging is on the left side of the phone. The 3.5 mm audio jack and the unlock key is on the right. On the top of the phone is the power button and camera key placed besides the volume rocker keys. The stylus occupies the bottom of the phone. The 5 megapixel camera surrounded by a kick-stand takes up the rear of the mobile phone.
This phone is only available in black.
MULTIMEDIA
The phone has a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash. In addition to that, it also has a nice lens cover slider to keep everything safe. The main camera can record videos at a resolution of up to 800 x 480 pixels and of various formats like WVGA, MPEG4, and MP4 etc. The front camera is a VGA camera which is mainly for video calls. The integrated multimedia player can play various audio and video formats ranging from standard MP3 and 3GP to eAAC and MP4. The phone also comes with in-built games like Chess Mahjong, Marbles and Blocks. There is also an FM radio embedded in the phone which guarantees music anytime and anywhere.
Online access from the phone is done through the Maemo Browser which is powered by the famed Mozilla technology. The phone produces rich internet content and supports both Java and Flash contents. It also has an integrated A-GPS receiver and Ovi maps application where you can switch between Satellite and terrain views helping you to search maps of different destinations and the corresponding route leading there.
MEMORY
The Nokia N900 has an eMMC of 32 GB and a non removable storage memory of 256 MB. This memory can be increased by 16GB via its hot swappable microSDHC.
CONNECTIVITY
Connectivity is the USP of the Nokia N900. There is nothing else missing on this phone when it comes to Data Connectivity. Not only does this phone have all the connections, it is also of the highest quality. For wireless connections and web access, it has got WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g, GPRS and EDGE. The phone also has both HSDPA and HSUPA with maximum speeds of 10 mbps and 2 mbps respectively.
For local connectivity the device has Bluetooth Version 2.1, microUSB connector and High Speed USB 2.0. The TV out (pal & NTSC) feature is also there on this phone.
PERFORMANCE
The Maemo platform is an excellent smartphone platform which is made for multitasking and a speedy performance. The phone has a very responsive touchscreen and the call quality of the phone is excellent. The audio quality during a call is very clear with no background noises or distortion. You can never find a phone as good as this if you use your phone mostly for online access.
However, the Nokia N900 is not a phone for all. The new operating system will take time to learn. The user interface is not something you have encountered before and hence not that intuitive.
On top of that, the image quality of the 5 megapixel camera is seriously very poor compared to other Nokia phones. And most importantly, you might complain that the phone is a bit bulky than your average smartphones.

VERDICT
As explained above, the Nokia N900 is not a phone for everyone. If you are looking for a phone with a variety of applications and an easy user interface, then this is not the phone for you. But for people on the go, whose life revolves around the online world and willing to spend a little bit more, then this is the perfect phone for you.
The Nokia N900 is available for $466.
REVIEWER’S RATING: 4/5