N95 8GB - Should You Get It?
Without any doubt the original N95 is certainly a feature-rich handset and surely packs a punch compared to other handsets on the market. As feature rich as it is, it has been plagued with problems which maybe the general public aren’t as tolerant too as a gadget-geek like myself is. I have been witness to many stories of people who have been dissuaded into getting an N95 by phone sales people because of these.
Now we have a new N95 that Nokia are calling the N95 8GB - but is it just the same N95 re-branded with 8GB internal storage? If you have seen my comparison video against the original N95, you’ll know that it’s not, but, is it really worth getting?
Whether you have been thinking about getting an N95 but have been put off because of the issues, or already have an N95 and are wondering whether to upgrade to Mr 8GB, hopefully my quick guide to the improvements below will help you make up your mind. I have listed the key features of the phones and tell you which handset comes out top in each area.
Storage
As we know the big selling point for the new N95 is that it comes with 8GB of internal storage. This is pretty large for a mobile, but now that MicroSDHC Cards are now available in 8GB sizes (and coming down in price), is it really that much of a selling point? Capacity-wise both handsets are equal, but the original N95 has the advantage of having removal memory cards - so in theory storage is practically limitless on it if you buy lots of 8GB cards..
Winner - Original N95
Battery
The battery on the original N95 was pretty shocking, especially if you are a power user that likes to use WiFi and GPS features often. Battery life has been improved considerably in the new 8GB model and with the help of improved memory management more power saving has been achieved. Instead of the daily charging with average use, I was managing about 2 days before charging was required with the 8GB model.
Winner - New N95 8GB
Screen
I thought that the screen on the N95 was just great - OK it’s not the high-resolution screen we have on the N80, which I know a lot of people have been quite hung-up about, but it still looked pretty awesome. The new screen looks sexy now that it sits flush with the handset. The minor increase in screen size really does make the difference! It does attract finger marks quite easily though.
Winner - New N95 8GB
Navigational Keys
I was very sceptical when I first saw pictures of the new smaller nav keys - Too small perhaps? In fact not! Being slightly more raised than their predecessor, they feel a lot nicer to use and meant that there was less finger travel required to hit the desired button. Having smaller keys to accommodate a larger screen is also a sacrifice I can live with 
Winner - New N95 8GB
Performance
Well, this has to be the big plus for the 8GB handset - The original N95 and previous Nseries handsets have been plagued with very low operational memory - meaning that all too often you would get Out of Memory errors. I’m pleased to say that Nokia have finally addressed this issue (about time!), everything works like you expect it to. Good work Nokia!
Winner - New N95 8GB
Menus
The Original N95 came with a new Multimedia Menu - that although looked quite slick on first show - It really served no purpose and didn’t help a great deal with the poor memory issues mentioned above. This has now been ditched - Hooray! When you switch to Landscape, you just get landscape view not an annoying menu. When you hit the Multimedia button you get a new menuing system using Tiles.. I’m not that taken with it to be honest - maybe when OVI kicks off it will all become clear..
Winner - New N95 8GB (just)
Camera
Not much has changed to the actual camera apart from the removal of the lens cover. This again is a much debated issue, some people like to have the lens protected to, others are not so concerned about it. Many camera-phones on the market don’t have a lens cover so it’s not really that big a deal. I found that having to open the lens cover on the original N95 added a few precious seconds to capturing those special moments.. The application is slow enough in start-up and focusing as it is so, with the removal of this extra step it has to be a good thing!
Winner - No clear winner
Conclusion
It’s no doubt that this model is what the N95 should have been first time around.. Most of the issues that plagued the original N95 have been addressed.. There are still some issues that need addressing such as the camera start-up and focus times! But it still takes great pictures, so I can’t knock it for that..
All in all the new N95 8GB is a much more polished product that the original.. If you are thinking about getting an N95 I would recommend hanging on until the 8GB is readily available.. For those upgraders out there, yes it is worth getting, the only downside is the expense.. It’s a shame that Nokia don’t have some upgrade path for us early adopters
Thanks for this comparison, now im sure i did the right thing by ordering my n95 8gb last thursday (upgrading from n70).
though i must say you got me scared with your earlier review, i ordered my phone like 5 minutes before i read this sentence:
“So I’ve had a play with the new Nokia N95 8GB for a while now and have come to the conclusion that it’s not as good as I’d hoped ….”
haha that was a great one.
LOL… You’ll be very happy with your N95 8GB - its a great handset!
[...] Following on from his comparison video, Nechbi at iGadget Life asks whether current N95 users should seriously consider an upgrade. [...]
I upgraded from an N73. Definitely the N95 8GB is leader now. The only question really is the price. My suggestion to potential upgraders: If you can’t find any great deal from your telco, and you cannot justify spending that much money… well, wait until one of those things change.
The 8GB is too BIG and really fat!. Almost like an old-school model. Lose the Symbian OS and thin it down by HALF, then its almost perfect.
Still cannot compare to iPhone 8GB in elegant design and form-factor.
OHA might provide the OS/Middleware solution in the form of Android.
Frankie - Interesting that you say that the N95 is too BIG when the iPhone is actually 1/2inch taller AND wider than the N95.
Hi.
I have a question. Even though that these are completely different phones and this probably isn’t the right place to make such a question as I bet it will bring a lot of discussion, I would like to ask your opinion regarding a doubt I have.
I am going to upgrade my phone. The big question remains…
Shall I upgrade now and buy a Nokia N95 8Gb, or is it a best move to wait for the Sony Ericsson W960i?
Thanks for your work and looking forward for your answer.
Regards,
Daniel.
well taller and wider wouldn’t really concern me, which one is thicker? it does look like then95 is kinda chunky, it wouldnt stop me from getting it, but i think people like thinness of phones over the overall size of it
this is an awesome phone though, i definitely want to get it, but it’s so expensive!!
Daniel, Specs wise the N95 wins with its 5MP camera and GPS
Hi! New firmware available for N95 8Gb - 11.0.026 from 01-11-07…
does any one familiar with the the changeings?
I was so exited about getting my FREE n95 8gb after sweet talking vodafone
. had it for 13 days loved it and then sent it back.
Basically the phone is too BIG.It did everything perfectly , but just didnt feel like a phone. It felt too precious. I was scared of getting it scratched or droppping it. Getting it out on the street etc.
goodbye n95 hello k850i.
phone is wesome everything is perfect except one thing looks
Not a Reply but a question about the N95 8GB? In South Africa this phone is being promoted as having a built in TV option? True or False! I have asked too Nokia.com this question and the only repy I got in response is the usual specifications!
Jose - the N95 does not have TV built but - but it is able to handle streamed video over the net using the built-in Realplayer. There are also apps like Vimio that I have previously written about:
http://igadgetlife.com/2007/05/11/live-tv-on-your-mobile/
Hope this helps.
Hi,
I’ve just read your comparison and now that I’ve read your article I just want to bang my head against the nearest wall…Geez, I’ve just bought my N95 two weeks ago…The bliss, the sheer happiness, all down the drain :). No, seriously, I like my N95 a lot, and the differences (except for 2, memory and screen resolution) don’t justify the upgrade and the extra money.
My main issues are operational memory and screen resolution in a phone. I don’t mind the short battery capability, because every time I get a new Nokia Phone, the first thing I do is buying a second battery for emergencies. It helps a lot sometimes and battery capability has always been a problem for Nokia since symbian started to “live” in Nokia brand phones.
I don’t mind the camera cover, in fact the protection of the lens is very important. I travel a lot and sometimes “things” happen, scratches, hits, etc. That cover may slow down things a little bit, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
I don’t mind the smaller screen, the size of the 8GB is not that much different, a few millimeters here and there aren’t that important and having that little protection, that small “hump”, on the side against things that might scratch the screen or damage it if hit from the side is not that bad. A big plus is that you can place one of those plastic screen protectors on the N95 and nobody will notice it is there. A totally flat screen would look weird with a “thing” like that “mounted” on the all-flat big screen.
Now here comes my a question (hope you can help): Is the screen resolution on the 8GB really that different from the original n95? I don’t want to play games on my phone, for that I’ve got my PSP “Pam” (smooth and slim :)). Are photos and videos really that different on the 8GB phones than on the original N95? Will they be so much better? After all, the camera is the same.
Second question: Memory. Is there a possibility that new firmware may solve the N95 problem? Has Nokia done something like it before to solve less memory capability? Can’t we just store applications on the SD card? The card would be like an external disk.
Nokia will have problems in continuing to sell this phone if this memory issue isn’t solved and people start to “pass the word” about this memory thing.
Miguel - the Screen resolution is the same as the original N95, although the physical dimensions are larger. The camera\video is the same as the original N95, its just snappier when launching. The new firmware does improve somewhat the performance of memory within the original N95 as it now supports Memory Paging. Yes you can store (most) applications on the MicroSD card and don’t forget that all N95’s support MicroSDHC cards now up-to 12GB!
There is another comparison of the N95 8Gb and the original N95 here: http://www.n95-8gb.com/nokia-n95-8gb-vs-n95.html
I have had the phone for 4 weeks now and i love everything about it, the chunkyness makes it look good as well
All greetings!!! I from Russia. I would like to buy Nokia N95 8GB, whether but I do not know it is necessary to do it. How you think, this phone good?
The Phone is great - if you are going to get a Nokia Nseries phone - then they don’t come any better..
thanx man
You can find the best deals for this amazing phone on http://www.n958gb.org
Or go directly to the nokia website http://www.nokia.com
hello… since the n95 gb doesnt have memory card… wont it be a problem? since like we dont have a back up incase the phone has problem… so i would like to ask for your opinion.. i love n95.. but i am afraid of that…
I have now used and sent back two brand new Nokia N95 8GB’s for the same reasons. The battery lasts for about six hours should you dare to use the phone and it’s 8Gb memory, opening the gallery freezes the entire phone should you want to see any of the pictures or videos stored there, the 5mp camera is fantastic and takes great pictures, but only stores them if the phone happens to be in a good mood. Also the PC suite does not work on Vista and therefore the loss of the memory card is a sad one. Basically the N95 8Gb is a lesson of style over substance and leaves me with the feeling that Nokia are selling the 8Gb on it’s bells and whistles which the phone is not powered for and really cannot uphold. How can people love this expensive chocolate teapot?
just ordered my n95 8gb, upgrading it from an n73. Cant wait. This phone looks amazing!!
can anyone plese tell me how to use the gps system on my n95 8gb.