Review: Nokia N97 mini

Side by side, the new Nokia N97 mini and older N97 aren’t obviously different – the N97 mini’s screen is a little smaller (3.2” rather than 3.5”), and it’s a couple of millimetres shorter and thinner – but it’s tempting to wonder why Nokia bothered to create a new variant.

However, pick the two smartphones up and the N97 mini immediately feels a lot smaller in the hand, thanks to a thinner battery and, most of all, thanks to an ultra-thin stainless steel battery cover, replacing the chunky plastic offering on the older N97.

In short, the N97 is for the person who wants the maximum functionality with size no object, while the new arrival is the N97 for the rest of us, who want something which still feels phone-sized and which will be at home absolutely anywhere.

A side benefit of the change in materials is that overall build quality is better. And the extra six months development has enabled improvements in other areas. The (still innovative) hinged screen now reveals a better designed qwerty keyboard with more key travel and better haptic feedback. And getting rid of the plastic camera glass protector on the back also avoids the self-scratching problems experienced by many on the original N97.

Under the N97 mini’s hood, the original low sensitivity GPS antenna has been replaced by something with better signal to noise ratio, resulting in faster and better position locks. Finally, the problematic N97 disk C: has been bumped up to a whopping 512MB – no-one should now run out of space on their system disk.

However, there have been compromises in order to get the overall size down. The smaller screen may be an issue – 3.2” isn’t far off the 2.8” of the 2007 N95 8GB and looks a little small as we move into 2010, when some smartphones now squeezing in 4” displays. Whether you can live with the N97 mini’s screen will depend on your age and eyesight, we suspect! Colours are good though, with Nokia’s designers opting for a standard TFT display, easy on the eye indoors but blacking out in sunlight (the original N97′s display was transflective and more of an all rounder).

Also downgraded are the mass memory and battery, to 8GB and 1200mAh respectively (from 32GB and 1500mAh in the original N97). The first is obviously more marketing-inflicted and the second forced by physical restrictions.

Although both are probably good reasons for an existing N97 owner not to ‘downsize’, an 8GB mass memory (plus microSD) is still more than enough for most people, and the N97 mini’s battery will match that of most other smartphones on a daily basis.

The final significant omission is the FM transmitter, presumably for space reasons (and possibly because of the amount of metal in the N97 mini’s back). It’s a shame, because this has proved a real boon on car journeys, with the likes of the N97, N86 and N79 (among others) all able to broadcast music, podcasts and navigation instructions out to a car radio. This alone may sway some Symbian fans away from the N97 mini.

The base specification and capabilities are unchanged, however (HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and more). The combination of full-face touch and then full qwerty when needed is still a winner and the hinge mechanism still impresses. The 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera remains one of the best phone cameras in the world and the dual LED flash doubles as both a video light and a torch for finding your way home from the pub.

S60 5th Edition has been commented on a lot in the last year, but it should be noted that the N97 mini comes from day one with the new ‘kinetic scrolling’ version (now also available for the N97 via firmware update) – this makes a huge difference and, while not in the same class as the iPhone, genuinely makes both N97 smartphones pleasant to use.

Feeling a million dollars in the hand, the metal-backed N97 mini is currently priced at a premium, but for the connoisseur of quality smartphones, it’s a top pick.

Price: £400 SIM-free
Web: www.nokia.co.uk

Essential Verdict
Performance: 9/10
Design: 10/10
Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Overall score: 9/10

Written by Steve Litchfield. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

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