N97 Debrief: N-Gage Dodges a Bullet

It’s a good thing for Nokia that my new N79 arrived yesterday, because I was all set to write a damning report of the complete and utter disaster that is N-Gage on the flagship N97.

N97 Debrief: Against the iPhone

Look, let’s stop beating around the bush with this… It should be fairly obvious from the photo above who Nokia’s after with their flagship N97. It also can’t be denied that in North America, at least, Apple’s iPhone is everywhere.

My goal with this post is to highlight the key differences between the two and let you draw your own conclusions. Along the way, I’ll be pointing out what Nokia could have done (and can still do) better.

N97 Debrief: Nickel and Dimed by Nokia

The camera on the left is my Canon PowerShot S70. It doesn’t have tri-band 3G connectivity, GPS or a built-in compass, nor can it check your email, send/receive text messages or browse the web. But it does come with a cable that connects to your TV so you can show photos and videos to friends and family.

On the right is the Nokia N97, which has a slightly smaller 5-megapixel sensor but can also capture VGA video. It too has the ability to connect to a TV just like my Canon — but Nokia decided for some reason not to include the cable with your purchase.