Nokia N90 Review-Near To Perfection

Nokia N90 Review

Introduction

After the release of the 6680, Nokia launched the N-series of phones bent on changing the mobile phone world with outstanding multimedia features. Like the 6680, the N90 is also a 3G-enabled mobile phone. It is equipped with a 2-megapixel auto-focus CMOS camera, which boasts a Carl Zeiss lens and a flexible form factor so users can snap their pictures in style.

The Nokia N90 is a Dual Mode phone, featuring UMTS and GSM operation, and tri-band GSM coverage (GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz). The N90 is capable of switching automatically between bands and modes. We do not have access to any 3G SIM cards so this review will be about the N90's capabilities in GSM mode. Our review unit is from India and its firmware is version 2.0527.2.3, 06-07-05, RM-42. With a long list of features, and a camera with world renowned Carl Zeiss optics, does the N90 do justice to your images, communication needs, and of course, its  price tag???

Physical Aspects

When you first set eyes on the N90, the first word that comes to mind is 'bulky'. The silver and black N90 is a huge clam shell that measures 112mm x 51mm x 24mm (4.4" x 2" x .9") and weighs 173g (6.1oz). Its size is comparable with a Sony Ericsson P910, and it weighs a bit more! This makes the N90 Nokia's biggest and heaviest Series 60 Smartphone. However, the N90 is no ordinary clam shell, as it has four mechanical modes. Well, the N90 can be made to look like an ordinary closed and opened clam shell (Fold open, and Fold closed modes). The next moment, it looks like a camcorder (Imaging mode) to capture photos or videos. With the flip closed, the N90 can be transformed into Camera mode to snap only pictures, not video.

When viewing the front of the N90, you will find the camera module attached to the top of the phone. It is attached to a centre portion that works as the hinge for both the front and back flips. It also allows the camera module to be swiveled 315 degrees so that you can point the lens almost anywhere you wish. The external 128 x 128 pixel display is capable of displaying 65K colors, and it works as your viewfinder when you rotate the camera module, enabling you to snap pictures with the flip closed. It is adequately bright, but a bit difficult to use in direct sunlight. The display's low resolution makes photos look blurry and pixilated, even when they aren't. As such, it doesn't function accurately as a viewfinder. On standby however, it works just like a miniature version of the main display, giving you information like signal strength, battery life, operator name, alerts for missed calls and SMS, and it also shows you call details when you're on a call. You can also read SMS, view missed calls, and change your profile via this external display. Very useful However, you would have liked to have been able to go through the call list as well so that I could make a call (via speaker phone or with a headset) without having to flip open the phone.

The camera module takes up about 18mm of the length of the N90, which means it is pretty large. As mentioned earlier, the module can be swiveled 315 degrees, not 360. I guess this limitation was made to ease the phone's task of flipping the viewfinder to the correct side so that you do not have to turn your phone upside down every time it's wrong. The lens is located to one side of the camera module along with the LED flash. The lens is slightly recessed, and is protected by a raised silver border. The camera module also houses the loudspeaker and Power button, located on top of the N90. Behind the camera is the battery cover with a release latch.

The sides of the N90 are lined with chrome inserts, very similar to the previously reviewed 6680. On the left of the N90 you will find a pinhole-sized DC socket next to the pop-port connector. Nokia has included a size conversion dongle so that users can use their old chargers with the N90. Music lovers will be glad to know that the N90 has support for stereo output. Too bad we are stuck with the included stereo earphones. On the right, you find a 5-way navigational joystick, dedicated camera shutter button, and a RS-MMC memory card slot, covered by a chrome plated hatch. As opposed to the usual top right orientation of conventional cameras, the N90's shutter button and joystick are located on the top left when used in Camera mode. I don't like this at all as it makes it difficult to reach for the shutter button, or to the joystick. Plus both the button and joystick were stiff, and can be quite cumbersome to use at times. However, the odd placement is to facilitate easy access with your thumb when the N90 is in imaging mode.

Display

The main display of the N90 is glorious. The 262K color display has a resolution of 352 x 416 pixels, which offers 4 times as many pixels as the usual 176 x 208 display you find in older Series 60 phones. The screen is a visual treat, displaying fonts and icons so unbelievably smooth. It is bright, and is usable under harsh sunlight. However, space wastage is apparent. With the large dimensions of the N90, you would have expected a larger screen but all you get is the same 2.1 inch size found in previous Series 60 phones. You will find a light sensor below the screen in the center, which automatically adjusts the screen brightness and keypad back light. So let's say you are in a dimly lit room and you whip out your N90, the light sensor will automatically switch on the keypad back light, and dim the screen. When you're out in the sun, or a brightly lit place instead, the keypad back light will be turned off, and the screen brightness will be maximized. The maximum level of the display brightness is set by the user via the Settings menu. I found keeping the level one below maximum to produce the best results and most vivid colors. The light sensor worked well most of the time, thus saving some battery life and sparing your eyes from being blinded by the screen at night. Above the screen, you can find 2 soft keys, which work when the N90 is in imaging mode.

The N90 can be flipped open in 2 different stages. You first flip open the screen (top) portion to 90 degrees. You can easily rotate the screen to a maximum of 120 degrees to face you, transforming the N90 into a camcorder. This is the N90's Imaging mode where you basically hold the keypad (bottom) portion, with easy thumb access to the camera shutter button and 5-way navigational joystick. It would have been best to be able to rotate the screen a full 360 degrees so that the main display can be used as a much better viewfinder than the external display. If you want to make a call, or type an SMS, you just have to flip open the N90 fully (close to 150 degrees), this time transforming it to the fold open mode.

 Keypad

The keypad is an ordinary looking unit with a white backlight keypad. The 5-way D-pad is coated in chrome with the centre selection button made of white transparent plastic. The D-pad is flanked by both the right and left selection keys, and also the Call and End keys. The Edit, Menu, and Clear keys are all situated in a row below the D-Pad. Like the screen, the keypad could have used the available space more economically, and have been made with larger keys. The keypad is flush mounted, and the centre column (Menu, 2, 5, 8, and 0 keys) is slightly recessed. This odd design made it difficult to press those keys. As a result, you face some trouble with missed key presses at times when typing SMS. However, the keys had good tactile feedback otherwise.

Overall, the Nokia N90 is solidly built, but the chrome inserts are easily scratched and attract fingerprints. There were no squeaks or creaking found anywhere on our review. The hinge seemed strong with no obvious loosening due to heavy usage of the N90's transforming capabilities. The battery cover was protected on securely, and was pretty difficult to remove at times.

Multimedia

Audio

Apart from the 2-megapixel camera, the N90's multimedia capabilities are similar to the recently reviewed Nokia 6680. MP3 and AAC files can be used as ringtones, as well as the usual MIDI files. With the built-in Real player, you can also listen to your MP3 files on the go. The N90 features stereo sound, something that is quite rare in Series 60 phones. However, you have to use the included headset to listen to your music, as there is only the pop-port connector on the bottom, and not a 2.5 or 3.5mm audio jack. This is a letdown as you won't be able to use your own favorite headphones without buying an adapter. I tested the phone with various kinds of music and it sounded generally crisp and clear. Songs had adequate bass with the supplied headset, and overall quality and clarity was good. However, there was no built-in equalizer, so users will have to rely on better third party MP3 playing applications to get a better, more personalized listening experience with their N90s. The Real player application can also be used to watch videos, and also stream live content (provided you have a fast EDGE or 3G connection). Sadly, the N90 does not feature a built-in FM radio.

Taking Pictures-2.0 Mega Pixels at the Back

Now to the main feature of the Nokia N90 - the 2-megapixel camera equipped with Carl Zeiss glass optics. As with the Sony Ericsson K750i's camera, the N90 uses a CMOS sensor and an auto-focus lens system. We were wowed by the photo taking capabilities of the K750i, and this time the N90 shows that it can also deliver images close to what a dedicated digital camera can produce.

While normally the picture quality falls in dark situations, I'm happy to say that the available Night Mode and LED flash helps quite a bit, eliminating most of the noise. The Night Mode is a little tricky to use, though, as the slightest hand shake will cause your pictures to blush. The LED flash is useful up to a distance of about 0.7 metres, less than half of the 1.5 metres. I personally do not like to use the flash as it causes certain parts of an image to be overexposed.

The N90 has a wide array of settings for you to play around with. The white balance options cover most of the situations that you could expect to encounter - Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, and Automatic. The Automatic white balance option worked very well, delivering spot-on color all the time. I had trouble with fluorescent lighting where images appeared too cool (blue) with the fluorescent white balance mode. Friend appeared really good when photographed with this white balance option. Choosing Automatic white balance mode solved this issue. I have no idea why this happens but I definitely have no qualms about using the Automatic option in all situations.

The N90 also offers a few scene modes –

1)  Close-up mode,

2) Night mode,

3) Sports mode,

4) Portrait mode,

5) Landscape mode,

6) User defined mode,

7) Automatic.

The Automatic mode works really well when taking macro shots. This eliminates the need to manually choose the Close-up mode. When taking macro shots, images an obvious barrel distortion. Otherwise, pictures taken were sharp. Night shots can also be taken with the Automatic mode, but manually choosing Night mode gives better, less noisy results. Sports mode allows users to take better pictures of fast moving objects at a reduced resolution of 0.5-megapixel. I found that the Sports mode didn't work well at all. The lens was not able to focus when in Sports mode, resulting in blurry images. Landscape mode is used for taking sceneries. In our test shots, the Automatic mode was also able to handle sceneries and portraits very well.

Other options available to users are the Flash modes (Automatic, Red eye reduction, Forced, Off), Exposure correction (-2 to +2 EV in steps of 0.5) and Color tone (Normal, Sepia, Black & White, Negative).

The Nokia N90 can capture images at full 2-megapixel resolution (1600 x 1200), and there are also two lower resolutions available - "Email" (0.5-megapixel, 800x600) and "MMS" (0.3-megapixel, 640x480). What I really liked about the N90's camera is the way its 20x digital zoom made full use of its 2-megapixel sensor. In order to maintain image quality when the digital zoom is in use, the N90 reduces the dimensions of the photos it creates, essentially zooming by way of cropping the larger 2-megapixel photo. However, picture quality still suffers a bit, and appeared out of focus especially when sceneries were zoomed in.

There are three video quality settings - 'High', 'Normal' and 'Sharing'. The first 2 modes allow video recording time to be limited only by the amount of free storage space. At 'High' quality, the N90 records video clips in 352x288 pixels resolution in MP4 file format (MPEG-4 video codec). In the 'Normal' mode, movies are recorded in 176x144 pixels resolution at a bit rate of 171kbps and stored in .3GP files (H.263 codec). The 'Sharing' mode uses the same resolution as Normal, but records in a lower bit rate, 75kbps, and at a maximum length of 35 seconds in order to produce smaller files. There is a mute function that allows you to turn off the microphone when recording a clip. Users can also toy with various settings; including Scene (Normal or Night), White balance (Automatic, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, and Fluorescent) and Color tone (Normal, Sepia, Black and White, Negative). Video clips recorded in 'High' quality look much better than the .3GP format clips.

Overall, the N90's camera worked great. The camera's UI is straightforward and easy to use. The ability to record video in MP4 format produced pretty good videos. Not great, but much better than the usual ones you get from other 'normal' camera phones.

With the bundled Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0, users can organize and find their digital photos quickly with keyword tags. Photo flaws can also be easily edited with this Starter Edition of Photoshop Album. You will have to scroll down extra cash to get the full version, which offers more features. Another important point to note is that the N90 is equipped with Nokia's X press Print Solution. It makes printing images and information like calendar details, contacts, and emails much easier. It is compatible with Pict Bridge, which lets users connect their N90 to a wide range of compatible printers with a USB cable. This allows fast and convenient printing, without a PC.

Phone Functionality

The UI of the N90 is very similar to the one found in the Nokia 6680. It runs on an updated version of the Symbian OS: version 8.1a. The N90 comes with 31mb of onboard memory, of which about 25mb is available for the user. It comes bundled with a 128mb RS-MMC card. I found the UI a bit sluggish. Selecting options and switching between screens took longer than I had hoped for. However, with the big bump in on board memory, applications ran smoothly. For those of you who aren't totally familiar with Series 60, here's a tip: the N90 is capable of multitasking. So instead of exiting all your common applications, just leave it running in the background. For example, when you are in the Messaging application, press on the Menu key to get out instead of hitting on the Exit button. To access any of your background-running apps, just press and hold the Menu key and you will be shown a list of those apps. Clicking on any of them will result in instantaneous switching of applications.

The keypad is linked to the top 9 icons in the main menu, and the keys even work when you have scrolled further down in the menu. This certainly is useful and you don't have that silly time limit of 3 seconds that you find in Series 40 phones. Icons and folders can be arranged as you please, though you still cannot create a subfolder in a folder. There is a keypad lock function but in a clamshell phone, it isn't really necessary.

Standby mode

In standby mode, the N90 features a line of application shortcuts, as well as a list of upcoming calendar appointments; something similar to the Today screen found in Pocket PC devices. This is called the Active Standby feature, which was first introduced in the recent Nokia 6680. It makes the standby screen much more functional than in previous Series 60 phones. The 5 application shortcuts can be customized to your liking. You use the D-Pad to navigate through the 5 application shortcuts and upcoming appointments. Clicking on the calendar appointment will bring you to the Calendar application, showing you the full details of your appointment.

However, if you do not like this new Active Standby feature, you can always turn it off in the Settings menu. With it turned off, you can press on the 5 different directions of the D-Pad to launch different applications. The directional shortcuts can be customized to your liking, as can the left and right selection keys.

Voice quality during calls

The N90 delivered excellent voice quality during calls. I did not experience any dropped calls or poor reception. The volume of the earpiece was adequate, not deafening and not too soft. The speakerphone function worked as expected. The Nokia N90 is capable of video calls (if you are subscribed to 3G services), with the ability to share video clips during a call. I was not able to test this function, as I had no access to 3G networks.

Profile system

The N90 has a nice profile system. There are a number of default profiles available, and you can create your own new profiles if you wish. There is no support for timed profiles, but otherwise the profile management is quite good. You can link each profile to one or more groups of contacts, so that the ringer is disabled if the caller is not a member of the appropriate group. The N90 also has an Offline profile. This enables you to use the N90 in areas where wireless phone use is prohibited, e.g.: in an airplane. Another cool feature of this Offline profile is that you can even use the N90 without a SIM card. This will allow users to use the N90's camera function anywhere and anytime. However, the N90 is not without its flaws. One of its flaws, a near fatal one, is the absence of a vibrate mode. The N90 is not capable of vibrating when receiving SMS or incoming calls in Silent mode. Potential buyers will have to cope with checking their N90s from time to time in case of missed calls or SMS received during a meeting. We can only guess that Nokia's agreement with Carl Zeiss had something to do with this, as Zeiss had input on anything involving the camera, and a vibrate function could, theoretically, affect finely tuned lens placement.

Speaker independent voice recognition technology

The N90 supports speaker independent voice recognition technology, so there is no longer a need to per-record voice tags. Just say the name of your contact and it'll be recognized. The same applies to voice commands (choosing a profile, connecting to the voice mailbox, activating Bluetooth, opening Voice Recorder, and launching any other application). It worked pretty well with English names. However, as my contact list was filled with mostly Asian names, the phone couldn't recognize most of those names. The N90 would also reset itself about 70% of the time when I was using Voice Commands, which is obviously a problem - one that we assume will be fixed in the future.

Battery life

Battery life was fair. The phone lasted about 3 days before having to be recharged. This was with roughly 30 minutes of calls each day and quite a lot of SMSing, taking pictures, and also GPRS usage. However, using Bluetooth frequently brought that duration down to about 1 and a half days. In a pure talk time test, the N90 managed 5 hours and 15 minutes on the 1900 MHz GSM band. Still, pretty good battery life for a Smartphone with such a large and bright display.

The firmware in our review unit was quite unstable and I encountered numerous resets when accessing certain functions. Even the external display experienced several hang-ups during which it would partially freeze, display garbled images, or align itself horizontally as opposed to vertically. We fully expect that updated firmware will address all of these issues.

GPRS and EDGE

The Nokia N90 supports GPRS and EDGE based GSM networks, as well as UMTS 3G networks. It doesn't have an infrared port, but it features Bluetooth v1.2. The N90 also features Push to Talk (PTT), but I do not have access to PTT services so I wasn't able to test out this feature. Setting up for GPRS was easy as you just have to choose from a list of service providers and everything will be set up accordingly. With everything set up, surfing was fast with the standard Nokia WAP v2.0/xHTML browser.

POP and IMAP

The N90's email client supports both POP and IMAP protocols. Creating a new message is simple, as is attaching a file of just about any type, including ZIP files. You can define multiple email accounts, and the N90 features automatic retrieval of messages. You can schedule it to retrieve email automatically on any day of the week, at any time. T9 can be used when typing out emails, SMS, and MMS. Text input was fast and there was no noticeable lag.

SMS

The SMS system works flawlessly. Instead of clicking on the recipient's name field to access your contact list, you can easily multi tap the letters of the intended recipient's name. The N90 will pop up a list of all the names beginning with those letters, and you can just select the right one. Multiple recipients can be selected, text templates can be used as the basis for a message, and confirmation receipts are stored in a separate folder. New words can be added to the dictionary and the system was fast enough to keep up with my typing. The Series 60 messaging system queues up messages for later delivery when there is no signal available. This feature is definitely useful if you spend a lot of your time commuting in subways, and also in areas with poor coverage.

Bluetooth

The Bluetooth system in the N90 is version 1.2 and works well. I could not test the full capabilities of the version 1.2, as the only other device that is v1.2 compliant is my HS850 Bluetooth headset. Having said that, it had excellent connection with handset. However, there was no difference in connection time when compared with previous Nokia phones with Bluetooth version 1.1. The voice quality of calls was top-notch, and distortions were rare. However, the range of the N90's Bluetooth was quite disappointing. I could not move more than 3 metres away from the phone, even when there were no obstacles around.

In the Bluetooth application, you can view a list of paired devices, which can be set as either "authorized" or "not authorized." An authorized device will be able to connect to the N90 whereas if an unauthorized device (even if it is paired) attempts to connect, you will be prompted first so that you can reject the connection. Apart from the short range, the Bluetooth system worked well.

USB

The N90 also has support for USB 2.0 via the pop-port connector. This results in fast synchronization of data, and also works well when using the N90 as a modem for your laptop or PC. Users will be happy to know that the USB cable is provided in the sales package.

Applications

The N90 comes preinstalled with a few applications. These include a calendar, to-do list, a calculator, converter, voice recorder, clock, and wallet. All are of good quality and function well. But the key, of course, is being able to install your own selection of applications.

Quick office

Besides those usual applications, the N90 also comes with Quick office, an application consisting of Quick word, Quick sheet, and Quick point. This is good news for the business user who needs to view Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations on the go. However, this is the view-only version of Quick office. If you want to edit the files, you will have to purchase the full version of the software. The full version of Quick office could be useful since the N90 has support for Bluetooth wireless keyboards.

Opera browser

In addition, the N90 comes with the Opera browser. It quickly formats Web pages intended for browsing with a PC to fit the width of the N90's display. Surfing was slightly faster than using the standard Nokia browser. You can choose to print your pictures at Kodak Express outlets by connecting your phone to 'Picture Maker' kiosks found in those outlets via Bluetooth.

Data Transfer feature

The N90, similar to the 6680, has the Data Transfer feature. You can easily transfer phonebooks, messages, pictures, and etc. from other Nokia Series 60 phones. Definitely convenient for users upgrading to the N90 from previous Series 60 phones. The only bundled game is Card Deck, a card game that features 6 solitaire card games. Nokia could have easily included more games but fear not, as you can always download more games from the Internet.

Final Words

With all the hype surrounding the N-series from Nokia, I had expected a more stellar performance from the N90. I'm not saying that it's not good. I'm just saying that the Nokia N90 is a capable mobile phone, not a great one. It does take some great looking photos; it has a slew of features, and a multi-config clamshell design that would make any Transformers fan go wild. However, the N90's unstable software, hefty bulk, and price tag just don’t justify its image taking capabilities and glorious hi-res screen. I would recommend this phone to anyone who's willing to waste down the money for a capable 3G enabled Smartphone (with future firmware upgrade a must) with a really good camera. Otherwise, Sony Ericsson's K750 and W800 models take equally nice photos, are much smaller, and have the vibration alarm that the N90 lacks. The N90 is the first phone to break out of the standard form factor in terms of screen resolution and fonts available. This is a challenge going forward for developers, Nokia and Symbian, but it’s easily surmounted with good communication.

To sum up, the N90 is Nokia’s first true camera phone to focus on the camera, and it’s all the better for it. Yes, the unit has a number of quirks in the design, but the software, the operation and general polish of Series 60 continues, and makes the N90 the high-end phone of the moment in both Nokia’s N range and in terms of smart phones in general. It might be marketed with the camera as its killer feature, but with Series 60 it covers all the bases, and covers them well. Right now, there’s no solid reason to not look very, very seriously at the N90.

 Specifications

General	2G Network	GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	UMTS 2100
	Announced	2Q, 2005
	Status	Discontinued

Body	Dimensions	112 x 51 x 24 mm
	Weight	173 g

Display	Type	TFT, 256K colors
	Size	352 x 416 pixels, 2.1 inches, 35 x 41 mm (~259 ppi pixel density)
		- Second external TFT, 65K colors display (128 x 128 pixels) - 90 deg rotating screen - 5-way navigation key - Side joystick

Sound	Alert types	Downloadable polyphonic, monophonic, MP3 ringtones
	Loudspeaker	No
	3.5mm jack	No

Memory	Card slot	RS-DV-MMC, 64 MB card included, hot swap, buy memory
	Internal	31 MB

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	EDGE	Class 10, 236.8 kbps
	Speed	Yes, 384 kbps
	WLAN	No
	Bluetooth	Yes, v1.2
	USB	Yes, Pop-Port

Camera	Primary	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, auto focus, LED flash
	Features	Video calling
	Video	Yes
	Secondary	No

Features	OS	Symbian OS 8.1a , Series 60 UI
	Chipset	TI OMAP 1710
	CPU	220 MHz ARM926EJ-S
	Messaging	SMS, MMS, EMail, Instant Messaging
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	No
	GPS	No
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
	Colors
		- Push to talk - Video download - MP3/AAC/MP4 player - Predictive text input - Voice command/memo - Organizer - Printing

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion (BL-5B) 760 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 290 h
	Talk time	Up to 3 h

Misc	SAR US	0.22 W/kg (head)     0.54 W/kg (body)
	SAR EU	0.29 W/kg (head)

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