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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