The Nokia N95 8GB is an updated version of the best-selling original N95 and while it's still rather chunky, there are a few serious changes to it that make it a significantly better mobile phone than its predecessor.
Design
Packing a larger screen than the original N95, we really enjoyed viewing content on the N95 8GB, particularly watching videos and browsing the Web. The navigation keys at the bottom of the screen, although smaller, seemed easier to press too.
Nokia's got rid of the somewhat pointless media menu that appears when you slide the original N95 down and you can navigate the 8GB's start page normally. Overall, the interface felt snappier to use and the N95 8GB's boot-up time was far quicker.
At the back of the N95 8GB, the fiddly camera cover is gone. The advantage of not having a cover is that you no longer have to worry about the camera accidentally being activated in your pocket, which regularly happened on the original N95.
A minor but noteworthy feature is the N95 8GB's black casing. It's amazing how a change of colour can bring out a phone's sexy side and we think Nokia may have sold even more original N95s if it had come in black.
The N95 may be the convergence king, but the N95 8GB is still as big as its predecessor and not a good choice if you value your pocket space. It is "many things", as the N95 adverts suggest, but it's also rather a chunky monkey.
At first we thought the double slider was a cool feature, but it's worn off now and we would prefer not to have it. When you're pulling it in and out of your pocket the slider mechanism can move up and down, activating the phone.
Features
The N95 8GB's greatest improvement over its predecessor is, obviously, the 8GB of on-board storage for all your music and photos -- or any other data you want to tote around. The extra space makes it a multimedia mammoth, and importantly, lets you install many more applications.
Similar to the iPhone, the 8GB of on-board memory is non-expandable, which has its limitations. The main issue is that unlike a removable memory card, you have to use the USB cable and can't use a card reader, which may annoy some people.
Overall
Upgraded mobile phones are usually disappointing, but the Nokia N95 8GB is a truly superb successor. The larger screen, 8GB memory and black casing are so seductive, we were sad to see it go back to Nokia. It's still pricey, however, and it's still really rather chunky.
As the Nokia N95 8GB is an incremental upgrade on the original N95 be sure to check out our full review of the N95 for complete specs, and watch our video review.
Andrew
20/06/2008, 10:52 PM
rating
8/10
Very good phone. Does it have TV on it?
Pros: All the rest
Cons: GPS, Thickness
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Mad Reds
16/06/2008, 02:28 AM
rating
10/10
i love this phone it's the best ..
Pros: has everything you want in a phone .. !
Cons: none !
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easteregg24
11/06/2008, 10:01 PM
rating
10/10
Excellent phone, it has everything you could ever think of! (barcode reader <-- wtf)
Pros: 8gb memory
very loud speakers
very durable
looks nice
Cons: The headphone jack being on the side of the phone gets annoying when your trying to listen to songs in your pocket.
Thats all
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crumket
10/06/2008, 05:09 PM
rating
10/10
I am waiting upon arrival of my n95i but i would like too point out that GPS does stand for Global Positioning System (GPS) which utilizes Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals mark40au thank you for your in site but no i think it is use that should know what they are talking about
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Hn-customS
10/06/2008, 12:27 PM
rating
9/10
i got this phone, but does anyone know if it cost money to use the GPS ? ?
Pros: pretty much the whole thing
Cons: easy to scratch face plate and loose slider
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nokia n95
07/06/2008, 08:05 PM
rating
8/10
Wow 8gb sounds good. I like this mobile and want to buy but it is very costly. Over all functions are great and hope this is also one of the unique gem from nokia.
Pros: Good 3D stereo speakers.
Small stylish design.
User-friendly interface.
8GB memory.
Cons: Nothing special.
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adelnlyncation
07/06/2008, 01:12 PM
rating
10/10
GPS no work exactly
Pros: Review
Cons: The Best BIG Cell is N95 8GB and 16GB
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Nos_4r2
27/05/2008, 01:50 PM
rating
10/10
Great phone! Everything anyone needs in a mobile phone, and if it doesn't have what you need you can easily download applications to your PC and install them onto your phone via usb (costs you nothing as youa re not using your phone to download it). I use my N95 to watch movies and full seasons of TV episodes on the train on the way to work thanks to the 8GB of built in memory!
Pros: - Massive Screen
- 5MP Camera
- 8GB allows you to store heaps of stuff
- Easy to use OS
- All Australian Maps for Nokia Maps come preloaded (No need to for you to spend money downloading them)
- Stereo speakers built into the phone
- Battery lasts much longer then normal N95
Cons: - OS can get slow trying to boot up larger files
- GPS receiver is in the bottom of the phone (behing the keypad) and can take a while to get a lock on your position
- No built in games...only demos (and once you install N-Gage those demos disappear and you have no games until you buy one)
- Have to pay for point-point navigation (although all new N95 8Gb come with 6-months free navigation)
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Yusuf
20/05/2008, 11:50 AM
rating
8/10
Why is Nokia going backwards with their screens. This phone has a QVGA 240x320 screen! What a joke. No wonder I'm holding onto my 352x416 N80.
Pros: Great S60 operating system, WIFI, colour.
Cons: Screen resolution
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MURc
03/05/2008, 04:40 PM
rating
9/10
all in one solution ,I'm impressed ,GPS ,camera ,large screen ,great space for storage ,very useful to me . The only thing that worries me a bit is the slide system it look a bit fragile.
Pros: 8gb ,large screen,great features,awesome movie/divx player , GPS and connectivity abilities ,all-in-one solution to take away with your family not to lack of anything on your holiday and vacation trips .
Cons: MAPS / NAVIGATION I hate when they offer something and then it is not in full ,you have to pay for voice and point to point navigation.
I have the impression that the slide screen is fragile would not like to see it fall when open.
GPS available only when the screen is in OPEN position
GPS antenna below
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