2009 was the year we saw the release of a new and unique Nokia flagship device, the Nokia N97 - and what a device it was! But Nokia, who are never a company to do things by halves, also released the Nokia N97 Mini, which takes all the aspects of the Nokia N97 and shrinks them down into a smaller, more compact package. Needless to say, we loved both these devices and enjoyed testing and reviewing them. Read on after the jump for a round up of the two devices strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.
One of the things we immediately noticed about the Nokia N97 is the design, it’s a seriously well crafted and solid device that feels good in the hand, and fits well in the pocket. The addition of the full QWERTY keypad and bright touchscreen also made sending email, texts, and searching the web a breeze - essentially giving you the best of both worlds, and having the choice to switch between the two, in our opinion, is always a good thing.
Check out our Nokia N97 versus Nokia N97 Mini clash
Both the Nokia N97 and it’s smaller sibling, the Nokia N97 Mini, saw the introduction of a new home screen which was designed to be more intuitive and interactive, featuring eight zones working in six lozenges when in portrait, and two banks of three in landscape. What we really liked about the home screens on the two devices was the fact that you can move things around to suit how you use your device - i.e: the widgets and applications you use the most.
Check out our Nokia N97 review
One of the main differences between the N97 and the N97 Mini is the onboard storage - the N97 stores 32GB compared to the N97 Mini’s 8GB. Obviously, this is quite a difference, and while the Mini can be upgraded to 16GB through a MicroSD card, it is still quite a significant gap. Nevertheless, both devices serve different purposes, or at least, that’s the logic behind the two anyway. So, in this context we found it hard to be too harsh on the Mini as it serves it purpose of being a more portable, affordable, yet equally impressive alternative to the flagship Nokia N97.
Check out our Nokia N97 Mini review
Features and specs wise, the devices are remarkably similar with a few differences on either side, such as the N97 Mini having a better dual-LED flash than N97’s single LED flash. Overall though, both devices are extremely good mobile phones, sporting market leading functionality, connectivity, and features.
At the end of the day, the only thing that really separates the two is price. The Nokia N97 is more expensive and has more memory, a larger screen and a few quirks that are missing on its sibling, the Nokia N97 Mini. That said, we found both devices a joy to use, so which ever one you decide to go for, we’re sure you won’t be disappointed.
So, did the Nokia N97 Mini live up to your expectations, let us know how you got on with your QWERTY device in 2009.