Nokia N900

Editor's Review of the N900

The Nokia N900 is a 3G Smartphone that weighs 181 grams and measures 110.9 x 59.8 x 18 millimetres. It comes from the same range of Nokia handsets that include the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet model. It flaunts a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard for easier text or numeric inputs. This mobile phone dons a touch-sensitive TFT screen that measures 88.9 millimetres and supports 16 million colours with a screen resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. It can be customised to reflect its user's personality through its ringtone selections in MP3 and polyphonic formats that can be assigned for call, message and other alerts.

The Nokia N900 is a quad band handset that supports GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900, HSDPA 2100, HSDPA 1700 and HSDPA 900. The Maemo 5 operating system runs this handset turns it into a high-performing mobile computer through its advanced features. Its pre-installed Maemo Internet browser supports XHTML and WAP HTML and RSS Feeds to allow users to check out the World Wide Web. This handset is ideal for on-the-go users with its WLAN Wi-Fi feature, which allows online connectivity in certain hotspots.

This handset is also endowed with connectivity features such as microUSB for sharing of data with other compatible devices such as printers, scanners, other handsets and personal computers. For wireless connections, this mobile phone also has Bluetooth support that allows file transfers between compatible gadgets that are 10 metres apart, at most. The Nokia N900 is powered by GPRS and EDGE facilities that ensure faster Internet downloads and file transfer rates. Its 3G HSDPA support offers multi-tasking capability.

This handset offers SMS or text and MMS or multimedia messaging services. It also enables users to chat with their contacts through the instant messaging support. Users may also compose, send and receive email with attachments using this handset, via SMTP, IMAP4 and POP3 servers. Moreover, it is fully equipped with organiser tools to keep users on top of their schedules and plans. It comes with a phone book, calendar, clock, alarm clock, to-do list, calculator and currency converter. This mobile phone also has a document viewer that enables users to view MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and PDF files. This handset also assists in its user's management of calls through conference call support, call log option and built-in speaker phone. A built-in assisted GPS navigation system is also integrated in this handset with full support for Ovi maps. Through this, users can view maps on this handset's touch screen while being navigating through applicable areas. Additionally, this handset comes with a digital compass feature.

Offering full entertainment for its users, this handset comes with an integrated 5-Megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, LED flash and autofocus features to ensure that pictures taken with precision. Users may also tweak the camera settings and creative photo outputs. This integrated camera also records and plays videos in MPEG4, WMV, AVI, XviD and Real formats. It also has video light and video settings features that users may adjust and come up with customised video results. This handset is equipped with a dedicated camera key for optimum ease of use. For 3G video calling purposes, this mobile phone has a second VGA camera.

The Nokia N900 also provides music entertainment for its users with its onboard music player that supports MP3, WMA, eAAC+ and WAV formats. This built-in music device comes with a playlist option and displays the titles of songs that are currently playing to guide users as they enjoy. As an alternate music listening experience, this handset also has FM radio support with RDS. While listening to their favourite tracks, users will gain access to information about current events, weather reports and sports news. This handset has a dedicated volume control button.

This handset also turns into a virtual gaming zone with its pre-installed Bounce and Chess games, as well as other games in Java format. It also supports games that are downloaded from the Internet.

This handset has 32 Gigabyles of built-in storage and 256 Megabytes of Random Access Memory. Its storage capacity may be expanded through a microSD memory card. It offers users nine hours of GSM talk time and has a standby time of 400 hours.

Users have complained that this handset's Maemo OS may take more time to get used to than they expected. Others also think that its QWERTY keys are not well spaced and do not support fast inputs. Satisfied users relate, however, that the Nokia N900 is convincingly good at multi-tasking as it allows several mobile phone applications to run at the same time.