Nokia N95 - Design
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My first impression of the N95 is that it is relatively small in size, and it looks like a fairly simple design. The phone itself measures 2.1 x 0.8 x 3.9 inches, and it weighs only 4.2 ounces. This phone is definitely on the smaller side when you compare it to the competition. The downside to such a small smart phone is that inevitably you should expect the buttons and controls to be small as well. This is the case with the N95, and in turn, people with large hands may have trouble using the keyboard and/or navigational controls.
The nice-sized display takes up most of the front part of the N95 device. This screen measures 2.6 inches diagonally, and is viewable in both portrait and landscape orientation. The display is QVGA quality with 320 x 240 resolution, and supports 16 million colors. The display quality is good enough to watch video clips and view photos, and the images appear bright and colorful. There is only a little bit of pixelation when watching fast-action movies, which is to be expected in a device like the N95. One nice and innovative feature of the N95 is the light sensor, located just above the display, which automatically adjusts the display brightness according to the lighting conditions.
Just below the display are the navigation controls, as well as the talk and end buttons. Nokia has made this device easy to use by making this small control cluster the only navigational controls on the device. Therefore, it doesn't take long to figure out the controls. As I've previously mentioned, these controls may be a bit small for people with larger hands. Other controls on the device include a shutter button, volume controls, and photo gallery shortcut button. There is also a port for a micro SD card, which can add up to 2 GB of memory.
The most innovative part of the design of the N95 is definitely the 2-way sliding mechanism. This device is a slider phone, and it slides both up and down. When sliding the front of the phone up, it will reveal a numeric keypad. When sliding the front of the phone down, it will reveal media player controls (play/pause, stop, forward, reverse). When the media player controls are revealed, the device will automatically go to the media player function, and you can then view the device in landscape mode. More on that feature later.
The back of the phone sports the Carl Zeiss camera lens, along with a flash feature. There is also a switch, just above the camera lens, which activates the camera. Nokia has designed this device to resemble a digital camera when it is in camera mode, and it really does look like a camera.
The overall build and quality of the N95 is average. I'm a little concerned about the 2-way slider failing, because it seems a bit fragile. Also, the slider can accidentally open while in a pocket or a purse. There is a lock feature to remedy this problem, though. The small "build" concern I have with the N95 is only minor, and the overall design is smart and pleasing to the eyes. By the way, the N95 comes in either black or bronze.
Next: Digital Camera and Media Player >>
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