i agree that is a whole lot of cheddar, not for PO folk like myself. as usual Nokia Hardware is topnotch... I'll leave it there. Looking at my aging N82, E71 seems a little more attractive for me right now.

"The 5MP camera may not be that much of an upgrade from my N95"

No, it's not an upgrade at all. It's a lateral move at best.

I'm still convinced the N95 -2/3/4 are the best phones Nokia has and will put out in the past 3 years. You have a dual ARM11 CPU clocked at 332mhz with hardware acceleration. The N97 has a SINGLE ARM 11 CPU clocked at 434mhz withOUT hardware acceleration. Everyone else is moving forward in processing power with new CPU's and advanced 3D hardware additions while Nokia charges more for old tech. I hate to say it, but it's probably best to wait for Nokia to figure it out before dropping $700 on a phone that is outdated today (who's to know how much further we'll be when people actually receive theirs in 3 months).

For me, it'll be the OmniaHD or whatever Cupertino pushes out this summer. Nokia's been disappointing this fan for too long now and they need to earn me back as a customer.

I've asked the N-Gage guys about 3D acceleration, and they basically said "Don't hold your breath." They said everyone *thinks* they want 3D processors, but nobody wants a phone that dies in one hour.

Same goes for CPU speed, faster burns batteries. It's a trade-off. I'm guessing that with the active updates from the widgets pulling GPS data and internet data, Nokia needed to slow the CPU to get enough juice to stay on one full day.

Matt, if you take a look at the specs of the Cortex A8 processor being used in the Palm Pre and the OmniaHD, you should read the section on "Dynamic Power Management". In short, it allows these faster processors to handle their power usage dynamically to not be a direct draw on the power at all times running at full speeds.

I'm sure they're right about 3D acceleration, but that's also a piece that is used on a device when necessary, not constantly like the CPU.

On both counts, I have yet to hear any review or preview of the OmniaHD mention that it has poor or even just average battery life, which is pretty impressive considering everything it's packing. No, the bottom line will come down to performance, and the N97 is currently very ill equipped to compete.

You are correct on all the points. I'm not trying to justify that the N97 has a slower CPU, only trying to explain why *I* think Nokia made those decisions.

As for the i8910, I'm not sure it's been seen outside of a trade show environment, where it'd be plugged in all day. I'm anxious to read reviews of a production model i8910, as it seems to be the highest spec'd phone available soon.

For end users, IMHO most aren't going to use the CPU speed as a critical buying descision. Myself, I'm more into the services it can connect to as opposed to raw speed.

I am also curious to see how the market reacts to the N97. Let's wait and see....

Thanks for commenting, Jonathan! Just out of curiosity, what are your current and next devices?

There have been a couple review videos posted (recently) from tech sites that have received production (or near production) models and used them extensively. Phone Arena is the first that comes to mind and I also found one from an Italian site.

I share the same concerns with you about software for the i8910. I have been using a lot of things from Ovi for about a year now and have been trying to tie up all the things I would use with alternate services from Samsung. I've narrowed it down to being able to find a solution for my needs, at the very least, though it would be impossible to match every single Nokia-driven software facet.

CPU speeds are not typically seen on fact cards at any wireless retail stores. As I mentioned on Ricky's blog, I think the processor will be just "enough" for new users not to complain too much (or at the worst, perform like the N96). What bothers me about it is that it's a 2 year old processor inside a phone that's supposed to last people a long time when it's already outdated. What will be the reaction when new apps are designed to use faster processors with graphics acceleration and the N97 either runs it slowly or not at all? A lot of people will be pretty upset in their $700 purchase.

My last S60 was the 5800XM, which I had to sell a few months ago now. I'm using a backup phone (SE W580i) in what was anticipation for the N97, now the i8910. I'm planning on breaking old habits and using it for as long as possible instead of trading up every couple months as I used to.

Oh, BTW, I've been a long time reader/viewer (since you first made an appearance in Mobile with the Guru) and I like your site a lot.

If I spend 700 dollars on a phone, I want it to keep me happy for at least 3 years, preferably 5. But with a old cpu, 3-row keypad, resistive touch screen, and same old 5 megapixel camera (still nice if you ask me), you're looking at a phone that is not going to age well.

Most likely nokia is going to top this phone within a year themselves.

The N95 8gb was easily worth 700 dollars when it first was released, because, even with today's standards, it's a pretty damn good phone.

Thats how the new flagship N-series should be.

Completely agree. I just wish the 8gb versions didn't have that slow-as-hell USB 1.0 transfer speed.

You should get the device and review it so I know whether or not to get one.

I've really wanted this device, but know Im on the fence about it. I'm gonna wait for a few reviews to show up first.

Since you shoot a ton of video, you might want to consider the Samsung Omnia HD. It looks to be an awesome phone.
I know you work with Nokia, but the Omnia HD looks to be the best cell for true HD video.

Agreed. The i8910 has been on the shortlist since it was announced.

I'm not sold on "crappy" HD video for a couple reasons. 1. it's too shaky and 2. it's still too tough to edit. Editing 720p video on my MacBook takes so much longer than SD footage. Plus the online hosting sites are still compressing it further, so the quality gets hit there too. (not to say the i8910's video is any crappier than my Kodak Zi6, for example)

I am very excited for the state of mobile two years form now, tho. When every $99 device has 4G and HD video recording, and easy uploads to YouTube and Facebook, I think we'll witness a profound change in society, lead by the kids under 20. No more barriers.

Still not sure if I'll get the N97, N86 or the i8910. The iPhone 3.0 and Pre are also on the short list. The N97 seems like a strong Twitter/Facebook device, but I don't know if I need more of that in my pocket.