Nokia N95 8 GB

The N95 has a rubber finish, which in itself isn’t of very high quality. However, the plastics used for the rest of the body are and the N95 8 GB lasts through a fair bit of abuse. It’s a decent looking phone and the matte finish gives it a serious, suave air, a lot different from the flashy 6-Series phones Nokia currently makes. It’s a thick, clunky phone dominated by a wonderfully rich and crisp display that at 2.8-inches supports 24-bit colour depth. Below the screen is a very PDA-like chrome ring of buttons. The menu and call buttons are cleverly placed on this ring and while everything looks a little intimidating a couple of hours of use and one learns to appreciate the thought behind the layout. The joypad is well laid out and all the keys on the front facia offer good feedback. The backlight used is superb and very visible. The phone’s slider mechanism, while slick at first, does develop some play as mechanics cause looseness with time. The revealed number keypad is well laid out and the keys are beveled with just the right amount of travel and feedback. Backlighting is superb and so is the functionality of the light sensor. The multimedia keys are revealed beneath the other side of the slider (its two-way). The phone is fast and has 8 GB of in-built storage — additional memory expansion is not supported. It’s got all the features that today’s cellphones support — Nokia packed this to the gills and about the only thing missing is a QWERTY keypad.

The N95 8 GB has a superb antenna and calls are crystal clear with great reception wherever you go. It trounced even the N96 in zone 1 and the earpiece volume and handsfree clarity is top notch. The headset is also suitable for music and MP3s sound great on this phone and in conjunction with the eight gigabytes of storage built in, the N95 8GB can double as an MP3 player.

With a 1200 mAh battery the N95 8GB will go for at least five and a half hours while talking on GSM networks. Its five megapixel camera is no slouch and with a few tweaked settings, the N95 8 GB can really hold its own except with the newer, more advanced Samsung cameras. It’s an older phone now, but still offers all the goods, now at a lower price. For Rs. 28,389 the N95 8 GB is nearly Rs. 10,000 cheaper than the N96 which is not always a better phone but offers a couple of extra features and greater storage. With prices as low as Rs. 24,000 on the street, now may be the right time to grab this handset; if you can live with its mediocre finish and its chunky looks.