Nokia N95 Review

Software:

The phone can use applications based both on the Java platform and Symbian S60, which provides wide 3rd party software compatibility. Installation is a piece of cake, while additional programs increase the phone's capabilities and it can be personalized to better suit you. The phone comes with several applications, as well as a 3D Racing game which unfortunately is a demo. 3D Snakes is also present.

The Video Centre application allows you to view On-line videos. You could use it to watch videos from YouTube (Watch on Mobile) and some particular video files from Reuters. After you preview the available video files you decide whether you’ll stream them (YouTube) or download them (Reuters), in order to view them on your phone.



The internal memory of the device is upgraded to the enviable 160 MB. This is huge improvement compared to the N73, which has about 4 times less (43MB). Unlike N73, N95 uses a microSD card instead of a miniSD. This is a positive change, since its physical size is smaller, but the negative aspect is that the memory size (GB) of the microSD standard is also smaller (currently it offers up to 2GB in one card). The slot is located in the lower left side, hidden behind the protective cover, but nevertheless it is easily accessible and the hot-swap allows you to replace it with the phone turned on.

Apart from everything else, Nokia N95 is equipped also with a GPS chip, used for navigation via the Maps software, which comes with the phone, or another one, which you can install latter. Our remark is that probably the best chipset on the market, Sirf Star III, is not used here. Although our tests showed that the signal reception is almost identical, N95 worked much slower than a device equipped with SirfStar GPS. For example, in case of hot-restart, which means starting the GPS in a place, close to a location, where it has already found its position, N95 took 30 seconds to find its position, while with SirfStar III this takes 3-4 seconds, or almost 10 times quicker.

Another inconvenience, which is rather a matter of software, is that after a cold start and pressing GPS Position, the phone searches for satellites for a while and then stops on its own accord, without giving you notice of this. You have to press again GPS Position and it starts searching again before acquiring position in the end.

Seconds it takes to acquire location: *lower is better

Holux GPSlim 236	Nokia N95	Situation
in seconds	in seconds
55	165	New location within 2 miles from the previous
9	300	Hot restart; Same location with a lot of buildings
4	30	Hot restart within 2 miles with no obstacles
96	96	Inside building test 1
20	56	Inside building test 2
26	790	Inside building test 3
10	75	Inside building test 4
50	1800+	Inside building test 5
50	150	Test 1; inside building new location within 2 miles from previous
4	150	Test 2; inside building new location within 2 miles from previous
5	40	Test 3; inside building new location within 2 miles from previous
4	40	Test 4; inside building new location within 2 miles from previous
4	108	Hot restart closed

The Nokia software is based on smart2go and it has versions both for Symbian S60 phones and for Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. This full-features software allows both localizing and route planning and searching for Points of Interest. All maps for the 150 supported countries are free, while only turn-by-turn directions and extended Point of Interest information called City Guides are paid. The Turn by Turn navigation is purchased only once, while you can order City Guides for different cities.

If you decide to purchase the extras, you can do that directly from you phone. Using the Internet connection, you can view (after you have searched for them) maps of places, which are not saved on your phone’s memory. Actually, N95 works autonomously in offline mode, but Nokia recommends that you have an Internet connection, so that the software can download the route whenever it decides to do so.

If for example you go to Dallas, TX and you didn't pre-install Texas map, the N95 will connect via an available data connection and will download only the area where you are traveling in Dallas and not Houston, El Paso etc. This way you only download what you need, and not the full Texas map which could be larger and would take time to download.

After calculating the ‘route’ from point A to point B, the software will show you a text, telling you where and when to take a turn. You can see the Route graphically on the map for better orientation and if you have bought the Turn by Turn navigation, it will localize you and will tell you when to take a turn. There is an option for voice navigation, which, thanks to the good speakers, is easy to understand and is heard well.