Editor Rating: 8.7

I think that I am right when I say that Nokia is the biggest cellphone manufacturer in the world as their products are appreciated because they are very good. One of these cellphones is the Nokia N95 8GB which comes as an improved version of the U.S. version of the N95. This version was greatly improved, 8GB of internal flash memory, 2.8-inch display and 3G support are the most important upgrades.

I should start with the design because when you are in a mobile phone store, that’s the thing that catches your attention. If you would like to buy Nokia N95 8GB then you should be aware that it’s heavier than previous versions of the N95 - it weighs 4.5 ounces and the previous models weighed 4.2 ounces.

The size is the same, as the Nokia N95 8GB measures 3.8 x 2.8 x 0.8 inches. The difference comes from the case which now is sexier and all-black with the soft-touch back. Nokia managed to do something better with the space in the front of the cellphone as the display is larger, 2.8-inch compared to 2.6 inches. The QVGA non-touch screen, displays 16 million colors and it sports a resolution of 320×240 pixels. Maybe this difference doesn’t impress you, but the photos, videos and the websites can be viewed much better now.

The 2.8-inch screen also features an ambient light detector which automatically adjusts the brightness depending on the environment where you are situated. Below the screen, there are positioned Talk and End buttons, shortcuts to the main menu and the multimedia menu, an Edit key, a navigation array of two soft keys, a clear button, and a four-way toggle with a center select control. The problem is for people with larger thumbs because as I said, the display is bigger which means that the keys are smaller, but don’t be disheartened by this as you can always let your nails to grow (just kidding because sadly, I have large thumbs).

Nokia decided to keep just about the same dual-slider design for the Nokia N95 8GB - push up the screen and will find the alphanumeric keypad for dialing numbers and texting, while pushing down unveils the dedicated multimedia controls. Because it’s a new version, he received an improvement at the multimedia buttons which now are more vivid and are more pleasant to touch.

The Nokia N95 8GB doesn’t feature a memory card slot and it’s easy to tell why. Those 8GB of internal memory are more than enough to store music, videos, photos, and other files. Moving on, a 3.5mm headphone jack can be found on the left side, as well, a shortcut for the photo gallery, volume rocker, and a key to activate the camera on the right side of the N95 8GB. The same positioning for the power button which lies on top and for the power connector and mini USB port, both located at the bottom.

Another indispensable accessories are the AC adapter, the USB cable, the video-out cables, a wired headset and remote, reference material and the software CD.

I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t like to buy Nokia N95 8GB if it were to eliminate all its features and leaving that 8GB of internal flash memory. The N95 8GB can handle MP3, WMA, W4A, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OMA DRM 2.0 and WMDRM-protected songs which means that you can play any kind of music which can be categorized by artists, albums and genres. In case of getting bored by your 6,000 songs, the Nokia N95 8GB features a FM Radio which works only when the headset is plugged-in. As for the video part, the N95 supports 3GPP and MPEG-4 which can be accessed with the RealPLayer.

Nokia equipped the N95 8GB with a 5 megapixel camera which features Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. It’s a great camera with incredible video recording capabilities, but the best part is at the photo section. The photos can be edited, you can shoot in seven modes from close-up, sports and night portrait. Also, the quality ranges on five level settings. No point in mentioning that the users can adjust the contrast, brightness, color tone, white balance, ISO light sensitivity and exposure value that helps you to t

ake the best shots. I almost forgot about the flash of the Nokia N95 8GB camera which features red-eye correction, the sequence mode when taking multiple shots and a self-timer.

The 5-megapixel camera can record a video at a maximum 640×480 resolution at 30 fps, but you always can choose from the remaining four quality settings. The video can be recorded with MP4 sound or 3GP for multimedia messages and I guess that you realized that you can record until full memory or until the battery runs out. The camera of the Nokia N95 8GB comes packaged with a video stabilization option which is very helpful if it’s cold outside or your hands are shaking.

I will say a only a few words of the voice features of the Nokia N95 8GB because they are the same as always- speakerphone, speed dial, voice-command support, conference calling, vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging, which are all that you need. The address book is limited by the internal memory (without considering those 250 contacts that the SIM card can hold).

The connectivity of the N95 8GB includes Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, Wi-Fi and the most important 3G support in the US. According to Nokia, the cell phone sports 850/1900MHz HSDPA bands which means that the 3G supports speeds of 400Kbps to 700Kbps, but the users of AT&T network can enjoy about 2Mbps. For the Wi-Fi, the 8G phone features 802.11b/g with support for Universal Plug and Play which allows you to connect to a PC, printer or other systems. Bluetooth support includes wireless headsets, hands-free kits, wireless keyboards and A2DP for stereo headsets.

Using the GPS of the Nokia N95 8GB, you can view color maps and you can plan your routes. The GPS features a computer that tells you the total distance, time and average speed, but if you want any turn-by-turn directions then you will need to download an upgrade that has several purchase options that include a $125.77 one-year license or a $13.96 for a one-month license.

The Nokia N95 8GB runs on Symbian OS 9.2 / Series 60 3.1 Edition which is very good for your productivity. QuickOffice is present and allows you to access Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and optimizes the pages for the screen of the 8GB cell phone which means that you won’t be needed to spend your time scrolling. This new version of the N95 sports IMAP4, POP3, and SMTP e-mail accounts, and also Microsoft Exchange Server synchronization which can be configured depending on the service provider and the company e-mail solution. On the Symbian OS 9.2 you can find a Zip manager, a calculator, Adobe Reader, a clock, a voice recorder and a measurement converter.

The quad-band of the Nokia N95 8GB performs well, but the callers will tell that you are using a cell phone, without mentioning the speakerphone which has a fizz therefore I wouldn’t recommend it if you have an important call and in the same time you have to walk around and do other stuff with your hands.

The N95 8GB is a little slow even if it features this memory. The need of speed can be noticed when quiting an application or when entering multimedia applications, but in fact how big is a millisecond? If these apps weren’t exactly as fast we expected, the Web browsing was great even if using AT&T 3G or the Wi-Fi. Also, the GPS acted really quick and did a great job tracking the position where we were.

For the N95 8GB, Nokia used a 1,200 mAH lithium ion battery which manages 5 hours of talk time and 280 hours in standby mode.

The conclusion is that this one of the coolest and the best cell phone that was ever released by one. I strongly recommend it and if somebody wants a new phone, then he should buy Nokia N95 8GB. The internal flash memory of 8GB is more than enough, I really don’t know what would you do with a bigger one, but this phone has a performance issue. I have to say that it’s slow in multimedia or other applications, but when it comes to Web browsing, the new N95 it’s perfect. Another advantage of the 8GB cell phone, is the 3G support which acts really well when using AT&T network.