msmobiles.com/f

[msmobiles.com_robot]

New slogan of Nokia is "Nokia - Copying People". Why innovate when you can copy? The Nokia N97 announced today at Nokia World event in Barcelona, EU, is actually a copycat of an old Windows Mobile phone HTC TyTN I...

Read more at http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/7859.html

[rmg]

heh, ur so funny mate

TBH i don't care if they are copying. Nokia camera and 32gig flash plus msd makes this a worthy possible upgrade route for us WinMo fanboys. If only you could get Tom Tom on Series 60

[netboy]

why u need 32gig flash storage for?
so u can store pictures, video and movies, and watch it on this nokia crap at 640x360 resoultions? haha
if u going to do it, atleast do it with styles!, like pictures, video, and music in 800x480 on Sony X1 ! that is like Hi-Def compares to this Nokia crap!

[BrianC]

Apart from the resolution, the spec is impressive. And the camera has a good lens. The tilt screen is good. Wish HTC didn't take it out from TouchPro.

All in all, I am glad to see Nokia finally come up with something good to compete in the smartphone business. I am sure it will help keep some of their customes who may otherwise switch to the friutphone.
_________________
Proud owner of HTC Touch Diamond and i-mate JASJAM.

[bossmonkey]

I wonder why more companies that have a slide out keyboard smartphone don't add the tilting screen option. Its one of the things I love most about the Tilt.

[monocube]

Umm, I think the pictures are mixed... The TyTN II is actually the Nokia device?

[virain]

Now with all that touch screen craze, I've noticed it has resistive screen, not capacitive. But no stylus. Iwander if it support handwriting recognition?

[Jerry1ken]

I think Nokia discovered this form factor that most manufacturers have neglected has promise - they say if you cant be innovative then copy well.

Give credit where it is due - I think the spec sheet of the Nokia device is good! I use both Winmo and Symbian and I find the former really suited to my official and business needs (if only the OS were much stable and not crash so much) and the later for my multimedia and surfing.

Going forward I think I intended to keep using both systems and enjoying the benefit of both worlds!

[thelondonthing]

I think that members have made some interesting comments here, and have certainly been more insightful than the actual msmobiles article was.

While focusing solely on poking fun at Nokia, the author does seem to have ignored some of the more important aspects of the N97's release.

For a start, it shows that Nokia isn't content to rest on its laurels while other manufacturers - most notably Apple - eat further into its market share.

Many, if not most, will argue that Apple still has the better screen and the more flashy operating system. But the N97 is a clear warning shot across Apple's bow, an indication that Nokia is happy to bring the fight to Steve Jobs' doorstep.

The N97 has more than double the storage of the top iPhone and I don't even need to take a picture with the Nokia to know that it has a far superior camera to the Apple. Nokia's entry into touch-capable devices can only make Nokias more appealing, especially for the legions of existing Nokia fans who favour its surprisingly easy-to-use UI, and who will soon be able to use it on touchscreens, which have become increasingly fashionable and 'must-have' in recent years.

I'm not sure I really understand this dig at Nokia regarding Symbian either; there was previously a need to ensure that the two publicly maintained at least some distance because, whatever the practical state of play between the two, they were still seperate organisations; the decision to bring essentially bring Symbian 'in-house' was a wise and shrewd move, and negates the need to externally licence the interface, and brings further cost savings by way of merged interests. So mock away, by all means, but let's not forget that it was a good business decision that will boost Nokia's corporate efficiency.

Finally, let's all remember that competition is a good thing. The introduction of iPhone forced manufacturers across the world to 'up their game'; Windows Mobile smartphones and PPC phones were sold for many years (and until quite recently) with little more than a 'vanilla' WinMo installation. Now, with the introduction of more user-friendly UIs, not least those that favour finger-based touch input, and especially Apple's own excellent (if annoyingly 'closed') mobile operating system, Windows Mobile handsets have improved massively with excellent OS overlays like HTC's TouchFlo3D and Sony Ericsson's 'Panels'.

These operating system developments have come about as a result of greater competition, but let's not forget that many of the features and designs and other aspects of these improvements were, shall we say, "heavily inspired" by those already seen on iPhone or handsets from other manufacturers.

Virtually all manufacturers will pounce on a UI feature from another handset that customers like, or a form factor that has proven popular or otherwise successful. Not all of HTC's devices, for example, have been entirely original form factors. Does the TouchHD (Blackstone) remind you of another handset, by any chance? Or the S620 (Excalibur)?

I've been using Windows Mobile devices since the Orange SPV E200 came out - I've currently got a T-Mobile MDA Vario III (HTC Kaiser), MDA Touch Plus (Nike) and HTC Touch Pro (Raphael), so I'm not a Nokia fanboy or one of those Apple people.

However, I do think it's unfair to have a go at Nokia for doing what all the other manufacturers do - especially when it brings about a handset as impressive as the N97, and which will undoubtedly be a commercial success. There are plenty of Windows Mobile manufacturers that could do with looking closely at the N97, and seeing that most consumers would prefer a device closer to that, than many of the handsets released with WinMo on them in recent years. Even the Touch HD and Touch Pro - widely regarded to be at the top of the Windows Mobile game - aren't really coming close to N97 territory in many of the key aspects that matter to consumers.