N73 or N95

N73 or N95

That’s the choice I’ve been deciding over for the last few weeks.

The N73 is probably my favourite phone, ever. I judge how good a phone is by the times I go back to it. Back in the day, the 6310i was a great phone. I bought one, sold it on for something else, which didn’t measure up, and I went back to the 6310i. I think I had 4 or 5. Same with the 7650, I’d buy a different handset but I kept going back to it, and also with the 6600. And so it is now with my N73. I’m currently using a black N73, which I updated a while ago to include the latest firmware, with the new style music player previously found on the music edition. The N73 is a fantastic handset.

A few weeks ago, the guys over at Womworld asked if I’d like to try out an N95 for a couple of weeks, with a view to writing my thoughts about it on the blog. Until this point, I’d resisted buying the N95. I’ve mentioned this in another post on the blog, despite being one of the many who was looking forward to the N95 I got cold feet. What put me off is the experience I had with the N80. You see a handset to come on the market that is just packed with features, looks great, running on the best phone O/S available, S60. You can run your life on these things, and record it all and put it online for all to see. At least, you can if the battery lasts. I have a real big hang up about battery life. If I’m going to go out with a phone, I like to know that it’s going to do what I want it to, and I’m not going to have to worry about it dying on me anytime soon. That there gives you one big reason why I love the N73 so much.

So, the N95 came onto the market, and I passed it over. But when the guys at Womworld offered me a review model I thought “Why not?” It can’t hurt.

At least that’s what I thought. The phone arrived, and I unpacked it, loaded the memory card, stuck it on charge, turned it on, and something happened that I feared might. Deep in the recess of my mind, I had a nagging doubt that if I played around too much with the N95 I would want one, despite my reservations on staying power. And that is exactly what happened. I loved that phone. I went out for the day with the kids. I took a few pictures, browsed the web, took a few videos, uploaded some stuff online, sent a few text, made a few calls. Around mid-afternoon I started to get battery low warnings. “Oh well,” I thought “Maybe I need to condition the battery a bit.” We went home, I charged it up again, and tried the TV out feature. The video quality was excellent. The kids thought it was great seeing themselves on the TV. Sound and picture was very clear. The pictures I had taken viewed well on a PC screen, all good.

I had a film I’d downloaded for my Video iPod. I put it on to the N95 and the video playback quality was amazing. So clear, so bright, so utterly watchable.

The pattern continued this way over the next few weeks. I used the handset a lot for pictures, videos, web browsing, calls, text, email. All applications I put on the phone worked well (Admittedly mainly java apps) The Gmail app, Yahoo Go 2.0, Opera Mini and the new beta version, Yell.com, all looking good. That battery was a bit suspect though, sometimes I’d charge the phone in the car on the way to work and I’d be needing to charge it again in the car on the way home.

Time came when I had to send the N95 back. I was back to the N73. The old faithful, reliable handset, always there and ready to use. But I liked the N95. A lot. So much that a few days after sending the review model back, I bought one. It really is that good. And for the next few weeks I was forever switching between the N95 and the N73. I couldn’t make up my mind. And I can’t go on switching handsets, I need to make up my mind, which will I use? But in the end, I was helped to my decision by the handset itself.

I went out at the weekend. It would have been great to be able to take a few pics, maybe a few video clips, and post them online. But by half day on Saturday the battery was running down, and I’d only made a few calls in the morning! After charging the handset just the night before, too. I can’t be on with a phone that needs charging in the morning and in the evening. And so, my N95 is heading to Ebay, looking for a new home, and I am enjoying mobile life with my N73. And in all honesty, there’s not much I’m missing. Video quality on the N95 is a bonus, the new features in the menu such as sub folders are a great touch (although I can do that on the N73, in a roundabout way) I don’t miss built in GPS, I never used it. I don’t miss the camera, the N73 is a quality camera in its own right.

I’ve never experienced the problems some have had with the N95. Mine never rebooted, not even once. I’ve not had any problems since the s/w update either. I just need to know that my phone will work when I want it to, and I know that the N73 can give that to me, the N95 just doesn’t cut it on that important issue to me.



Originally, when I received the N95, I was going to just write a 'review'. But there are so many good reviews out there already. Click the following links for the review over at All About Symbian
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Conclusion