vB Easy Archive - Tempted to Leave iPhone for N95 for GPS

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Tempted to Leave iPhone for N95 for GPS
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Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Ok. This is the deal. I love my iPhone, but the more I read about the N95-3, the more I want to see if "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence".

The feature I want most is GPS. Is the GPS on the N95 worth giving up my beloved iPhone? How realistic is the GPS for iPhone rumor a reality?I really do not want to bt the N95 to have the iPhone pop up with the option soon after.

Posted by: adizm_55

I bought the n95 a few months after it came out. It is a freaking awesome phone, but I soon tired of it and left it for the iPhone. The iPhone is just a better fit for my needs and while the nokia does more things, the iphone does its few things so well. The quaity of all the n95 features is less than excellent since its so packed with different features. To specifically answer your question, the gps feature does work ok as long as there are no clouds in the sky. Also you have to pay the extra 110 dollars to get turn by turn voice navigation or it is basically a more complicated version of google maps. You would be better off paying for a 150 dollar gps system that kills the n95 gps. And you would probably end up spending double that if you sell your iPhone and pay the difference to get the nokia. Just my opinion.

Posted by: elwuero

I too had a N95. The GPS did not work very good. It took forever to find a satellite and it was not super accurate.

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Wow...I laughed at the "no clouds in the sky" statement at first, but then I was like damn, that would seriously suck...

Posted by: its4theme

Do what I did. Paid 119 bucks for a TomTom. I only use GPS in the car. It works better than any bt gps/windows mobile solution Ive used and it saves my battery. GPS on a phone is a gimmick and is severly lacking for heavy users. If I really need it on the move, guess what? It fits in my pocket.

If you really must have GPS on your phone, then go for it.

Posted by: ebeygin

what's this propaganda about clouds? lol.. the gps signal is excellent even in very overcast days... it's buildings and walls that effect the signal strength, just like any other gps receiver.

and if you upgrade your n95-1 firmware to the latest, you get lock-ons in 5-10 seconds tops...

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

The n95-1 will not be an option...only the N95-3

Posted by: dwest218

I am reading this thread with great interest because I am also tempted by the N95~3. From what I read the GPS on the ~3 is working well now but Nokia maps is to be desired. Many find the Garmin mobile xt software to fill the void of Nokia and works with the internal GPS antenna. The camera on that phone would be great plus A2dp and 3g. But your gonna spend ALLOT of cash for something that might be better than the iphone. Simple cost breakdown. $600 for the phone, $100 for the memory card, $100 for the Garmin software. That is $800 plus any additional software you wanna buy which is getting ridiculously expensive. Anyhow, your choice and definitely a sweet phone. It just came down to money for me. You can always Ebay and get most of it back if you change your mind.

Posted by: Donlx90

I have had an Iphone 8 GB since the day of the price drop to 399. I have done many things to try and make it fit better for me.
1) bought Icombi bluetooth adapter to "fake" A2DP
2) Emailed photos to "fake" MMS
3) Bought a N75 and a bluetooth GPS for gps functions
4) and more

I broke down and actually bought a TILT.
The tilt has it all - execpt 8 GB however I picked up a 4 gig card for cheap.
It has;
Built in GPS
A2DP
MMS
VIDEO camera
3MP camera
3G - I am Amazed at how fast 3G is - WOW
Last but not least, the call quality / signal strength is superior to the Iphone. I live in a "marginal" signal area and completing a phone call with the Iphone is 50/50. I havent lost a call yet with the Tilt in a week now.
I had to send my Iphone back last week and actually had it replaced with a brand new one. I think that I am going to throw it on ebay and wait for Gen II.

Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the GUI on the Iphone. I love how simple it is and my 43 year old eyes love the LARGE fonts... but it is lacking too much to be a single device to carry.
My .02

Posted by: soulweaponry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donlx90

I have had an Iphone 8 GB since the day of the price drop to 399. I have done many things to try and make it fit better for me.
1) bought Icombi bluetooth adapter to "fake" A2DP
2) Emailed photos to "fake" MMS
3) Bought a N75 and a bluetooth GPS for gps functions
4) and more

I broke down and actually bought a TILT.
The tilt has it all - execpt 8 GB however I picked up a 4 gig card for cheap.
It has;
Built in GPS
A2DP
MMS
VIDEO camera
3MP camera
3G - I am Amazed at how fast 3G is - WOW
Last but not least, the call quality / signal strength is superior to the Iphone. I live in a "marginal" signal area and completing a phone call with the Iphone is 50/50. I havent lost a call yet with the Tilt in a week now.
I had to send my Iphone back last week and actually had it replaced with a brand new one. I think that I am going to throw it on ebay and wait for Gen II.

Dont get me wrong, I LOVE the GUI on the Iphone. I love how simple it is and my 43 year old eyes love the LARGE fonts... but it is lacking too much to be a single device to carry.
My .02

Exactly where i ended up going. Haven't regretted it one bit. Ever since i got it i look back on my iPhone experience and wonder why i got it knowing it had so little. "because it's pretty?".

Posted by: JustLeft

It is odd how different our experiences with the Tilt have been. Makes me wonder if there are tower issues in my area. Had 2 Tilts - both had horrible 3G reception. My home is in a strong 3G area and the Tilt would barely hold a signal. It seemed to want to lock on 3G at all costs and never switch to edge. That plus the fact the phone was much heavier than anything I ever had, lead me to return it. Agree though that the functionality of the phone was amazing.

I switched for a while to the Motorola Q9h and found it to be superior in reception, and had the best speaker phone of any phone I have ever owned. However, I have switched back to the iPhone and will likely stay there until I see what apps are being released in February.

Regarding 3G data speeds - I sit in a building with At&t repeaters and get excellent coverage. I saw very little difference in viewing web pages between edge and 3G unless I was downloading a file, the 3G was better. For some reason the Q9h and Tilt would always hesitate for a time when I entered a web address, then it would start returning results. Edge always started returning results faster. So if I started counting from when I pressed enter, there was not much difference.

YMMV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulweaponry

Exactly where i ended up going. Haven't regretted it one bit. Ever since i got it i look back on my iPhone experience and wonder why i got it knowing it had so little. "because it's pretty?".

Posted by: toomer

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebeygin

what's this propaganda about clouds? lol.. the gps signal is excellent even in very overcast days... it's buildings and walls that effect the signal strength, just like any other gps receiver.

and if you upgrade your n95-1 firmware to the latest, you get lock-ons in 5-10 seconds tops...

I don't know about recent firmware updates, but my experience with the N95 was also exactly as described. Case in point - in May, I went to Jazzfest in New Orleans, which takes place in a giant field. No buildings anywhere around, clear view of the sky in all directions. It was a bit cloudy (not really overcast) and I hadn't used the GPS since I'd left home, so I thought it would be an interesting test to see how long it would take to "lock" when it had traveled so far. After 10 minutes, the signal still couldn't lock in.

Maybe a recent update would make it better. Or maybe the N95-3 is better. But my experience was that the GPS was pretty much useless. Even when it did get a lock, the software wasn't all that impressive either - compared to my Garmin Nuvi. And I hate paying subscriptions for things like turn-by-turn directions ... that seems silly to me. Real-time traffic data? Sure, I'll pay for that. But just to get directions? C'mon...

The camera is good -- in daylight. Indoors, and in darker settings, it leaves a lot to be desired IMO. 5mp doesn't mean jack when you don't have adequate light (the "flash" on the N95 is just a really bright LED).

I bought the N95 hoping I'd be able to avoid an iPhone. I like having the phone that no one has seen before, and is curious about - and I knew every tom, richard, and harry would have an iPhone once it hit. But for me, it just didn't do anything well at all. The email client sucked, the media player sucked, Sybmian looked the exact same to me as it did when I had the 3650 back in 2004 ...

The stereo speakers were impressive though. As something you could leave on the table and play a little bit of music, it did a very good job with that.

Nah, I tried to like it ... but the iPhone is so much better IMO. Kolt, if you get a N95, make sure you get it from a place that has a good return policy (the place I bought it from wouldn't take it back if the lifetime call timer had more than 15 minutes on it - so I had to go the eBay route to unload it). And hold onto the iPhone for the same time, just in case you're not all that impressed with the N95. I know I wasn't.

Posted by: E.V.

I can help on this one. I have the original n95. The number of features are unsurpassed on the market. However, the screen is considerably smaller. (the Iphone is heaven on this) The build quality is plasticy. I haven't run into any quiry operation on the n95 though. Everything works as billed and the breadth of features is fabulous. The Iphone is best in the world at browsing, screen quality and size, google maps, ease of use, and touch screen operation. Bottom line is when Iphone 2 comes out with stereo bluetooth for music AND clips, 3g, possibly gps, my phone hobby will evaporate because I will have the best of everything! Also build quality of Iphone is luxurious. Bottom line is if the N95 does something you must have then you won't go wrong. you will miss the Iphone's UI though big time. I hope Apple is busting their hump to make a full featured Iphone even if battery life is marginal because they can corner the market if they do it soon.

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Nah, I tried to like it ... but the iPhone is so much better IMO. Kolt, if you get a N95, make sure you get it from a place that has a good return policy (the place I bought it from wouldn't take it back if the lifetime call timer had more than 15 minutes on it - so I had to go the eBay route to unload it). And hold onto the iPhone for the same time, just in case you're not all that impressed with the N95. I know I wasn't.[/QUOTE]

Point Taken...Thanks!

Posted by: MobileTelly

I always wondered how n95 users entered text with the device. Is it t9 only? I could never do that again. Also, my old eyes love the large iphone screen.

Posted by: MotionxxUSxx

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

I always wondered how n95 users entered text with the device. Is it t9 only? I could never do that again. Also, my old eyes love the large iphone screen.

Agree completely.

I just purchases a tomtom720 for my car with a nice touchscreen and I also added some files where I can now input addresses with speech. Why would I want to have a N95 in my car when it would take forever to add a address on the fly with T9 input.

Why would you need gps when walking around a city when you have turn by turn directions with google maps.

Love my Iphone, gps would be a nice addition, but not necessary as the tomtom is permanent in my car.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

i have the n95-3 and the gps locks within a minute with rain or clouds or whatever, they have upgraded the firmware an added agps which helps it alot. I dont use the nokia maps for what p[eopel have discussed here it cost 14.00 for a months use or 100+ for 1 yr or abpout 125.00 for 3 yrs, i do have rt 66 and garmin on my device with free voice navigation and it hasnt let me down once.http://symbianwebblog.wordpress.com...igation-system/
here is an interesting video. The new n95-3 is not the same device as it was when it first came out.The build quality is the same though.

Posted by: vietalogy

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

i have the n95-3 and the gps locks within a minute with rain or clouds or whatever, they have upgraded the firmware an added agps which helps it alot. I dont use the nokia maps for what p[eopel have discussed here it cost 14.00 for a months use or 100+ for 1 yr or abpout 125.00 for 3 yrs, i do have rt 66 and garmin on my device with free voice navigation and it hasnt let me down once.http://symbianwebblog.wordpress.com...igation-system/
here is an interesting video. The new n95-3 is not the same device as it was when it first came out.The build quality is the same though.

I think he has a defect garmin gps. I have a doubedin Eclipse dvd/navi and it picks up sats fast.

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

When you need to send a sms or email, you use t9?

Posted by: shaolinmonk

buying a n95 for gps would be a waste... the gps is good if you use 3rd party software but if you're not going to enjoy the other great things about the n95 stick to the iphone for it's media and get a gps device for $150

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

When you need to send a sms or email, you use t9?

yep i currently use t9.. i can text on both qwerty and t9 about the same speed too consisently aroudn 45wpm... i can use one hand or two... the advantage with having keys is having to look less... typing on the iphone can be very fun and fast too though.. comes down to your ability to adapt

Posted by: ebeygin

you'll be surprised how fast t9 could be, even typing in one hand...

with a little practice, you can easily type over 50 wpm...

Posted by: vietalogy

Yea i like T9 over itap. I type very fast on T9.

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebeygin

you'll be surprised how fast t9 could be, even typing in one hand...

with a little practice, you can easily type over 50 wpm...

Showstopper for me. I will never go back to t9. I dont care how much I can improve with practice, t9 for email is terrible. I love the softkeyboard on my iPhone.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

Showstopper for me. I will never go back to t9. I dont care how much I can improve with practice, t9 for email is terrible. I love the softkeyboard on my iPhone.

to each his own, i dont text to much, but t9 has been fine for me.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by vietalogy

I think he has a defect garmin gps. I have a doubedin Eclipse dvd/navi and it picks up sats fast.

This is a 1 time incident, i by no means will say its better than a garmin stand alone, was showing a comparison of how fast it locked in the rain or on a cloudy day.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by shaolinmonk

buying a n95 for gps would be a waste... the gps is good if you use 3rd party software but if you're not going to enjoy the other great things about the n95 stick to the iphone for it's media and get a gps device for $150

yep i currently use t9.. i can text on both qwerty and t9 about the same speed too consisently aroudn 45wpm... i can use one hand or two... the advantage with having keys is having to look less... typing on the iphone can be very fun and fast too though.. comes down to your ability to adapt

I agree also, if just for gps then its a waste, but if you gonna take full advantages of the features then do it, remember its more powerful than the iphone, but not as smooth.

Posted by: ebeygin

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

Showstopper for me. I will never go back to t9. I dont care how much I can improve with practice, t9 for email is terrible. I love the softkeyboard on my iPhone.

matter of preference... i have no trouble typing long emails...and i love the fact you can type one handed, without looking at the keys...

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebeygin

matter of preference... i have no trouble typing long emails...and i love the fact you can type one handed, without looking at the keys...

I guess its a matter of preference, but I cant imagine having such an expensive phone, with tons of features, without a full qwerty keyboard. Why include everything but that?

I respond to about 15 emails a day on my iphone. There is no way I'm ever going to want to do that with t9

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

with what you just said, i might not even use the iphone, ide get a blackberry or Q or one of the qwerty keyboards, but again matter of preference.

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

with what you just said, i might not even use the iphone, ide get a blackberry or Q or one of the qwerty keyboards, but again matter of preference.

Why, I have also have a blackberry curve, and can type far faster on the iPhone.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobileTelly

Why, I have also have a blackberry curve, and can type far faster on the iPhone.

well you are good hahaha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmV-...feature=related here is someone that types pretty fast on t9.

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

well you are good hahaha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmV-...feature=related here is someone that types pretty fast on t9.

I'm not saying that some people cant do it, I'm saying I can't do it. I always hated t9, and after having both a blackberry and an iPhone, I could never go back to a non-qwerty device.

However, to each their own.

Posted by: Icbluscrn

Well i am in the same boat I am looking for a N95-3 not to get the gps (though it'll be a plus) I really want it for it 3g. I had a tilt, but its just too big. after i figured it out i must say it had the best 3g connection ive use on a phone.
Ive had the iphone for a while and the best way i can put it is the iphone is like my nintendo wii the fun factor was great for about a week or so but then when it came down to it is it sucked as a game systemand has been collecting dust ever since. for me the iphone sucks as a phone. as an entertainment device it was ok.
my issue is that the n95 does come out to be pricey but from my past experiance with nokia there build are usually tops.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

You would be paying far too much for the GPS if you sold your iPhone and bought an N-95. Do yourself a favor and get a real GPS if that is the feature you want.

Posted by: RogerPodacter

my n95-3 GSP locks on in 10-15 seconds flat. i also downloaded Amaze GPS application which is completely free and gives turn by turn voice directions. it pulls the maps over 3G so you will need a data connection. good luck if you get the n95-3 its my favorite phone and the best out there IMO.

Posted by: RogerPodacter

and for those who need qwerty, the n95 can accept wireless fold out keyboard. its good for those situations where you need to sit down and really type oout long emails. for sms and short emails, i prefer T9.

also, there is the stoaway keyboard which usually goes for 150$ on sale at amazon for 30 bucks with free shipping right now!!! its been going on for a few weeks and i'm gonna pick one up. it folds up to the size of a wallet, and when opened it has a little stand for the phone. use this in conjunction with the TV out and you have yourself a portable, mini full computer with you everywhere you go.

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Ok guys, I found a nice deal on a brand new N95-3 in Houston ($475). If everything goes well, I will try it out while keeping my iPhone. Besides the GPS, I am liking the fact that it has internet radio and future Ngage games. I just hate the fact that it is not QWERTY...I could never get the hang of T9.

Posted by: babikian

My son has N95 9GB black and I have an iphone,and sure there is a great deal of competition going on between two of us,n95 is almost a small laptop computer it has loaded on it every imaginable app one would want.it will download any web site in any language and every bit of third party app there is.it has an enormous camera.on the other hand I have the iphone,I sure miss to log on to Playchess website and and entertain myself few live chess games when I am away,which n95 does easily and iphone doesnt for lack of MIDP !!.I remember the first day i got my iphone he wanted,as ussual to send me a song from his n95 through bluetooth which we descovered later that was not possible!!.
And yet despite all its limitations I love this device hoping that in near future there will be a true update software for it,otherwise i have to find an alternative.
As for GPRS,I used it for 7 years despite beeing slow and expansive still you will be connected to the internet wherever you are.
I substituted it now with wi fi at home, at office and wherever it is available.

Posted by: blacksrt4guy

I tried the N95-3 and honestly I wasnt that impressed. Yes it does ALOT and it has 3G. But I found the build quality only ok and not having a qwerty keyboard sucked! The deal killer was the terrible battery life, which was supposedly fixed with the n95-3. I found it only average. Now Im back to my 2nd iPhone and I like this one even more then my first. I cant argue the fact that most phones are a better phone then the iPhone. But I just flew home for Christmas and nothing can touch the iPhone for watching movies. It was great! Didnt have to worry about the battery at all. If I got tired of movies, then i could jam all my tunes. For me, the Nokia was a very good phone, the GPS is ok but get a TomTom if you really want GPS, the build wasnt THAT great and the Nokia browser couldnt touch the iPhones Safari. Just my .02.

Posted by: babikian

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksrt4guy

I tried the N95-3 and honestly I wasnt that impressed. Yes it does ALOT and it has 3G. But I found the build quality only ok and not having a qwerty keyboard sucked! The deal killer was the terrible battery life, which was supposedly fixed with the n95-3. I found it only average. Now Im back to my 2nd iPhone and I like this one even more then my first. I cant argue the fact that most phones are a better phone then the iPhone. But I just flew home for Christmas and nothing can touch the iPhone for watching movies. It was great! Didnt have to worry about the battery at all. If I got tired of movies, then i could jam all my tunes. For me, the Nokia was a very good phone, the GPS is ok but get a TomTom if you really want GPS, the build wasnt THAT great and the Nokia browser couldnt touch the iPhones Safari. Just my .02.

I agree 100%,but nothing is wrong in trying to make from a good thing a better one...besides I wouldnt trade my iphone with anything that now exists in the market,I like all of its futures,although I miss many ...yet again I couldnt manage to upload a single video on the Itunes...!!!

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

I see it like this, if I don't like the N-75, I SHOULD be able to get at least the $475 I paid for it.

Posted by: BornInBremen

Just my two cents: I have a Mio C310x, which is very hackable to run ANY GPS software (the C310x is Windows CE-based.) I have it running iGO MyWay 2006 (which is what the default Mio software is based on), but I also have it running TomTom 6, iGuidance v4.0, and am using the 2007.1 maps (I had a link to the latest 2007.7 maps, but GPSUnderground.com appears to be down.

)

If you want GPS, get a GPS...! They're cheap. GPS on the iPhone would be nice, but I'm still not giving up my Mio C310x, which works perfectly in my car - where I need it.

Posted by: mbranscum

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolt Seavers

I see it like this, if I don't like the N-75, I SHOULD be able to get at least the $475 I paid for it.

You mean n95? Where can you get a N95-3 for $475????

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Yeah...I meant N95-3. Found the phone on Craigslist. I will see if it is legit tomorrow. I have a feeling it is the N95-1.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksrt4guy

I hope i say this correctly, the nokia browser is everybit as good as the iphone browser, its the iphone that makes the browsing experience better, not the browser, If you put the nokia browser in an iphone and took the safari and put it in the n95, everyone would say the nokia browser is better. Its not the browser its the way you browse on the iphone thats so damn nice, as well as the screen is very large also. The truth is the nokia browser might be better as a browser, because of flash( or a striped down version of it) plus you can save images from browser ect....But that being said its a better browsing experience on the iphone.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by BornInBremen

Just my two cents: I have a Mio C310x, which is very hackable to run ANY GPS software (the C310x is Windows CE-based.) I have it running iGO MyWay 2006 (which is what the default Mio software is based on), but I also have it running TomTom 6, iGuidance v4.0, and am using the 2007.1 maps (I had a link to the latest 2007.7 maps, but GPSUnderground.com appears to be down.

)

If you want GPS, get a GPS...! They're cheap. GPS on the iPhone would be nice, but I'm still not giving up my Mio C310x, which works perfectly in my car - where I need it.

I agree if the sole purpose is for gps. Thats like someone wanting a camera and buying the n95. The n95 is amazing for what it can do and truly is the ultimate convergence device. Does it do everything the iphone does YES, does it do everything as smooth or well, NO. We all have to make sacrifices and take good with the bad. I have garmin and rt 66 on my n95-3 and the n82 and neither one ever dissapointed me.

Posted by: MobileTelly

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

Does it do everything the iphone does YES,

Except display a full qwerty keyboard. I hate to keep bringing it up.

Posted by: blacksrt4guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

Well said. But the only reason I say that I think the iPhone browser is better is because when I had the N95-3 there were numerous sites that would not come load correctly. Not sure if it was just my phone or what, but the same sites on the iPhone work just fine. If you have a N95-3 try going to myspace and see if it loads correctly. That said, the whole browsing experience is better on iPhone, I agree 100%.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

My space comes up with 2 options mobile and classic, so yes it does come as i see it on my mac computer.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH#34

Well put. Jack of all trades but master of none. Clearly if you really need a good camera you are going to buy a good high-end point and shoot or a DSLR. If you want the best mp4 player you are going to get an iriver or iPod or whatever. If you want the best GPS you will get a dedicated GPS. I think it is a matter of your needs and expectations.

Posted by: THETRUTH#34

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

i agree, the n95 does do a good job of substituting though.

Posted by: kpo'm

Quote:

Originally Posted by blacksrt4guy

The issue with web sites is less of an issue with the phone than it is with webmasters. They see "iPhone" and send the full web site. They see "Nokia" and send the WAP site. There are hacks out there that make website think the N95 is an iPhone, and thus send the correct page to the S60 browser, which renders the site properly. Hopefully, as more phones get capable browsers, webmasters set up their sites to send the right pages.

Posted by: kpo'm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolt Seavers

Ok. This is the deal. I love my iPhone, but the more I read about the N95-3, the more I want to see if "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence".

The feature I want most is GPS. Is the GPS on the N95 worth giving up my beloved iPhone? How realistic is the GPS for iPhone rumor a reality?I really do not want to bt the N95 to have the iPhone pop up with the option soon after.

I'm fortunate enough to have both an N95-3 and an iPhone. While I use the N95-3 as my everyday phone (I like the features and have lots of useful third party applications), I'm not sure that if I could afford only one phone and already had an iPhone that I'd sell it and get the N95-3 just for GPS. It's OK, and with A-GPS it does work much better than the almost-useless GPS that shipped with the initial N95-1 last spring, but a standalone GPS receiver will still work better, since it will likely have the more advanced SIRI III chipset, vs. the N95's SIRI II.

That said, to those with N95-1s who are disappointed with the GPS, be sure to upgrade to the latest firmware (v20) when it comes out (it's already out in Europe). It addresses the RAM issues, improves battery life somewhat, and vastly improves the GPS compared to v11 or v10, which the N95-1s shipped with. v12 improves the GPS, but added some bugs.

If you were a new buyer without either, I'd probably recommend the N95-3 so long as the lack of QWERTY wasn't a deal-killer. Google Maps is available for the N95, and it uses the built-in GPS, as does Earthcomber. Regarding battery life, the N95-3 does suffer if you leave it in 3G mode all the time (it's only marginally better than the N95-1 if you do), but if you drop it back into 2G mode, you get excellent battery life. Since the iPhone doesn't have 3G, you might not mind leaving the N95-3 in 2G mode. The N95-3 isn't as slick as the iPhone, and features like the seamless switch between Wi-Fi and 3G/2G won't appear in the current phone (but are planned for new Nokia phones in 2008).

As an existing iPhone owner, you might consider holding off and re-assessing once iPhone 2 and the Nokia S60 Touch devices are out. S60 Touch, from the demos, looks like it adds a lot of iPhone-like features and then some, and I'm sure Apple will make a lot of improvements to the iPhone (maybe adding some of the "missing" features like MMS, group-texting ability, full Bluetooth capabilities, wireless syncing, and the ability to send photos through e-mail at full resolution).

I'd be VERY surprised if Apple doesn't release GPS support in some form at Macworld Expo or shortly thereafter, particularly with the SDK coming out. Standalone GPS devices were the hot device this Christmas, and Nokia didn't plunk down $8.1 billion for Navteq for nothing. GPS will soon be standard fare on all phones (Nokia has said as much), iPhone included. My guess is that it will come standard on the 3G iPhone.

Posted by: ShovelhEd

Recently retired my iPhone for an N95-3.. they are really diff creatures. I can say that if the iPhone was faster (3G) I'd happily leave the N95.. I'm not sure which'll stay my every day phone right now..

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Well, I have the N75-3. So far, so good...the thing is loaded. I added Yahoo Go, Opera Mini, and Nokia Internet Radio so far...

After I add other applications (the application to get my music transferred from iTunes and an application to get my contacts from my Mac, Yahoo, Google, or AOL), we will see if it is a keeper...

Posted by: CL55

Just wondering.. Why does everyone seems to think N95 is THE phone to get other than iPhone while there're tons of WM6 devices out there that does much better job than Symbian? My last Symbian was the SE P900i and N95 was never on my list because I hate not having QWERTY, and the standard Nokia look just totally killed it for me.

I was seriously considering the TyTN II before getting the iPhone, but having 5 or 6 WM devices before, I really wanted a change, and not regreting it so far. Especially a jailbroken iPhone does just about everything I need so far, and if GPS is the concern, there IS GPS receiver underway for iPhone... http://partfoundry.com/iphonegps.html

Posted by: flyingdutchman

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpo'm

I'd be VERY surprised if Apple doesn't release GPS support in some form at Macworld Expo or shortly thereafter, particularly with the SDK coming out. Standalone GPS devices were the hot device this Christmas, and Nokia didn't plunk down $8.1 billion for Navteq for nothing. GPS will soon be standard fare on all phones (Nokia has said as much), iPhone included. My guess is that it will come standard on the 3G iPhone.

While GPS may start coming in more phones, I think ultimately it will be short lived and unsuccessful. The way GPS will probably end up is built into cars. Very few people care to use a GPS outside of their car and the small screens of cell phones plus the inability to mount them make them less than ideal. Add to that the battery factor and the possibility of calls (how does the GPS phone handle that?), and I think they will have moderate success at best. In car, specifically factory included, is probably the future of GPS, at least in the US.

Posted by: CL55

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

In car, specifically factory included, is probably the future of GPS, at least in the US.

Future???!!! I think my first car with factory GPS was back in like 1999????!!! It's the portabilities that a lots of phone manufacturers are banking on, a lots of outdoor activities could really benifits from handheld GPS device, like hiking etc. Cars... anything over $20K have them as option now??

Oh, and I've been using GPS on WM phones for like 2 or 3 years now?? They're not exactly new either...

Posted by: pachi

I just really hope that the 3g Iphone is a huge improvement cause when Nokia releases their own Nphone, Apple better run for cover. All i am saying is, Apple make it happen. You know what we want.

Posted by: jwmcgee1

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donlx90

I agree 100%! I have an iPhone and a Tilt. I LOVE the interface on the iphone but the tilt does SO much more. Hopefully, in Feb there will be some great apps for the iphone. I also hope that iPhone v2 is 3g and a built in GPS would be great.

Apple needs to learn that we want a full bluetooth stack, MMS and the things that most other phones (even low end ones) already have.

I could never go back to a non qwerty device, that is why i went to the tilt.

Posted by: pachi

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwmcgee1

i could imagine. Wish the n95 has a qwerty keyboard. Too bad the E90 never had US 3g.

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

I think GPS on cell phones will be commonplace and remain commonplace just like cameras are now on cell phones. Is a dedicated GPS better then a dedicated GPS, of course. Just like a dedicated camera is better then a cell phone camera. But that doesn't take away from the usefulness. It will take a long time for GPS to become commonplace in cars. Plus many people only need GPS every now and then. They don't want to pay the $2000 option to have GPS built into their car. And many people don't want to buy an aftermarket one that needs to mounted and unmounted all the time to prevent theft.

Cell phones provides GPS cheaply and it's very portable and convenient. Plus it also comes in handy while hiking, biking, rent car, a friend's car without GPS, etc, etc. As for the battery factor, if you need extended GPS use from your phone, it can easy be plugged into your car charger during use. And with 3G, a cell phone can handle voice calls and GPS data simultaneously. And there are many adapters that can hold a cell phone on a dash or windshield.

Did the popularity of digital cameras slow consumers wanting a camera in their phone ? The answer would be no. And I think the same will hold true with GPS in cell phones. People will want the portability and convenience of always having GPS with them.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

I think you guys misunderstand me. Clearly GPS has been an option in cars for some time, I am saying it will become standard just as CD players did. Also, GPS for hiking is really rather useless unless you are in an open area with no tree cover. Not to mention, you would need a paper map to go along with it. I think the fact of the matter is that people who use GPS use it in a car. And many rental cars include GPS now negating the need to bring your own.

As for the camera argument, I don't think it is valid. Many would consider the N-95 to be the best camera phone, agreed? It still does not compare to low end digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. Truth of the matter is that cell phone cameras generally suck compared to a dedicated digital camera. I would argue that for most people the only time they actually use the cell phone camera is when they have nothing else. On top of that very few ever view those pictures anywhere but on their phone.

GPS in cell phones may become standard fare like cameras. They will not be a substitute for a dedicated GPS, just as the cameras aren't. They also will not factor into the vast majority's decision-making when it comes to phone purchases. If GPS truly takes off, it will be in cars, not cell phones.

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

I think you guys misunderstand me. Clearly GPS has been an option in cars for some time, I am saying it will become standard just as CD players did. Also, GPS for hiking is really rather useless unless you are in an open area with no tree cover. Not to mention, you would need a paper map to go along with it. I think the fact of the matter is that people who use GPS use it in a car. And many rental cars include GPS now negating the need to bring your own.

As for the camera argument, I don't think it is valid. Many would consider the N-95 to be the best camera phone, agreed? It still does not compare to low end digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. Truth of the matter is that cell phone cameras generally suck compared to a dedicated digital camera. I would argue that for most people the only time they actually use the cell phone camera is when they have nothing else. On top of that very few ever view those pictures anywhere but on their phone.

GPS in cell phones may become standard fare like cameras. They will not be a substitute for a dedicated GPS, just as the cameras aren't. They also will not factor into the vast majority's decision-making when it comes to phone purchases. If GPS truly takes off, it will be in cars, not cell phones.

Many people will not buy a cell phone without a camera. I think the same will hold true about cell phones without GPS in a couple of years.

I think you misunderstand me. I never said GPS will be a substitute for a dedicated GPS. But for many people, it will be all people will need. Is a camera on a phone as good as a dedicated camera, of course not. But many people don't carry their camera with them all the time and they have a need to take a picture from time to time. Of course it's not pictures for their vacation, but it's good enough for their needs. Same hold true for GPS in cell phones.

As for rent cars, many people don't want to pay the extra money for GPS in their rent car. And most rent cars do not have GPS.

Time will tell what will happen with GPS on cell phones, but I think will be commonplace and remain commonplace. And I believe it will be an option people will demand in their cell phones.

Edit: Most stock GPS systems in cars cost around $2000. Until that number drops, it will not become a stock commonplace item like a CD player.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

Quote:

Originally Posted by ski1ski1

Perhaps, but I think the only way it will see penetration is if they shove it down people's throats the way they did cameras. How many phones don't have cameras. You would have to look pretty hard to find them. And I stand by my opinion that the vast majority don't care about cameras in their phones.

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

You have an interesting opinion about cell phone cameras. But I believe your opinion is a minority. I believe if a survey was taken, most people will want a camera in their cell phone. And in a couple of years, I think the same will hold true about GPS.

Posted by: flyingdutchman

Quote:

Originally Posted by ski1ski1

Most surveys I have seen show cameraphone usage in the neighborhood of 25-30%. I think most people think the camera is a great idea in the store, but then never use it after the first day.

As for GPS in rental cars btw, check out Hertz.

Posted by: ski1ski1

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

Most rental cars do not have GPS. And the ones that do have GPS charge extra. Your example of Hertz is a perfect example. Only a minority of Hertz's cars have GPS and it costs 10.95 a day except in their top of line cars. Not many people will have the option in their rent car, or are willing to pay the extra amount.

As for survey of camera phone usage, I have seen usage numbers a great deal higher then the ones you have seen.

Posted by: kpo'm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolt Seavers

Well, I have the N75-3. So far, so good...the thing is loaded. I added Yahoo Go, Opera Mini, and Nokia Internet Radio so far...

After I add other applications (the application to get my music transferred from iTunes and an application to get my contacts from my Mac, Yahoo, Google, or AOL), we will see if it is a keeper...

Do you mean the N95-3 (the N75-3 is a flip phone lacking GPS and HSDPA)?

Anyway, I'd strongly recommend a visit to the Nokia Beta Labs and the Nokia Research Labs.

http://www.nokia.com/betalabs/applications

http://research.nokia.com/files/N95...celerometer.zip

The Beta Labs has some useful software. Device Status is pretty detailed. Channels can take advantage of the accelerometer (see below).

Out of the box, the N95-3 uses the accelerometer only for the camera. However, if you install the accelerometer application, you'll get access
Some third parties are producing software (like Samir, writing RotateMe and NokMote) to take advantage of the accelerometer - in some cases months before the S60 Touch devices will add similar features.

If nothing more, iPhone seems to have prompted Nokia to take full advantage of the technology that's already in their phones.

I don't have a Mac, but I've heard iSync can be set up to transfer contacts (maybe ask on the S60 forum). Missing Sync is also in the works (I don't know the release date). On a PC, the N95 can sync to Outlook, so I have used iTunes (which also syncs to Outlook), Nokia PC Suite, and Outlook to sync up my contact database between the N95 and iPhone. This is where having a full Bluetooth stack on the iPhone would really come in handy.

As for other freeware, I'd recommend Worldmate (the free version) from MobiMate. It will give you a 5-day forecast (although it updates only 3 times a day) and a few other travel functions. There's a program called M Weather that links to Yahoo (meaning more updates, like the iPhone), but it gives you just today and tomorrow's weather. cCalc and Calcium are calculators designed to use the D-Pad (cCalc offering some advanced functions as well). If you sync your phone to your car, you'll need to download the Nokia 810 Contacts software to automatically sync your contact list to your adapter (otherwise you can manually copy and paste). It's ostensibly a "security" feature of S60, but I agree it's annoying. I'd also install Google Maps if you've come to rely on the traffic reports. Active Notes can be handy, as well.

Also, if you use something other than the stock headphones, consider a short cable extension with a volume control. The N95-3 music player has a known "hiss" that affects sound quality when volume is set low. My suggestion is to set it at 50% and use the sound control on the cable extension. Annoying, yes, and not present on some of Nokia's more music-oriented phones. However, to me, it's a wash given the iPhone's stupid recessed port (which also requires a cable extension).

Let us know the results, and perhaps post to the S60 forums as well. Above all, try some of the features that iPhone currently lacks (e.g. wireless syncing, Lifeblog, full Bluetooth) before making a final decision.

Posted by: Kolt Seavers

Sorry...I meant N95-3. I had a N75 prior to my iPhone, and I am use to blurtting out N75...

Posted by: kpo'm

OK, thanks. So you are already familiar with S60. I'm not sure if AT&T crippled the N75's firmware (although apparently Nokia and AT&T did a lot of fingerpointing as to why the phone wasn't more successful, which leads me to believe they did), but the N95-3 is pure Nokia. S60's browser doesn't like MediaNet's proxy settings, so be sure to create a new access point with both the proxy server deleted and proxy port set to zero (there are multiple threads on the S60 forums about this). Otherwise, graphics don't display properly. You'll need the original access point if you actually want to use MediaNet's account features. That's the downside to an "unlocked" phone (i.e. sometimes settings need to be configured manually). Nokia should really fix the built-in configurator to add this automatically. Interestingly, the N95-3 works perfectly with T-Mobile's 2G network.

You won't need to do anything to get 3G, but if you use MMS, be sure to ask AT&T to provision it to your SIM. Since the iPhone doesn't use MMS, the iPhone data plan doesn't have the service provisioned.

Posted by: kpo'm

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingdutchman

As for the camera argument, I don't think it is valid. Many would consider the N-95 to be the best camera phone, agreed? It still does not compare to low end digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc. Truth of the matter is that cell phone cameras generally suck compared to a dedicated digital camera. I would argue that for most people the only time they actually use the cell phone camera is when they have nothing else. On top of that very few ever view those pictures anywhere but on their phone.

GPS in cell phones may become standard fare like cameras. They will not be a substitute for a dedicated GPS, just as the cameras aren't. They also will not factor into the vast majority's decision-making when it comes to phone purchases. If GPS truly takes off, it will be in cars, not cell phones.

There are better camera phones than the N95-3 now (including the Nokia N82). The main difference is that the newest phones have xenon flash. The Samsung G600 adds a 3x optical zoom. Camera phones are getting much better now, and for many applications, are adequate substitutes for dedicated cameras. It's just a matter of time before camera phones can replace dedicated cameras for the casual point-and-shoot user. Even now, if the take-up rate is just 20-25%, that's still a huge market.

As for GPS, if given a choice between a GPS-enabled iPhone (with its nice-sized screen) and a dedicated Garmin, sure the Garmin might be better, but would it be worth the extra expense over the iPhone? For many people, probably not. Remember, too, that Apple's main strength is in taking existing technology and making it easy to use. You can bet that Apple would tout the GPS-enabled iPhone with the GPS-enabled Google Maps as if it were "revolutionary" and the best feature ever added to a mobile device. There undoubtedly would be plenty of third-party car mounts quickly available, just as there are numerous attachments for the existing iPhone.

IOW, don't underestimate how handy GPS-enabled phones might be.

Posted by: RufusRyker

From msnbc.com yesterday:

"O2's iPhone research relates to use of data services on the operator's 2G mobile network. The main criticism of the iPhone is that it does not run on a 3G network, which would ensure faster web browsing.

However, the O2 research found that customers who have Nokia's N95, the Finnish handset maker's nearest equivalent to the iPhone, which runs on 3G networks, access markedly less data compared with those using the Apple device."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22381324/

Posted by: kpo'm

Quote:

Originally Posted by RufusRyker

From msnbc.com yesterday:

"O2's iPhone research relates to use of data services on the operator's 2G mobile network. The main criticism of the iPhone is that it does not run on a 3G network, which would ensure faster web browsing.

However, the O2 research found that customers who have Nokia's N95, the Finnish handset maker's nearest equivalent to the iPhone, which runs on 3G networks, access markedly less data compared with those using the Apple device."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22381324/

A comparison of data is a bit simplistic, though.

iPhone downloads data constantly (e.g. the Yahoo-related widgets), as the the multi-thousand dollar phone bill stories have pointed out (and also why 1.1.1 added the ability to turn data completely off). Google Maps, in particular, is a data hog. Whenever I start it up on my N95, I can see the kilobytes racking up. Nokia Maps works differently (starting with its internal database first), and uses far less data. Also, by default, e-mail on the iPhone downloads the full message in full HTML, while the N95 downloads headers by default, and HTML only with a separate click. This has advantages and disadvantages. In an "all-you-can-eat" setup, I prefer the iPhone approach. However, in Europe, pay-as-you-go data is still pretty common, so I can see why Nokia designed certain aspects of S60 to minimize data use, as well.

The N95 is also targeted at a larger audience (it, and similar other devices fill the role that RAZR fills here). A phone that sells for $550 plus a full contract is aimed at power users. Particularly in the UK, the N95 is often a "lure" to a long-term contract.

And, finally, some webmasters need to be told that the n95 and similar devices have Safari-based browsers capable of rendering full web pages. Many are caught in a rut where they see "Nokia" and send the WAP site instead. That's the only reason I keep Opera Mini on my N95. Of course, Opera Mini uses compression and Opera's own servers. Oddly, Nokia was the first company to release a mobile phone using an Apple-based browser. Of course, they can learn a few things from Apple, such as adding tabbed browsing.

Nokia has done research indicating that their N-Series phones are used as phones about 12% of the time and as "something else" the other 88%. I suspect the ratio on the iPhone is probably similar (perhaps higher because it doubles as an iPod, and because of the web browser). Actually, if we had such statistics, they would be more useful than raw data downloaded in determining how the phone is actually used.

That said, I do appreciate Apple's entry into the market, and think it is creating a rising tide lifting the smartphone boats.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/ec13024e-...00779fd2ac.html

I think the OP is lucky to be able to compare two very capable phones over a period of time. 2007 brought a lot of good things to the smartphone market, and I think 2008 will do the same.