Nokia N900 Review

Large and gorgeously colorful, the Nokia N900's 3.5-inch touch display offers an 800 x 480-pixel resolution. The resistive touch screen includes haptic feedback so you know when you've pressed a key or onscreen menu, brightness control, an ambient light detector, and an orientation sensor that effortlessly switches from portrait to landscape viewing. The desktop can be personalized with up to four different views. You can also use a stylus for onscreen input.

When you're ready to start typing email or text/instant messages, just flip the N900 on its left side and slide the face up to reveal the full QWERTY keyboard with predictive typing capabilities. The display pivots to an angle that makes it easy to read the screen while you're typing. This Nokia cell phone also includes a kickstand that enables you to place the device on a desk or airplane's seatback table to watch videos.

The Nokia N900 has 32 GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 48 GB via optional microSD cards (up to 16 GB in size).


Running on the new Maemo 5 software, the Nokia N900 enables you to have dozens of application windows open and running simultaneously while taking full advantage of the cellular features, touch screen and QWERTY keyboard. Designed for computer-grade performance in a compact size, Maemo complements Nokia's other software platforms, such as Symbian, which powers Nokia's smartphones.

The Nokia N900 packs a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, up to 1GB of application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration. The result is PC-like multitasking, allowing many applications to run simultaneously. Switching between applications is simple, as all running content is constantly available through the dashboard. The panoramic home screen can be fully personalized with favorite shortcuts, widgets and applications. Thanks to the browser powered by Mozilla technology, web sites look the way they would on any computer. Online videos and interactive applications are vivid with full Adobe Flash 9.4 support. Maemo software updates happen automatically over the internet.

With the Carl Zeiss optics on the 5-megapixel camera, you can capture print quality photos and DVD-like quality video clips. Carl Zeiss, a world leader in high quality camera lenses, brings an award-winning legacy to the Nokia N900 with state-of-the-art optics for mobile photography and mobile video. The Zeiss name has been associated with cameras from Hasselblad, Rollei, Yashica, Sony, and Nikon.

Tag photos with keywords to easily find them later on with a keyword cloud display, and see where your images were taken with the automatic geotagging. The camera offers an auto-focus Carl Zeiss lens with two-stage capture key, dual LED flash, and JPEG/EXIF still image file format. Other features include a full-screen viewfinder, dedicated camera key, sliding lens cover for protection and camera activation, and a photo editor. Upload your photos and videos to Ovi Share and share them online with friends and family.

The N900 can also capture videos in a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio at 800 x 480 pixels and 30 frames per second (fps). Additionally, the N900 includes a VGA camera on the front for use of video calling services (dependent upon carrier; additional charges applicable).

After shooting photos and videos, you can connect the N900 to an external monitor or TV (NTSC/PAL) using the included cable, and control playback via UPNP (WLAN supported).

The Nokia N900 supports email accounts from more than a thousand internet service providers (ISPs) around the world (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), as well as Gmail, Yahoo! mail and Hotmail. People who use Microsoft Exchange at work can access their email using the Mail for Exchange mobile email client, which comes pre-loaded (an Exchange email account is required and your Exchange Administrator must have enabled your account for synchronization). You'll enjoy reliable real-time access to your email, calendar, contacts and tasks, as well as be able to download attachments like Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF files directly to the device.

In addition to the integrated hands-free speakerphone, this phone provides the latest version of Bluetooth connectivity--version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which makes pairing with an optional headset as well as other Bluetooth-enabled devices a snap. It includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and phonebook access. And with the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones or speaker dock.

Bluetooth profiles include: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures).