A Look at the 2009 Nokia N900
Nokia's New Maemo-Based Smartphone/Mobile Desktop has Arrived
Sep 16, 2009
Launched at Nokia World 2009, Nokia's N900 is being touted by reviewers and testers as both a smartphone, a mobile internet device (MID), and even an iphone-killer. Smaller than it's predecessors, the Nokia N800 and N810 – which were classically designated as Internet Tablet – the new N900 changes the game with the addition of 3G/HSPA cellular technology, making this the first real competitor for the iPhone.
Nokia has put aside Symbian, it's usual operating system of choice for mobile devices. Instead, the Nokia N900 is shipped with the Open Source Maemo platform, based on Debian Linux. Whilst Apple is busy rejecting applications from the Apple Store, and locking down "jailbroken" iPhones, Nokia is opening up their new flagship, welcoming anyone and everyone to do what they wish with their device.
Desktops, not Home Screens
As stated on the N900 website, Maemo "just raised the bar", and a cursory look at the promotional video shows just that. Maemo's new panorama desktop gives users four desktops to pan across with just a swipe of the finger (much like the iPod Touch and iPhone – this is, however, where the similarity ends). Whilst Apple is employing 'Home Screens', Maemo introduces Desktops – that's right, desktops like those found on any modern computer. Sites like n900wallpapers.com have a great collection of backgrounds and wallpapers for nokia n900 devices.
Multitasking
The N900 is capable of true multitasking, so you can have many applications open at once, with the ability to easily switch between them – exactly like you would on a computer. With the N900, a user can check emails, browse the web, take, edit and share photos, all while they continue multiple conversations at once.
Connect to Your Friends
The clever people at Nokia and Maemo realised that changing between applications and menu screens to send messages, call by cell, or by Skype, or even Google Voice, is an annoyance at best. So for the first time in a mobile device, all of the contact methods have been conglomerated into a single Contact screen. The contact screen plugs into popular social networks and web utlities, like Facebook, Gmail, Skype, Twitter, etc., making sure all information is read at the touch of a finger.
Share as it Happens, Not After
The N900 wouldn't be complete without a top range Carl Zeiss lens on a 5 MegaPixel camera. Using the N900's built in sharing features, a photo or video can be quickly tagged, named, described, and uploaded to a variety of favourite sites, such as Flickr, Facebook, and Nokia's own Ovi Share network. Because Maemo is Open Source, new sites can be added as soon as their is demand – by anyone!
An Ipod Alternative
Canola2, and open source media player system comes packages on the N900, and with 32GB of space (or more), that's a lot of music on such a small device! With Canola2, a user can listen to music, create and edit playlists, watch videos, and even tune into Internet Radio stations. The N900 also has an AM/FM Receiver.
The N900 is rumoured to ship October 2009, for a retail price of £499 in the United Kingdom, and $650 in the United States and Canada, for unlocked, carrier-free versions. Carrier subsidized versions for the US have not been confirmed, but will likely be available on T-Mobile for roughly the same price as the iPhone.
Nokia N900 Specifications
- 3.5 inch touch-sensitive widescreen display
- 800 × 480 pixel resolution
- Integrated GPS, Assisted-GPS, and Cell-based receivers
- 5 megapixel camera (2584 × 1938 pixels)
- 3.5mm AV connector
- TV out (PAL/NTSC) with Nokia Video Connectivity Cable
- Micro-USB connector, High-Speed USB 2.0
- Bluetooth v2.1 including support for stereo headsets
- Integrated FM transmitter
- Integrated GPS with A-GPS
- Up to 1GB of application memory (256 MB RAM, 768 MB virtual memory)
- 32 GB internal storage
- Store up to 7000 MP3 songs or 40 hours of high-quality video
- Quad-band GSM EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
- WCDMA 900/1700/2100 MHz
- Full QWERTY tactile keyboard
- Full QWERTY onscreen keyboard
- Photo editor on device
- Video recording file format: .mp4; codec: MPEG-4
- Video recording at up to 848 × 480 pixels (WVGA) and up to 25fps
- Music playback file formats: .wav, .mp3, .AAC, .eAAC, .wma, .m4a
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