Nokia N90

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Truly gone are the days of monochromatic PCN-only phones with no predictive input and Ni-Cad batteries that were charge-phobic. Today's mobiles are all-in-one machines, and while the technologies of 3G, phone imaging and multimedia playback continue to develop, eager beavers looking for the definitive convergent device now have one new option to consider--the Nokia N90. But is the N90 up to the mark?

Editors' note:

The retail price of the Nokia N90 without plan is S$1,188 (US$855.11).

Design
We'll say it from the off: The N90 is huge. At a hefty 173g and measuring 112 x 51 x 24mm, this handset isn't pocket- or (in some cases) palm-friendly by any means. Due to the length of the handset, the microphone is positioned a tad too low to effectively pick up our voice during calls, while the bulk and weight of the handset make it somewhat uncomfortable to hold, particularly for those with petite hands.

The N90 certainly feels top heavy when opened, and trying to flip open the clamshell with one hand is a test of dexterity in itself, especially since it locks slightly when at a right angle before you can open it fully. Despite several moving parts, build quality is still commendable. On the other hand, the swiveling camera section tends to be accidentally twisted a little too often for our liking, especially when trying to flip open the phone or remove from our pockets.

Decked in a classic Nokia silver-black combination, the N90 looks perfect for corporate briefcases. The build itself is similar to those of Nokia's Communicator series fame, which translates into sturdy, high-quality construction. A rubber bung at the base of the phone prevents damage to the screen when closing the handset.

Somewhat similar to Samsung's P730, the screen of the N90 can be twisted perpendicular to the handset to mimic the operation of your camcorder. Give the screen a quick swivel and the camera mode is activated. In this mode, the two soft keys above the display are dedicated to menu access.

Of particular note is the additional five-way joystick located on the side of the handset together with the dedicated camera button. This joystick enhances the phone's extra operations, including opening and reading of incoming messages, changing user profiles, controlling volume and navigating camera menus. However, it feels slightly loose and is probably more susceptible to wear and tear.

Apart from the usual calling and incoming alert information, the 65K-color, 128 x 128-pixel external LCD display also scrolls the song currently being played on the RealPlayer software, with support for track names in other languages such as Chinese. The internal 2.1-inch, 352 x 416-pixel screen flaunts menus and photos in excellent 262K colors, though considering the size of the handset, the display could have been larger to fully maximize the real estate.

While the logically mapped buttons are mostly flushed yet clearly separated by raised ridges between keys, they can be pretty stiff. Also, the tactile feedback felt upon pressing a key doesn't always mean the button press has been registered by the phone. As a result, sometimes you get missing inputs or mis-spelt words during texting.

Lacking a camera lens cover, dirt and fingerprints may collect at the groove and surface of the lens glass. Also, the rubber cover for the headset and data cable is fully detachable, so occasional cleaning may be necessary.