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Nokia N93i
Nokia N93i is a fold-and-twist smartphone, a slimmed-down but pumped up spin-off of Nokia N93. Most people would argue though that like its forerunner, it is more of a camcorder phone than a smartphone.
Nokia N93i is still bulky at 2.2 in x 4.6 in x 1.1 in and 163 g; however, it is already a good 5mm thinner and 17g less than its predecessor. It looks strikingly attractive with its large, shiny mirror-backed screen and two-toned silver/black exterior.
Nokia used an Organic Light-emitting Diode (OLED) for the phone’s 2.4-inch screen, helping it to extend battery life as OLEDs do not require backlight to function. With a large 240 x 320 pixel display, message sending, web browsing and personal information managing is easier and enjoyable.
The screen gives an impressive view of your applications with its vivid and vibrant colors. Its 16 million color display makes your pictures come alive! However, you might find it disappointing as the outer layer of the screen is too reflective when used outdoors. Especially with sunlight, the contrast is compromised, giving out a glare and blurring the icons on the screen.
One cool thing about this Transformers look-alike phone is that it twists and rearranges in your hand to form a gun-like video camcorder, positioning your thumb rightly on the big record button with an intuitive zoom rocker around it. Video recording from a phone has never been this fun and classy. Its screen is also built to flip around and sit like a laptop, serving as a portable media viewer. It also has a TV out that allows straight connection to a V or monitor, so you can watch your recorded video on TV monitor and even create and manage slideshows with music. How cool is that?
As for connectivity, which is what makes a phone a smartphone, N93i is included in the top list of excellent Web browser with its user friendly Wi-Fi set up connection. It has GPRS data connection and wireless access via 802.11b and Bluetooth 2.0.
Sure, there are 5 mega pixel cameras around now, making N93i’s 3.2 mega pixel Carl Zeiss lens seem less impressive. However, its hinge-mounted 3.0 x optical zoom camera compensates for this. It even allows you to go further to a 20 x digital zoom. So your photos appear as crisp and vivid, if not more, as they would in a 5 mega pixel camera. Also, it has a tiny LED light under the lens for close-up photos in the dark.
Video shooting in this phone is not only flashy but also easy to master as it only has limited features, which include auto and night scene modes. Nokia’s promise is that this phone would give you DVD quality video. Critics on the other hand, beg to differ, saying that its quality is no different from a webcam output. Although it is a full 30 frames per second, the resolution is very low.
The major failing of this smartphone is in its battery. From N93’s 1100mAh, it is now a 950mAh BL-5F, which has reduced capacity. Nokia claims that battery life could last 11 days. However, tests proved that moderate calls and Bluetooth use drain the battery in four days. Media player can also drain it in six hours. And for a full Wi-Fi and camcorder use, N93i could only last 3.5 hours.