Nov 23 2009

Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

Posted by Norman John in N-Series, N97, N97 Mini, Nokia

4117847280 93ae502038 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

Now that the Nokia N97 Mini is available many customers are asking themselves which one they should buy, the Nokia N97 or the N97 Mini? Both devices have a lot in common but differ from each other in many ways too. Therefore I will be comparing the two to see what the pros and cons are for each device.

Size:

4117065103 a6070b75d1 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

As the name already states the N97 Mini is smaller than its big brother. It’s shorter, slimmer and slightly narrow. Images alone cannot demonstrate the different but when holding both devices in the hand I found the Mini to be more appealing and comfortable to hold. Actually the Mini has a good size for a touch sensitive smartphone, without being to bulky.

Screen:

Since the N97 Mini is smaller, Nokia had to decrease the screen-size. The really huge 3.5” display is now only 3.2″ yet the original resolution remains at 360 x 640 pixel with 16M colors. It depends on the taste of the user but I prefer bigger screens and the N97′s 3.5” screen is ideal for me. However, the 3.2” display is the best solution for the Mini. Moreover, I found that the N97 Mini’s display is much brighter, and the colours are more vivid, whereas the Nokia N97′s colours appear rather pale.

Built quality:

4117842940 a1d5c3b7dc Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

In terms of built quality both devices really stand up from other N-Series devices. I found the N97 Mini to feel even better and solid compared to the N97, mainly due to the stainless steel battery cover. The battery cover makes a huge difference. It was a good choice to replace the plastic battery cover with a more solid and better looking stainless steel cover.

Camera protection:

4117837136 780aabc195 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

Both, the N97 and the Mini take pictures with 5 megapixels and record videos with 30 frames per second with a resolution of 640×480. So they really don’t differ in the camera specs. However, N97 Mini’s 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens isn’t protected by a shutter. Actually I don’t see a downside in here as the shutter, which should protect the lens, was actually scratching some N97 lenses.

QWERTY-keyboard:

4117068961 8724517cc2 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

The full QWERTY-keyboard, despite the smaller amount of space, is still present. Nonetheless, there has been some redesigning in terms of the keypad. First, the big D-pad on the left side has been replaced by four arrow keys on the right side. There is more space between each key now and the keys are a little bit higher giving you a much better feel when typing. Also the keys have more grip and give you a more secure feeling. Nevertheless, this redesign has also its downside. As the D-Pad has been replaced by four arrow keys which have been placed on the very right side, the interaction between the keyboard and touch-screen has been changed. It was ways easier to use the D-pad with the left thumb while the right thumb was selecting the options or clicking the menu-key. With the arrow keys on the right hand side this isn’t as easy and comfortable anymore.

Storage and RAM

It seems that the word ”Mini” does not only mean that the size has been reduced but also the amount of memory. The mass memory is no longer 32GB but 8GB. For the average user this will not be of any importance, and if you happen to run out of memory you can always expand the memory with a MicroSD cards to up to 24GB, which would be more than enough. Surprisingly, the C-Drive, is almost 230MB, while the N97 has just around 45MB.

After a fresh boot-up the Nokia N97 has 46MB of free RAM just like the N97 Mini.

FM-Transmitter:

Another feature that has disappeared is the FM-Transmitter. Thus you cannot ”stream” your songs to your radio anymore. I use the FM-Transmitter of the N97 while driving a lot, to listen to my music. However, this doesn’t need to be an obstacle for the N97 Mini user. You can buy a separate FM-Transmitter. Of course, this isn’t as handy as having a FM-Transmitter build in but the option is there nevertheless.

Navigation and TV-out:

The N97 Mini offers just ten days of free voice guided navigation while the N97 comes with one month of voice guided navigation. Also in terms of accessories, Nokia is rather sparing with the N97 Mini in contrast to the N97, the Mini does not come with a TV-Out cable.

Price:

Nokia is selling the N97 for 549€ while the N97 Mini costs 10€ more. Also when searching the Internet you will find better deals for the N97 than for the Mini. If you bear in mind that the N97 has a TV-out cable, 1month of free voice guided navigation, a FM-transmitter, 32GB memory this is ridiculous. Basically the Mini needs to be a lot more cheaper.

Battery:

4117842490 f094187324 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

In the course of the decreasing of the size Nokia put a smaller battery into the N97 Mini. Instead of a big 1500mAh strong battery, the Mini is powered by 1200mAh. In our test the N97 Mini went out of power 3hours before the N97.

Verdict:

4117067739 5dc82b75f0 Nokia N97 vs the N97 Mini | Which one will you buy?

As you can tell, both devices have advantages but also disadvantages. The N97′s key advantages is the bigger screen, FM-Transmitter, more memory, bigger battery and the D-Pad. For the N97 Mini we have the better form factor, better built quality, better keys and a more vivid screen.

The price is also almost identical thus it really depends on what you want and where your priorities are. Of course we cannot tell which phone is the best for you but we can help you by elaborating on the differences.

http://www.chip.com.tr Mohammad

I will buy to Nokia N97
http://thenokiareview.com Ibrahim Jogee

Nice coverage buddy. For me the N97 mini is the better choice. The lack of a d-pad isn’t an issue, however the lesser battery may prove to be a deal breaker.
ninjafox

none. they are crap and a ripoff. get a kickass motorola droid/milestone for less money.
SeZo

If N97 Mini use Symbian Open Source or have 3D Hardware Accelerator i will buy. to bad until now Nokia not use 3D Hardware Accelerator on their S60v5 Smartphone. Hope X6 have it. but i’m waiting for Symbian Open Source Smartphone i’m boring with basic UI on S60.
SeZo

oh i’m forget dpad for candybar Symbian Smartphone touchscreen. navigation with dpad while browsing much better than finger navigation.
CtrlAltDel

I thought that the n97 did not come with any tv-out cables? does this differ between regions?
Also, can u provide any thoughts on the GPS performance between the 2.
TTFN8-)
christine

I ordered N97 , thought that was the best choice but didnt take a good look at N97 mini and now i want that instead .. haha.
fazi

n97 is the best
John

I have n97 but have some problem with it, like stability and a bit slow, also GPS…. How did u make FM transmitter work? Can u tell me step by step? Because till now i had some problem with it. I had N85 before and it was working fine!
Rick

Is this the last we will see in new significant Symbian phones from Nokia ? …. the New N900 is now on the Maemo5 platform.
Perhaps this is the starting step … much is being made about pending Maemo6 and that that will be the time that technology switches in Nokia.

Just trying to weigh up whether to get N97mini or N900
Anish

N 97 Mini or N900 ?
That is my problem
ash

I have a N97 and its the best!!
Crispy

I agree with Anish. Recently discovered the N900, I’m stuck on the decision of n97 and n900. The ability of n900, minus the tilt screen and the dpad. dunno. S60 v5 still boring to operate…
KLO

My unique situation is that I have about 2,800 people listed in my “contact” list.

I purchased the N97 when it was introduced in July 2009 and it work well until the firmware was updated in mid November 2009, then the N97 stop working when it was mated with a bluetooth headset. The symptoms are that the “contact” list could not be read and calls cannot be made and calls cannot be received with the bluetooth engaged. The N97 also froze up or the unit would blank or black out. So, Nokia was informed and the N97 was sent in for repairs.

The N97 went back and forth to Palco (Nokia’s repair facilities) every week for a month, four times for repairs but to no avail. Nokia’s Palco had even exchanged the unit with another new replacement unit, but the problem still was the same with the new unit as well. This situation was never resolved and the “upper” management of Nokia 97′s technical sector was called in and they were also frustrated as well. Management had given me several options as to resolve the situation. First, as to refund my money “prorated” or to replace it with the “newly” N97 Mini or with the “newly” N900. Since I had ALREADY owned the N900 when introduced in November 2009, that option was out of the equation. The two choices left, were to accept a prorated refund or to accept the Mini. I went with the later because the Mini should be like the N97 for I always liked the N97 workability with my habits of usage when I am in the field. Also the Nokia technicians had believed that the problem that I am having does not exists in the Mini, for they claim there are differences with the two units. Well, I accepted the Mini with reluctance, due to a smaller screen and with only 8G’s. Anyway, upon receiving the Mini, I downloaded the “contact” file’s data and turned on the bluetooth mode to pair it with the headset and only to find the same problem is with the Mini as well. So, with my frustration, called up the person directly that I had dealt with as to inform him that the situation is STILL the same. He and technicians had no clue as what the problem may be.

I then decided to experiment on my own, as to shrink the list by deleting non-essential people in my contact. It took me over 14 hours to manually reviewing and deleting over 600 people. With the deletion, only then did the Mini’s contact with the bluetooth modes do both become operable. Basically, there seems to be a “limited capacity” to the contact list and Nokia and technical staff didn’t know??? Duhhhhh is the word…..

Now about the N900? It had many problems and they had at least three updates since it introduction. The N900 operates differently then the N97 and the Mini, with very few similarities. It is actually a real computer with a phone, then a phone with a computer. There are no searching capabilities as “find.” There is NO voice prompting with the GPS. The fonts are too small and there are no ability to be enlarged them. You will need to keep your glasses with you as to read the small fonts — Not with the N97 or the Mini. In contacts where there should be a field with “fax,” it is replaced, as “another” phone listing so you will have to figure with is which upon transferring the info. One of my habits is that I like to listen to music via a bluetooth (mono) headset as to keep one ear to hear the ambient surroundings in NYC. The N900 only generating a “left” channel signal and there is NO “right” channel signal, which means you are listening to only half of the music through the one ear bluetooth headset. This is not so with the N97 or the Mini, for the two units do generated both channels into a monaural sign for the one ear headset. On another note, unless it is my imagination, the Mini is the best musical sounding unit then the N97 and the N900.

Also In bluetooth mode with the N900, when mated with the Nokia’s car kit that is installed in my car, the radio is CONTINUALLY “muted” even after the phone call is ended. The N900 technician told me that the N900 bluetooth is not supposed to have worked with the car unit and they don’t understand why mine did??? I could not believe my ears…

By the way, the N900 contact does hold my 2,700 plus listing of people in “contacts” with no problems…. So…….
Always

@KLO: Thanks for your comparison of the N97, N97 mini & the N900. I was looking for an upgrade to my 5800, and I initially wanted the N900 because of its fast processor and that it’s more of a computer than a phone. I read that the N97 & the N97 mini have the same processor speed as the 5800, and I wanted something as fast as the iPhone.

However, after much thought, I realized my smartphone usage is more on multi-media (music, video, photo, and paint pad!), social networking (via nimbuzz) and fast surfing (opera mini). I read that most Java apps don’t work with the N900!

And so I’m down to N97 vs N97 mini. I’m gonna buy the N97 due to the 32gb on board memory and larger screen.
http://----------------------- ashkan

wich one n97mini or n97 ?

s.o.s. please help me with this
ap

i hav bought n97 mini recently. It is my 1st smartphone. Operatin system is not good, many problems. But i like its display but build-in speaker is very bad. Headset is exellent & great sound quality… I hav no car & dont need fm transmitter more storage. 8gb mem is enough 4 my usage. As new, happy with mini…
Pechu

The N97 mini is better when compared to N97 when it comes to price, firmware and size. A lot of software complaints came up on the N97. But still, the N97 mini runs on the same symbian OS which will give software problems like memory low, hang, sudden re-boot … if you load it with lot of appz and don’t maintain it properly.

On the other hand, the N900 which runs the linux OS – Maemo 5 has no flaws in the OS. Except for few problems like most of the appz only support the landscape mode and not the portrait mode. The N900 is also bulky, heavy and costly.

Summary here according to few experts.

Nokia N97 – Feature rich. Little bulky.
Nokia N97 mini – Feature rich. Slim and cheap. (Best Buy at present)
Nokia N900 – New technology, first of its kind. So wait and buy for your own good. We may see a upgrade in the future.

My idea! –> None of these phone’s true power and features can be used and enjoyed in India at the moment. Coz, the 3G is just coming up and its expensive now. So after 1 or 2 years these phones will be of great use. But if you wish to buy one of these for now go for the N97 mini.. seriously why waste money??
charbel

i prefer to bye the nokia n97.
http://www.libimseti.cz Andrea……………

Best phone is Nokia n97 Mini but. All nokias crash all the time. …..But i dont ceer what phone i got at least you can call from it, And send messages….
http://www.libimseti.cz Andrea……………

Lol You lot daft spending money for a stupid phone.. Rada save up… Cz you wont take the phone to grave 2…. lol
alex54

I need some help I want to buy a smartphone.
But I don´t know If i would buy the Nokia N97 our the Nokia N97 mini
Give me some help !!!
Mike Essex UK

Thanks to all for your comments, they have been a real help, even though I picked up my N97 Mini on a 2 year T-Mobile Tesco Supermarket deal back in February. I did not have much advice towards which was better after asking a few stores & web forums other than the N97 had less downloadable software availabilty & had a few hicups, I was more interested in the N97 due to it’s D-Pad and larger screen & also a real QWERTY keypad was a must (after losing an eye in a car crash, touching a screen that is flat causes my finger to miss the small flat screen tabs, if I can touch a button, it helps). SO…stuck on contract with the N97 Mini, a nice leather cover-case, I still need to take time to play & learn all the bits it can provide, I originally wanted the FLASHPLAYER it came with, so that was one pro sorted (my Google G1 phone did the YouTube stuff, but failed to allow on-line plays to work from most websites). I was also only able to find the N97 was available with 3 Mobile & I had some disputes with them so thought the N97 Mini was the only product to fit my keen “wanna get it now” moment (that’s a 2 year choice now!). It does the email stuff and fills in the space when my laptop/netbook isn’t with me, so I hope it keeps me ok as new phones will become more impressive year by year.
http://twkang_089@hotmail.com Bryant

Acually i like n97mini…bt,i hear from my frind..some times…it wil hang..haiz…duno what should do…
tito

Helooo…. i guess that is the nokia n97 not as good as the mini bcs the mini is better qualty it is metal cover but the nokia n97 plastic it will be brack if u use it in a bad way ,and for the softwar the two are the same u can see that on nokia web site but the general says that is the nokia n97 better than the min i guess not becose the mini is smoler beter qualty all of that makes it better and it is made in finland the mother land of nokia so it is high qualty mobile and i use the nokia n97 mini for 4 months it is perfect all tecnology u want is in it so i guess if any one wants a great mobile….buy the nokia n97 mini is better but that is don’t mean that is the nokia n97 is a bad mobile no but the n97 mini is better in some things so i guess that is the two are great mobiles and we hope that nokia will gives us a new great mobiles.
Gee

some stated facts don’t apply for my mini such as the 1200mah batt I got 1500 and mine was cheaper then the normal n97 so…. not saying this is a bad review but I think nokia made some versions
Abhi

mini has won the battle
shamrat1993

i think n97 mini is the bestest choice as it is slim, stylish & easy to carry. It is also cheaper than the fatty n97 & got almost the same features.
Munna

I will buy n97 mini
whielly1234

im the n97 mini, its the best, just dat the screen easily gets scratches
kenneth

thankyou! finaly a clear report over the 2 phones, i’ll go for the old en big one
Youri

I have them both, whaha
http://twitter.com/jadejavu Jade Bryan

I already sold my n97 mini..it was a big leap when I have my N8. S^3 and hardware are amazing.
Rikdr222

Well, that was quite a long sentence.
M**H**S

N97 IS THE BEST OF AAALLLLLL…. BELIEVE ME…
negi4ever

ahh, i’m getting confused…. both r g8… i’ve mini bt i’m also like big one.:);)