Nokia N95 vs. Nokia N95 8GB
Posted by Christian Titze in N-Series, N95, N95 8GB, Nokia, Review, S60, Symbian, WOM-World 
Since april 2007 the Nokia N95-1 „classic“ is available in Europe. Later it came to America under the name N95-3. In november 2007 it´s successor, the Nokia N95-2 8GB, was published.
But is it worthy successor for the N95-1? This test will find it out!
At first the two boxes:

As you can see, both devices come in a similar box.
Now I want to show you the pre-installed video on each device:

The N95 comes with a neat silver front and keypad, the backsides´ color you can choose by yourself. You can choose either „Deep Plum“ or „Sand“. In the last months Nokia published also other colors like red, white, blue, black, etc.. The lightings of the keypad are blue, and in the area around the navigation-key white. On the batterycover there´s written „Nokia“ in silver.

The N95 8GB comes in total black except the navigation-keys and the camera-body. Under the display there´s written „Nokia“ in silver. The N95 8GB is only available in this black color. The lightings are fully white. On the batterycover there´s written „Nokia Nseries“ also in silver like on the normal N95.



The N95´s gap between the two cover´s of the slider on the right and the left side has also been fixed in the N95 8GB:

I like the design of the Nokia N95 8GB more, because it looks more nobly. I think the most male readers will agree with me, but maybe the female readers like the N95 more because of it´s backcover in „Deep Plum“ and the bright silver front.

The N95´s keypad is only in the upper part, on the slider, different to the N95 8GB´s keypad. The N95 has bigger keys than the N95 8GB in this area, so if you have thick fingers you can use it better. Even I like the navi-key of the N95 8GB more, because you get more feedback if you press it. The multimedia-keys have also been redesigned in the N95 8GB, now you get a better feedback if you press them.

The slider of the early N95´s is very wobbly if you haven´t brought your N95 to a Nokia Service Point yet. The later charge of N95´s have a better slider. If you own a N95 8GB you won´t know this feeling of using a wobbly slider because the N95 8GB has a very solid slider. If you slide the N95´s slider up and down, you will notice a sound when the slider arrives in its endposition. Unfortunately the N95 8GB doesn´t have this sound anymore. I like this neat sound everytime I slide my N95´s slider. Alltogheter I think the N95 8GB has the better handling.
Camera
Both, the N95 and the N95 8GB have a 5 megapixel camera by Carl Zeiss Optics. It´s exactly the same camera-module but the N95 8GB makes worse pictures than the N95. This is because of it´s camera with cheap plastic instead of a shutter in front of the camera. The N95 has a shutter on it´s camera to beware the lens of dirt or damage, this shutter has been removed in the N95 8GB because of it´s bigger battery. Either you like it or not, I definetely don´t like it because the lens will get scratches after a few days in your pocket. Here´s definetely the N95 the winner.
Battery
All N95-users have the same problem: The bad battery. In the first firmware´s of the N95 this was a major problem, because the battery was empty in less than two days, this problem has been solved a little bit, with the firmware´s since v20 your battery takes about four days, not good but better than before. The N95 8GB doesn´t have this problem, because it has a strong battery with 1200 mAh.
At last I´ve made a little list with the main advantages and disadvantes between the N95 and the N95 8GB:
Advantages of the N95 8GB:
- bigger display
- more RAM
- solid slider
- better battery
- better multimedia-keys
- no more background noise while calling because of the speaker
- faster W-Lan
Disadvantages of the N95 8GB:
- plastic in front of the screen (annoying in bright situations like on sunny days)
- no shutter in front of the camera
- flash is sometimes to bright in dark pictures
- worse display-quality because of the same resolution on a 0.2´´ bigger display
- small keys in the area under the display
- no slot for memory-cards
Verdict
The N95 8GB is a worthy successor for the N95-1. But if you can live with a bad battery-life, I think you should take the N95, because it has a more clearly screen and a shutter in front of the camera. It also has bigger keys in the area under the display.
And if you want a black N95, but don´t want to buy the N95 8GB, wait because in Italy there´s an original black N95 yet (the Navi-Edition), I think it will come to the other parts of Europe soon.






nice to difference . hm i think 8gb is best
the n95 8gb comes with 1050mhz battery not the 1200mhz as you have stated. it is the n95-3 which comes with 1200mhz battery. It also has the raised media keypad has a black cover and same amount of ram as n95 8gb. I think it is better in my opinion than the n95 8gb and the n95-classic and i have owned all three.
Just to add, the N95-1 now has the V21 firmware available, which further improves battery performance.
@dani2xll: Thx, I´ll edit the thing with the battery.
@GSi-R: Yes, but I´ve written: “…since v20…”
[...] Link [...]
Dani2xll, you are wrong. If you truly owned all three, you would have seen that on the BL 6F battery, it even says that it’s 1200 mAh…I don’t know where you got megahertz from…
@ Mr-X: Yeah, I´ve the same information. Now I looked it up at Nokia and it is 1200 mAh.
I don’t think Nokia released the N95 8GB as a successor of the N95. It’s just an inmproved version which fixes problems of the N95 like the battery and little RAM.
You could call the N96 “successor”.
But nice article and nice pictures.
There is any difference in GPS signal. And how both compares with the N82? Thanks
i see many N95 8GB technical specifications, it stated with (BL-6F) 1200mAH, are u sure is 1050 mAH?
Really dont think it’s worth to buy, even N95-2 cover the drawback of N95-1, but, on the other hand N95-2 create it’s own problem…however, the design is raelly irresistible
@edupel: No difference, I´ve tested it 5 minutes ago, layed down both devices near my window and started maps. Both needed about the same time for a sat-fix.
@Huo: It is 1200mAh, I´ve looked it up at Nokia!
I have both of these cell phones & out of the two I prefer using the 8 gig,bigger screen more memory & it just looks so cool.During the course of the day I use mine a lot for watching video/surfing the net/listening to music & as you would expect,its on charge quite a lot,at least once a day.Now lets see what the N96 can do.
@bery
I think the N96 is rather a sister device. The 8GB is a improved version and a little successor as well.
The N95 8GB doesn’t fix the battery problem,why do you think that?
Good example for successor is the N73 and N78 or 6220.
Well, jump from 950 mAh to 1200 mAh. I didn’t use it yet, so I can’t say it myself, but I have heard reports that battery life has been improved. But clear that the larger display wastes more energy.
See, yo haven’t use it. I’ve used them and the BL-6F doesn’t bring more batterylife.
That first pic you have in this review is a very nice one. Very product-brochure-ish.
Nice review. I might have to take a look again at the N95-8GB (NAM) as a possible replacement for my current device. It seems to do the multimedia fit very well.
Thats a one crazy gadgets
CONGRATULATION from
blogrank.info for the hot post
Nice one
@Christian Titze
yea, 1200mAH, strange, how can it be 1050mAH…
because of big screen criteria, that’s why i still struggle between N95-1 and N95-2….what a big LCD…great phone
[...] so, for all those still mulling over the problem, here are plenty of images, video and comment to help you decide which of the Nseries monsters is for [...]
[...] http://symbianworld.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/nokia-n95-vs-nokia-n95-8gb/ [...]
Strange that no one has mentioned that the N95 8GB is stuck at 8GB, whereas the N95-1 will be able to use the 12GB and 16GB cards that are due out very soon. And what about the painfully slow large file transfer speed of the N95 8GB without the aid of a USB 2 card reader?
Demand paging has sorted the N95-1 memory issues, v21 firmware has extended the battery life, the N95-1 is a clear winner for me.
s.
Navi-Edition faceplates are already on sale at ebay
@x yes you are correct it is the 1200mah but what i was specifying was that the n95 8gb did not come with this battery. Also the lights on the n95-3 are white as the n95 8gb is and has the same raised media buttons.
[...] A few days ago I made a comparision between the N95 and the N95 8GB. Both are very good phones, but in some aspects the N95 is better. One of these aspects is the camera. Today I want to show you a comparision between the N95´s and the N95 8GB´s camera. [...]
[...] the last few days I´ve made some comparison´s between the Nokia N95 and N95 8GB. I´ve made a main comparison, a camera comparison and a comparison between the old and the new [...]
[...] N95 vs. N95 8GB [...]
guys. can someone tell me which one is better now? coz actually im just gonna buy n95 8gb because of its colour xD
I don´t like that non-bright aspect of the N95 8GB…
Seems old… The N95-1 accept memory card of 8GB without any problem… So if you alredy have the N95-1 just wait the N96… Hugs! God bless all of us… Bye!
how much memory cud the classic n65 hold?
n95*
The N95-1 can use memorycards with capacities up to 32GB.
N95 8G is the best
Well…….that was great man…. i liked your post…..i was thinking of buying in between these two…..but man you really helped me in choosing between these two machines….:)….thanx once again, keep going, keep helping people and keep posting like this……i really loved that post and i’ll soon buy n95-1 coz i love to take pictures. and i need best camera which has n95-1 has…and ofcourse lens cover…sharp display…!!! THANX BUDDY ONCE AGAIN….you really helped me!!!!!!
I have both phone for me the best is the N95-1. Why ?? because you can upgrade is external memory up to 16GB for now, but later you’ll be able to put the 32GB memory card, the only thing you need to do is upgrade your N95-1 to be able to accept the memory card.
it will also improve the battery life + the RAM and the camera is protect(the N95 8GB dont have a cover lens at all).
The problem with the N95 8GB is you are stuck with 8GB + is horribly slow transfering files from the PC to the N95 8GB.(vice-versa) The only good thing with the N95 8GB is the battery (1200mah) + if you upgrade the phone it will improve the battery life of the phone
Now let’s talk about the N96. Is a great improvement, but you’ll lose the 3D graphic chip. But the N96 can go up to 16 internal + 16 GB = 32 GB of memory that amazing !!!
If you have to decide wich one to take, take the N96 it is the best of 3, but if you dont have the money for it, try to take the N95 (i dont Know if you can find it now it an old phone!!).
I think the Nokia N95 better than the Nokia N95 8GB.
The Nokia N95 is a protection for the lens, which is unfortunately not the case on the Nokia N95 8GB.
This call them improve?
A larger screen with more lights that eat more power, which is what I call no improvement.
The N95 8GB is also slower than the N95.
I have the Nokia N95, and my father, the N95 8GB, and it is at that mine is faster to use than that of him.
All the latest denounced not everything!
I had forgotten what to say!
The Nokia N95 8GB is no slot for an extra memory card, and he always is 8GB.
The Nokia N95 has an extra slot for an extra memory card to 16GB.
That is twice the Nokia N95 8Gb memory together!
And the color of the Nokia 8GB black, is not even me.
You can not choose what color you want him.
The Nokia N95 has that choice too!
If I could choose between the good old Nokia N95 with more choice than the new Nokia N95 8GB with less choice, then I chose the Nokia N95.
nokia n95&95 8gb i love v so much
KU muna me gjet me ble me paket te ri per 200 euro ..