Tech Specs

Hardware

Display

Connectivity

Processor

GPU

Memory

Storage

Front Camera

Rear Camera

Software

Interface

Sensors

Battery

• 6.0

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  Reviewed by volodoscope (Currently owns)

  July 2, 2012 01:01 pm

  Nokia really had a great product and they completely abandoned it and left it to die. I had this phone for about 8 days and couldn't get everything I wanted out of it. The main thing that stuck out to me is that this phone fits more into 2008 time, but not 2011-2012 when people are used to eco-systems of Apple, Google and Microsoft. Nokia really doesn't have any apps. That's one of the main cons about this phone. I couldn't find things I used on my older iPhone. Twitter app was there but it didn't work, facebook app was a very old version of facebook. Other apps seemed like they were build by some amateur developer and looked totally ugly.
  The great things I found about this phone were:
  -battery life is very good
  -User Interface is amazing. Simple, elegant and though through.
  -industrial design
  -great call quality and reception

  The bad things:
  -although it is AMOLED screen it's really bad resolution, I saw a lot of lines where there were gradients, there were also random colored spots and they looked like if the screen was dirty from the inside the phone
  -browser is a joke
  -a lot of gimmick and copying from Apple iOS and Android, pretty low for Nokia (even phone packaging is exactly like iPhone box, kind of funny)
  -no apps, horrible App Store
  -maps also never worked properly and were very choppy, looked like a totally different experience from the rest of phone's UI
  -connection issues with social networks
  -no future support from Nokia

  Overall, the phone could have been amazing and could compete with major phones in 2011-2012, but with lack of development, support from Nokia and interest from consumers, this this is just another geek's toy for a week. I went back to my iPhone.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 7
  • Camera(s) 7
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 6
  • Software 4
  • Battery life 7
  • Ecosystem 2

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• 8.0

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  Reviewed by trivialex (Currently owns)

  June 26, 2012 01:17 am

  While this device only gets a low 8, there is no other phone currently on the market that I'd rather own. It's about the perfect size, I love the 'always-on' clock and notifications. I love the openness of the platform. And despite the dearth of apps, short a good crossword puzzle app, it's got everything I need. Hardware wise, the design is really good, though the top and bottom edges do dig into the palm a bit when holding it in certain orientations, and the USB cover flap is delicate and vulnerable (though cheap to replace, BTDT). I don't notice the pentile display, and the deep blacks are great.

  Camera is nothing special, but performance is good for a cell phone.

  The performance is fine, and the software is fantastic. Yeah, there's not many apps, but the interface is so intuitive and fluid. I came from WebOS (via iOS, Android, and WP7), and it's nice to not give up functional multi-tasking. I love the music player, and that I can listen to the FM radio through the AWESOME speaker (that never gets muffled) without headphones for an antenna when reception is good. Email client is decent, though WP7 is the best native I've used (I don't use gmail). Maps are great, though google maps is superior on Android.

  Battery life is great. Really great. If I forget to charge it over night, I always have enough juice to endure the commute and charge in the office. Also, charge times are nice and short.

  Ecosystem is a mixed bag. That it requires no additional software is a huge plus. That I can hack away at its linux innards is another perk. That the marketplace lacks much in the way of interesting offerings is a minus, but I don't really desire much beyond the basics, and the basics the phone does on it's own quite admirably.

  I love this bright blue, curvy, pentaband, open(ish), hackable little guy. It gets a bunch of comments, and is an absolute joy to use. Too bad it wound up a dead end for Nokia. I think it speaks to the tragedy of the carrier-driven market hegemony that unique, inspiring, exciting devices like this stand no chance against the uniform drudgery of the iOS/Android oligopoly. Screw the 'best' devices. This one has passion!

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 8
  • Display 7
  • Camera(s) 7
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 7
  • Software 8
  • Battery life 8
  • Ecosystem 6

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• 9.0

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  Reviewed by jrdba (Currently owns)

  April 10, 2012 05:43 pm

  I recently bought the N9 and am truly regretful that i did not purchase it earlier! I have not seen a smartphone OS that is so intuitive and amazing! Wish that trojan horse (Nokia CEO Elope) did not kill MeeGo! Left that horrible android o/s for this phone and not looking back. The system is very fluid and easy to operate. Yes fewer apps, but the majority of what i need are there, i.e. spotify, facebook, twitter, skype, foursquare, angry birds, ebuddy xms and alot more. The design is truly industrial and goes head to head with the iphone 4s. I'm constantly worried i'll drop this on the road. Will likely buy another one before Nokia stops manufacturing this.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 9
  • Camera(s) 8
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 9
  • Software 10
  • Battery life 9
  • Ecosystem 7

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• 9.0

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  Reviewed by rxc13 (Currently owns)

  January 31, 2012 09:58 pm

  This is a beautiful device. The quality of it is just outstanding and the software is just perfect. I love linux and using the N9 feels like being at home. The hardware and the design are better for me than anything else I've seen in the market. My friend with a 4S really loved the screen.

  I would have given it a 10, if Nokia had given it a chance to get it. The lack of flash and a couple of apps I want, make it lose a point. Still, the phone has a lot more functionality out of the box than anything else I've seen lately. I recommend anyone thinking about getting it, just go for it.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 10
  • Camera(s) 8
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 9
  • Software 10
  • Battery life 10
  • Ecosystem 8

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• 10.0

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  Reviewed by Maddogeco (Currently owns)

  January 24, 2012 10:13 pm

  This is simply the best phone ive ever had the pleasure of using. Ive had mine for 3 months now and i brings a smile to me face every time i use it.
  AS far as apps goes there is everything i need a few interesting games and utilies can be found in the app store. but there are a few site where developers are posting there Beta apps up for people to play with. there is no rooting needed it just a setting to switch on dev mode and allowing apps from non approved sources.

  Call quality is what you expect from Nokia- nothing short of flawless. oddly it has a front facing camera with no video calling function? Elop must of killed off that function.

  My favorite functions are the NFC and and the command line app. I can just hold my nokia BH-505 head phones to the back of the N9 the phone vibrates and the music has switched from the loud speaker to the head set. Magic.
  The Terminal app is cool i dont know many commands but its interesting just to have and 1 up iphone user.
  I would tell you to buy one, you should have bought one but unfortunately this phone is better than windows phone and that my friends was its fatal flaw . I'm sure the N9 and the MeeGo Harmattan project killed off by Microsoft. At CES this year Intel/Motorola said that X86 chips where coming to phones. They could have been in the next MeeGo phone (N10?) But that was never to be. and the gadget market is poorer for it.

  If you like gadget or Nokia or Open sourceism find a N9 and smile.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 9
  • Camera(s) 9
  • Reception / call quality 10
  • Performance 10
  • Software 10
  • Battery life 9
  • Ecosystem 9

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• 7.0

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  Reviewed by brdl04 (Currently owns)

  January 22, 2012 05:29 pm

  Great hardware with very unique software. Well worth a look, if you are interested in something different.

  The app store is something to be desired, but overall, with a few updates which are already slated, this could be a solid option.

  Nokia has really made a great product here, and my observations are backed up by many a tech writer.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 9
  • Display 7
  • Camera(s) 7
  • Reception / call quality 8
  • Performance 6
  • Software 7
  • Battery life 6
  • Ecosystem 2

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• 9.0

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  Reviewed by aikon (Currently owns)

  December 30, 2011 08:24 am

  impressive industrial design, not another iPhone-clone.
  impressive Clear Black AMOLED display which can be well seen in the sunshine..
  quite signals or call quality.
  though camera cannot compete with N8, my previous phone, but it's quite good compared with other androids.
  OMAP3630 not good, by today's standard.
  user interface is smooth enough, but time of running a app can be various.
  Nokia map and drive is very easy to use.
  battery life is on the average, shorter than symbian phones, and longer than androids.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 10
  • Camera(s) 8
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 7
  • Software 7
  • Battery life 8
  • Ecosystem 6

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• 8.0

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  Reviewed by illuminuldis (Currently owns)

  December 20, 2011 09:30 pm

  Conclusion: The best designed smartphone I have ever held, and worth the cost if you can do without the apps and love linux and truly open-source platforms.

  Pros: Innovate UX, Top-notch industrial design, durable components, open-source/customizable, great native apps/integration, one-of-a-kind experience

  Cons: Lacks an eco-system of apps & services to match iOS, Android, WP7; occasional software glitches; camera performance is spotty.

  When you hold it, it feels like a premium smartphone. The N9 feels cool to the touch and is very durable, thanks to its one-piece polycarbonate shell and curved gorilla glass.

  The UI feels natural and intuitive, making navigation for first-time users a breeze. The UI is consistently handsome, with squircles peppered throughout the OS and native apps scrolling and presenting themselves with fluidity and consistency.

  The screen is a gorgeously curved AMOLED with ClearBlack Display tech, projecting deep, rich blacks. But there are some examples of red accents showing up on the screen while white elements are being displayed.

  Voice quality is excellent, as is the overall speaker quality. Predictably, the stock headphones are garbage, though the included case fits well.

  Pre-installed apps like mail, maps, browser, drive, and music are attractive and well-designed, though the browser is not nearly as fast as iOS or Android, with webpages exhibiting significant checker-boarding even when claiming to have fully rendered. Pinch-to-zoom is smooth, and its scrolling and "bouncing" physics can rival an iPhone.

  I received my N9 with some bloatware that was pre-installed by the retailer, but once I flashed my device to the new software version (PR 1.1), the performance of the device improved markedly. Occasional software glitches persist with the new firmware, including lag in loading apps and others sometimes crashing, but overall the N9 works exceptionally well.

  You'll find a few nice apps here and there, but overall the store is weak, lacking key titles available on other platforms. There are some high quality games (Angry birds, Samurai Vengeance, Roboto etc), and more apps and games trickle into the store every day, while third-party websites enable sideloading. Emulators, such as Emumaster, essentially expand the number of gaming titles into the hundreds, if not thousands.

  The camera should be better, given its 8 MP Carl Zeiss lens and f/2.2 aperture, but a grainy look with green tinges ruins some photos. Nokia is expected to update the camera software on the N9 and its Lumia 800 cousin, and it can't come soon enough.

  Since MeeGo is essentially open-source, there are tons of adjustments, effects, and gestures you can add either through apps or direct coding.

  Overall, the quality of the device as a one-off makes for a uniquely innovative, if unfinished, experience. For the same price you could buy a top-notch Android or iPhone, but unless you need the ecosystem, the N9 is just as good, if not better.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Display 8
  • Camera(s) 7
  • Reception / call quality 9
  • Performance 8
  • Software 9
  • Battery life 8
  • Ecosystem 4

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