So, I’ve had the N95-3 for a week and perhaps that’s enough time to take a look at it again. Things that I’ve grown to really love and things that can get annoying.
The WiFi is absolutely great. It is annoying how the OS asks you to choose an access point every single time instead of using preferred networks. But apart from that, connection takes very little time and at least on Columbia University’s network, speeds are very good. The S60 browser is nice but you can also install Opera Mini which works well too! For instant messaging, I installed fring. It takes care of all the IM clients I use so in a way, it’s like Pidgin.
The phone is relatively responsive and it takes a lot to slow it down. Not having a Task Manager built-in means that you can’t just open it and shut down applications that aren’t in use. The camera does its job well and almost feels like a standalone digicam. The music player is good as long as you pair it with decent ‘phones. Actually, Nokia bundles a decent pair of earphones but they fit poorly.
Coming from the 6230, the N95 does feel a little chunky and heavy. But it also feels solid in the hand and the matte finish in the back keeps the phone in your hand. I’m glad that I got the screen protector, otherwise my display would’ve been messed up already! The buttons are comfortable to use and I’ve been getting roughly two days from every charge. That includes about an hour of music, 1.5 hours of WiFi, some gaming, and some messaging+phone calls. So, I’m happy with that.
I’ve been slowly installing software and learning how to perform things like copy+paste, go to a new line, etc. It’s exciting and fun! Also, I managed to turn a couple of heads when I pulled out my N95 to takes pictures during a lab.
I’ve been hopelessly addicted to Snakes. My initial opinion was that this was a gimmicky version of my favorite, Snake II. However, as I started playing it more and more, I realized that this is a wonderful game. You need to get adjusted to the 3-D perspective and the tricky nature of the maps but it’s a lot of fun. I’m almost through with all the stages and want MOAR! While the game fun and all, the fact that the S60 menu and multimedia keys lie right next to the navigation controls gets annoying. I press one of the two keys accidentally a lot and then have to wait for the multimedia menu to load so that I can quit it and then go back to playing the game. It would be nice if there was a way to disable those two keys during gaming. They get in the way of the fun.
I should also add in a note on the display. It’s gorgeous. The viewing angle on this thing is amazing - there’s barely any loss in quality even at the largest of viewing angles!
What’s next? I’m going to try and figure out how to get the 3G video call camera to work with something like fring or Skype and make video calls over WiFi. I also need to change all my ringtones and find some good wallpapers! I’ll be back with the One Month Report when the time comes. More posts are forthcoming once I survive three midterms this week.
