The long wait is over (and how)

MANILA, Philippines – A question I am always is asked is, “Is there any new gadget available yet?”

Yup, I am one of those folks who like to keep an eye on what is new. Blame it on the ever-changing, very fickle, speed-of-light movement of the age of technology. There is always something new out there — no matter how small or quirky.

One of the things I have learned from my Pinoy techie change-watching friends is that they are largely interested in what new cellphones are out there. I must admit, I am one big cellphone fan and I just love how creative the many manufacturers have become in making tailor-made cellphones to fit every market.

There are cellphones for those who love to text, for those who prefer to call and even for those who just want the perfect fashion accessory. Matter of fact, most folks I know own at least more than one cellphone.

“In the future I see more people using their cellphones to stay connected not just through SMS but through the Web,” said William Hamilton-Whyte, general manager of Nokia Philippines. “As people have become more mobile they will need cellphones that can access e-mail, update their Facebook status and take a quick check on the top news for the day.”

Hamilton-Whyte has said over and over again that he sees the next big thing in cellphones will be their ability to check e-mail and connect to the social networking sites. 

“If in the past we thought that SMS would not make it big, we were proven wrong,” he added. “We at Nokia believe that the cellphones that will give the best connectivity for e-mail and social networking is where it is at. Connections like this on cellphones that make it easy will be big in the near future.”

So, what’s new? You ask.

Well, for Nokia it is the Nokia N97. And, just like the Nokia cellphone watcher that I am, I made sure that I was able to get my hands on one of the units as soon as I could. Once I held it, I did not want to let it go.

I love stability, more so in these times of so much instability. And one of the first things I noticed about the Nokia N97 is that the thick tablet phone clicks open with a firm snap to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The top keypad stays open at an angle that keeps the cellphone stable no matter how many times or in how many different ways you punch the keys. The phone has a solid construction, with one of the snappiest slides I’ve ever used. It is also perfect that when the cellphone is slid closed the handset is a wonder and a joy to hold. The face has only three keys: Send, End and Menu keys, which give the N97 a look of class.

A little more about the touch interface. I love touch-screen phones. I like it when I am able to get what I have to say at the touch of the screen. With the Nokia N97, the touch-screen function does not disappoint. The home screen is a simple collection of widget panels like a Facebook widget which report incoming messages and partial status updates from friends. An e-mail widget does the same for any incoming e-mail. There is a widget to control music, a widget for the weather, and so on. Although there is nothing totally new in this function, it is great to take control by arranging the widgets in the way I want them arranged. Also, if I prefer a clean screen, that is also an option.

See the world

That personality quiz on Facebook, movie schedule for Ice Age 3 and updates on Michael Jackson are all just a click away in the Nokia N97.

“The Nokia N97 is an important step toward our vision of delivering a highly personalized online experience,” said Hamilton-Whyte. “Fueled by a multitude of music, maps, games, media and applications via Ovi, the Nokia N97 transforms the Internet into your Internet, an experience that’s completely tailored to the tastes and interests of its owner.”

And then there is the space. Really, what good is a cellphone nowadays if it does not have lots of space to store all the files we need? 

Check the specs: The Nokia N97 also has multiple high-speed connectivity options and 32GB of storage (up to 48GB using a microSD card) so it’s possible to directly download hot new tracks from the Nokia Independent Artists Club and store tens of thousands of songs on the handset. High-quality images and video clips at 30 frames per second can be captured using the five-megapixel camera with integrated Carl Zeiss optics. Images can also be geo-tagged to specific locations and shared instantly with friends or uploaded online to Ovi Share, Twitter or Flickr.

What I like best

ONE. The keyboard is nice and wide, and is plenty easy for typing. Don’t you just hate it when there is a full QWERTY keyboard but the letters are too small to see or the space between letters makes it hard to type when you are in a hurry? Even with the four-way button, the keyboard is large, and each letter gets its own soft and rubbery key. If you are traditional and prefer to use the N97 in the traditional way there is a software keyboard available on-screen. The texting and typing choice is yours.

TWO. The phone comes with 32GB of on-board memory and 16GB microSD. That means there is 48GB total memory. Music transfers are handled via microUSB over a USB 2.0 connection. We like the many options, and the ability to charge the phone while transferring songs over microUSB.

THREE. The Nokia Nseries devices really offer great Web browsing ability, and the Nokia N97 does an admirable job. And, for the social networkers among you, the bloggers, the folks who really need to be connected all the time anytime, this is one phone worth taking a second, third, fourth look at — and one worth its peso value.

FOUR. This is the second Nokia handset with tri-band HSDPA and it’s awesome they’ve finally come around. In addition to the UMTS sex appeal, you’ve also got a quad-band EDGE radio, Bluetooth 2.0, an FM transmitter A-GPS, and Wi-Fi all built in. 

FIVE. For talkers like me sound quality is just as important as connectivity to the Web. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it — Nokia seriously knows how to make good voice-calling cellphones. Phone calls made with the N97 were loud and sounded bright. 

There are so many reasons to love a cellphone. And the Nokia N97 is one cellphone that I have fallen in love with again. Matter of fact, people who have seen the unit borrow it from me to test — and then they threaten not to return it anymore. That’s how good it is. The Nokia N97 is the new “to-have” cellphone. It is the handset that any S60 geek would want in his or her collection.

Don’t you just love techie cellphones?