call quality, reception, and battery life

Despite all its extra features, the N95 8GB would still flounder if it didn't have at least decent call quality. In testing, voice quality seemed above average, though not as clear as for the Sony Ericsson phones previously tested; calls were just slightly less vivid. Background noise wasn't a significant issue, however, and the quality still rose above most of the CDMA phones tried at Electronista so far.

The N95's ability to catch and hold on to a signal is very good, albeit with one caveat. While it held on to a signal very well, even towards of the inside of some cellphone-unfriendly buildings, the signal strength meter Nokia uses is harder to grasp than on most any other phone we've tried. It's an odd vertical meter that feels arbitrary compared to the simple multi-bar representations on most phones.

Longevity is also a weak point, with just 3.5 hours of calling time. That's owed partly to the use of 3G, which quickly saps battery when in use, but even idling can cause problems. Nokia's phone simply can't be left on standby overnight if it's been used significantly the day before; it either has to be plugged in or switched off entirely. Admittedly, this is less of an issue than it might otherwise be, as most smartphones often need daily recharges; it's also explainable given the existence of GPS and Wi-Fi in the same device. It's still a stark contrast to the BlackBerry Curve 8330, however. That smartphone can be in standby for days at a time before needing a battery top-up and is definitely the better choice for users who want to keep charging to a minimum.

GPS navigation

An indisputable edge for any N95 is the GPS navigation, and it's still true with the 8GB model. Nokia Maps, the built-in app, is decidedly more powerful than BlackBerry Maps; it includes built-in voice navigation (though only for driving), a pedestrian mode, and helpful toggles for enabling data assist for the GPS receiver. Unlike the Curve, the N95 can explicitly use its Internet access to speed up the mapping position lock. Turn notices are also easier to read than on its rival.

Rogers users also have access to TeleNav's subscription navigation service; this wasn't an option for testing, but it's potentially a more effective option for users who regularly depend on the phone for navigation. The costs of downloads for map data (a necessity for both apps) aren't factored into Rogers' standard data plan but come as part of the standard TeleNav service.

Neither mapping tool completely escapes the problems common to most cellphone GPS services, however. Without a permanent copy of the map set stored on the phone, the GPS navigation quickly becomes useless when wandering outside of data coverage or prohibitively expensive if roaming on an outside network. The receiver also isn't especially quick, and even with data assist can take upwards of two minutes to find your position. If quick and always-available routes are important, a dedicated GPS unit is still much more preferable to what's included.

by Jon Fingas