N91

Nokia is taking aim at the iPod and while that might seem like risky business, it's not when that device also converges a mobile phone and PDA features into a very sexy package. Though large and heavy by phone standards, the N91 feels good in hand and oozes quality thanks to its beautiful stainless steel casing. This triband GSM smartphone has a 4 gig hard drive which holds approximately 1,000 songs, similar to the higher capacity iPod nano. It supports MP3, WMA and AAC formats among others and can sync to iTunes on the Mac and Windows Media Player 10 on Windows.
First let out of the bag in 2005, the N91 finally shipped in mid-2006. In 2005 the phone seemed sheerly amazing, and now it's impressive but not the only kid on the block to sport large storage and music playback capabilities. Though it's still the only one to combine a powerful smartphone with Outlook syncing, 2 megapixel camera, FM radio, WiFi, Bluetooth and a very capable web browser. The N91 is a triband phone that supports the 900/1800/1900MHz bands.

Design and Ergonomics

The headphone jack is located on the phone's top edge (you can plug in the included Nokia music controller or your own 3.5mm stereo headphones). The lock slider switch is also up top as is the power button. The battery lives under the snug fitting back cover and the SIM card is under the battery. The large camera lens window is located on the upper back of the N91.
The S60 programs launcher button is located on the right side (we miss it being on the front face since it's often used) and the volume up/down buttons are on the upper left side while the standard mini USB sync port is on the lower left side. The phone's large speaker grill is also on the upper left side. The front face is dominated by the large display and music playback controls. Slide down the music control section to reveal the number pad with tiny blue backlit keys and the usual S60 Pencil and C(lear) keys. The number keys are a bit small for easy and speedy dialing but we do love that the music playback controls work even when the slider is down.
Though large, the device feels good in hand thanks to its gentle curves. And it's not too hard to hold onto, despite the slick stainless steel casing. We won't berate the N91 for being overly large and heavy because nothing it competes against is more petite. PDA and smartphones tend to be large, so say you wanted to use a Treo 700p and Nokia E61 as your converged phone, PDA and music player. They are no smaller and hold half the music, assuming a 2 gig SD card.

If you're looking for a triple convergence device that marries a portable music player, phone and PDA the Nokia N91 is worth a look. It's attractive, stable, has great call quality and phone features and good syncing to desktops. The web browser is excellent, though the relatively low screen resolution prevents it from living up to its potential and the email client is reliable with business class features (though no push email). To top it off, the phone has a very good camera and nice imaging applications. And don't forget that 4 gig hard drive! The only drawbacks are the N91's size, weight and price tag. But it's certainly lighter, smaller and cheaper than purchasing and carrying 3 separate devices.

Specs:
Display: 262K color (18 bit) LCD. Resolution: 176 x 208 pixels.
Battery: 850 mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable. Nokia BL-5C.
Performance: ARM compatible processor, undisclosed speed. 15 megs of shared flash memory and 4 gig internal hard drive for storage.
Size: 4.45 x 2.17 x 0.87 inches. Weight: 5.78 ounces.
Phone: GSM triband, 900/1800/1900MHz with 3G on the 2100MHz band (not used in the US), EDGE and GPRS for data.
Camera: 2.0 megapixel camera with CMOS sensor, 4.8mm focal length, f3.2. 1600 x 1200 max resolution with support for lower resolutions suitable for MMS and Caller ID photos. Video recording up to 352 x 288 with audio in MPEG4 and 3GP formats.
Audio: Built in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack. Comes with Nokia AD-36 adapter with inline playback controls and Nokia HS-28 stereo earbuds. 3.5mm stereo to stereo RCA connector cable included (Nokia CA-72U). Integrated music player that supports MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, Real, WAV, WMA, M4A and AMR formats.
Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 1.2.
Software: Symbian OS 9.1 with S60 3rd Edition. Java VM, Music Player, web browser, Messaging client (SMS, MMS, POP3 and IMAP email), PIM applications (contacts, calendar, tasks, notes), voice recorder, Gallery, Converter, Calculator, File Manager, RealPlayer, FM Visual Radio, Profiles, Speed Dial, Voice Command, theme manager, application manager, Transfer (transfer contacts, calendar and some phone settings to or from another S40 or S60 phone), Activation Keys (manages DRM on multimedia files), World Clock.
Expansion slot: None.