iPod killer?

[Aaron]

I hate the phrase "iPod killer" as it's waaaaay over-used. A company rolls out any phone that can play mp3s and suddenly the media hype it up as the device that will kill the iPod.

However, Nokia have just announced the N91 and I think that it's got a chance to at least compete with the iPod. Let's look at the specs:

• 4GB HD
• 3G support
• 802.11b/g WiFi
• 2MP camera with auto-focus Carl Zeiss lens
• A regular 3.5mm headphone socket
• Stereo bluetooth headset support
• Visual radio
• SymbianOS v9

Imagine the possibilities - syncing your music collection over wifi, sharing music with your friends wirelessly and even downloading tracks directly from the internet to your device. Looks promising.

[Nick F]

I really like the look of this phone, this kind of stuff can already be done with the C500 though. I cant wait until nokia dump that crappy OS and move into the smartphone market.

[Swafe]

Wifi on a phone is a genius idea, I thought it would be good before.. but everyone said it would kill the battery, obviously they've sorted a decent battery for it

Imagine that, browsin' the net whereever you are in the house, it would no doubt have a full browser too, Ipod killer? I think Nokia want the PDAs and Laptops too

[Nick F]

ah and 3000 songs is a bit of a lie, thats based on 45kpbs each which is crap quality.

[Aaron]

this kind of stuff can already be done with the C500 though

What exactly can be done already on the C500? 4GB storage? WiFi? 3G? 2MP camera? Stereo bluetooth headset support?

WiFi should be a real boon. Syncing over bluetooth can be very slow if you're transferring large files.

I cant wait until nokia dump that crappy OS and move into the smartphone market.

Not going to happen. Nokia like Symbian a lot.

[Twigman]

Nokia are rubbish though.
If this was from a good company then I might be intersted

[unrealrocks]

I've been expecting them to combine all these gadgets, and now its happening - my P800 can play MP3/OGG etc. but its only flash memory so not for the iPod owner, lol. This is a good idea though.

Twigman - whats wrong with Nokia, IMO they are the one of the best manufacturers.

[Surgeon]

no chance, ipod wins all

[Twigman]

Nokia have been proven to have bad interfaces for their equipment...you can only use it because you have used a nokia before.
They got old grannies and stuff to use phones to see which was easiest to test. And I believe Sony Ericsson came out on top, with nokia at the bottom...

Also (and this is purely my pov...) Nokia seem to have a chav status...its what all the chavs want innit?

[Jonny M]

I've never had a problem with any Nokia phone. And I can use them, so I don't care if grannies can't.

[Stewart]

The N91 is looking so good. I am buying one the day, no, the hour, no, the minute, no! The *second* they are released.

One of these beauties and a Sony PSP and you are good to go.

[unrealrocks]

Nokia have been proven to have bad interfaces for their equipment...you can only use it because you have used a nokia before.
They got old grannies and stuff to use phones to see which was easiest to test. And I believe Sony Ericsson came out on top, with nokia at the bottom...

Also (and this is purely my pov...) Nokia seem to have a chav status...its what all the chavs want innit?

Okey fair point - I find Nokias easy to use but as you said its prob down to the fact I've used them before.

I'd love to see an old grannie use a P series SE - totally fools my friends, lol.

[autopilot]

Damn it, I was going to get the Sony k750i or the W800i. Might have to wait now. Darn you Nokia!

I hope they have got it right this time. Nokia's atempts at MP3 phones have been terrible so far.

[Aaron]

Nokia have been proven to have bad interfaces for their equipment...you can only use it because you have used a nokia before.
They got old grannies and stuff to use phones to see which was easiest to test. And I believe Sony Ericsson came out on top, with nokia at the bottom...

If you find the URL for that, I'd be very interested in reading it. There's been a lot of books written on why Nokia have been so successful and all of the ones that I've read have concluded that a major factor for their success has been their consistent and eays-to-use UI.

Having said that, there was a recent study in the US into how easy it was for users to download and apply ringtones and wallpapers bought via the operators' download service. Nokia Series 60 (the UI used on most of their smartphones) came bottom with about 25% of users being able to complete the tasks. Surprisingly, LG came top with a 99% successs rate and Kyocera came second.

I hope they have got it right this time. Nokia's atempts at MP3 phones have been terrible so far.

Agreed. I'm optimistic about this phone. At the very least, it looks like they've dumped their stupid propreitary connectors for industry standards (3.5mm audio jack, mini-USB data cable).

My main concern is the PC-side software - Nokia haven't exactly got a good track record in that department either. I think Apple has proven that to be successful in the HD-based mp3 player market, you need easy-to-use sync/library software with a tightly integrated music store. I wouldn't be surprised if you can sync everything through Windows Media Player with the N91 and I'm not sure if that will be good enough.

[Twigman]

Um i'd have to google...it was quite a while ago admittedly, but I would say it still stands. (well in my opnion anyway...)
It was interesting though.
I think Nokia do an ok job, and have hit their target market which is a large number or users...
But just because a Ford Fiesta is the most sold car in the UK doesnt make it the best/easiest to drive etc...(Probably no a fiesta, but you get the point...)
So yeah Nokia have done well as a company trying to sell phones, but maybe from the consumers point of view not quite as well?
Sorry I realise this is going off topic, but I would be interested in other peoples comments on this matter.

[scotty6435]

If it 'recommends' saving at 45kbps then chances are the audio quality will suck. Also, just because it has a carl zeis lens doesn't mean it'll take good pictures. In maybe a year or 2 we will see multifunction phones/MP3 players/cameras with good enough quality to be a viable alternative to the 3.