N97 mini VS X6

Before I continue, I just want to clarify that this blog is not about mobile phone review and it is also not free commercial advertisement for Nokia. I don’t call it a review because I only start to use this phone since last 3 days, although I know I’m a genius :p but I still not a specialist in writing those technical blogs.

Ok, why I bought me and my wife a new phone?

I have been using S.E. K610i since around 4 years ago, and I bought it together with my buddy, Nic. It is a good phone, but recently, it start giving some problems. Mine phone start to hang once a while and my wife’s phone sometime the volume is too low. So, I start searching the net for a new phone since last month.

Other than the mentioned reasons, two very strong “excuses” for me to acquire a new phone.

First, I need a phone that has wifi. Ya, I think if you know me, then you will know I will get myself online whenever I can. From PSP to pocket PC, I try to get myself to net whenever I received the wireless signal.

Second, I need a GPS. I always get lost in the city, so I really need to get myself a GPS, although I already have a beautiful live GPS with me :p

So, I start to do the study. Symbian, Android, iPhone, Meomo, …

iPhone is definitely out of my list. Not because I don’t like iPhone, it’s expensive in the first place and a personal reason that lead me away from considering this phone.

I don’t like Blackberry, so it is out.

Now only left Symbian and Android phones.

Ok, I know Symbian is dying. No doubt that Symbian^1 is old and Symbian^3 is still in the lab. But when you look at the market, Symbian is still dominating the market of mobile OS. I hope by introducing the Symbian^3, it wouldn’t end like PalmOS.

I like Android although I haven’t uses it before. I got confident with Google. But, when talking about Android, the first thing come out from my mind is HTC. I never doubt of Google capability, but I doubt the name of HTC. It reminds me of O2 and dopod. I just hope HTC will not end like these two brands.

Other than the bad history of HTC, the price also stops me from looking at it. Then the second brand come out from my mind is S.E.

I was used to be the S.E. supporter. When that time Nokia is screwed up with its stupid phones, S.E. shows us hopes, that why I bought K610i. But today, S.E. didn’t continue to develop its phones. All the high end models are either using Android or Symbian. Xperial X10 is huge, nice hardware but using Android 1.6 -.- and the price is stoping all the poor man like me to think to own it. X10 mini is too small, X8 is still in the lab. Satio & Viva is expensive in the first place, and why I want to get a S.E. phone that use Nokia’s OS? If Symbian is originated for Nokia and it don’t perform well in Nokia, how can it perform better in S.E.? So, S.E. is out.

Samsung i5700 is another choice. Running on Android 2.1 with 800Mhz CPU and it is only cost around RM1100 (AP set), it should be a good choice. Too bad, the phone is a mid range phone with lousy camera that do not come with flash. Galaxy S is too expensive. So, that’s end of my consideration of getting a Samsung.

Now left Nokia. I choose N97 mini for myself and X6 for my wife, since she sent me an email with a big cross on the N97 :p

I was thinking getting myself a X6, but after that I changed my mind and get a N97 because it suit more to an old working guy. X6 is more suitable for teenage.

Thanks to Nic for helping me to get the phones and I accidentally poisoned him to get the X10. He is confirmed a rich man.

Once I power up my N97, I happy that I make a good choice. The keyboard is just awesome. The interface is OK, the respond is acceptable for an old man, and stability is ok although I make it hang for few times.

X6 touch screen is much better and sensitive than N97. I love its touch screen. When those days, people call a resistive screen a touch screen, now they should call the resistive screen a “press” screen and the term touch screen should reserved for capacitive screen. When my wife saw my N97 stylus, she is so happy to ask me to give it to her. Then I told her too bad that she can’t use the stylus because the screen is designed for human hand. Poor wife :p, now she need to learn how to use the phone in the teenage way.

So, both phones are good. N97 mini is convenience with the keyboard, the UI is ok. X6 got a very nice touch screen and bigger internal memory. Both come with a very sharp camera with flash. A little bit slow with the slow CPU speed, but overall it is acceptable. So get a N97 if you want to look pro and matured, and get X6 if you want to feel or look young.

The OS is quite complicated if you want to use the full power of the phone and it will hang when doing complicated tasks. Well, totally acceptable by me, even an i7 will hang with Win7, not to say an old OS with low speed gadget.