This manual approach is nothing compared to those that have experienced the joys of the iPhone's accelerometer. Nokia has actually integrated this feature into the N95, but it's not supported by the Symbian Series 60 by default, which is a shame, instead relying on third-party applications.
Moving on from the material appearance of the device, the real beauty of the N95 8GB is, much like its predecessor, on the inside. What we have before us is a gem in terms of features and functionality.
In terms of battery life, Nokia is claiming a talk time of up 300 minutes for GSM, which I'd say is pretty accurate depending on your usage habits. My recent attendance at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona proved a case in point at how, battery-wise, a little can go an awfully long way. I spent a great deal of time gabbing on the phone to arrange, cancel and reschedule meetings, as well as conducting interviews, and I didn't need to give recharging a second thought until some time later.
Call quality-wise, Nokia has done a good job. My review phone was on the Vodafone network and I didn't have a single call drop out on me and, apart from the exceptions such as when on a high-speed train journey or in my seaside apartment, signal has always been three bars or higher in strength.
The 3.5G device offers a veritable feast of connectivity options, which certainly comes in handy for web browsing. Although not as pretty to look at, as say the iPhone, HSDPA makes the experience a speedy one. Alternatively, thanks to integrated Wi-Fi (impressively 802.11g compliant), you can connect to a hotspot, which is a real plus for business users.
Other connectivity options include USB (which is essential for business users wishing to transfer documents on to this mini computer), Bluetooth and Infrared.
Application-wise, the N95 8GB is the business, with Quickoffice and Adobe Reader document viewing facilities on tap, meaning you can take your work with you without having to always lug a notebook around. Couple this with a wireless keyboard and you've got the epitome of flexible, anytime, anywhere working, albeit on a relatively small screen.
In terms of storage, the clue is in the name; yes, there's 8GB of internal flash memory and up to 128MB of internal dynamic memory. Although I have to say I, as most business users will be no doubt, was disappointed at the absence of an SD card slot to beef up the phone even further.
