Video quality is surprisingly good. My expectations from previous mobile video viewing experiences were pretty low, but the N95 8GB actually stood up pretty well in this respect. Indeed, I've already used the video recording functionality at events, but need to work on steadying my hand or make use of a tripod. It records at resolutions up to 640 x 480 and there are noticeable compression artefacts but for YouTube type material it's fine.
The device I reviewed came bundled with the movie Spider Man 3. The picture quality is very watchable and having it pre-loaded on the handset provides a useful way of whiling away the hours commuting for those who either haven't seen it or liked it so much they want to view it again and again.
Much like its predecessor, the N95 8GB's AV cable offers you a quick and easy way of transferring your mobile goodness (be it pictures, video or whatever) onto a larger screen format. Again, the landscape mode provides full-screen enjoyment of your chosen display subject. This option for me is of real business value as it minimises the amount of kit you need to lug around to and from meetings. Similarly, it gives you the capability of turning the device into a portable movie and although not quite DVD quality, again films are eminently watchable on a large widescreen TV using the AV cables.
Playing music on the device is also a pleasure and one people are likely to use, which is saying something given the popularity of the iPod. Users can also make use of Nokia's music store if they have a particularly big appetite for such things.
As far as gaming is concerned, the built-in N-Gage platform might appeal to those who need to get their gaming fix on the move but don't want to carry around their usual handheld console around.
People always expect upgrades to rock their worlds and usually end up disappointed when, much like films, the sequel fails to live up to expectations. With the N95 8GB however, Nokia has demonstrated a business-class device that, in the main, is a delight rather than a burden to use.
Despite a new entrant to the smartphone arena in the form of Apple's featherweight-but-feisty iPhone, Nokia is still pulling punches with the N95 8GB. Inevitably this phone will be supplanted by the recently announced Nokia N96, which packs a whopping 16GB as standard and can be boosted to 24GB by SD cards. Until then though, the Nokia N95 8GB will continue to be a big hit among business users and consumers alike.
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Verdict
Although some of the enhancements over its predecessor are minor, they make a big difference to the user experience and deliver a device that's better behaved and more primed for business than its predecessor.
Size: 99 x 53 x 21 mm
Weight: 128 g
Battery type: Li-ion 1,200maH
Talk time (mfr: ) up to 360 mins
Standby time (mfr: ) 280 hours
GSM frequencies: quad-band 850, 900, 1800, 1900
3G/HSDPA: Yes, HSDPA
Screen size: 2.8in
Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
On-board memory: 8GB
Memory card type: none
Camera: 5-megapixels
Connectivity: Infrared, Bluetooth
Wi-Fi: Yes, 802.11b/g
