Before delving into the breakdown of the differences, a quick pointer to my original dual review of the two devices:
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 1 - The Hardware
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 2 - The OS, The Interface, The Apps
Nokia N97/N97 mini: part 3 - Camera, Multimedia and wrap-up
There. All caught up? Of course, you are, the N97 and N97 mini have been hugely high profile devices. The former, in particular, has rightly snagged much bad press for buggy software and hardware at release. Yes, I said hardware - specifically a noisy GPS antenna that (even after replacement) still doesn't get close to some older S60 phones and a badly designed camera glass protective shutter (the re-design of which does fix the problem).
But we now have a new baseline. Both N97 and N97 mini now have new RAM-efficient firmware, with as much as 60MB available after boot (depending on configuration, capable of running a dozen apps at once quite easily), with full kinetic scrolling in every screen, dialog and list, and with the N97 classic's camera glass now potentially scratch free. And both devices are now cheaper, I've found the Nokia N97 classic for sale, brand new, unlocked, online for £380 and the N97 mini for £350.
With this new baseline established, I think it's fair to say that both smartphones are now more desirable. Yet geeks everywhere are now, quite rightly, posing the question: "Which one do I go for?" Here's my summary of the main differences. I've allocated scores out of 10 in each of the areas where the two differ, in an objective attempt to find a 'winner'.
| Nokia N97 | Nokia N97 mini | "Steve says", plus 'scores' (where relevant, classic always listed first, then the mini) | |
| Form factor | 55mm wide, 16mm thick, 150g | 52mm wide, 14mm thick, 138g | Though the larger screen is a benefit on the N97 classic (see below), the overall form factor has to be in the mini's favour. Not only is it slimmer and more 'phone' like, the use of a stainless steel back makes it seem thinner still and the mini simply never feels bulky. The flatter angle of the hinge mechanism is also better in most people's opinion. 7pts to the N97 classic, 9pts to the N97 mini. |
| 'Internal' (system) disk (C:) | Around 50MB free out of the box | Around 290MB free out of the box | The single biggest problem with the N97 classic these days is something that can't be solved with new firmware or a Care Point visit. Once essential updates have been added, and even allowing for all third party apps installed to mass memory instead, many users are running with only 25MB or so free on disk C: Throw in Nokia Messaging or something equally hungry and the OS starts to run short of workspace on C: In contrast, the N97 mini has an extra 256MB in hardware and space on disk C: is never, ever an issue. 4pts versus 10 pts. |
| Mass memory |
32GB |
8GB |
Though more is better, I have to confess that with a 16GB microSD as my main music and media store, the mass memory in these devices just gets used for temporary media downloads - podcasts, videos, captured photos, and so on. And I didn't even get close to filling up the 8GB in the N97 mini. So although the N97 classic wins here, it's a narrow victory. 10pts to 9pts. |
| Screen size and tech | 3.5" transflective | 3.2" TFT | This is more subjective, with the N97 classic having a display that's paler indoors but much better outside in bright light, while the N97 mini has a more vibrant display indoors but blacks out more in sunlight. The clinching factor for me is possibly the display size - the larger display on the N97 classic is easier to read for those with less than 20:20 vision. Again, a very narrow victory. 9pts to 8pts. |
| Keyboard | 33 key QWERTY, plus d-pad | 34 key QWERTY, plus cursor keys | Aside from the d-pad vs cursor key debate, there's little to choose between the two keyboard variants. The N97 classic's is arguably better positioned (with the letter keys exactly below the physical screen) and the keys easier to press, while the N97 mini has an extra punctuation key and better key definition. Too close to call here, utterly down to personal preference! 7pts each. |
| GPS | Original antenna was 'noisy' and insensitive. Replacement (via Care point) isn't much better | GPS antenna not brilliant | When radio components get converged miniaturised to this extent, I guess something has to go. In this case, it's GPS antenna performance, though I'd still class both the N97 and N97 mini as 'disappointing' in this regard. 5pts for the N97 classic, 7pts to the N97 mini here. |
| Camera | Original camera glass protective shutter was mounted too close and scratched the glass. Care point replacement is fine though. | Exposed camera glass and dual LED flash | Although the core camera components are identical, the mounting arrangements are different. With the new protective shutter, the N97 does a great job of protecting the camera glass from damage and has the advantage of being able to launch the Camera app by simply sliding open the shutter. In contrast, the N97 mini's camera glass is permanently open to miscellaneous scratches and damage and you have to press and hold the main camera shutter to launch the Camera app, which takes longer. The only plus side of the N97 mini's arrangement, other than less bulk, is that the LEDs are always available, so the PhoneTorch utility becomes a lot more practical. Still, overall, from the perspective of the new baseline (with a replaced N97 camera glass and shutter), 9pts to the N97, 8pts to the N97 mini. |
| FM Transmitter | Yes, works very well | None | Surprisingly useful, this is great for switching music and podcasts in the car over to a preset in the car stereo. Once you've gone down this route, it's hard to go back to a phone without an FM transmitter! To give one device 10pts and the other zero would be too savage a weighting though - I'll admit that an FM transmitter isn't an essential for everybody. 4 bonus points to the N97 here. |
| Battery | 1500mAh | 1200mAh | Of interest to everyone is how long the phone lasts between charges. The N97 mini's battery is on the low side, for true road warriors, at least - I was regularly running out of power when spending a day away from my desk and a charger. The extra 25% capacity in the N97s battery makes all the difference in the world and means that you'll have a bar or two left at the end of a busy day rather than nothing at all. 8pts versus 5pts is fair here, I think. |
Adding up the (admittedly slightly personal) scorings, we get 63 points for the N97 classic and (unbelievably) 63 points for the N97 mini. I swear that this result isn't fixed, but it is a reflection on how equally balanced these two devices are now.
Which means that I can't answer the question 'which is better' overall, but I can make a recommendation, depending on who you are and what your priorities are.
- If you're a power user and you want all the gadgets, you want the maximum of everything and you're prepared to fiddle around a little to manage its meagre disk C:, then the N97 classic is the best choice, you'll be running with fewer compromises overall.
- If you're someone who simply wants a sleek modern smartphone with a good QWERTY keyboard and you're not planning to spend all day fiddling with the thing, then go for the N97 mini - it's better all rounder of the two.
Me? I'm fairly obviously in the first camp, though when non-geek friends ask me about the marque I'll uniformly recommend the 'mini'. Hopefully I'm not being too contrary in using one device while recommending another!
Steve Litchfield, All About Symbian, 7 Feb 2010
