Mobile Ideology: Nokia N95 vs iPhone
Nokia hopes the just available N95 will be a breakthrough media handheld. Yet, although it’s not due out for many months in Europe, many expect Europe must wait for the iPhone for that to happen.
The design of these two mobiles reflects an ideological chasm in thinking:
The N95 is far from being just a mere phone: it has a remarkably good 5 megapixel camera, GPS, a large and very clear colour screen, dedicated music controls on the innovative double slide mechanism that also offers a conventional number pad for texting and dialling, an open Symbian OS with an existing range of add-on software and games, etc. etc. etc.
The new Nokia N95 is everywhere in London. Billboards, phone shops, even in many people’s hands (at least near the Jupiter London office). TeliaSonera reports the N95 is already one of its top 10 selling phones in Sweden.
But unlike the iPhone, the N95 has no touch screen. Nokia believes mobile phones must be completely controllable one handed, and follows that practice even on the ‘Communicator’ range with the new E90.
Nokia does deliver a great one-handed experience in the N95. Plus, as a result, that beautiful N95 screen shouldn’t pick up fingerprints, or scratches, and it has one less physical layer in the construction that would otherwise reduce the picture quality.
Apple’s iPhone is the opposite. It has an innovative “double touch” interface optimised for finger usage, and has few (none?) physical buttons. The iPhone’s OS is as flexible as the N95′s millions-of-installed-base Symbian OS, but Apple plans to retain tight control, and ensure that all add-ons, including games, media, video, whatever, deliver a smooth high quality experience that pleases consumers enough to spend loads.
This is Apple thinking at its most different.
The N95 is Nokia at its best, but also at its most stubborn. Nokia continues to iterate existing mobile smartphone designs — Finnish Kaizen — hoping that their approach will cross a tipping point in the N95 that feels just right, sells millions of handsets, and in turn creates the ideal platform to boost mobile media sales.
Both are worthy approaches. Both deserve to do well. Both may succeed in the market. This is one ideological battle I’m enjoying tracking.
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