Nokia N97 versus HTC Touch Pro 2

Nokia's highly anticipated N97 smartphone was finally released this month, having been pipped to the post by the similar Touch Pro 2 from HTC.

If the idea of a large touch screen with a full slide out Qwerty keyboard and a kick-up display appeals to you, then this review will help you decide which one deserves your hard earned cash.

The N97 runs Symbian 60 fifth edition and the Touch Pro 2 runs Windows Mobile 6.1 so, if you have any strong aversion or preference to either operating system, this is probably going to be a very short review.

As with most mobiles with slide out keyboards, both are fairly bulky and, although the N97 is only fractionally smaller than the Touch Pro2, the latter looks and feels a lot bigger. But its screen seems significantly bigger despite only having a 0.1in bigger surface area. The N97 also weighs a little less than the Touch Pro 2, coming in at around 150g versus 180g.

Display
Both handsets use resistive touch screens, and navigation is not as smooth as on the Apple iPhone or HTC Hero, both of which use a capacitive touch screen.

Although both displays are nice and clear with vibrant colours, the Touch Pro 2 wins out in the resolution stakes with a 800 x 480 pixel display compared to the 640 x 360 in the N97. While most of the time you probably won't notice the difference, it does become apparent when browsing full web pages and viewing video.

Both screens tilt up when the keyboard is slid out, but the HTC is hinged meaning that the angle can be adjusted (or just left flat), while the N97's tilting screen is part of the slide out mechanism.

Keyboard
The keyboards probably represent one of the biggest differences between the two phones. Nokia has gone for a three-row layout and a dedicated navigation pad, which means that, although the keys are spaced out nicely, the space bar ends up on the right hand side and all numbers and punctuation have to be accessed through two key presses. The way the keys are raised makes it feel more like an old ATM machine where each key requires a forceful push, which slows down typing speed.

HTC, on the other hand, has opted for a full five row keyboard and four cursor keys for navigation. Although the keyboard looks more crowded, the keys are large and have a good tactile feel, making typing easy and speedy. In fact, this is one of the best mobile phone keyboards we've ever used. The only problem is that, if the screen is tilted up, the number row can be slightly tricky to get to.

Operating system
As mentioned at the beginning, the N97 runs Symbian Series 60 fifth edition and the Touch Pro 2 runs Windows Mobile 6.1, but both have a 'skin' over the top. In the case of the N97 this is just on the home page, which now supports the ability to include widgets which can provide real-time information such as weather, and links to Facebook, email, shortcuts, calendar or music playback.

On the Touch Pro 2 HTC has overlaid Windows Mobile with its TouchFlo interface, which has been made a lot more customisable and goes deeper into the interface.

While you should probably never need it, the Touch Pro 2 includes a stylus housed in the back of the phone which automatically turns the display on when removed, while the N97 includes a rather strange looking stylus that can be hung from the handset.

Both operating systems have their faults and strong points, and ultimately the choice comes down to personal preference and familiarity. But in general they work just fine and offer a range of tweaks that let each user customise the interface to their own preferences.

Applications
Both phones sport the usual collection of applications, and the N97 is backed by Nokia's recently unveiled Ovi app store, which gives users easy access to a range of free and paid-for applications. While the consensus is that the Ovi Store has very little to offer of any use, its very existence trumps the 'coming soon' Microsoft equivalent.

Storage and accessories
For those who are interested in using their mobile as a media player, the N97's 32GB of onboard storage will look a lot more appealing than the paltry 512MB available on the Touch Pro 2, but both can be expanded by an additional 16GB through the microSD card.

Similarly, the N97 sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, unlike the Touch Pro 2's annoying mini-USB connector, and an FM transmitter for streaming audio straight to the nearest radio.

Both devices can support speakerphone calling, but the Touch Pro 2 does this automatically by placing the device face down on a surface. It has excellent call quality in this mode and features a little microphone mute button on the back under the camera.

Camera-wise once again the N97 comes up trumps, boasting a 5-megapixel sensor behind a Carl Zeiss lens and a dual LED flash, while the TP2 has a bog standard 3.2-megapixel camera and no flash.

Battery life
When it comes to all the important battery life, both phones are backed by 1,500mAh batteries and will give at least a full day's use between charges under very heavy conditions, stretching to two or even three depending on data and media consumption and call usage.

Price
Both mobiles cost about the same, coming in between £450 and £480 if bought SIM-free.

It's a pretty close contest. With its huge storage and better camera the N97 is a much more all-round device, but the Touch Pro 2, with its better keyboard and speakerphone function, is a more serious contender.

Some of the factors mentioned above may be a deal breaker one way or another, but all in all the HTC Touch Pro 2 is simply a better smartphone. For those with time to spare, it may be worth hanging on to see whether Ovi's App store improves and what Windows 6.5 and Microsoft's application store bring to the table.