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30 Jul 2009
We picked the N97 and the Touch Pro 2 for this head-to-head because of their similar form factors. Throughout testing the two mobile phones proved to be remarkably similar in more than just appearance. Ultimately, if you're looking for a high-end enterprise device the Touch Pro 2 is a serious contender, thanks largely to the excellent keyboard. However, if media and photos are more your focus, the N97 is a more suitable candidate. N97: Huge storage; better camera; Ovi store; 3.5mm headphone jack. Touch Pro 2: Better keyboard; better screen; adjustable hinge.
Price: £469.99
Manufacturer: HTC
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.
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Do you agree?
HTC all the way
I best to comment as I've had both phones. The Nokia is a music box that sends text mgs's an pic's & thats it. the HTC is a pc in you pocket. It has Ms word,excel, powerpoint & outlook! good music player and "flipover" hands free mode. the touch flow menu system is the best on the market JUST DON'T GET THE ONE FROM VODAFONE, As there software sucks!
Posted by: C boggie brown 29 Jul 2011
Forget WinMo, you need an iPhone!
I've been a smartphone user since their inception! every single type of SPV, HTC clone, you name it. As a demanding business user, I am truly impressed by the iPhone 3G S. Its an awesome piece of personal/business kit. Anyone thinking of sticking with the TPro2, don't bother. I even asked Vodafone when this was coming and they couldn't tell me! Hence, I switched. Sorry HTC, but I think you may have lost me forever. Ask yourself this, why does everyone say 'iPhone Killer'?? The answer. Because its number 1.
Posted by: Mark Nicholas 17 Aug 2009
N97's being returned by the bucket load
The N97 is a phone with great features badly let down by 1) Poor stability of OS and interface - frequent crashes and lockups means you'll be powerding it off regularly to hand up that call it won't allow you to drop - maybe WinMo is bad also but this is worse than previous N series 2) Rubbish keyboard - so poor that you'll wonder why you bought a phone with a keyb at all as you'll be using the touch screen instead as it's faster, more accurate and easier to use 3) FM transmitter that can't transmit through your car roof to the aerial ... that's useful ! 4) Noklia maps -- hmmmm 4/10 compared to Google Maps which is faster to get your location, FREE, easier to use and has MORE features 5) Very poor signal strength - expect to get 2-3 bars LESS than you got before (this is a known issue) 6) Poor wireless control - apps use 3G or wireless and it's very hard to control what is active at any time 7) Live home screen --- hmmm well as the apps constantly poll the web for data you'll be turning most of them off to save battery 8) Clicking clicking clicking - yes that's what you'll be doing to do even the most simple task - like make a phone call. Not a slick interface 9) Browser control - not good - try selecting a field to type into on the touch screen when you cannot zoom easily - you need to use the cursor but that's on the keyboard only and not very easy to use either 10) Large memory - shame the media player takes 20 secs+ to list "all songs" when you've loaded up about 10Gb According to vodafone there's a software update out in Sept to address some of these issues (hopefully). Maybe THEN this phone will be a more reliable tool and a true upgrade over previous N series phones. Until then unless you like never quite knowing if your phone will work stay away.
Posted by: Tony Bartlett 03 Aug 2009
Good review.
dio, get over yourself - it' different phones for different people for different reasons. I have had full access to play around on the n97, the iPhone and the G1 and on balance i chose touch pro2. Because it suits my needs. I don't need big storage, the winMo OS is not perfect but don't pretend like Symbian is ... get real. All are excellent phones, but for my needs the touch pro2 pipped the N97 to the post for the reasons mentioned in the review. I have had it for 4 weeks now and am still wowed by it. Get more balanced and you won't come off sounding like a Nokia kiss-ass.
Posted by: Dude 01 Aug 2009
no way.. N97 wins by a land slide!!!
Here is why: Cam: 5mp w/ LED flash Storage: 32GB + 16GB mSD GPS Nav: Nokia provided Maps 3.0 for great navigation Messeging: Nokia push email service FREE 3.5mm JACK Digital Compass Symbian OS = the most stable mobile OS in the market Live Homescreen Widgets = a first in the industry! You must kidd yourself if you think a WinMo phone can compete in this tough market! WinMo is crap, it freezes, its clunky, it's no good whatsoever. Besides, leaving the software part aside, the HTC is just way too big, the N97 is rather on the large side but anything bigger is no good for the masses. HTC just does not have all the tools mentioned above to compete and it should shrink a bit a lose some pounds in order to be takes serious.
Posted by: dio 31 Jul 2009