What to look out for in N95 8GB

So you're about to get yourself a N95 8GB. Good choice. When I was searching for a new phone, I was split between this and the iPhone. I guess you can figure out which one I went for... I'm sure you already know all the basic stuff like it has more RAM, 8GB built in memory, slightly larger screen, and the new colour of course, but I would like to point out a few things that I think aren't highlighted in many reviews.

1. Operator Wrapper
I bet you're looking at all the listings on this phone, and those which are locked to a particular network are cheaper than those that are "unlocked". That isn't important, because you can unlock a phone without removing it's operator wrapper, which is the real evil culprit here. Orange and Vodafone cripple certain features built in to the phone like VoIP, and also operator firmware tend to be buggy and laggy. It's not hard to remove, there are a few guides out there to help you, but all solutions require a PC, so if like me you're on a Mac, you will have to find someone to get rid of it for you.

2. GPS
Well, I bet you've heard, it isn't great. For whatever reason Nokia decided to stick the receiver at the bottom of the phone. Also, you better be on an unlimited data plan, because the map will be downloaded as you move. As always, there are ways around this, like using Nokia Map Loader to get the complete map on your phone, but you will have to stand around a bit with clear sky above you before you get a lock on the satellite.

3. 3rd Party Software
Don't bother installing crap. Easier said than done. Within days I had filled up my phone with all sorts of software, games, videos and music. To be honest with you, after the novelty of having a new phone wears off, the only thing you'll be using on a regular basis is the instant messaging (IM) software, email, YouTube and the music player. At least that's what I use it for. All those games and videos? Just sitting there collecting dust. I would also like to say don't bother with downloading themes, as all they seem to do is slow down the user interface (UI).

4. Battery Life
The initial few weeks your phone will obviously take a beating, battery life wise. Admit it, between fiddling with all the new features yourself, and showing off some of it's features to your friends, you would have to probably have to plug it in every night. But after all that, and with a few tweaks, I tend to get about 5 days use out of my phone before having to juice it up again. The major tweak for me was to turn off 3g scanning. Battery life doubled after switching it off. I only use wifi to surf the net, so it doesn't affect me, and I'm guessing most of you don't have a problem finding a wifi signal as well. Also make sure you turn down the power on your wifi scanner, and also turn off the WLAN scan when you don't need to connect to the internet. Bluetooth too. I'm not going to tell you how to do it because these are advanced settings, and I don't want to be held responsible for any mishaps. A simple google will reveal all...

5. Slider
Some people say the 8GB version of the N95 has better build quality, but at the end of the day, it's a small screen that will spend a lot of time sliding up and down, and therefore will get loose at some point. Of course if you got it and it is loose, you should exchange it immediately, but sooner or later, it will wobble ever so slightly. Some say it has to do with which factory it was manufactured in, the general consensus being that those made in China and Emirates aren't great, and those made in the original factory is the best. Personally it doesn't bother me much, phones are meant to be used, not cuddled.

Hope that helps. It's a great phone, and I bet you will have tonnes of fun with it. Just make sure you buy it new, and I mean brand new in box with seal still intact. Where possible, buy the factory original which comes unbranded, or second option, get an operator branded one, then get rid of the firmware and replace it with the latest Nokia one.