We have been talking about the upcoming Nokia N97 Mini for a long time now, first showing some
leaked pics of it and then with details about
the September launch and a price of around 450 euros (Rs 31,000 approximately).
Now, Mobile-Review has got yet another exclusive hands-on review of a Nokia device. After their
detailed write-up about the N900, the site has come out with a preview of the N97 Mini, which has failed to impress the author.
Mincing no words, Eldar Murtazin writes: “Imagine someone armed himself with a hacksaw chopped around a centimetre off the original N97 – exactly the area occupied by the navigation key. The shortened lip gave this modification its current codename – ‘mini’. Same N97 on all fronts, but a bit smaller than the original.”
This smaller size obviously has an effect on the already cramped keyboard that the N97 has been widely criticised for. “The Mini’s keys are even worse – in fact, they could’ve dumped the keyboard here altogether, but (probably) opted to keep it in order to maintain resemblance with the original model. All in all, I didn’t quite like the Mini’s thumbboard, but I have to say that I’ve got pretty big hands, so maybe some people will feel right at home with the N97 mini,” Murtazin says.
Still, all’s not bad with the N97 mini as the build quality has gotten better and it has shed a few pounds too, becoming much sleeker than the bulky N97.
All in all, he feels that a price cut of just 100 euros is too little for this little baby, and it’s only worth it with something as much as a 200-euro price cut (which would have brought the cost to about Rs 25,000).
For the full review and a whole bunch of product shots as well as screenshots, head on over to Mobile-Review.