All your questions answered: Nokia N9

Posted:  September 15, 2011   By:    64 comments   


Update 15092011: This article was first posted on August 4, 2011. We’re bumping it up for your easy reference.

Update 14092011: We’ve included and answered your questions on the Nokia N9 from the media launch live coverage.

Alright people, we have a date with the Nokia N9 tonight and we’d be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have about the device or about Nokia in general. So please list down all your questions in the comments below and we will try to answer all of them here.

Your questions answered after the jump.

Is it responsive?
Yes, very responsive. Touch screen accuracy is on par with the best of them as well. UI transitions are nice too. This is Nokia’s prettiest OS to date.

What about battery life?
Our time with the device was too limited to really test this out.

Is the storage in FAT32? Can it change to NTFS?
We’re not sure about this.

Since n9 is meego-based, which is also linux-based, like android. and the difference is meego is most probably being discontinued. can i port it to android instead?
Don’t think so. Hackers and tinkerers could find a possibly but its likely that you won’t get hardware to work well with the OS. On the point about MeeGo being discontinued, that’s not entirely correct. MeeGo will soldier on but it won’t be Nokia’s primary focus and while there is no guarantee for another MeeGo smartphone, Nokia might consider MeeGo for other devices — a Nokia tablet perhaps.

OS in Android? Symbian?
The Nokia N9 is running MeeGo

Why don’t they implement different directional swipes that leads to different screens instead of it leading to the same thing wherever you swipe
That will make using the OS more complicated. A user will have to memorise numerous swipe gestures to get to the screen they want. Nokia has simplified the OS experience with two main swipe gestures. Swipes from the left or right of the screen will cycle through the three homescreens — social media feeds, apps, running apps. While you’re in an app, a swipe down from the top of the screen will close the app.

First timers will find that there is a bit of a learning curve using the Nokia N9 but it’s not difficult to master.

can this comparable to 1st generation of iphone?
If you’re strictly speaking about the first gen iPhone OS. The Nokia N9 is much more polished. MeeGo on this device is clean and responsive. We see a lot of potential but that’s not to say that the device is without it’s limitations. If Nokia can continuously offer additional features and grow the MeeGo app ecosystem quickly, this device will find fans amongst smartphone users.

do they have any app at all ? well, app is the future.
App selection is rather limited on the device but all the basics are covered. There’s an extensive email support for all the popular formats. There’s Twitter and Facebook with very good integration with contacts. In terms of games there are a few, Angry Birds is there (with support for NFC).

At launch, there will be around 1000 apps for MeeGo. Unfortunately, this is nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands available on iOS and Android. For this device to stand a fighting chance against the most established OSes (and it does have tremendous potential) Nokia must grow the app ecosystem quickly. This will be a difficult challenge.

how is the screen compare to retina display?
Not as good. The pixel density is not as high. Although the zero-gap AMOLED screen is spectacularly bright and clear individual pixels are still visible to the naked eye.

Will it blend?
Maybe. Depends on what blender you put it in.

Can I have some time with it too?
Not until launch.

Pinch zooming performance?
Pretty good and responsive

Flash video support?
Not natively, no.

Lags, however minute it may be?
There is some lag when calling up certain apps but its nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to worry about. Even the fastest Androids lag. The iPhone 4 is not lag-free either.

Screen responsiveness?
Good. Touch accuracy is on par with the best of them.

UI intuitiveness?
There is a bit of a learning curve. The more advance gestures are not as obvious or predictable.

what is the future direction of nokia?
Straight up, Nokia will be focusing on Windows Phone. MeeGo will be a side project, there may never be another MeeGo smartphone from Nokia.

any further software update for n8?
There might be. Nokia still supports Symbian. Symbian is an important platform for Nokia to maintain their leading role in emerging markets. If there’s a need for updates, Nokia will almost certainly provide it.

Hows the super amoled compared to samsung galaxy S2?
The display is a standard AMOLED panel with zero-air-gap between the screen cover and the touch panel itself. This makes a great deal of difference. The display on the Nokia N9 is exceptionally bright and clear. The images appear to be on top of the display surface rather than under it. It’s indeed delightful to look at. However the resolution is not as great as Retina Display. Individual pixels are discernible. While this might not be an issue for some. It is a bit of a peeve.

may i know if the future updates promised by nokia will include some overhaul in UI, like to make the homescreen available.. and can it have themes and background image..some people may prefer these in order to make their phone looks fantastic ;D
There is no indication on this at the moment. We were told that MeeGo version we tested in the Nokia N9 is almost production ready. We don’t expect major changes in terms of features at launch. Having said that, the way the UI is designed, the N9 doesn’t a homescreen. What is does need badly is the ability to create folders and support for multiple accounts in social media feeds — at the very least.

how about camera n8 vs n9?i heard although n8 is 12mp and n9 8mp, but the quality is almost the same…ur take?
N8 is better. Much better. The camera on the N9 is ok. Nothing to shout home about.

when it will be available in malaysia and the price. and also the price with telco thanks
Availability is expected to be somewhere mid to late September. RRP is unknown at the moment but it won’t cost more than RM2,000 by our guestimate.

— Questions received from the Nokia N9 media launch after this point —

loving the price. Wondering whether N9 have wifi tethering… (from @aziman)
WiFi hotspot is available

do meego have apps that ,? Fb, twitter, maps? (from @syafeeqKL)
All the apps you’ve mentioned are available although at the moment, they are not as full featured as those one Android and iOS. The Twitter app for example only supports one account and you can’t share pictures from the app itself. You have to upload it manually at the moment. Though its worth mentioning that the N9 is pre-loaded with the Nokia Maps app with with free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation and voice guidance.

will meego become open source so any developer can edit it system ? (from @izmeeer)
MeeGo is already an open source platform but on the N9, the platform and its various customisations are proprietary to Nokia.

why do we need meego? As they are minority OS. (from @izac_hii)
Well, choice is always for innovation and progress. Would you rather have a choice of multiple mobile platforms or just one that you are force to use. MeeGo on the Nokia N9 is well though-out and a fresh departure from iOS and Android. In our opinion, it has potential but Nokia has other plans with Windows Phone. We foresee when Nokia comes out with its Windows Phone device it will be a combination of the best of both MeeGo and Windows Phone.

future devices meaning the WP7s right? Since they aren’t going to release another MeeGo device. (from @Blaze_Edge)
Although Nokia has gone out to say the MeeGo is now a side project. Things could still change three or six months down the line. It’s partnership with Microsoft is still an unknown quality. If the N9 suddenly gets a lot of attention and sales. who’s to say that Nokia will not make another MeeGo device. Let’s see how the Nokia Windows Phone devices look like before we call MeeGo dead.

any dates for their WP7s? (from @Blaze_Edge)
It was mentioned that Nokia Windows Phone devices might be in the market later this year but it is very likely that Malaysia might not be on the launch list.

Can I use any app from Symbian at all on the Meego? or do I have to wait for them to be ported? (from @Aziman)
You will have to wait for the apps to be ported.

Is USB on the GO available on the N9? (from @Aziman)
Yes it is.

does Nokia N9 have Whatsapp? (from @huaipoh)
Nope, not at the moment.

will there be another meego phone with keyboard? (from @izmeeer)
Very unlikely at the moment.

million dollar questions. What is the pull factor from MeeGo perspective. (from @kanglim)
MeeGo offers certain advantages over iOS and Android. True multitasking (like the one you see on the BlackBerry PlayBook) is one advantage. MeeGo has potential but its ecosystem is not as rich as Android or iOS and this will be a mountain to climb for MeeGo and the N9 to gain mass appeal. Having said that the hardware on the N9 is outstanding and so is MeeGo that the device is running. It Nokia could somehow overcome the perception of a poorly supported platform ecosystem, they might have a winner with the N9. But as we all know, Nokia has decided to focus on developing Windows Phone devices and that, by default, means that Nokia currently has very little interest in MeeGo.

will Nokia ever have any Google apps sync? No one I know uses Microsoft Exchange… We use Google Calendar (from @Aziman)
We have no idea nor a straight answer from Nokia on this.

whn can buy it at malaysia? (from @yongjieyu)
Sale date is slated for early October 2011.

Will N9 run android apps? u knw via Alien Dalvik? (from @darkenchanter3)
The possibility is certainly there but even with Alien Dalvik, there is some work required on the developer side to make sure that everything is seamless and that takes time and effort.

How can Nokia guarantee that this won’t be another fail device like the first gen N97? So much promise but so little delivery. (from @Aziman)
Change perception is very important. Nokia needs to convince consumers that it sees a future in MeeGo but that is not the case. Having said that, the N9 has tremendous potential and could receive positive reception. If the consumer likes it, it would be silly for Nokia to ignore them.

is there any telco who’s willing to provide and when? (from @csdordor)
As mentioned during the Nokia N9 media launch, DiGi and Celcom will offer the device in October.

how’s the battery life span? (@Mohd_Fauzee)
We haven’t tested it extensively enough to conclude.

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64 Comments for All your questions answered: Nokia N9

Tarmizi Kamaruddin

Is it responsive?

Tarmizi Kamaruddin

What about the battery life?

Ady

Is the storage in FAT32? Can it change to NTFS?

Lizzam Abdul Latiff

Since n9 is meego-based, which is also linux-based, like android. and the difference is meego is most probably being discontinued. can i port it to android instead?

Ady

OS in Android? Symbian?

Jerome

Why don't they implement different directional swipes that leads to different screens instead of it leading to the same thing wherever you swipe

    naive

    cos they are nokia, they dont care.

iphone5lover

can this comparable to 1st generation of iphone?

if it cannot, then, more or less we can see the future of nokia.

i mean, we cannot see the future of nokia.

    Faiz

    don't compare it to Gen 1 iphone. even on Maemo (older version of MeeGo), the iPhone 4 seems far less superior. Apps are all free on Maemo, and it has the best multitasking feature compared to Android, iPhone, and WP7. Since MeeGo is an update to Maemo, I can safely say it will be better than iPhone 5.

    Plus if you are worried about apps: Qt (pronounced Cute) is your answer. Its a new language for mobile devices that will is compatible to all phone OSes. Also there is another software coming to the MeeGo where you can install Android apps on MeeGo (Google: Myriad’s Alien Dalvik)

      funny

      wow. you have more faith in nokia than nokia CEO.

      nokia ceo 6 months ago said they dont even have a product to counter 1st gen iphone, and now, boom, 6 months later you have a product that can even compete with iphone 5?

      lol. this is definitely a vapourware.

      meego and maemo is rubbish. nokia is going for windows mobile, ok?

      they are abandoning symbian and whatever meego bihun-go.

      in case your google is bad, here you go

      Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop said he is focused on Windows Phone software, no matter how well the new N9 sells, a stance that may curb consumer and developer interest in MeeGo.

      source http://www.mobiledia.com/news/95483.html

      this is so vapour ware. there goes your hardearn money if you buy this one.

        Not Funny

        you fucking noob. Dont talk so much if u're so much of an iphone geek. noob shit

          naive

          your comment shows your who you are. lol.

          must be some newbie trying to PWN everyone ? lol.

        Faiz

        Funny how your name is funny but your post isn't funny at all..

        Elop is a douche, no doubt about it. Nokia abandoned the n900 after launch that is true. But did you know that the N900 is still strong even without Nokia's help?

        Meego has a strong hacking community, and most of them came from the Maemo Group. Even if Nokia abandon the software side of things, the phone will last. Don't believe me? Try google the old Nokia Tablets, N770 N810 etc. they are old, has no support from Nokia, but people are still using it with new apps, updates etc. Thats why I have faith in this phone even when Elop doesn't.

        You say meego and maemo is rubbish. Have you tried using Maemo before to say its rubbish? Have you also tried MeeGo? No? I thought so.

        O'rly

        Fanboy. Go back and buy Job's overpriced piece of rock.

iphone5lover

do they have any app at all ? well, app is the future.

kazai

how is the screen compare to retina display?

@joonsunn

Will it blend?

Can I have some time with it too?

Pinch zooming performance?

Flash video support?

Lags, however minute it may be?

Screen responsiveness?

UI intuitiveness?

colin

what is the future direction of nokia?
any further software update for n8?

Azhar

what is the price for the 16gb and the 64gb???????

@biatch0r

Responsive: Yes
Battery Life: Moderate (1 day moderate usage)
Storage format: MeeGo is Linux – therefore storage would most likely be ext3 – no you most probably cannot change it
MeeGo discontinued: Where are you getting this information? MeeGo is NOT being discontinued.
Directional swipes: There are a grand total of 3 screens – left goes one and right goes to another – you will be at MOST 2 swipes away from where you need to go – is directional really necessary?
iPhone comparison: If you are as your name suggests, an iPhone lover, I'm fairly certain number of apps available to MeeGo is of no consequence to you.
Resolution: 854×480 AMOLED WVGA
Flash: No – the MeeGo foudation is currently in discussions with Adobe for licensing

This should answer "some" questions.

    iphone5lover

    Meego is done, go google.

    there is no app for meego, admit it.

    hey, see here
    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/06/nokia

    this review sum it up

      @biatch0r

      MeeGo apps are developed using QT. If you can say that QT/MeeGo are "done", then obviously there isn't even any point explaining things to you.

      Enjoy your tempurung.

    soyacincau

    Thanks for contributing :)

lam

Hows the super amoled compared to samsung galaxy S2?

    @biatch0r

    The AMOLED WVGA (not even super AMOLED) is far better than the S2.
    http://meegonews.com/2011/06/27/screen-comparison

      lam

      Thanks, looks good. My complain with samoled on my GalaxyS is the pentile grid arrangement. I really don't like it when reading text. The S2 seems to have gotten rid of that arrangement, but even then its not a true regular RGB grid.
      I hope the N9 is a true RGB full resolution matrix arrangement.

awg_ilyas

Android app support?
Is Harmattan open sourced?
And what kind of audio chip (DAC) can we expect in the phone?

Chiqey Keko

may i know if the future updates promised by nokia will include some overhaul in UI, like to make the homescreen available.. and can it have themes and background image..some people may prefer these in order to make their phone looks fantastic ;D

syafeeq

when will it be launched, which carrier and how much?

wan

how about camera n8 vs n9?i heard although n8 is 12mp and n9 8mp, but the quality is almost the same…ur take?

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Lizzam Abdul Latiff

something that is missing on most smartphones today. can it do 3g video call? this is the one like skype and fring, but more like those u can do to a cheap 5 years old dumbphones.

Faiz

I think most people here are mistaking the N9 with Symbian based phones. MeeGo should be way better than Symbian 3, as was the N900's Maemo being superior to N8.

@biatch0r are you sure there's no Flash at all? or is it just no Flash 10.x as even Maemo had Flash 9.x support.

@Lizzam MeeGo should have all IM services integrated within the phone similar to the N900. No need for seperate apps/fringe. Skype should be natively supported (I've been video calling my gf on my N900 to PC and vice versa before iphone)

    soyacincau

    No native flash support at the moment. No native video call as well. Nokia is hoping apps like Skype will come in to fill the gap. Currently, Skype is not available on the N9

    @biatch0r

    Yes, right now there is NO flash at all due to licensing which is being sorted out as we speak – the discussions are fortunately looking good, so it is fairly possible that we will be seeing Flash being released for MeeGo sometime in the future.

    I hold no gurantees unfortunately.

Material

@Wan N9 using f2.2 aperture while N8 is using f2.8 aperture. http://img2081.poco.cn/mypoco/myphoto/20110801/14
As shown, the yellow frame for the traditional sense of the 16:9 image size, the Nokia N9 red under the new imaging sensor size which is 4:3 ratio without loss of picture quality.
In addition, Nokia N9 Nokia sensor is designed in accordance with the specifications of design and development, and only supplied to Nokia, same with the lens.

    soyacincau

    Thanks for the additional info. Sensor optimization is one thing, physical sensor size is another. The N8 is better we feel when it comes to imaging.

Material

http://meegonews.com/2011/06/27/nokia-n9-camera-s
for more better explanation ^^

iphone5lover

i'm here not to pour cold water, but why dont you guys go IOS or Android? its hard earned money, no? lol

i was a nokia lover for quite a few years. i have nokias even before you guys knew you can sms digi from maxis line. but, nokia is now doomed i must say.

    Angie

    1) Hardware, long story short, plastic dont last as long as stainless steel. Cannot last even 1.5 years, Nokia, above 3 years no problem. For those who are fashionable, change hp every year, then no prob. Or those who work in office, stay in air conditioned room all day, then ok.

    2) Battery life. That is also one the reason why some peple prefer Blackberry to Android, IOS.
    2) Price, Iphone 4 is expensive, Samsung S2, SE Xperia Arc, HTC Sensation, all above RM2K. For something that might not last 2 years(been there, done that).
    Not much point having a device with great OS but internet speed slow, it cannot go very fast anyway – compared & tested

      iphone5lover

      lol, internet speed slow? you downloading rapidshare on your mobile device? wait, u forgot to on the 3G , of cos GPRS is slow….oh man….edge is even worse, trust me.

      there is a reason blackberry start slashing/firing ppl now, and there is a reason for apple to worth more than intel and microsoft. THere is a reason for apple to have more cash than US government. and there is a reason for Nokia to get new CEO last few months ago. lol. you hardware geek did not read business news?

      the reason i wanna buy a rm2000 phone is because i wanted it to last forever, lol.

      just buy nokia 1100.

      the nokia N8 is a good phone with exact same UI as 5800, good luck buying those for rm1600, i'm sure it will last 3 years, because nobody wants it for second hand above rm300, been there, done that.

      kancil is faster than ferrari-compared & tested

      viva is better than lamborghini- been there, done that.
      ———————-

      buy nokia, by all means, and later you'll do like me, come here to warn ppl off.

      well, wth, just buy it, its your money, good luck( if you can do more than making calls and sms on your nokia, good luck hacking,lol.)

        abcs

        I will not, cos have never regretted buying Nokia in more than 15 years BUT have regretted buying other brands.
        If one doesnt stay in major capitals, the mobile internet speed is capped, at 1 Mbps max. My friends with Iphone 4 complain about the slow internet speed, wondering why I can load sites as fast with my "outdated Symbian".

        When I buy a laptop for RM2k, I expect to last for 5 years, it does. If you buy a laptop & it breaks down in less than 1.5 years, see if you curse it.
        When I buy a TV, electronics for RM2k, I expect it to last 5 years, if it doesnt, not worth it. If you buy a TV and then it breaks down in less than 1 year, see if you curse it
        When I buy a smartphone for almost RM2k, I expect it to last min 3 to 5 years, if it doesnt, not worth it. So far, only Nokia does and yes I do much, much, much more than calls, sms on it. I dont have to constantly worry about battery life & taking care of it like glass doll

        Enjoy your Iphone & constantly charging it, it's your money. I dont lose money if you dont buy Nokia & you dont lose money if I dont buy Iphone.

anonymous

what the fuck Nokia haters are here to waste the space and internet resources? just Fxxk off
u can have your fruit or little robot and play it in toilet, there is the place they should be

back to topic
when it will be available in malaysia and the price. and also the price with telco
thanks

    nada

    n9 can't play in toilet? :O

      naive

      this is probably the first n9 news they saw in the net, they will defend it to death!!

      lol.

      nokia N9, buy ap set la, hahahahahahaha. with Orange Telco logo imprinted on it.

      good luck making calls and sms. lol ( while others happily downloading android app and ios apps)

      if this soyacincau is not covering ANdroid/IOS app, they will have a hard time getting any traffic at all.

      and anonymous, good luck finding your nokia review/app anywhere, lol

Foo

Kudos for answering questions.

hey

how to spend rm1600 and make yourself look cheap/stupid?

buy this phone.

lol

    hoi

    fuck you shithead. just bcos its not an iPoyo phone so its cheap?? die bitch.

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@pobazz

Does it support push notification on facebook/twitter like iphone/blackberry does???

    soyacincau

    Yes it does.

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amat king

hohohohoh…..like!!!

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AzamHassan

quite confused..

i hope some of us can differentiate N9 and N900..hell lot's of difference there..

N900, yes, it supports 3G Video Call

N9, so far as i read, it does NOT support 3G Video Call..

im not sure what nokia developer thinks about smartphone that have secondary camera but does not support any video call as for now..
http://discussions.nokiausa.com/t5/Maemo-and-MeeG

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is it possible to create folders o seperate pics of friends etc?

    soyacincau

    Nope not possible.

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Joshua

Is it possible to port the OS to Apple's iOS 5?

Roo

Can Nokia push for whatsapp to be compatible for the phone, because now it is rather boring. . . it almost can be compared to an old dated cellular phone. Nokia seems to be making alot of mistakes with new smart phones, it just looks nice but operates very stupidly if you dont mind me saying.