So, is the N800 really an iPhone-killer?

Filed under: Internet, Video, Features, Linux, VoIP

So, is the N800 really an iPhone-killer?

by Ted Wallingford Sep 24th 2007

Though Nokia's Internet tablet, the N800, has been on the market for quite a bit longer than Apple's iPhone, we here at Download Squad have been thinking about the N800-iPhone comparison since Steve Jobs first demoed the iPhone back in January.

Indeed, there are a few things you can do with the Nokia product that aren't possible on the iPhone. Namely, you can make and receive VoIP calls using Gizmo Project and Skype, choose from a plethora of Debian/Maemo packages to run on the N800 (the N800 is Linux-based), listen to FM radio, and participate Google Talk video conferences.

Of course, the N800 isn't a cell phone, so in some way it seems almost silly to compare the two devices. The N800 doesn't do SMS messaging like Apple's phone. Nor does the N800 support phone calls without going through VoIP software. But both of these devices have great web browsers, newsreaders, and e-mail capability, so the comparison is natural.

We've put together a hands-on video with N800, which includes some tips for better e-mail, moving files to and from the N800 with Bluetooth, running Gizmo, and running Quake 2 courtesy of the open-source Quetoo distribution. You can view the video after the jump and decide for yourself whether or not Nokia's handy tablet is really an iPhone killer.

Tags: mobile, n800, nokia, umpc, wireless

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Coleman Foley said 10:50AM on 9-24-2007

the n800 beats the iphone in web browsing easily. it has a bigger screen, which makes a huge difference in viewing web pages.

Ash Connor said 10:55AM on 9-24-2007

No, because like you said in the first few seconds of that video "it's not a cell phone" therefore it can't kill the i*Phone*.

Atanas Boev said 11:07AM on 9-24-2007

Apple bet is that the main factor would be not the feature list, but the users experience. There are WinMo phones which have more extras, 3G, MMS, lots of native programs, and what not. What Apple did was "lets provide fewer features, but better UI and responsiveness".
For example, take Nokia N73. It can do more that the iPhone, but as Nokia bets on different trade-offs, N73 is really slow. It takes ~3 sec to start the photo app, after you open the camera lid. And if you are not a patient Finn from Lapland this might be too much.
Same with N800 - it is damn sluggish. It behaves more like a prototype of products yet to come - and also for Nokia to see if a product not based on S60 would be sucessful.
Which bet is better? Who knows. I, for one, welcome the Apple approach.

Ian said 11:19AM on 9-24-2007

I susoect that Nokia's secret weapon will be a WiMax connection within a year for the N800.

onechickentim said 11:26AM on 9-24-2007

Does the Nokia run flash?

killbot said 11:50AM on 9-24-2007

The N800 does run flash. And it shouldn't be compared to the iPhone. If anything, compare it to the iPod Touch.

Ian said 1:06PM on 9-24-2007

Does the itTouch do VoIP?
Is the iTouch more capable than the Archos wifi 605?

trepine said 8:47PM on 9-24-2007

Owning both of these devices, I much prefer the iPhone for internet browsing. Although it is true that the iphone screen is smaller, the device overall seems to be faster and pages load better. There also is less browser compatability problems with the iphone and websites compared to the N800. The size of the iPhone is also much easier to pocket and carry around as it's all over dimensions are smaller. There other problem with the N800 that I have encountered is that it is overall unstable. For some reason sometimes it will drain the battery when off in less than 24 hours, even though it is reported to last for days. This seems to be related to some software glitch and keeps turning on to check the internet. The problem goes away when I put it in offline mode.

Both are good devices, but the overall size, mobile internet, and wifi, and polished nature of the applications makes the iPhone in my opinion a better device for day to day use for me.

fini said 2:39PM on 9-26-2007

if u read this article u will see it will be much more than the iphone, because the n800 is slated to have 4g wimax. http://www.garysbasement.com/index.php/fuck-the-iphone

jordan said 10:50PM on 9-29-2007

Don't send your n800 in for repair. YOU'LL NEVER GET IT BACK.

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