Tough Call : Nokia N82 or Se G900

[gxsaurav]

I am looking to buy a new mobile phone now, one between Nokia N82 (http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_n82-2177.php) or Sony Ericsson G900 (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_g900-2247.php).

So far, Nokia N82 suits me feature wise but not keypad & looks wise. There are some quaries which I want to clear before I go for this phone

1) Does the inbuilt GPS needs unlimited GPRS/EDGE service? I will be using the integrated GPS to find my way in Delhi, you know like going from one ally to the other or from Pragati Maidan to GK2 on my bike. Is N82 GPS usefull for such situation?

N82 has many features which do look good on paper but hardly usefull in real life for mem like I don't need TV Out. It does have a 5 MP camera but I would prefer to buy G900 instead of N82 just because of the keypad & trade the 5 MP Camera.

There are some things I want to clear about SE G900/G700

1) What is the video recording resolution?

2) I will be using my Idea SIM which is said to be "3G Compatible". What does that means? G900 lacks EDGE but has 3G. Right now I can pay Rs 600 a month for unlimited internet in my phone & computer with Idea.

3) Is it hard to get the touch screen repaired in case it malfunctions.?

4) Can I play WMA files & Sync with WMP11? Does it supports the MTP? Nokia N82 does this.

I can live without GPS, screen rotation etc, they will hardly be used. on a 2.4" Screen the difference between 262k color & 16m color isn't much but contrast has to be high.

[KaranTh85]

1) What is the video recording resolution?


same 4 both but N82 gains upper hand...


2) I will be using my Idea SIM which is said to be "3G Compatible". What does that means? G900 lacks EDGE but has 3G. Right now I can pay Rs 600 a month for unlimited internet in my phone & computer with Idea.


3G soon 2 be launched in india is techology 4 faster net access much faster than GPRS


3) Is it hard to get the touch screen repaired in case it malfunctions.?

depends on malfunction type...but will be costly affair in repairing....& moreover touchscreen fones r fragile so handle with care....:D


4) Can I play WMA files & Sync with WMP11? Does it supports the MTP? Nokia N82 does this.


google. man..:D

[dreamcatcher]

1)G900 has QVGA 30fps to N82s VGA 30 fps.
2)Yea, G900 lacks EDGE, but 3G is just round the corner. Today in TOI there was a Q&A on 3G which also said that 3g will be available by the end of this month. gprs is handful enough if you want to browse pages.
3) Nopes, an SE touchscreen costs 1.5k which you are liable to pay after warranty in case of any malfunctions.SE areliable to change the screen under warranty.
4)Yes, you can play WMA files and sync with WMP11.It supports MTP.

If you dont big fingers, which i guess you have :D, N82 is a pain.

[sujoyp]

Friend i am also in same dellima....but to tell u the truth N82 hold the upper hand in most of the things...Picture quality, voice clarity, even somewhere I read that it can record vga @ 30fps.

But lookwise I too didnt like N82...G900 is much sleeker and better looking..but then there is one more advantage of N82 i.e the softwares u can install.

[dreamcatcher]

Voice clarity is great in both. Picture quality, well, G900 pics are good enough.

The G900 is not yet available here.Some one please courier me one. :(

[gxsaurav]

1) Ok, So G900 can record video in 320X240 at 30 FPS or more. This is good enough for me, if it can record at 640X480 at 15/30 fps then even better.

2) I will use Idea GPRS in the mean time & upgrade to 3G in Idea when it is available.

3) I hope I won't break the screan

4) Thanks god, that solves my lots of Audio Transfer problems.

@ sujoyp

We can install applications in G900 cos it is also symbian based

[Pathik]

N82 anyday.
1) I dont know if Nokia Maps 2.0 has such detailed maps. And no you dont need GPRS except for downloading newer maps. And some times in case of A-GPS.


1) VGA at 30FPS

2) 3G has atleast one more year to come.

3) Yea. And it wont be covered under warranty if its physical damage

4) N82

[gxsaurav]

@ Pathik

I like N82, feature wise it is good but more then using those feature I need a better keypad. That's the biggest reason to think of something else.

1) Thanks for clearing out that G900 makes videos at VGA resolution with 30 FPS

2) Ok, even EDGE isn't cheap either. I have net at home so the net in phone is required only when I am in Metro or traveling. For that GPRS is slow but does the work :(

3) Hmm....I think I will try not to break it then

4) ???? U didn't tell me weather G900 can sync with WMP11 to play WMA or not? Or just that whether it can play WMA or not in it's media player.

I think I got some information but home for someone to confirm it.

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Sony-Ericsson-G900-phone-p_2593.html

[Pathik]

^^ No idea about that. And Keys are no problem. You ll get used to them in a week. It is quite sad that you would reject a phone only due to its keys even when it trumps every other fone in its range.

[dreamcatcher]

WTF!!! G900 records at QVGA!!! Dont go with high expectations on this. :D
But the videos are good enough to watch on phone, The resolution difference really kicks in when viewed on a large screen.

The G900 readily syncs with WMP and plays WMA. No concerns on this.

^^ No idea about that. And Keys are no problem. You ll get used to them in a week. It is quite sad that you would reject a phone only due to its keys even when it trumps every other fone in its range.

We are taking of a phone here. If the keys are crap and it makes life difficult to type smses or make a call it cant be termed a "good" phone irrespective of the features.

[gxsaurav]

True, Keypad is an integral part of using a phone. If Nokia can change the keypad of N82 I will buy it today only (on credit card :D)

These particular things are clear about G900 now

1)It can play WMA Files & can sync with WMP11. Even if I buy N82 this is a feature I was going to use a lot.

2) It can record Videos either at QVGA 30 fps or VGA 30 FPS. Both are good enough for me.

3) It can play H.263, H.264 & WMV files. I love this, I have most of my files in DivX format which I can easily convert in H.264 format which I love for small screen devices.

4) It has no GPS inbuilt. I won't miss it much & can always buy the GPA enabler if I need GPS.

5) It has a 5 MP Camera with Flash, it's not like N82 but quite good enough for me as these days I m myself not getting time to make many pics.

6) Touchscreen is costly to repair. Well, phone doesn't malfunctions always, I can pay 1.5k to repair it, it's just that I wanted to know how much "time" will it take.

7) It looks better then N82 to my eyes :D

8) Key pad keypad keypad

I would like to ask, what features does Nokia N82 has better then G900? Once I get your feedback I can decide whether I need that feature or not.

[dreamcatcher]

Well N82 has Gps,xenon flash,edge, motion sensor which is not present in the g900.

[nikeel]

2)Yea, G900 lacks EDGE, but 3G is just round the corner. Today in TOI there was a Q&A on 3G which also said that 3g will be available by the end of this month.

No way !! Consider yourself lucky if we get 3G by the end of this year..... or who knows maybe even the end of next year :))

[dreamcatcher]

^^Dude TRAI is pressing for a november release of 3g. International councils are putting pressure on India to accomodate this technology as 3.5g hits the market.

[krates]

ok if you can trade the cam for a better keypad then BUY N95 which is 1k more

bigger screen better GPS

3g won't be hitting india this year

and for G900: has it hitted the indian stores ???

[nikeel]

^^Dude TRAI is pressing for a november release of 3g. International councils are putting pressure on India to accomodate this technology as 3.5g hits the market.

I can only wish what you say is true.
I am actually sick & tired of reading such reports which suggest that 3G will be launched in the next 6 months in India. To be frank they are saying this for the last 2 years that it will be launched within 6 months.

When I had bought my Nokia N70 about 2 years back, I wanted to make sure that I buy a 3G phone so that I can use 3G when it would launch "within 6 months" from then.
Now its time to sell my N70 after just less than 2 years of usage and they still say "3G will be launched in 6 months" :)

ok if you can trade the cam for a better keypad then BUY N95 which is 1k more



I wouldn't advise the N95 2 GB solely because it has only 64 MB of SD RAM.

[dreamcatcher]

Nah this is for sure. Actually TRAI was into a tussle with DoT over the base 3g prices and much more.Now that TRAI has agreed to DoT's proposal we can expect a quick move into the world of 3g.

[krates]

dude N95 rocks does not lag speed is also good no problem at all !!!

and for audiophile the dedicated audio keys simply rocks !!!

[gxsaurav]

Well N82 has Gps,xenon flash,edge, motion sensor which is not present in the g900.

1) GPS is good but I can live without it too. I have been living without it so far. In any case we also have Google Maps

2) Xenon Flash is awesome, but like I said, if it is only the camera which makes N82 better then G900 then I will buy G900 instead as it trumps N82 in look & feel & keypad department.

3) EDGE...yes, this is a something where N82 excels. Even right now with my Idea SIM if I use it in my friends Nokia 5700 then I get better speeds then my phone as my phone as GPRS but his phone has EDGE too.

4) Motion Sensor...I don't think I require this.

ok if you can trade the cam for a better keypad then BUY N95 which is 1k more

Sorry, N95 is a fat phone, I don't like it.

From what my father has said (he is in BSNL at a highest post), 3G will be here in India by the end of this year.

Ok, so 3G's problem is solved, what other features are there which make Nokia N82 better then G900?

[Third Eye]

Gx buy G900,you will be more happy with it.We know you love SE more than nokia. :D

[KaranTh85]

True, Keypad is an integral part of using a phone.

Obviously, but dont worry u wont have 2 use a pen/pencil 2 press the keypads :D


If Nokia can change the keypad of N82 I will buy it today only (on credit card :D)

even if u buy 100 N82 nokia wont change it...even if they do they will have 2 reduce the screen size to 2" or so or change it 2 clamshell model


It looks better then N82 to my eyes :D

True. But when compared with features looks doesn't matter, other integral parts
r also very -very important :smile:

Btw have u handled N82 physically :D


I would like to ask, what features does Nokia N82 has better then G900?
NGage,3.5mm jack,cheap microSD as compared 2 m2 cards of SE:eek:
Graphics Accelerator,128MB RAM,High Grapics Games such as FIFA 2008

Well one Blasting feature u want 2 see then check this site
http://symbianworld.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/n82-black-vs-sony-ericsson-g900-vs-e66-w/

[nishantv2003]

hey gx,
take a look at asus P320 also,
it has......
240 x 320 pixels, 2.6 inches touch screen,

128MB ROM and 64MB RAM
TI OMAP 850 (201MHz) processor,

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, edge, gprs,

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional,

Built-in GPS

Windows Media Player

Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, PDF viewer)....

only drawback is its camera -2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, but it is autofocus...

but it is priced @12990 only... worth a try...


http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_p320-2347.php

http://www.mobile88.com.my/mobilegallery/preview.asp?phone=Asus_P320&prodid=20993&cat=41&path=40,1

[krazzy]

After using the G700 I can tell that G900 UI will also be slower. Whereas N82 is a very fast phone. As far as features are concerned, N82 has a better camera, better video recording, xenon flash, 3.5mm jack, faster processor, graphics accelerator, stereo speakers, GPS, motion sensor, EDGE,3G and HSDPA, and it also supports N-Gage games. Moreover it is cheaper than G900 (19k vs 21k). G900 only has touchscreen. You'll only have to get used to the keypad. If you can achieve that then you'll have a better phone in your hand. (Btw I have also answered some of your questions in my G700 review thread).

[dreamcatcher]

aah, well please dont assess the speed of the g700 with the g900. According to esato, the latest firmware for the g900 makes it much faster.Java applications are better handled by the g900. There many hacks for UIQ, you can break into the core system and DO ANYTHING. ranging from increasing the brightness to increasing speaker volume. Flash themes,etc etc.the G900's cam is good enough and at par with the n82 in daylight. The touchscreen has more uses than you can think of. The UI is brilliant and with a few more updates, the G900 will be run like raging bull .:D

[gxsaurav]

True. But when compared with features looks doesn't matter, other integral parts r also very -very important

Most of the features I need are being fullfilled by G900 too that's why I gave N82 a second thought.

Btw have u handled N82 physically :D

Yup, didn't like the keypad that's Y thought about G900.


NGage,3.5mm jack,cheap microSD as compared 2 m2 cards of SE:eek:
Graphics Accelerator,128MB RAM,High Grapics Games such as FIFA 2008

Hmm....ok

1) NGage is for gaming, I don't play games on my mobile anyway.

2) I have already talked about the 3.5mm jack in the G700 review thread. If I use some headphone like EP-630 with Nokia N82 then I will loose the handsfree functionality as the mic will not be there in EP-630. On the other hand if I buy G900 then I can connect EP-630 to the Fast port to 3.5mm audio jack & still use it as a Mic.

3) I don't need that much memory space. I will buy a 2 GB card once & be done with it. A Rs 200 difference won't matter much.

4) G900 also has 3D Graphics accelerator with OpenGL ES Support. Like I said, it won't matter as I do not play games on my phone.

5) G900 also has 128 MB RAM.

6) Again, no gaming.

Well one Blasting feature u want 2 see then check this site
http://symbianworld.wordpress.com/20...g900-vs-e66-w/ (http://symbianworld.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/n82-black-vs-sony-ericsson-g900-vs-e66-w/)

It's the camera right, won't matter much. I can trade it off in favor of touchscreen & keypad.

Anything else???? Both are symbian so application library is also quite big.

@ nishantv2003

If U know Microsoft as much as I do, u would not be suggesting it. Windows Mobile 7 is coming in Q1 2009 due to it is not adviced to buy a Windows Mobile 6.1 based phone right now, not even xperia X1 cos it won't be upgradable to Windows Mobile 7

@ krazzy

Ok, I will try getting used to the keypad. It is tough to type SMS on it with my speed though as of K750i & then the SE Looks factor is also there.

[gagandeep]

and for G900: has it hitted the indian stores ???
Well dude, G900 and C902, both are available here in Gurgaon....I had seen their boxes while I was passing by a Mobile store in a mall just day before yesterday....

G900 should be around 20.5K....

One great feature about G900 is that it has Touch Focus........Just touch the screen and camera will automatically focus at the object. This works like a charm.

N82 is ~18.5K and if you can really cope up with the awkward keypad, then its okay...otherwise G900 is good....

[KaranTh85]

Then go 4 G900 if u have ur needs fullfiled...:D

& do post its review....4 us :rolleyes:

[krates]

2) I have already talked about the 3.5mm jack in the G700 review thread. If I use some headphone like EP-630 with Nokia N82 then I will loose the handsfree functionality as the mic will not be there in EP-630. On the other hand if I buy G900 then I can connect EP-630 to the Fast port to 3.5mm audio jack & still use it as a Mic.


dude the one nokia provides with the phone is with mic so use that

and when at night you feel like listening to music plug the EP630 and listen

when a call comes remove it and answer the call.........

and now when every N82 feature look like crap to you

buy what is in your mind

why ask us

you are asking like what good has N82 over G900

and everyone is telling you say i am not going to use that it is crap for me and all that

so buy G900

[Third Eye]

What the hell,you can use the ep-630 with N82 as handsfree :eek:.

[krates]

^^ yup but he says there is no MIC

[gxsaurav]

feature wise N82 is better but I don't require many of them, so I M trading in favor of the keypad & better looks.

Ok any more feature, I might end up buying N82 only if the last diciding factor is EDGE

[krates]

dude 1 more is

it is SYMBIAN S60 V3 (it has got never ending list of apps)

and G900 si SYMBIAN UIQ( it has got basic apz like mac)

[Power UP]

Saurav N82 is a much better deal.

Even i was worried about keypad , but after a week i got easily accustomed to it.
The spacing between the keypad helps a lot , i hardly make any mistakes even without looking at the keypad :D

As far as looks check out the black version , it is quite a beauty ;)

[hellgate]

yup N82 is better.

coming from a N95 8GB had probs with the keypad initially.but i hav eventually adjusted to the keypad.

the new Nokia Maps 2.0 has pretty detailed maps of Delhi.even i plan to use it to navigate in Delhi when i shift on the 22nd.though u need GPRS/EDGE.if ur not satisfied u can always use Google Maps.

N82 being a S60v3 OS 9.2 fone the apps list is just un eding whereas the G900 being a UIQ 3.0 doesnt hav that many apps as compared to s60v3.

if u can just try out the N82.i think u'll like it.

[gxsaurav]

I only use two 3rd party apps in my phone, Opera Mini & Morange, G900 has Opera mobile & Morange/IM+ is available for UIQ.

I will try to get used to the new keypad, a friend in office has it.

[Pathik]

Once you use the native symbian apps, Java apps ll look like sh!t.

[yogi7272]

i think most of ur questions about n82 have been answered ..

the keypad is not a issue at all .. infact, after using it u will find it very comfortable .. I have big fingers btw ..

black n82 looks sexy.. u said u wont need tv out .. dude, that is great when watching those excellent vga videos recorded with phone cam ..

that excellent 5mp cam with awesome xenon flash ( best in any phone till date ) is a single most reason to go for n82 ..

once u start using symbian os .. u will start using many more apps ..

interesting read abt uiq ..
http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/008/07/BeiBei_UIQ_33_menu_walkthrough.htm

good luck for ur purchase ..

[dreamcatcher]

^^Well, UIQ is not ebing cancelled.there wont be any more UIQ devices "in devolopment", doesnt mean UIQ is dead.2 more UIQ devices to be announced next month. Watch out for the announcements.

[Tamoghno]

Hey dream why you always talk about the future only ? Like

3g will be available within one
month so edge is crap.(even if its available , it'll take many months to deploy , so atleast for now edge still rules. By the way , practically edge gives around 200kpbs compared to 105+kpbs of edge.and 35kpbs of gprs.So edge is not that bad.)

Updates will come to uiq to make it faster (n95 got demand paging , flash lite 3 , faster interface with firmware updates , n82 is new n95 so expect some big updates for n82 also. N81already got flash lite 3 and FP 2 Styled eye candy so n82 will also get that pretty soon.)

Two more uiq device will be announced( no comments here :) )

[dreamcatcher]

^^yea..i do that coz N95 was not perfect when it came out either. N95 original was a disaster. They came up with the 8 gb version and where they cleaned through all the faults and gave it a better battery. So, dotn expect a phone to crop out of nowwhere and start delivering out of nowwhere.

N81 is a flop. it has been accepted everywhere as one.

[Pathik]

Nah it is not. Except for the cam, it kicks ass.

[krazzy]

And N95 was by no means a disaster. Even with the previous buggy firmware people were buying it like crazy. Even now it is selling pretty well. And neither is N81 a flop. That too is selling well.

[dreamcatcher]

N95 sure sold well. But, check some user reviews after they bought it. Batery drained in 4 hours of usage. my friend had bought it and he used to roam with a charger all the itme. then it was slow, laggy and very unstable. Had random reboots all the time..

The n81 has stopped production is many countries and has been removied from the US.

[krates]

^^^

my friend has been using N95 for more than 8 months

he has not faced any prob yet !!!

may be your friend got a faulty onee

[gxsaurav]

I forgot one thing. If I have a touch screen phone with stylus there biggest benefit is that I can draw at anytime on it. Suppose I am in the Metro, many times I m thinking something & I was to draw the design I have in my mind, for that G900's Touchscreen will help a lot.

I am trying my friend's Nokia N82, The buttons need some time in getting used to, let's see. Now I will wait for September end to come & then when I actually have money in Debit A/C, I will talk about it.

[m-jeri]

buy anyone of them ...go see....touch and feel...buy the one u actually like...forget the nos and crap....most features are useless

[dreamcatcher]

^^+1 Atlast a comment that we both share..congrats madjeri . :P