IT Pro Verdict

The Nokia N97 Mini doesn’t improve enough over its elder brother. We were expecting faster multitasking speeds, a better slide and an improved touch screen. Instead, we got much the same, albeit with a firmware update and for only £30 less.

By Clare Hopping

published 15 December 2009

in Reviews

The Nokia default browser may not be as good as Opera, but it'll fine for displaying most websites. It supports flash, meaning you can view in-page video content including YouTube. There's no multi touch here though you'll have to double tap on pages to zoom in.

Accelerometer issues mean you can't just turn the device around to flip to landscape mode as with the N97, you'll have to expose the QWERTY keyboard for it to change mode.

The screen itself seems more responsive than its bigger brother. Although maybe it's because Nokia has had more time to ensure it's distinctly usable.

The widget-based home screen that is present on all Nokia Symbian S60 v5 devices can be fully customised. By default, applications including the Wi-Fi (or WLAN) setup and status box, time, network status, Reuters slideshow, messaging, browser, Ovi Store and Nokia Maps shortcuts are all present.

To edit the shortcuts you want to see on the home screen, tap on the options soft key at the bottom of the screen, then edit content. A grid will then appear so you can move contacts around and add new shortcuts. Options include the ability to add your favourite contacts and news services, plus Facebook and any other apps you may have installed on your phone.

At the side of the display (or bottom if you have the device in portrait mode), there is a menu hardware key and touch sensitive answer call/end keys.

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Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.