Smartphone comparison: Nokia N9 vs. Apple iPhone 4S
- 26 October, 2011 14:17
- Comments 24
Nokia has launched its N9 smartphone in Australia, the first and likely the last Nokia phone to run the MeeGo operating system. Although the Nokia N9 is slick and easy to use, the timing of its launch sets it up to compete directly with the Apple iPhone 4S.
• Apple iPhone 4S review
• Nokia N9 review
The Nokia N9 and the Apple iPhone 4S smartphones are similarly priced and are available through all three Australian carriers, Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. So, how do they compare?
Apple iPhone 4S vs. Nokia N9: Specifications
| Feature | Apple iPhone 4S | Nokia N9 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Apple iOS 5 | MeeGo (Harmattan) | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Display size | 3.5in | 3.9in | Nokia N9 |
| Display technology | Capacitive LED-backlit IPS | Capacitive AMOLED | Draw |
| Display resolution | 640x960 | 480x854 | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Pixel density | 330 ppi | 251 ppi | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Multitouch | Yes | Yes | Draw |
| Front camera | VGA | VGA | Draw |
| Rear camera | 8 megapixels w/single-LED flash | 8 megapixels w/dual-LED flash | Draw |
| Camera features | Autofocus, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, video stabilisation | Autofocus, touch focus, geotagging, face detection, Carl Zeiss optics | Draw |
| Video recording | 1080p HD @ 30fps | 720p HD @ 30fps | Apple iPhone 4S |
| FM radio | No | No | Draw | GPS | Yes | Yes (with free turn-by-turn navigation) | Nokia N9 |
| Internal memory | 16GB, 32GB or 64GB | 16GB or 64 GB | Draw |
| Expandable memory | None | None | Draw |
| Dimensions | 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm | 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Weight | 140g | 135g | Nokia N9 |
| Application Store | Apple App Store | Nokia Store | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Processor | Apple A5 dual-core (800MHz) | ARM Cortex A8 single-core (1GHz) | Apple iPhone 4S |
| RAM | 512MB | 1GB | Nokia N9 |
| Australian 3G networks | HSDPA 850/900/2100 | HSDPA 850/900/2100 | Draw |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n | 802.11a/b/g/n | Draw |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 with A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP | Draw |
| NFC (Near Field Communication) | No | Yes | Nokia N9 |
| HDMI-out | No (Yes with Apple Digital AV adapter) | No | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Quoted battery life | Up to 8 hrs | Up to 7 hrs | Apple iPhone 4S |
| Battery capacity | 1420 mAh | 1450 mAh | Nokia N9 |
| Adobe Flash support | No | No | Draw |
| Australian carriers | Telstra, Optus, Vodafone | Telstra, Optus, Vodafone | Draw |
Nokia N9 vs. Apple iPhone 4S: Design
The N9 is the best looking and slickest smartphone Nokia has released in a number of years. It's a candybar handset constructed from solid polymer, the same material often found in ice hockey helmets. The company says the phone's polycarbonate casing is coloured all the way through in the manufacturing process, so scratches, dents or marks from everyday use will not show up.
The N9 has no keypad or home button on the front so it’s the first full-touch smartphone Nokia has ever released. The only physical controls are on the right side in the form of volume buttons and a lock key. The N9's design is attractive, comfortable to hold and different.
The Apple iPhone 4S on the other hand retains an identical design to the iPhone 4. It's constructed largely from aluminium and glass, is just 9.3mm thick and has an industrial look and feel with distinctive, sharp edges. The iPhone 4S also retains the iPhone 4's glass back that does look slick but attracts plenty of fingerprints. The iPhone 4S can be a little uncomfortable to hold without a case, but there is no doubting its build quality and premium feel.
Next page: Display, software, camera and more
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Comments
jakub
1
Very funny iPhone 4s review.. Enjoy it!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsVEbRt6g94
Nseries
2
the Meego OS actually beats the iOS since it supports Android so it can download Android Apps AND Nokia Apps. Android currently has more apps than the App store does. A combination of Nokia Apps and Android Apps crushes the App Store hands down. Meego is an unrestricted OS unlike the iOS and Android (which can get computer viruses). It is also much easier to use and it has much more user-friendly. So the Nokia N9 actually beats the iPhone. This is a biased review.
zau
3
oh really ! if it really support Android and symbian, i'll go for N9.
jason brown
4
pentaband not quadband. cdma is useless.
Cheryl
5
Can anyone please tell me which one will work best on the Optus network? I'm in an area which seems to be better served by them as far as signal goes. Thanks.
Alex Shand
6
So which one is better?
Michael
7
Uhhh... the N9 has flash doesn't it? I just watched a video and it was running flash. Besides I've always had Nokia and it has always supported adobe flash player.
The iOS can only play music in the background and doesn't support multi-tasking as where the MeeGo can run--from what I've seen--17 apps at once!
I like it! N9 is more for the computer geeks like myself. It's running off a Linux platform.. so it's open to customizing. But Nokia dropped this MeeGo system so we won't be seeing it anymore by 2012. Meltemi(code name) by Nokia will be the next Linux-based platform to replace the old Symbian system. Symbian is great. It's too bad they're gutting the whole Nokia borne systems. I blame this silly smartphone market. What's next?
andrey_333
8
The nokia n 9 has bluetooth that works with other phones, the 4s can only send files to another iphone.
fredf
9
Very unprofessional review
Wade
10
This review is a load of crap, you have compared nothing. All you have done is rate what is better out of the two phones and it is not even correct. There are more variables to be discussed. Thanks for wasting my time you stupid douchebags.
KANNAN.V.S
11
NOKIA N9 IS AWSOME BUT APPLE 4S ITS A VARIETY DUE TO DE BRAND BOTH R GOOD COMPARING TO EACH OTHER.....
kian
12
just look up how results are different !!!!
which one is valid?
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/399560/nokia_n9_vs_iphone_4/
geppy
13
very funny review: n9 is better for his 3,9" against 3,5... but iphone is better too, cos is smaller... do u want more screen in a smaller phone??? Less vodka, and more water in ur life reviewer..
Laine
14
I had an iphone then switch to the N9 how disappointed I am. me personally would go back to the Iphine.......
Leo
15
Personally, I have a N9, the OS is very friendly user, the camera is great, I´m not a professional photographer, so is suffice for me. Overall, I´m happy with what I got, the things that I like to be improve will be the battery life and the apps store.
Jeff
16
This review's incorrect in so many ways that I don't know where to begin.
It'll be for nought anyway, & I'm tired so I won't, suffice to say...
Had there been far more accuracy, the N9 may well have nudged ahead.
Only for technically competant users though...
For the average clueless user, the iPhone's still prolly the better buy.
pon
17
poorly investigated review.
it may not have HDMI but you can conect your tv with the Nokia A/V cable no problem id rather have Gorilla Glass which alows me to brig it out in any situation
update:
The swipe Keyboard (its just sweeet)
N9 has Flashplayer and firefox browser
Camera has face recognition
multi burst when taking pictures
Video alows to turn the flash on for taking videos at night
video calls with gTalk
fully cusomizable ( fonts and icon Size)
Sean
18
Iphone all the way. I will never do business with Nokia again. I had the Nokia N900 and it was crap. When I went to get customer service, it was really bad. Apple customer service is excellent. I pray that Nokia goes down the tubes
niesa
19
how can I download android apps?
Extraneus
20
@Sean:
It's fair that you've had a terrible experience with the N900 and Nokia's customer service, and have taken a stand as a result, but a comparison between the N900 and an iPhone is just weird... The N900 is a pre-tablet semi-computer for Linux-users and other people willing to ditch easy controls for flexibility; it's the diametrical opposite of an iPhone! The fact that you switched to iPhone and loved it shows that you were on the wrong bus to begin with...
Matrix
21
I am a nokia n9 user...it is awesome..especially that it supports dual booting os..(android and meego)..and ..there is myriad alien delvik..coming on meego..so the nokia n9 will support nokia storeand android market ..i dont think that iphone is better than thenokia n9
melissa
22
such a waste of everyones time reading this crappy review. the n9 is hands down the better phone and way ahead in terms of everything. also, this thing has its facts wrong. the nokia does have 64 gb. not only can you not write an unbiased review, u cant even research your facts properly.
apple iphone 4s vs samsung galaxy s3
23
Unlock is different from Jailbreak. You should not Confuse the 2.
The hackers you should not appear to be like they're going to more work on that unlock for 2 explanations: 1. A lot of Asian providers like Applenberry are doing work within the recreation. They unveiled their Gevey Sim. two. Apple now sells iPhones which arrive unlocked almost everywhere.
apple iphone 4s vs samsung galaxy s3
24
Unlock is different from Jailbreak. You should not Confuse the
2. The hackers you should not appear to be like they're going to more work on that unlock for 2 explanations: 1. A lot of Asian providers like Applenberry are doing work within the recreation. They unveiled their Gevey Sim. two. Apple now sells iPhones which arrive unlocked almost everywhere.