While i’m still digesting the loads of information shoveled my way, along with finalizing coverage for both HWM and HardwareZone.com, I realized that somehow, large scale events like these always find a way to slap me in the face. Kick me in the nads. Throw a wet blanket over the fire. Break my heart. You get the idea.

Case in point? The Nokia N97 Mini. Why so? Part of the answer lies in the fact that i’m now using a Nokia N97. The full-sized one that comes with mode storage and a directional keypad. The picture below neatly illustrates the second part of the answer to the question.

On the left: a white Nokia N97 Mini. On the right: my personal Nokia N97. Almost 200MB of free phone memory on the Nokia N97 Mini, versus a smidge above 10MB on their slightly older (former) flagship device.

Damnit. Damnitdamnitdamnit. Why, Nokia, why do you do such things to me?

Anyone willing to trade a N97 Mini for my  used, but very well kept N97?

Despite hanging in the air for close to half a year now since the initial announcement back in December, Nokia’s soon-to-be flagship Nseries device is due to be made available sometime in June this year, a little less than two weeks from now. The timing is no real coincidence, after all, Nokia did say they’d be releasing the phone in the tail end of the first half of 2009. What’s more, CommunicAsia is just around the corner, and it makes even more sense that Nokia would choose their Nokia Connection event to shout about the N97, ahead of the anticipated iPhone upgrade and other devices to be announced by competing mobile phone makers at CommunicAsia.

A couple of weeks back, I had the opportunity to check out a couple of prototype N97 devices courtesy of the chaps at Nokia. In short, the hardware was pretty much final, though the software was buggy as hell, suddenly restarting every now and then.

Rather than launch into a full-on review of the Nokia N97, here are some of the key plus points that I feel the N97 brings to the table.

• Build - The past few mobile phones from Nokia were relative disappointments. With the exception of the newer Eseries devices i.e. E71, E66 and E75, devices like the Nokia N96 and the N85 felt more like stopgap devices, launched simply to fill in the gaps between major product announcements like the N97. Build quality on those devices were so-so, lots of glossy plastic used, but not once did you feel that you were getting something substantial for your money. This time around, the N97 actually feels like a solid, premium device. The screen flips open to reveal the keyboard with a satisfying click, and Nokia’s kept the glossy bits to a minimum, preferring matte plastic this time around. Size-wise, the N97 is only slightly bigger than my N82 in terms of volume. This device should fit nicely into just about any pocket.
• Widgets and connectivity – The home screen features widgets which are customizable, from the likes of Facebook to AccuWeather and Stocks. Given that many of these widgets can take advantage of active data connections available i.e. 3G, WiFi etc, aside from the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, the N97 is clearly geared for an always-online experience. Forget shortcuts; the widgets give you a quick look at what’s going on, whether the latest email that arrived in your inbox, or the latest Facebook update from friends and family. Data plans for mobile broadband are getting cheaper by the day – I myself use a 1Mbps plan with a 50GB data cap from SingTel for less than S$20 a month. The only problem with an always-online device would probably be if you travel often. Unless you have alternative SIM cards for your destination country, roaming data charges are something to be wary of.
• Improved touchscreen – Even though the software on the prototype N97 was far from complete, the resistive screen on the N97 was so much more responsive than the one on a production 5800 XpressMusic, for example.
• QWERTY - The 3-row keyboard takes some getting used to, especially since the space bar is located on the right hand side of the keyboard; not too convenient if you happen to be a lefty. Nevertheless, like the keyboard on the E75, the one on the N97 is quite well designed, with just enough spacing between the keys for fat-fingered folk like myself to type away with a minimum of fuss.
• Mega storage options – 32GB of built-in storage is one thing, but to also have a microSD slot takes things to a whole new level. While Nokia isn’t the first to do something like this, throwing in a 16GB card gives you a grand total of 48GB for your music, videos and whatever else. I own a 32GB iPod touch, and even then I can barely find enough stuff to fill it with, what more 48GB on the N97.

Bottom line, even though spending time with a prototype is nowhere near a proper experience, I do think that the N97 might be just the device that Nokia needs to give their business a nice shot in the arm. I haven’t felt this much anticipation since the Nokia N95 first came onto the scene a couple of years back, and to be honest, June can’t come fast enough for me.

For more information on the Nokia N97, do check out Nokia Singapore’s official product page.