The main features of the phone are certainly not unique but they have been implemented well in to the handset. The GPS feature is by no means cutting edge but it is now certainly a feature I cannot live without, if you are looking for a device to replace your in car satellite navigation (and I hate to be the bearer of bad news) the N95 just will not perform well. When active the GPS feature puts a big drain on to the handsets battery, in addition to this if the maps that have not already been downloaded to the N95 will need to be accessed by a GPRS or 3G connection as and when they are needed. When it comes to navigation on foot or cycling the system seems to work much better but unless your maps are preloaded on your phone I would strongly suggest you consider in purchasing some form of unlimited data tariff if you intended on using this feature frequently. One main difference from mainstream sat nav units is a lack of the famous voice pointing you in the right direction and although this feature can be purchased as an extra plus there is also the small matter of another direct download.
Moving on, the camera should impress the majority of users, when Nokia released the N73 with an autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera it became a phone that could pose a real treat to the standalone camera market. Returning in the direction of present day the N95 was the first handset to hit the five megapixel milestone and can leave most low to mid range cameras in the dust, but it's worth remembering there as long road to go before Nokia will be taking on the SLR's.
On the connectivity side the phone features today's standard Bluetooth, Infra Red, GPRS and 3G functionality but also includes WIFI. Many people seemed to be impressed with the phones Wifi feature but I have to say I am a little disappointed, the only real use it seems to have it to pull data from a nearby access point. As a mobile web user who commonly uses a handset for going online with my laptop I would enjoy using the phone as a wireless access point rather than connecting via the data cable or Bluetooth.
While I am on the connectivity side one feature that certainly deserves a highlight is the browser, I am normally hard to please when it comes to mobile phone browsers and normally shun them in favour of Opera Mini, however in this instance I raise my hat to Nokia - to put it simply this browser rocks. Forget about being restricted to the run of the mill mobile friendly sites, this phone will surf real web sites plus to boost the experience that little bit further you can also in a more common portrait aspect ratio (also known as rotating the phone).
Looking towards the video and audio features the default music player performs the job but that's it, nothing special apart from the dedicated playback buttons on the dual slider. The video player is a little more impressive and in my opinion lives up to the manufacturers claim of DVD like playback. Movies recorded with the handsets camera playback perfectly just as you would expect them to but one feature that sets this phone aside from the crowd is the ability to connect the phone to a TV set. The required cable is supplied with your phone, handset created videos playback flawlessly on the larger screen without any sign of pixelation. The TV cable can also work well when playing 3D based mobile games in fact anything you do on the phone can be displayed on your TV.
I have only covered the main features here but these alone make the phone superior to any other currently available handset, the downside comes with the cost - when I last checked Nokia's UK site a sim free model was available for £500, this means my phone is now more valuable than my laptop! If you are in the market for a contact most UK networks will offer you a 18 month deal from £30 per month and a free N95.
The thing that worries me now is what my upgrade options are going to be when my contract runs out – after all by definition upgrading is to improve and this device is going to take some beating.
Did I mention that this handset can also make and receive calls?