History
The phone was unveiled in September 2006 and was released at the end of March 2007. Nokia heavily promoted this phone using the tagline "It's what computers have become", along with similar lines such as "It's what cameras have become". They also used the slogan "There's a thing in my pocket" in both television adverts and on the phone's Nseries website.
On March 22, 2007 Nokia announced that the N95 had started shipping in key European, Asian and Middle Eastern markets.[1]
On April 7, 2007, the N95 went on sale in the United States through Nokia's Flagship stores in New York and Chicago and through Nokia's nseries.com website. No US carriers were expected to offer this phone.
On August 29, 2007, two updated versions of the N95 were announced at a press event in London; first, the N95-3, specifically created for the North American market (thus being called N95 NAM, standing for "North American Model") with support for AT&T Mobility's 850/1900 MHz W-CDMA (3G/UMTS, 3.5G/HSDPA) bands instead of the original European/Asian 2100 MHz frequency; second, the N95 8GB, an updated version for the European/Asian markets with 8GB of onboard flash memory, slightly larger screen (up from 2.6 inches to 2.8 inches), and a black faceplate instead of the original silver. Both the new versions have additional changes, such as the removal of the sliding lens cover for the camera, improved battery life, and doubling of runtime memory (RAM) from 64 to 128 MB. The U.S. version started retailing without carrier branding or discounts in Nokia's flagship stores in New York and Chicago on September 26, 2007[6] [7]; however it is unclear whether this phone will eventually be carried by AT&T Mobility. Also, there is no word yet on a version for the T-Mobile U.S. 1700/2100 MHz W-CDMA bands.
Later, on January 7, 2008, Nokia announced the N95-4, which is the inevitable 8Gb version of the N95-3. The phone got its FCC approval in January 30 and launched March 18..
Nokia N95 handsets supplied by Orange and Vodafone in the UK have the VoIP facility disabled from the phone by installing their own firmware and not using the Nokia generic software. Vodafone's reason for removing the facility was that it "does not believe it's a mature technology". O2, T-Mobile & 3 allow VoIP to be used on their handsets, however data charges may apply when using the service.
In May 2008, Rogers Wireless, Canada's National GSM carrier, launched the N95-4 becoming the first North American carrier to launch the N95.
Features
Integrated GPS
The N95 contains an integrated GPS receiver which is located below the 0 key on the keypad. The phone ships with Nokia Maps navigation software. Maps are free and can be downloaded either over the air (via a carrier's data packet network) or through the phone's built-in WiFi. Maps can also be downloaded via a PC using the Nokia MapLoader application. To use voice navigation within Nokia Maps a license needs to be purchased from Nokia. Individual city guides are also available for purchase. A-GPS was added later, which greatly improved the initial positioning time.
Multimedia abilities
The N95 is a music player. It supports MP3, WMA, RealAudio, SP-MIDI, AAC+, eAAC+, MIDI, AMR and M4A. Its two-way slider, when slid towards the keypad, allows access to its media playback buttons. A standard 3.5 mm jack is located on the left side of the phone and allows the user to connect any standard headphones to the unit; a user can also use Bluetooth for audio output using A2DP. The device features built-in stereo speakers. The N95 is also capable of playing videos through the included RealPlayer application. Videos can also be played through the TV-out feature. TV-out is a special graphics chip and companion utility that allows users to connect the smartphone using the supplied composite cable to any TV or audiovisual device. Its aim is to let you demo your photos and videos on a large screen, and so as the internet, video games and music features can also be used. The N95's built in UPnP capabilities allow the user to share the phones' digital media over a WLAN network. This provides easy access to the photos, music and videos stored on the phone and also enables media to be downloaded from other UPnP capable devices on the network.
Internet
The N95 has built-in Wi-Fi, with which it can access the Internet (through a 802.11b/g wireless network). The N95 can also connect to the Internet through a carrier packet data network such as UMTS, HSDPA, or EDGE. The web browser displays full web pages as opposed to simplified pages as on most other phones. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and automatic zooming is supported. The N95 also has Bluetooth built in and works with wireless earpieces that use Bluetooth 2.0 technology and for file transfer.
It should be noted that the original N95 does not support U.S. based versions of UMTS/HSDPA; UMTS features in this version of this phone are disabled by default as sold in the US (but can be reactivated if needed). Likewise, the N95 U.S. only supports AT&T's 850/1900 MHz UMTS/HSDPA bands, not the 1700 MHz T-Mobile USA band or the 2100 MHz band used internationally.
The phone can also act as a WAN access point allowing a tethered PC access to a carrier's packet data network. VoIP software and functionality is also included with the phone (though some carriers have opted to remove this feature).
Accelerometer
The N95 includes a built-in accelerometer. This was originally only used for video stabilization and photo orientation (to keep landscape or portrait shots oriented as taken).
Nokia Research Center has allowed an application interface directly to the accelerometer, allowing software to use the data from it. Nokia has released an application to demonstrate this.
Third-party programs have been created, including software that will automatically change the screen orientation when the phone is tilted, programs that simulate the sounds of a Star Wars lightsaber when the phone is waved through the air, allow you to mute the phone by turning it face-down, and many more.
Automatic Screen Rotation is available without using any third-party software since firmware version v30.0.015
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