Nokia Gets You From Here to There in Style

If you're looking for a piece of hardware that's just as capable as a business devices as it is jet-setting around over the weekends, you might want to take the Nokia N95 8GB for a spin. Among its strong points are its 5-megapixel camera, included GPS and navigation software, and 8GB of internal memory for all your content.

For those with a little extra cash - ok, a lot of extra cash - to burn, the Nokia N95 8GB is one serious phone. It's just as comfortable managing your daily life at the office as it is serving as your converged multimedia entertainment package. What makes it so special?

Well, it runs the Symbian S60 operating system. This is an advanced smartphone platform that is capable of running literally thousands of third-party programs. This platform has an entire developer organization dedicated to creating great business and personal software. If you want to be able to keep track of expenses while on the road, there's software available to do it. If you need to check your email, no problem. Want to open Microsoft Word or Excel files? It will do that, too.

But that's far from all. Because the N95 has built-in GPS and navigation software, it can direct you from your office to an off-site lab or other facility without breaking a sweat. It also has on-board Wi-Fi, so you can use it in hotspots to browse the Web with the capable S60 browser.

Don't forget, however, that the N95 8GB parties just as hard out of the office as in it. The 5-megapixel camera uses Carl Zeiss optics, and has autofocus and a flash. You really can forget all about a stand-alone camera with the N95 in your pocket. On top of that, it also shoots video at 30 frames per second, which is good enough quality to watch on your TV.

To help you store all those pictures and video clips, the N95 8GB has 8 gigabytes of memory stuffed inside. You can also use it to store and play your music through regular headphones, the external stereo speakers, or via stereo Bluetooth.

Lastly it can access AT&T's ultra-fast 3G wireless data network, so the mobile Internet is in your pocket no matter where you are.

There are a couple of downsides, though. For one, be prepared for sticker shock. If you thought the iPhone was expensive, the N95 has it beat by a wide margin. It'll cost you $750 smackers. It also is a tad thick. It's not uncomfortable to stuff into a pocket, but it is not a svelte as other smartphones in the market.

In all, however, it is one powerful device.