All your questions answered: Nokia N9

Update 15092011: This article was first posted on August 4, 2011. We’re bumping it up for your easy reference.

Update 14092011: We’ve included and answered your questions on the Nokia N9 from the media launch live coverage.

Alright people, we have a date with the Nokia N9 tonight and we’d be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have about the device or about Nokia in general. So please list down all your questions in the comments below and we will try to answer all of them here.

Your questions answered after the jump.

Is it responsive?
Yes, very responsive. Touch screen accuracy is on par with the best of them as well. UI transitions are nice too. This is Nokia’s prettiest OS to date.

What about battery life?
Our time with the device was too limited to really test this out.

Is the storage in FAT32? Can it change to NTFS?
We’re not sure about this.

Since n9 is meego-based, which is also linux-based, like android. and the difference is meego is most probably being discontinued. can i port it to android instead?
Don’t think so. Hackers and tinkerers could find a possibly but its likely that you won’t get hardware to work well with the OS. On the point about MeeGo being discontinued, that’s not entirely correct. MeeGo will soldier on but it won’t be Nokia’s primary focus and while there is no guarantee for another MeeGo smartphone, Nokia might consider MeeGo for other devices — a Nokia tablet perhaps.

OS in Android? Symbian?
The Nokia N9 is running MeeGo

Why don’t they implement different directional swipes that leads to different screens instead of it leading to the same thing wherever you swipe
That will make using the OS more complicated. A user will have to memorise numerous swipe gestures to get to the screen they want. Nokia has simplified the OS experience with two main swipe gestures. Swipes from the left or right of the screen will cycle through the three homescreens — social media feeds, apps, running apps. While you’re in an app, a swipe down from the top of the screen will close the app.

First timers will find that there is a bit of a learning curve using the Nokia N9 but it’s not difficult to master.

can this comparable to 1st generation of iphone?
If you’re strictly speaking about the first gen iPhone OS. The Nokia N9 is much more polished. MeeGo on this device is clean and responsive. We see a lot of potential but that’s not to say that the device is without it’s limitations. If Nokia can continuously offer additional features and grow the MeeGo app ecosystem quickly, this device will find fans amongst smartphone users.

do they have any app at all ? well, app is the future.
App selection is rather limited on the device but all the basics are covered. There’s an extensive email support for all the popular formats. There’s Twitter and Facebook with very good integration with contacts. In terms of games there are a few, Angry Birds is there (with support for NFC).

At launch, there will be around 1000 apps for MeeGo. Unfortunately, this is nothing compared to the hundreds of thousands available on iOS and Android. For this device to stand a fighting chance against the most established OSes (and it does have tremendous potential) Nokia must grow the app ecosystem quickly. This will be a difficult challenge.

how is the screen compare to retina display?
Not as good. The pixel density is not as high. Although the zero-gap AMOLED screen is spectacularly bright and clear individual pixels are still visible to the naked eye.

Will it blend?
Maybe. Depends on what blender you put it in.

Can I have some time with it too?
Not until launch.

Pinch zooming performance?
Pretty good and responsive

Flash video support?
Not natively, no.

Lags, however minute it may be?
There is some lag when calling up certain apps but its nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to worry about. Even the fastest Androids lag. The iPhone 4 is not lag-free either.

Screen responsiveness?
Good. Touch accuracy is on par with the best of them.

UI intuitiveness?
There is a bit of a learning curve. The more advance gestures are not as obvious or predictable.

what is the future direction of nokia?
Straight up, Nokia will be focusing on Windows Phone. MeeGo will be a side project, there may never be another MeeGo smartphone from Nokia.

any further software update for n8?
There might be. Nokia still supports Symbian. Symbian is an important platform for Nokia to maintain their leading role in emerging markets. If there’s a need for updates, Nokia will almost certainly provide it.

Hows the super amoled compared to samsung galaxy S2?
The display is a standard AMOLED panel with zero-air-gap between the screen cover and the touch panel itself. This makes a great deal of difference. The display on the Nokia N9 is exceptionally bright and clear. The images appear to be on top of the display surface rather than under it. It’s indeed delightful to look at. However the resolution is not as great as Retina Display. Individual pixels are discernible. While this might not be an issue for some. It is a bit of a peeve.

may i know if the future updates promised by nokia will include some overhaul in UI, like to make the homescreen available.. and can it have themes and background image..some people may prefer these in order to make their phone looks fantastic ;D
There is no indication on this at the moment. We were told that MeeGo version we tested in the Nokia N9 is almost production ready. We don’t expect major changes in terms of features at launch. Having said that, the way the UI is designed, the N9 doesn’t a homescreen. What is does need badly is the ability to create folders and support for multiple accounts in social media feeds — at the very least.

how about camera n8 vs n9?i heard although n8 is 12mp and n9 8mp, but the quality is almost the same…ur take?
N8 is better. Much better. The camera on the N9 is ok. Nothing to shout home about.

when it will be available in malaysia and the price. and also the price with telco thanks
Availability is expected to be somewhere mid to late September. RRP is unknown at the moment but it won’t cost more than RM2,000 by our guestimate.

— Questions received from the Nokia N9 media launch after this point —

loving the price. Wondering whether N9 have wifi tethering… (from @aziman)
WiFi hotspot is available

do meego have apps that ,? Fb, twitter, maps? (from @syafeeqKL)
All the apps you’ve mentioned are available although at the moment, they are not as full featured as those one Android and iOS. The Twitter app for example only supports one account and you can’t share pictures from the app itself. You have to upload it manually at the moment. Though its worth mentioning that the N9 is pre-loaded with the Nokia Maps app with with free turn-by-turn drive and walk navigation and voice guidance.

will meego become open source so any developer can edit it system ? (from @izmeeer)
MeeGo is already an open source platform but on the N9, the platform and its various customisations are proprietary to Nokia.

why do we need meego? As they are minority OS. (from @izac_hii)
Well, choice is always for innovation and progress. Would you rather have a choice of multiple mobile platforms or just one that you are force to use. MeeGo on the Nokia N9 is well though-out and a fresh departure from iOS and Android. In our opinion, it has potential but Nokia has other plans with Windows Phone. We foresee when Nokia comes out with its Windows Phone device it will be a combination of the best of both MeeGo and Windows Phone.

future devices meaning the WP7s right? Since they aren’t going to release another MeeGo device. (from @Blaze_Edge)
Although Nokia has gone out to say the MeeGo is now a side project. Things could still change three or six months down the line. It’s partnership with Microsoft is still an unknown quality. If the N9 suddenly gets a lot of attention and sales. who’s to say that Nokia will not make another MeeGo device. Let’s see how the Nokia Windows Phone devices look like before we call MeeGo dead.

any dates for their WP7s? (from @Blaze_Edge)
It was mentioned that Nokia Windows Phone devices might be in the market later this year but it is very likely that Malaysia might not be on the launch list.

Can I use any app from Symbian at all on the Meego? or do I have to wait for them to be ported? (from @Aziman)
You will have to wait for the apps to be ported.

Is USB on the GO available on the N9? (from @Aziman)
Yes it is.

does Nokia N9 have Whatsapp? (from @huaipoh)
Nope, not at the moment.

will there be another meego phone with keyboard? (from @izmeeer)
Very unlikely at the moment.

million dollar questions. What is the pull factor from MeeGo perspective. (from @kanglim)
MeeGo offers certain advantages over iOS and Android. True multitasking (like the one you see on the BlackBerry PlayBook) is one advantage. MeeGo has potential but its ecosystem is not as rich as Android or iOS and this will be a mountain to climb for MeeGo and the N9 to gain mass appeal. Having said that the hardware on the N9 is outstanding and so is MeeGo that the device is running. It Nokia could somehow overcome the perception of a poorly supported platform ecosystem, they might have a winner with the N9. But as we all know, Nokia has decided to focus on developing Windows Phone devices and that, by default, means that Nokia currently has very little interest in MeeGo.

will Nokia ever have any Google apps sync? No one I know uses Microsoft Exchange… We use Google Calendar (from @Aziman)
We have no idea nor a straight answer from Nokia on this.

whn can buy it at malaysia? (from @yongjieyu)
Sale date is slated for early October 2011.

Will N9 run android apps? u knw via Alien Dalvik? (from @darkenchanter3)
The possibility is certainly there but even with Alien Dalvik, there is some work required on the developer side to make sure that everything is seamless and that takes time and effort.

How can Nokia guarantee that this won’t be another fail device like the first gen N97? So much promise but so little delivery. (from @Aziman)
Change perception is very important. Nokia needs to convince consumers that it sees a future in MeeGo but that is not the case. Having said that, the N9 has tremendous potential and could receive positive reception. If the consumer likes it, it would be silly for Nokia to ignore them.

is there any telco who’s willing to provide and when? (from @csdordor)
As mentioned during the Nokia N9 media launch, DiGi and Celcom will offer the device in October.

how’s the battery life span? (@Mohd_Fauzee)
We haven’t tested it extensively enough to conclude.