How Nokia N95 Proved That Smartphones Can Exist Without Android or iOS

Back in 2007, when there was no trace of social media on a large scale, and people had other preoccupations than posting online everything they did on a daily basis, one of the best mobile phones ever made emerged: the Nokia N95. Although most people nowadays would consider the Nokia N95 a completely obsolete phone, the gadget was a true gem for its time. It was also one of the very few smartphones on the market, and it cost as much as many smartphones do today: around $700 in the US.

Also, in 2007, Apple launched its very first iPhone. But even so, the Nokia N95 had been selling like hotcakes, even though it got slightly outsold by the first iPhone. The point is that these two phones represented an important shift in the public’s perspective of mobile phones, and the amazing thing is that the Nokia N95 wasn’t even running on Android or iOS.

How powerful was Nokia N95’s Symbian OS?

The Nokia N95 smartphone relied on Symbian OS, which was created by Symbian Ltd., a consortium of mobile phone models such as Nokia, Ericsson, and Motorola. The Nokia N95 was remarkable at that time for its beautiful slider design and powerful features. The gadget had impressive features for their time, a GPS navigation system, Wi-Fi connectivity, a 3D Graphics HW Accelerator, a 5-megapixel camera, and more. The phone would slide in two ways, exposing the keyboard and the buttons for multimedia. There was no touchscreen, but that didn’t seem to pose a problem for anyone. The physical keyboard was great and it worked like a charm.

The Symbian OS that the Nokia N95 was capable of allowed for a variety of apps and ways for the users to customize their experience while using the phone. The gadget also stood out for its multitasking abilities, allowing the users to easily switch between apps and processes. While many smartphones of nowadays can do that, it was a truly groundbreaking achievement back in 2007, which contributed to the huge success of the Nokia N95.

Nokia N95 was durable

Let’s face it: a lot of smartphones nowadays are known for their lack of durability, as they will break easily once you slip them through your hands. But that wasn’t the case for the Nokia N95, as the legendary phone was known for its durability and great battery life. During those times, 17 years ago, when the iconic phone came out, longevity was a key consideration when it came to designing mobile devices. Unfortunately, that principle doesn’t apply too much nowadays.

Nokia N95 still has plenty of fans today, in 2024, although it’s pretty difficult to use it nowadays by most smartphone enthusiasts. The phone can’t run WhatsApp, although you may still be able to install Facebook on it. The cameras of the N95, on the other hand, have indeed been the bee’s knees at their time, but they’re clearly obsolete judging by the standards of nowadays.

Ultimately, you can neglect the fact that the Nokia N95 can’t run apps such as WhatsApp and still buy the phone from websites such as eBay if you really want it. It’s even possible to live your life without owning a smartphone at all in 2024, depending on your will and decisions.

Whether you’re a fan of Android or iOS, you can’t deny that the Nokia N95 remains an iconic phone that proved the potential of smartphones even without the two major mobile operating systems that dominate the world today.