With the myriad of developments in the mobile phone industry in these recent years, it is hard to understand why Nokia, one of the largest and most successful brands in the world, decided to take a leave of absence when it was out in front. While this giant slumbered, many other new players emerged in the field of smartphone development. HTC, Samsung, and Apple are arguably the most prolific players in the market today, while Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Nokia have gradually fallen behind.

After what seems to be a rather rude awakening, Nokia seem to have bounced back from its stupor, and the N9 is the latest contender in the smartphone market. The N9 is Nokia’s latest flagship model, boasting a redesign, new operating system, unibody construction, and minimalistic design characteristics.

First Impressions

The box that contains the N9 (together with the charger/usb connection, Dolby earphones, and miscellaneous manuals) bears an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone’s box. Not reassuring, given that the latest slew of smartphone offerings have been iPhone-inspired. The phone unit itself, however, was a dramatic shift in terms of design from the regular copycats of the digital world.

The N9 has no buttons on the front, which almost looks as though it is trying too hard to NOT look like the iPhone. I wouldn’t blame the designer(s), though, given the similarities between the iPhone 4 and the N9. Both have more or less the same dimensions, weight, and even functionalities.

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