CES 2008
There was only a small collection of new devices from Nokia at CES this year. The first ones we saw were two new versions of the N95 for the U.S. market. The first was a simple additional color. The standard N95 U.S. will now also come with a red backplate. Otherwise it is unchanged from the version that's already for sale.
Nokia also announced a U.S. version of the N95 8GB. The N95 8GB features a few changes over the original version of the N95. First as the name implies, it has 8GB of internal storage. It is jet black all the way around. The original N95 (and the U.S. version) have a 2.6-inch screen. The 8GB model has a 2.8-inch screen. This difference may seem minute, but in real life it is huge. Putting them side by side, the screen of the 8GB looks far larger than the standard and U.S. versions.
Also, on the original and U.S. versions, the top sliding mechanism is perhaps a millimeter or two narrower than the body of the phone itself, creating an edge along that seem. On the 8GB model, the width of the sliding portion is even with that of the edges of the body underneath, creating smoother sides. It is still just as fat as the original and U.S. versions, but it feels smoother in your hand because this seam has been made flush. Lastly, to fit the larger screen, the navigation cluster has been squished down a little bit. Even though the size of all the keys was reduced, it was still easy to use.
The only other new piece of hardware we saw from Nokia was the 3555. The 3555 has been announced for Latin America, bit is also compatible with AT&T's WCDMA 3G network in the U.S., so it will arrive here at some point. It is similar in most respects to the 6555. It shares the same shape, though the exterior styling is slightly different.
Both displays have been downgraded form the 6555 a little bit, and the keypad has been changed entirely. The 6555 has some AT&T-specific keys on it in the navigation cluster. Those keys are gone on the 3555, and the numeric keypad itself is entirely different. It has a simpler style and the keys are rounded and separated a little bit. The D-pad is very large. In fact, it is almost too large. You really have to move your thumb to reach from one side of the D-pad to the other. The camera was downgraded from 1.3 Megapixels to VGA. It does, however, still support stereo Bluetooth.