N95 8GB vs. N82, What to get?

Recently many have been torn between the N95 8GB and N82 and honestly I can’t blame them. Choosing the right one seems a lot more difficult than what I originally imagined. I wish I could have this one definitive answer and be done with this post in just two lines, but alas I can’t. As always Nokia doesn’t make “the perfect phone”, instead they give one or two of their devices almost everything you could want and then gives to each one or two unique features. In the end it seems like they want you to buy all of them to get all features, but that wouldn’t be very smart. The idea behind this post is not to tell you whether you should buy the N95 8GB or the N82, but rather explorer the pros and cons and based on that let you make your own decision.  To aid our quest for the right phone I made this table indicating the difference between the two.

I’ll start with the obvious. I know some of you only want sliders, while others swear by monoblocks (candy bar). If you exclusively want a slider, your search has ended here as the N95 8GB has that form factor for you. If you’re more of the candy bar type you should go with the N82. But since a lot of us look more then the form factor alone let’s continue analyzing the differences. In the table I created the items marked green are positive, the red items are seen as negative or a feature that is lacking. Features that are marked in yellow are features that are seen as subjective matter, as these can be seen as good thing or not depending on the user.

Screen:  The N95 8GB has a 2.8” while the N82 has the 2.4” screen. It doesn’t seem like a lot on paper, but consider that even compared against the the classic N95’s 2.6” the N95 8GB's screen looks huge. People prefer bigger screen, the N95 8GB has the clear advantage here.

Storage: This is one of the most discussed differences. Some argue that N82 has an advantage here because it can quickly swap out cards. It’s also no secret that the Nseries devices have a slow USB 2.0 transfer speed, the N82’s advantage comes from the fact that you can take out the card and use a card reader to transfer your data a lot more quickly. Another advantage we can point out is that it’s quite future-proof: the N82 is microSDHC compatible and should be able to support 8 and even 16GB microSD cards. On the other the N95 8GB comes standard with 8GB of storage, no extra purchases necessary, take it out of the box and you have 8GB of built-in memory. While the N82 comes with a 2GB card, buying a Sandisk 8GB card will set you back another $140. Thinking about this matter I would also like to point out that by the time the 8GB in the N95 8GB becomes obsolete most power users would have already moved on to the next best Nseries. There’s no clear winner here, I’ll leave this for you to decide. It’s either convenience (N95 8GB) or future-proof (N82).

Dedicated Music controls: Music is a big part of the Nseries. Being the smartphones that they are, both the N95 8GB and the N82 are capable of multi-tasking. This means that you could be playing your favorite tune or podcast in the background while performing other tasks. Lacking music keys means that you have to “minimize” what you’re doing  to control your music. The N95 8GB's dedicated muisc keys allows you to controls your music while performing other tasks like playing N-Gage games. Another win for the N95 8GB.

Xenon: The N95 8GB’s puny LED flash is no match for the Xenon flash of the N82. The N82 clearly has the upper hand here.

Camera cover: The N82 has in fact 2 lens covers: the external on that opens to activate the camera and a clear cover just in front of the lens. The N95 8GB only has the clear cover. If you scratch the N95 8GB’s clear cover you won’t damage the lens, but these scratches will directly affect the images. Another win for the N82.

Irda port: Many people use the good ol’ Irda port; it’s still very popular among businessmen, so why remove such a feature? The Irda port might be a bit dated, but there are many uses for this trusty old port like Psiloc’s Total irRemote.

Like I said in the beginning it doesn’t make any sense to declare one of these devices the overall winner as potential buyers have different priorities. But one thing is for sure, if taking the best images (especially in low-light) is your number one priority, I would recommend the N82. Personally I would choose the N95 8GB because of the giant screen, the looks and music controls. Which one would you choose and why?

Comments

[Clear Rivers]

The only Nokia phones out there that is really good with Xenon flash? I see Nokia's point here.
Why didn't they create an N96 for instance, that has everything that people wanted. It is because, so that people will have choices. They spread out the choices so that people go and buy their models where in this way they can gain more money. Putting all the very best onto a single model, people will not buy and leave out the lesser spec models and will only buy the very best spec ones. In fact, since having to build a high-end spec model does not come cheap, so they spread the tech onto some different models so that people can afford to buy them. In this way they can gain more money. Clever idea from Nokia. So every models have something good that other models does not have and it goes vice versa. I truly believe that the coming Nokia models would be a perhaps 5 or 8 megapixel, with Xenon flash, but it has a limited memory upgrades, few connectivities, whereas the lesser models have memory upgrads, better cpu, and more connectivities but with only 3-5 megapixel. So people end up with a decision to make here. This is just a rough speculation.

[matin]

guys what is the different between micro sdhc and micro sd only

[Omar TCHICHE]

Thank you a lot. I have read all your comments, it was very interested ! I say: Every one has his choice, depending on his uses and on what he likes. We say in French :"Les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas!". For me, I have a normal N95, I am looking for change it with an N82, which supports external extension (Micro SD), and because I don't like sliders, that's all. Thank's. Your's.

[Omar TCHICHE]

Thank you a lot. I have read all your comments, it was very interested ! I say: Every one has his choice, depending on his uses and on what he likes. We say in French :"Les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas!". For me, I have a normal N95, I am looking for change it with an N82, which supports external extension (Micro SD), and because I don't like sliders, that's all. Thank's. Your's.

[matin]

hi is me again,
i had this problem with my n95.when is connected a wlan.fisrt when i used is okay after a few minuters is disconnected,web time out,wlan could not found and so on.and also is cannot be deleted.
please someone help me

matin

[JR]

hi im jr!

i own a SE k800i right now and i want to get a new phone. im more into internet, music and alot of texting/email. which phone should i get n95 8gb or n82?

[Sahan]

I want to no what by n82 or n95 8gb? I am more intrested in games,music and camera. Little help please

[kalbidi]

Zortex, there's no N82 8GB but you can buy an 8GB memory card. It may slow down the phone a bit though. I'm waiting for holiday because I wanna compare my N82's new memory card capacity with my cousin's N95 8GB's memory capacity, our phone start up time and our phone camera start up time.

Zortex, there's no N82 8GB but you can buy an 8GB memory card. It may slow down the phone a bit though. I'm waiting for holiday because I wanna compare my N82's new memory card capacity with my cousin's N95 8GB's memory capacity and our phone start up time.

[Jasonjin]

For me, I choose N95 8GB.

Actually is all up to individual, just choose between an all rounder (N95 8gb) or a ultimate camera (N82).

About design, I love big screen, and i love the n95 8gb design more than nokia n82. I really really hate n82 keypad. I love slider and music key. so n95 8gb win here.

for camera, N82 is leading here with super Xenon flash, but I would satisfied with nokia n95 8gb night photo shot as long the photo wont look "greenish". more over, there alway won't too dark outside with the road light and other light source, LED flash or night mode is enuff for me.

RAM and Processor is equal here.. no winner

N-gage gaming. N95 8gb leading here, with capable of playing the game in landscape mode using the media key (software require).

Music quality. I love n95 8gb sound quality with 2 stereo speaker, n95 8gb is winner here.

Overall, I prefer n95 8gb. Take n82 if camera is your first priority.

[fornetti]

I do not believe this

i personally own the a white Nokia n82. it is the best. i used to own a n95. to me the n82 is much faster then n95. soo what if theirs no music buttons, dont be lazy just go back to the music player. and plus the n82 saves wat u were last doing, which is good. memory is alot better then n95 8G. i swap out the 2G for 16G works fine. only spent 80 bucks on the mircoSD. got some hook ups! =) not last but lease the camera is xenon flash 15x better then n95 led flash. took a picture of my room when it was pitch black, the n95 not so great. the n82 made it look like it was day time! screen wise the n95 stole the win their. but really? why do u need a bigger screen? watch some HD porn? oh yah one more thing DO NOT USE THE GPS FOR ANY PHONE. kills the battery, unless u hooked up to a charger then your fine. i hope that helps for some of you. but this is my opinion, nokia n82 ftw!!

[Dean]

Hey guys, please dont use N82 and N95 8GB to compare N93i or N73.
First, N82, N95 8GB have larger RAMs, means they are a lot faster.
Second, N82, N95 8GB have a 5mp Carl Zeiss lens, better than N93i, N73 3.2mp Carl Zeiss.
Third, N82, N95 8GB have in built A-GPS, N73 dont.
Fourth, N82, N95 8GB, N93i have WLAN(Wifi) N73 dont
Fifth, N82, N95 8GB have the function where the display rotate with you, N93i, N73 dont.

[Bobby]

Hey its bobby
i have to say n82 is good silver one is crud but n95 is good aswell
people say itll break in ure jeans well puff. if ure retarded enough to put a slided phone in slide mode in ure pockets obv itll break use some effort and shut it and put it in ure jeans all in all n82 is newer and n95 is expensiver and equal also n82 has auto rotate whilst u got to slide n95 to rotate = gay :( 2"4 / 2"8 calm down only "4 dont cry i have both i regret the n95 to slow seling for £110 any one?
- get n82 black .

[mueen]

The nokia n95 is only in black color

The led flash can tack photos at night

The xenon flash is *10 better and this video will show you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39AMuryb4QY

[matin]

guys,

what memory capacity that n93i support

[andy]

erm do u guys think tt the small buttons of n82 will spoil easily becos of more sms sending ?

[Jarrod]

Iv been trying to decide what to get for my upgrade for ages now!! The N95 has the screen,looks,music keys,8G memory but bad build quality! The N82 has the flash & is well built but the keys are so small It would be hard to use! What to do..What to do...Please help!!

[Ngeek]

Devin, thx for your answer i was all ??? when I saw the two versions on Amazon. I'm a happy user of the N95-1, survived 3 hardcore falls...the last one making some of the pics to show a line in the middle of them but still working. Only thing that isnt good about it is the battery that runs a bit fast for my needs. I'm falling inlove with the n82 but the N96 and I have to confess...the HTC Touch Pro are working their way on my picks.

Regards,
Ngeek.

[Devin Balentina]

Ngeek,
there is no US version of the N82.
If there was one, like the N95, the dif would be the supported 3G frequencies.
As the US uses a different 3G frequency.

[Ngeek]

I have a question: what are the differences between a N82 US and and International?

[Zortex]

I like N82 better, so I 'am waiting for the N82 8gb

[matin]

jasim,
i'm just asking why n82 is better than n95 8gb and why n95 is not very good

[jasim]

WANT TO USE INFRAED IN MOBILE IN THE AGE OF BLUETOOTH,WLAN.......Lolzz......N82 is better than n95 8gb...

[matin]

hi guys,
what is 2gb supported,i just asking

[gino]

hello,
why does nokia will not produce all in 1 phone features, like the xenon flash and irda.

too bad. i know these guys can make one but why?
hoping if i can create my own phone i will built a complete tool.
thanks for the info
i like nokia n82 & n95
n82:
good flash xenon, candybar but no dedicated media player and irda
n95:
has irda, expandable memory, but dont like slide phones and poor camera at night
thank you guys

[Anish]

hey guys, i have the n82 black, and before I hade the n95 8gb. N82 black looks ok but it is not comfortable in yor hand such as the n95 8gb. the screen makes a big diffrence and the 8gb still takes nice pics. If money is not a problem, take 8gb it feels much beter in your hand /thanks

[Devin Balentina]

Matin, simply because the N82 does everything the N95 or N93 can but on top of that takes better pictures.

[matin]

Devin Balentina,

why do you think n82 is better,why not n93i or n95 8gb,just asking fo some advice.thank you

[matin]

dear david,

why do you think n82 is the best,why n95 8gb is not the best

[matin]

dear Devin Balentina,

why do you think n82 is the best ijust want to ask

[Devin Balentina]

Matin, the N82 will be a better choice in the end

[Matin]

hi guys,
ijust want to know which one is better n93i or n82 or n95 8gb please help cause i want to buy a phone in this june, please help me which want one to buy.

N82 is much better and cheaper

[ataul]

hi
I have a n82 this camera is great i reduce using my point and shoot dedicated digicam becauce N82 meet my most of snap shoot.
its flash recicle is very fast and powerfull.but FM radio is not better then my Nokia 3230.

[Devin Balentina]

Dark_Bboy,

neither the N95 8GB or N82 have optical image stabilization, only digital.

As for the flash, the N82 is excelent, even in totally dark conditions.

[Dark_Bboy]

doess they have image stabilizator ? or how do u call it to make a clear photo of an moving object ? how do they compare at video quality at night ?
one more think i had a sony k800i and hes flash in poor light condition(not total darkness , a street light or sometink like this) wasn't so grate ! how doest this 2 to the job in those conditions ?

[James]

These are the pros and cons:

N95 8GB:
Pros:
bigger screen
brighter screen
8GB ease
Music controls
Looks better
Slightly better keypad
Video light (Xenon flashes cannot be used)
Easier to show off with (its a nokia n9... Device but more likey to be stolen)
(Spiderman 3)

Cons:
The N95 is an old device n96 is coming
th

The firware upgrades will stop sooner than the n82
Moving parts more likely to get broken
Heavy
Loads of people already have it
Very big
no lens protector
inferior flash
slower camera
more expensive
GPS module is below keypad (bad position)
Everyone know that memory cards are getting bigger and cheaper 8gb is small
Transfers are less convenient

N82
Pros:
beter flash
location of headphone socet
camera speed
build quality
Image geotagging is coming
Light
Black version coming
Gps module at top of device
Smaller
less likely to be stolen
cheaper
camera cover
Comes with a 2GB memory card

Cons:
dark screen
no video light
Smaller Screen
no music controls

In my opinion if you plan on keeping your phone for more than six months, you should definately go for the n82. And the black one is coming soon. As a bonus you get 3 months free voice guidance in maps. I have an iPod touch, an n95 8GB and an n82 (I know I got a bit carried away) the screen on the n95 is too small to watch anything more than a 5 minute clip anyway. If you want to watch Video on the move then you must get a psp or at least an iPod touch, sorry. So get the n82.
(both these phones are far better than the iphone).

[Devin Balentina]

GANESH,

the N95 8GB last a bit longer, but in the end they are almost the same.

[ganesh]

hi,
may i like to know which battery last longer?
is the n82 or n95?
and also, does the n82 has keypad problems?

[Ganesh]

Hi,
may i know which battery is better.
is the n82 or n95?
may i also know if the n82 has keypad problems?
thanks

[deiu]

do apps for n95 work on n82 also???

[sid]

the n82 or the n95? Yes we have all been there i will get to the point 1.if your looking for looks the n95 will anyday kick the n82s ass 2.the n82 is much faster while your using i mean you dont have to wait when you go to the gallery or the processing time after you take a snap is real fast. But its okay am not bothered about that 3.pictures without flash are the same i dont take many pictures in the nite and if i ever want to the led flash is fine 4. The n95s screen is huge great for watching videos or using the gps 5. Battery life is more or less around the same. i chose the n95 for its hot looks though its slower. I love the n82 if looks dont matter to you people and if you dont mind a smaller screen dont think twice just take the n82 its awesome or if your like me take the n95 8gb! Whatever you take you wont have any regretts they both are mindblowing! By the way the n96 is awesome if you decided on the n95 tien wait a while and take the n96 its super sleek better version of the n95..lol i guess your as confused as ever

[andreixxx]

i don't know what to get...n82 or n95 8gb...i'm interested in camera,music in headphones,games and applications...please help me.thank you

[Evert]

Hmm, I wonder how the batteries compare with similar use. Does the larger screen of the N95 suck a lot more juice? Or is power consumption more or less the same?

[Ron]

No one is talking about firmware upgrade. The N82 keeps all your data (sonyericsson does this for years already) en your data is lost with the N95 8gb after an upgrade. Will the N95 8gb keeps his data too in the near future?

[george]

Hi,
I got the N82...

Can i change my n82' original color to any other color?(they will release new colors)

Is n95 8gb available in syria with warranty?

How many colors does n82 have now?

I would have gotten n95 8gb but it has NO WARRANTY :(

Thankyou,
please EMAIL ME back

[george]

Hi,
I got the N82...

Can i change my n82' original color to any other color?(they will release new colors)

Is n95 8gb available in syria with warranty?

How many colors does n82 have now?

I would have gotten n95 8gb but it has NO WARRANTY :(

Thankyou,
please EMAIL ME back

[Dr. Ahamd Bashter]

Hi, you have said it well, its a matter of individual preferences

For me, I am a bloke, I dont hold bags nor purses of course, so I want a handset to be put in my trousers pocket so easily, so I believe the candy bar is better than the slider (slider of N95 8GB isnt the best) coz you know sliders can be destroyed with the tear and shear effect of being in tight pockets like those of jeans, so this is a reason to go for N82

I need a lens protector for the same reason of being kept in my pocket, coz I dont want to have my photos destroyed coz of a stupid scratch on the clear lens cover (unless if the cover of the whole hand set can be replaced, Devin, can you please tell me if we can exchange the whole cover of both hand sets?), anyhow, this is a reason for N82

The Xenon flash is awesome, for the reader who mentioned flash makes the photo pale, I will say having a pale seen photo is much better than having a non pale but still dark photo with no details, isnt it? actually, if you will pay fortune for such a hand set (3500 Egyptian pounds for N82 and 4000 for N95 8GB, and this isnt low price at all if you that a freshly graduated doctor has a monthly salary of 300 pounds) so it will be stupid to fail to have a photo just coz of the low illumination, ennit?

I want to have an MP3 player and a good cam and of course a hand set in only one device (coz of the no bags nor purses rule, then I cant hold three separate devices) and I believe N82 can easily replace a digital camera if you are not a professional photographer (please Devin correct me if am wrong)

The volume of voice out of the speaker in N82 is only 65 decibels, and this is low in comparison to N95 8MB which is 78, I guess, but are you planning to use your hand set as a setreo in a party? you need the MP3 player for your personal use, and in 90% of times at least, you use the audio jacks, so this is what matters, and in N82 its better than N95 8GB, so this is another reason supporting picking N82

Larger screen, hmmmm, Okay, I cant say anything about this, coz honestly, N 95 8GB is much better when it comes to this, its screen is bigger and clearer, but N82 has a solution, its the TV OUT, yea, you wont be in need to nag you cant watch you videos on 2.8 inches screen, you can watch them on 55 inches if you have one, so if I have an N95 8GB, I would prefer to use the TV out to watch the videos, wont you do the same?

At last the memory, If you put in mind the low transfer speed through USB cable, and if you put in mind that one minute video recorded on the DVD quality using either hand sets costs you 20 MB of the memory, then 2 GB card can hold only 100 minutes of recorded videos, so for sure you will be in need for huge memory to hold many video records, and I guess even 8 GB wont be enough, you will always suffer till you transfer the data to your computer, while you wont if you have a memory card reader, you should think about the future, and about the effort you exert to have your data on your computer, thats why I go to N82 at the end

About the lack of music controllers at N82, so I dont think its a motive important enough to leave N82, will it cost me two or three seconds to leave the application am using to go to the MP3 player to turn the songs off or raise the voice? will it take me five seconds? okay, I still can handle this lol

anyhow, This can be a post not just a comment, so to summarize it, I will enumerate why I prefer N 82:

1- Candy bar, solid enough to be hold in my trousers pocket

2- Lens protector for same reason (please, Devin tell me about the exchangeable covers)

3- Xenon flash which is so essential in my opinion not to miss any shot whatever the conditions are (you no more need a digital cam, correct me if am wrong, Devin, please)

4- Louder voice through audio jacks

5- TV out enabling you to watch videos on TV screen, so you wont nag about the small sized screen of the head set

6- You can increase your memory in an endless manner by getting more memory cards, and you can transfer data much faster through the memory card reader

At the end, I have just mentioned why I prefer the N 82, and its all up to you

[Devin Balentina]

@habib
The N73 is a bit brighter. The ram is the same. On a scale from 0 to 10 I would say 7-8, while the N95 is 9 to 9.5

@ ss
N73 is brighter.