By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

Look what arrived in the mail today! I have to say I fell hard for this one – the new Nokia N70 smartphone. Last time Nokia sent me a phone, the much larger N90, it definitely drew oohs and ahs, but was just too bulky– with a twisty camera piece on top of the phone’s clamshell hinge. (For my complete hands-on review of the N90 click here.)

But the N70 is sleek where the N90 was bulky. Even the photo of it I posted is larger than the actual phone, but the display is bright and roomy, and the unit is as light as a feather. Other notable features: The camera lens (a very respectable 2 megapixel zoom lens) is housed behind a plastic slide down panel on the back of the phone that protects the lens and activates the camera mode when you slide the cover down. The unit boasts an FM tuner and does music and video and so on.

Torture Test

I’m calling this a preview because I have not yet had time to give it my Alice Hill RealTechNews torture test. For starters, I live in a neighborhood in San Francisco known for bad or virtually no cell phone coverage. The N90 in fact failed where my trusty Samsung P777 does not – my Samsung can do calls without trouble from my home location. I also took the N90 to Hong Kong and Manila (work-related trips) and it performed a major multi-country journey without a hitch. This Tuesday I leave for Amman Jordan, and the N70 is definitely coming along for the ride. I’ll post my complete review once I get to Jordan and have given this wonderful new phone the once over.

Alice Says: I fear for my Samsung – this one is a major contender. Meanwhile, here’s the lowdown from Nokia.