The Register previews Nokia N91 iPod challenger

"Although it's still four to five months away from release, the N91 is shaping up as Nokia's first serious challenge to the booming iPod business," The Register says. The N91 is a hard-disk based phone optimized for music playback. "Out of the box, it immediately scores over the iPod and the copycat MP3 jukeboxes by allowing you to share your music files and playlists with Series 60 smartphones in close proximity to you." However, the report notes that in other respects, the N91 lacks the iPod's ease of use. "The user interface isn't always optimal: partly because it's a multifunction device, and partly because the user is forced to fight against, rather than work with the design-by-committee Series 60 User Interface."

"After a hands on with the N91, we doubted whether marrying a phone to an iPod will appeal to everyone in the target market. Many will find a tiny iPod Mini and a small midrange phone less cumbersome. On the other hand, anyone who travels in the, ahem, "digital lifestyle" era knows what a royal nuisance it is to carry around so many chargers and cables."

Filed under: iPod, industry