Hey Surur and Marcol; great discussion you both have here. I played with the N95 quite a bit at CES, and have one at my doorstep today as a matter of fact
. But before the device, I'll speak on the topic as it was started.
The N95 and iPhone probably don't represent a major shift in terms of smartphone adoption as much as it does smartphone mindshare towards the "normal" consumer. Whereas folks in various means know that a phone can do a lot, to have ads and buzz about it constantly coming at you does a bit better than just make you want something more than a RAZR, you start to expect that the $0 phone does do a bit of what the iPhone and N95 do. If you will, the N95 and iPhone are like the car-marker's halo models. Not far enough out of reach to get and touch one (country issues aside), but enough to make you wonder what else could be had if your budget wasn't as high and you didn't need all those features. Its a plant, and probably a successful one. Ironically, RIM, WM, and Palm made the soil fetrile for this kind of marketing.
As a device, the N95 is no larger than a Treo 650 when closed., It is however, not ungainly when opened. The directional butttons are weird, as Surur pointed out, but nothing that wouldnt take some time to get used to like most other phones we haven't "mind-mapped." The kicker for both will be battery life and device stability. Right now, the N95 fails on the first (under hard usage) and is OK on the second. Because, as this discsussion and AAS's pointed out, most will not use all of the features all of the time; just like with the Treo 680, the battery life will be fine for most - and the hardcore users like carrying a brick battery anyways so they'll be fine
The iPhone will have a slightly harder road to climb in the battery end as users who will be used to swapping phone batteries will have an issue when they cannot listen to music any more. However, I am sure that there will be tie in to work adn play and accessories that make the battery life not seem "as bad" will come quicly - especailly when folks start panting about it.
I am with Surur in saying that the N95 (and similar devices) will not improve teh bottom line of ANY smartphone making company. While the high margins are great for headlines, they suck because they are low volume. Nokia wants to make funds on the mid-range models, and to do that they need to get people in the stores. The N95 will do that to those who window shop. It might even get a few extra N95s sold after the buzz period (give it another month) wears off. That being said, its a solid enough product at the right time. I just wish the US had its wireless act together so that phones like the N95 wouldnt cost my kidney and a tank of gas (and I own a Civic, sheeesh).
Great discussion though. Glad I could read and contribute (I hope).